MEMORY: ITS NATURE AND USE.

West Coast Times, Issue 617, 16 September 1867, Page 4

MEMORY: ITS NATURE AND USE.

A Lecture,

DELIVERED BY THE VEX. ARCHDEACON HARPER, At tlie Court House, HoVttika, on Sept. 6, 1867.

[conclusion.]

A very common illustration of the power of the mind to revive old associations, and to produce certain usual feelings, may be drawn from the sound of church bells. As it is said that Sunday feels more like Sunday when a bell is going — that is, our feelings are involuntarily put into train -v Ith old ideas conuected with Sunday observances, which would lie comparatively dormant if it were not for the association of sound. I have heard it said that nothing creates a more vivid impression and recollection of old times on the mind of an emigrant returning home after a long absence as the music of a peal of bells. Of course, that is if in his youth he had been accustomed to hear them. I myself can well remember, on going home three years ago, after eight years absence, and walking up the streets of Exeter at night, the indescribable effect of a sudden outburst of the bells. The influence, however, of association on memory by force of sound is not so often felt as the influence of place. People — who I suppose would be described by phrenologists as having the bump of topography — seldom forget a road they have travelled, and by dint of local- associations are able to recall many other things. Such people also find themselves able to recall what they did and said in certain places, provided they find themselves in the same place again. For instance, a thoroughly good story teller, who is in the habit of much conversation, never tells the same story to the same person twice, and does not incur the odium of repetition, because he never forgets the place where he ha 3 told his" story before, and the people to whom he spoke. So, too, if he hears a story twice over, his mind instinctively goes back to the place where- he heard it, and he associates the place with the person. So, also, some people find themselves in great straits because they suddenly light upon a man who claims acquaintance, and they cannot at once recall his name. So they work round to the point ; they contrive to make him speak of the place where he last saw them, and by association they recover the name which had quite slipped from memory.

I will notice one other instance of involuntary memory by this force of association with place, on a much larger scale than the preceding. It is that which lends a peculiar charm to places of historical interest in the old country. A country like this in which we are living now presents a' strange contrast to the older portions of the eh ilised world. Here ■we have no past history to refer to. The natural scenery of mountain, valley, and shore are devoid of any associations ■with great deeds done in old time. The landscape has no legend, and provokes no memory, except perhaps in the breasts of a few scattered Maories. Neither are there here any of the -ancient works of man — no ruin of buildings to tempt enquiry. But compare with this any European country — it teeras with memorials of the past. Here there is a ballle-iield ; there a castle ; there the foundations of a. city centuries old. Let any one who has read English history, as we all read it as a matter of information to be gained from works, go and visit such places as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, or Windsor Castle. Histoiy becomes a different thing when associated with place. If you stand on the actual ground whereon great men once lived and worked, you seem to learn more of them than books can tell. Sir Walter Ealeigh's life is well known — the character and even the appearance of the man. But you will know much more of him if you go to the Tower of London, and enter the close cell where he lay co long, and handle the very axe and block by which he lost his head. You obtain a much, clearer conception and far deeper remembrance of old times when you walk under the mosaic arches of Durham Cathedral, built by the old Normans ; or wander amongst the tombs and monuments ot old English kings and worthies, dimmed with th? t dust of 800 years, under the lofty Gothic tracery of Westminster Abbey. Go to Holyrood, and visit the ruined chapel, and the blood-stained floor where Bizzio lest his life, if you wish to realise the scenes of Queen Mary's history. It would bo scarcely possible to walk over the fields of Banuockburn or Waterloo without feeling the influence of place. In an old country there is certainly no lack of these associations of Memory, for every nook and comer — every village has its landmarks, which :iro to the historian written in stones, in hill, in running stream — histories of great men, whose remembrance seems to haunt the places where they once lived.

These instances may suflice to illustrate the power of this kind ot Mercoiy. But it must be remembered that w c have only treated so far on the spontaneous involuntary effects of association.

Now it is possible to utilize this natural tendency. As a man may improve his capacity" of attention, so he may direct and control and even invent habits of association. Taking advantage of a law of his mind which he is conscious of without being able to explain ; he can apply it deliberately so as to provide most valuable assistance to his memory in an arbitrary, if not an artificial manner.

