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and this is one great advantage of retire ment; that a man may choose what com pany he pleases from within himself.

As in the world we more frequently meet with bad company than good, fo in folitude we are oftener troubled with impertinent and unprofitable thoughts, than entertained with those which are agreeable and ufeful. And a man that hath fo far loft the command of himself, as to lie at the mercy of every foolish or vexatious thought, is much in the fame fituation as a hoft, whofe houfe is open to all comers; whom, tho' ever so noify, rude and troublesome, he cannot get rid of; yet with this difference, that the latter hath fome recompence for his trouble, the former not the leaft; but is robbed of his peace and quiet for nothing.

A due regulation of the thoughts, being of great importance to the tranquility and improvement of the mind, I hope to be excused for dwelling fo long on this branch of the fubject; which fhall be concluded with one obfervation more; that it is very dangerous to judge, as too many are apt to do, that it is a matter of indifference what thoughts they entertain in their hearts; fince the reason of things concurs, with the

testimony

teftimony of the Holy Scriptures, to affure us, that the allowed thought of foolishness is

fin* (x).

XIV.

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CHAP. XV.

Concerning the Memory.

A

MAN that knows himself will have a regard not only to the management of his thoughts, but to the improvement of his memory.

The memory is that faculty of the Soul, which was defigned for the ftore-house or repofitory of its most useful notions; where they may be laid up in fafety, to be produced upon proper upon proper occafions.

Now a thorough felf-acquaintance cannot be had without a proper regard to this in two refpects. (1.) Its furniture, (2.) Its improvement.

(1.) A man that knows himself will have a regard to the furniture of his memory; not to load it with trafh and lumber, a fet of useless notions or low conceits, which

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qui cogitat ulFuv. Sat. 13. thoughts are Young

he will be ashamed to produce before perfons of taste and judgment.

If the retention be bad, do not crowd it; it is of as ill-confequence to overload a weak memory, as a weak ftomach. And that it may not be cumbered with trash, take heed what company you keep, what books you read, and what thoughts you favour; otherwise much infignificant rubbish may fix there before you are aware, and take up the room which ought to be poffeffed with better notions. But let not a valuable thought flip from you, tho' you pursue it with much time and pains before you overtake it the regaining and refixing it may be of more advantage to you than many hours reading.

What pity it is that men fhould take fuch immenfe pains, as fome do, to learn those things which, as foon as they become wife, they must take as much pains to unlearn!

-A thought that fhould make us very cautious about the proper furniture of our minds.

(2.) Self-Knowledge will acquaint a man with the extent and capacity of his memory, and the right way to improve it (y). [ There

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(y) Tribus rebus potiffimum conftat optima memoria, intelluctu, ordine, cura, fiquidem bonæ me

moriæ

There is no fmall art in improving a weak memory, to turn it to as great advantage as many do their's which are much ftronger. A few fhort rules to this purpose may be no unprofitable digreffion.

(1.) Beware of every fort of intemperance in the indulgence of the appetites and paffions: exceffes of all kinds do a great injury to the memory.

(2.) If it be weak, do not overload it; charge it only with the most useful and folid notions: a fmall veffel fhould not be stuffed with lumber. But if its freight be precious, and judicioufly ftowed, it may be more valuable than a ship of twice its burden.

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(3.) Recur to the help of a CommonPlace-Book, according to Mr. Locke's method ; and review it once a year. But take care that by confiding to your minutes or memorial aids, you do not excufe the labour of the memory; which is one disadvantage attending this method.

(4.) Take every opportunity of uttering your best thoughts in converfation, when the

fubject

moriæ pars eft rem penitus intellexiffe; tum orde facit, ut quæ femel exciderent, quafi poftliminio in animuni revocamus; porro cura omnibus in rebus, non hic tantum plurimum valet. Erafm. de rat. ftud. ad calc. Ringelbergii. p. 168.

fubject will admit it, and that will deeply imprint them. Hence the tales, which common ftory-tellers relate, they never forget, tho' ever fo filly (z).

you

(5.) Join to the idea would remember fome other that is more familiar to you, which bears fome fimilitude to it, either in its nature, or in the found of the word by which it is expreffed; or that hath some relation to it either in time or place and then, by recalling this, which is easily remembered, you will (by that concatenation, or connexion of ideas which Mr. Locke takes notice of) draw in that which is thus linked with it; which otherwife you might feek in vain. — This rule is of great use in helping you to remember names.

(6.) What you are determined to remember think of before you go to fleep at night, and the first thing in the morning, when the faculties are fresh and recollect at even

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(z) Quicquid didiceris id confeftim doceas; fic et tua firmare, et prodeffe aliis potes. Ringelbergius de ratione ftudii, p. 28.

Poftremo illud non ad unum aliquid, fed ad omnia fimul plurimum conducet, fi frequenter alios quoque doceas. Nufquam enim melius deprehenderis quid intelliges, quid non. Atque interim nova quæque occurrunt, commentanti, differentique, nihil non altius, infigitur animo. Erafm, Rot. de rat. ftud. p. 170.

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