Assimilative Memory Part 2

=Badly done.= }

A clear case of Exclusion. They are both "done," but one is done "well,"

and the other "badly done," or the opposite of well.

=Badly done.= } Ex.

=Good.= }

A relation is sometimes found between one word and a part of another word or phrase. Here "Bad" is the opposite of "Good."

=Good.= } In. by G. & S.

=Good Princess.= }

"Good" covers all cases, whatsoever, of its kind, but "Good Princess" is a particular kind of species of good things or persons. Examples: "Snake, Copperhead;" "Spider, Tarantula;" "Horse, Dray horse," etc.

Now carefully read over the eleven words, and _recall_ or ascertain the relations between them:

Fieldhand.

Millionnaire.

Pauper.

Wealth.

Commonwealth.

Uncommon.

Rare.

Well done.

Badly done.

Good.

Good Princess.

When you have _carefully realised the relations_ between these words, lay aside the lesson and recall the entire series from memory, proceeding from Fieldhand to Good Princess, and back from Good Princess to Fieldhand. Do this five times--_each time from memory and more rapidly than before_.

Again, repeat from memory, at least five times, the series from Building to Good Princess, and back from Good Princess to Building, reciting as fast as possible each time.

THIRD AND LAST LAW OF MEMORY.

=Good Princess.= } In. & Con.

=Pocahontas.= }

A proper name as such has little meaning. It is usually a mere _sound_ to which the person that bears it answers as the dog responds to the name "Carlo." It is a sound which we call a name, and which we apply to one person to distinguish that person from all others, as in this case Pocahontas is used to distinguish the daughter of Powhattan from all other Indian women. She knew who was meant when that name was applied to her. But the name Pocahontas does not indicate that she was wise or unwise, learned or unlearned, tall or short, old or young. In saving the life of Capt. John Smith she became ent.i.tled to be called a "_Good_ Princess." In this case it would be In. by G. & S. We have heard of all this, and now when we think of Pocahontas, we are apt to remember that she was a good Princess for saving Smith's life. The connection between these words I call Concurrence. We have thought of these words together, and the mind by its own operation has cemented them together, so that when we think of one it is apt to make us remember the other.

_Concurrence means that which has been accidentally, or as cause and effect, conjoined in our experience._ Between the words or ideas thus conjoined, there is, strictly speaking, neither Inclusion or Exclusion.

Whenever there are unrelated things which the mind holds together simply because it has occupied itself with them, then we have a case of concurrence to be represented by Con. Other examples: "Harrison, Tippecanoe;" "Columbus, America;" "Was.h.i.+ngton, Cherry Tree;" "Andrew Jackson, To the Victors belong the Spoils;" "Newton, Gravitation;"

"Garfield, Guiteau;" "Gladstone, Home Rule," &c.

=Pocahontas.= } Con.

=Capt. John Smith.= }

We have read the story of the rescue of Smith by Pocahontas. We have _thought of these names together_ and they have united in our memories by the Law of Concurrence. When we recall the name of Pocahontas, we are apt to revive also the name of Capt. John Smith and _vice versa_.

Another case:--A gentleman was present at Ford's Theatre in Was.h.i.+ngton when John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln. Just a moment before, he recognised the odour of a hyacinth held by a lady in front of him. The next moment he heard the fatal shot, and turning whence the report came, he saw the murderous result. After the lapse of a quarter of a century, he could not smell, see, or think of hyacinth without at once thinking of that scene, nor could Lincoln's a.s.sa.s.sination be mentioned in his presence without his instantly thinking of hyacinth. Nothing could have been more purely _accidental_ than the quick succession of the sensation of the odour and the murder of the President. But they were _experienced together_ or nearly together. They became cemented together, so that the revival of one is apt to call up the other, and this is concurrence.

=Capt. John Smith.= } Con.

=Anvil.= }

A proper name may be also used in other relations. The word, sound, or name Smith may also be a general term applicable to many cla.s.ses of persons, as _coppersmith_, _goldsmith_, _silversmith_, &c. When we think of _Capt. John_ Smith we use the word as a proper name. But when we think of Smith and Anvil we use the word Smith in its general sense. In either case it is an act of Concurrence. Smiths use anvils. We have thought of these words together, and that mental act has had a tendency to unite them together.

=Anvil.= } In. by A. & C.

=Heavy.= }

Anvil is a _concrete thing_ that possesses the attribute heaviness; and heavy is an abstract term that applies to heavy things, but does not state what they are. The idea or thought of heaviness is _common_ to both words, and therefore it is a case of In., and as one term is concrete and the other abstract, it is a case of In. by A. & C.

=Heavy.= } Con.

=Gravitation.= }

Things are heavy that press toward the earth, in consequence of the action of gravity in their case. Gravitation, whatever that is, is what makes them tend toward the earth. We may say it is a Cause, and as we think of Cause producing Effect, and Effect as produced by Cause, such cases are _thought of together_, or almost simultaneously, and hence we have a case of Concurrence.

=Gravitation.= } Con.

=Sir Isaac Newton.= }

There is no In. or Ex. here, but Con. We have read or heard that Newton discovered the Law of Gravitation. We have exercised our minds in regard to these two words, in thinking of them together, and that is concurrence.

=Sir Isaac Newton.= } Con.

="Diamond."= }

Newton went out of his library on one occasion, leaving his pet dog "Diamond" in the room. The dog jumped up on to the table, overturned the light, which set fire to most valuable ma.n.u.scripts. They burned up. When Newton returned and discovered what his pet had done, he exclaimed, "O!

Diamond, Diamond, thou little knowest what thou hast done." The name Diamond becomes thus vividly a.s.sociated in our minds with the forbearance of the great Newton. We cannot forget it. We hold them together hereafter by Con.

=Diamond.= } In. by s.

=Dying.= }

A plain case of Inclusion by sound.

=Dying.= } Con.

=Cholera.= }

We know that cholera _causes_ numerous deaths; that people die in great numbers wherever it prevails.

=Cholera.= } Con.

=Terror.= }

Concurrence includes all cases of Cause and Effect, Instrument or Means to End, Person by whom or Thing by which, &c. Cholera causes terror.

Terror is the _effect_ of the existence of the cholera. Now carefully read over the eleven words just considered, and think out the relations between them.

Good Princess.

Pocahontas.

Capt. John Smith.

Anvil.

Heavy.

Gravitation.

Sir Isaac Newton.

"Diamond."