Every one is aware of the old practice of tying a knot in a handkerchief, or a piece of string round his finger in order to force the mind to remember a certain point. There are various contrivances of this kind, and they answer their purpose well. The mind at once goes back to the thing associated yesterday with the string or knot. There is a somewhat fabulous story of the school boy which bears on this. He was never able to repeat his lessons of recitation correctly unless lv's finger was constantly twiddling a particular button on his waistcoat. One of his mischevious friends observing this cut the button off just before lie went tip to say his lesson, to the great discomfiture of tho boy who broke down instantly. No other button but that peculiar one seem to have the same suggestive power. It has also been remarked that some public speakers who have to rarry in their mind long complicated arguments seldom speak without something in their hands which they seem to associate with what they have to say. For instance, Gladstone always has his liat before him — perhaps it. would be going too far to say that he purposely uses his hat as an aid to memory, but from all accounts it seems so necessary that if his speech be of any length and importance, he usually, not only holds his hat, but administers such blows to it, that if io jocosely said he uees up a hat to every great speech. However, these arc only eccentricities which depend on the principle of .association. But no one can bo ignorant of the use to which he puts this principle in any business or profession, in which his mind ha" f o retain many isolated facts. He adopts euuie methed of arrangement amongst his papers, or in the design of his day's work — orne memoria \ teclmia, which suggests at the right time tho desired subject. He depends £.; these things for suggestion. Meanwhile li.j mind is free to roam over other things, the law of association will bring the past thoughts back again, directly his eye catches the mark in his memorandum book — or his ear hears the striking of tho hour at which he determined to do his work, and in most cases — except with men who have an unusual natural memory — it will be found that these habits of arrangement and method, are most essential to prevent forgetfulness. One very remarkable effect which has been attained by the deliberate use of this power of association — as a faiipport to memory — may be traced in the world wide custom of ohserfittg*e«tain days, in commemoration of g eat e^nts/xerhaps it did not enter the ]j.;ada opjihe first rulers of Christendom, to

philosophize on their reasons for establishing the observance of days, and seasons, which mark tho chief events of Bible History. But it is not too much to say — that had they not established these days— the world would have gradually ldst sight of the actual historical events on which our Fahh rests as a foundation. A set day, recurring every year, appointed in the calendar, and more or less observed because of certain events— such as Christmas Day.Good Friday, and Easter Day — has done more to produce and maintain belief in these events than all the books which ever wero published. It is true that it may be said that these cannot be asserted to be the very exact days on which the events happened. That may be — that is not to the pomt — but they were none the less an appeal to the faculty of association in human memory — every person possesses that — everyone, or nearly everyone in Christian countries for the last 1700 years has known of these days, though many could not read or write, and only a few could read correctly. If it be once for all observed that a certain day is set apart, and it be at all understood that the observance is meant to coniniunicate an event which has happened, the mind cannot forget it, nor altogether lose sight of the associations connected with it. No surer method could have been devised, and no more philosophical one, for the study of the human mind shows that, whilst only a few will take the trouble of attention, in order to learn and remember, no one — not a man, who is the possessor of a sane mind, can help or escape the influence of association. It is also worth noticing what an important argument is afforded by these periodical days of observance to any who find difficulty in accepting without hesitation the great historical statements of the New Testament. They are of course events of so strange a nature that they seem to demand very decided testimony, even stronger testimony than we ask for in other matters. Now if they rested only on the authority of written statements and certain books compiled years ago, it is just possible that the statements may not be true history. I put it so merely for sake of argument. Some might have said — these facts have been invented to support a theory. But, if besides the authority of historical books wo find that for 700 years the Christian world has uniformly observed certain days, especially the days on which these events happened, and that the observance began very soon after the events occurred, we have evidence of an indubitable kind, for though an impostor might have palmed off on people a written false history, he could never have persuaded the world to set apart certain days in honor of certain events, if these things had not actually happened. We have now briefly touched on the two main features of the associative faculty of Memory. Enough to show that whereas our Memory works in this way spontaneously, it is possible to xitilise the natural tendency and improve it. But the examples I have taken are hardly sufficient to exhibit the wide range that it is capable of. Indeed it may be said that a constant and careful use of the associative faculty, calculates, more than anything else, to form minds which cnu acquire knowledge and digest it, so as to he fit for use. Let us understand this. A great number of men lire and die in the word amongst innumerable facts of every kind, which meet them daily, but which are to them only so many separate uninteresting facts. To them — a rock is simply a rock — a leaf a leaf — a flower a flower. They see what others see, and trouble themselves no further about what they see ; but others see and remember. This fact bears some resemblance to that — there is some association between what I saw yesterday and to-day. Thus they form a deliberate batch of connections one thing with another, until they gather certain principles with regard to the nature of things, under which they can constantly collect new evidence. This habit produces powerful minds ; they have their thoughts arrayed with various chambers aud pigeonholes into which they can place what others regard as isolated facts. So they work out results of thought, either oil a large or small scale. It was by virtue of this kind of habit that the great engineer, Hepbeurn, the practical discoverer of the locomotive steam-engine, became in his line one of the greatest men in England. Other men saw what he did, but he remembered what he saw by associating it with other facts. In plain English, he used to put two and two together, and at last produced startling results, This is the history of all invention, and of all improvement in art. The inventor has some object in view ; he cannot devise means to accomplish it, so he casts about and lay 3 up in his mind everything that seems likely to bear on his plan ho has in view. Thus the Eddystone lighthouse, after having been destroyed several times, was successfully built by Sineaton the architect. In pondering over the best form, it had occurred to him to notice the shape of the butt of a tree which is specially destined to stand tho fury of the wind, and he transferred the shape into stone. This habit of mind need not be confined to inventors and philosophers, it may be exercised more or less by everyone who takes up any pursuit or study as as business or recreation, hi fact by anyone who cares to acquire knowledge.

The commonest things with which we are surrounded — trees, animals, rocks, food, clothes, furniture — will all give occasion to an active mind to learn something by comparing one thing with another — by associating what we see with some knowledge previously obtained. Look at the mechanism of your watoh, and examine its principles, you have at once something with which you can associate every piece of mechanism you happen to see, which will soon help you to remember the main points of mechanical force and agency. If you have even a slight acquaintance with the anatomy of the human frame, your knowledge may be increased nnd illustrated by innumerable instances of animal anatomy which will come under your notice, but which have hitherto been forgotten and passed over, because you could not associate them with other facts. One thing reminds of another. Thus life becomes full of interest, and the memory is a store-house of valuable information.

I have thus endeavored, in a very cursory and limited way to put before you the leading characteristics of the faculty of memory. I have treated it so far merely from that point of view from which we look at it as capable of use or improvement in ordinary life. But it will hardly do to omit mention of sonic of the operations of memory — I might almost call them freaks, which give lise to those extraordinary mental results which we call dreams. It may be roughly said that dreaming is brought about by memory alone, as the mind then is invariably occupied on past events. But there is this marked difference between waking and sleeping memory, whilst awake we can control and direct — and even assure — all our trains of thought — the deopest reverie or day-dream is under our control, if wo choose to put it forth ; but asleep the memory has its own way — the ideas and images it calls up come in the most disconnected style — we cannot stop them or order them, and throughout the process the mind firmly believes that its memories are actual facts happening then and there, and does not perceive their inconsistency. Very little is known on tho theory of dreaming ; but we may safoly assume one pomt — that in that state tho memory is particularly active in seizing on associations which revive the events of past time. An old friend perhaps makes his appearance, whom we have not seen for a long time, and a conversation ensues of times long ago forgotten. Frequently after this, dreams will occur which take the mind back not only to the actual things and persons spoken of during the conversation, but to many others indirectly associated with them. Sometimes dreams have occurred of so remarkable a nature that they . are apt to be regarded as little less than instances of clairvoyance, or the power of sesing ' things which cannot bp Been in our waking 7 v

state, but which, when examined, turn out to be effects of the memory through old associations, one of these is told of a gentleman in a bauk at Glasgow, who was employed ns teller, and was in his place at the' counter seeing many customers, when a man entered, who wished to draw six pounds, and was very importunntc in asking to be served at once. The teller, having many others to attend to, refused at first, but at last, to get rid of the man, paid him by handing over the money before his turn, and went on with his work : at the end of the year his books could not be balanced, as there was a deficiency exactly of six pounds. Several days and nights were spent in trying to detect the loss, bat in vain; nor could the teller in any way recall any occasion in which he had made a mistake in calculation ; with his mind full of the matter he went to bed, and then dreamt over the whole transaction again ; on waking he proceeded to examine his books once more, and then discovered that he had made no entry of this payment of six pounds, which just accounted for the deficiency. Such an effort of memory, when we consider jhow very little impression a single event like this could have made on his mind during the busy transaction of a great establishment in a large mercantile city, would be as wonderful in the waking as in the dreaming mind. I will give one other instance which shall suffice to illustrate the peculiar act of memory in sleep, which sometimes seem to pursue the thoughts of the day in a definite plan, and not in the usual irregular, confused habit of dreaming. It is a story related by Sir Walter Scott, in some notes to the Wavcrley Novels : — A Scotch gentleman, of landed property, was prosecuted for a considerable sum, the accumulated arrears of tithe, for which he was said to be indebted to a family who held the tithes in possession. He was firmly impressed that his father, long since dead, had told him tkat he had purchased tho tithes from the lithe holder, by a form of law in force in Scotland, and that, therefore, this prosecution was groundless. But after an industrious search amongst his fathers papers, an investigation of the public records, and a careful inquiry among all people who had transacted business with his father, no evidence could be produced to support his defence. The period was now nigh at hand when he conceived the loss of his law suit to be inevitable, and he formed the resolve ride to Edinburgh the next day, and to make the best compromise possible. He went to bed with this resolution, and with all the circumstances floating in his mind, had a dream to' the following purpose. His father — who had been many years dead — appeared he thought, and asked him why he was so disturbed in mind (we must notice that in dreams men take these apparitions, and everything else for granted). He then dreamt that he informed his father of the cause of his distress, adding that the payment of this sum of money was most unpleasant to him, because he was strongly convinced that it was not due, though he could recover no evidence to prove his case. "You are right," said the paternal ghost. I did acquire right to these tithes for which you are now prosecuted— the papers relating to the transaction, arc in the hands of Mr — who lias retired from professional business and lives at Inveresk, near Edinburgh. It is very possible — went on the vision to say — that Mr — has forgotten the matter ; but you may call it to his recollection by this token, that when I came to pay his account I had a piece of Portugal gold which we could not get changed, and so we drank out the balance at a tavern.

The gentleman awoke in tho morning with all the words of vision imprinted on his mind, and thought it worth while i$ ride to Inveresk, across country instead of going straight for Edinburgh. When he came there he waited on the gentleman mentioned by the ghost — a very old man — and without saying anything about the vision, enquired whether he remembered anything connected with business transactions with his late father. The old man couldremembernothingat first, but on the mention of the Portugal piece, the whole returned to his memory ; he made searck for the papers and recovered them. So that the gentleman carried to Edinburgh sufficient proof to establish his plea" which he had so nearly lost." The explanation of this dream lies of course in tho probable fact that the father had when alive told the story to his son as a boy, but the son on growing up, and having countless things to attend to, had completely forgotten the circumstance.

But I must hasten to bring these remarks to a close. To anyone who cares to iicruse the subject, a very wide field is open of facts connected with tho exercise of memory, which will not only attract and amuse, but serve for topics of most useful thought. In all that I have alluded to I have merely regarded memory as an intellectual power with special reference to its immediate use and value. But all such subjects as these have a tendency to suggest reflections which go far beyond the limits of actual utility in daily life, and perhaps memory of all the mental faculties is the most suggestive. It may be almost asserted that memory of all human faculties enables us to forecast and anticipate in imagination the general character of man's destined life hereafter. To remember, is literally to live in the past — Man's mind, and therefore man lives, we may say, as much in the past as the present. If then the past be so indestructible — if it becomes part and parcel of us by the influence of subtle animation which interweave our present with our former life, we gain a glimpse of what the future will be — that future which we call Immortality, but which so fay as we can explain in words, is life contained only under different circumstances.

Memory then provides some ground for speculation ; many a curious anecdote might be quoted ns to the character of the immortal life to show how vigorous it is even at the point of death. People who have as good as lost memory for years, recover a vivid recollection of nil they have done in the few minutes previous to dissolution. At a time, too, when disease has done all it can to waken the material organs which hold the impalpable essence of the mind. It is said that in the act of drowning the dying man lives over his whole life in a few moments. There are, I believe, many instances on record of which, no doubt, professional physiologists are well aware, which, so far as human observation can go, prove that in disease the memory is often wonderfully active, when the patient is utterly unable to attend to or perceive any present occurrence-. One such cuse I have read of, of a boj r who, at the age of four years, received a fracture of his skull and underwent an operation ; but being at the time in a state of stupor, neither seemed to have any perception of Ihe event nor did he remember it afterwards. But, when fifteen years old, he was attacked by fever, and fell into a state of delirium, and during that stato gave his mother a complete account of the former operation, even to very minute details. He had never been observed to allude to it before, and at the time of his speaking of it was quite insensible to order and events. A more ordinary case might be adduced of a man who, in a state of disease which rendered him apparently insensible, would now and then quote long passagos of favorite authors ; and of people who in a similar state have remembered long-forgotten languages, and persisted in using them. To use a common expression, the " mind wanders" over the past when the bmiin. is incapacitated for. its usual work.

Such facts arc full of interest even to tho scientific observer, whoso whole object is to gather pructicul information, which may enable him to understand man's physical frame, and I suppose that they are sufficiently well observed to justify the assertion that the material mechanical organ which we call brain may bo almost entirely disordered, whilst tho mind, through memory, is actively at work— recalling jm-

pressions long past; dead to the world around, but alive in a world of its own recollection.

If so, Memory testifies to the' existence of the soul, which is not tied clown by space or time— which roams hither and thither at will — which oven, when the human frame in which it is seemingly imprisoned, is obliged to give way to the overwhelming effects of fatigue, or the stupor of sleep j and at last to the ruin of disease, still asserts its own vitality ; recalls through the bond of sleep, triumphs over sickness. And thus gives evidence of an imperishable life, even in this world where the many generations of men bloom and fall as Autumn leaves beneath the frost, and all that they have done seems to fall with them into the shapeless mass of Past time. wwiiwii ■■ ■ ■■—[■^■lu^mi^b^muum.— ■^■i^—