The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-17
MARVELS.OF MEMORY.

MARVELS OF MEMORY.
Some Remarkable Examples Of old
and Modern Times.
New York Post: In his Introduction
to Anne OF Gelerstein' Scott wrote, mo,
doctor, 1 have no command OF my men,
ory; It only retains what happens 70 hit
my fancy; and like enough, Sir, II you
were to preach to me for O couple OF
hours on end. I might be unable at the
close or the discourse to remember one
word Of It." This was not compliment
ary; indeed the sentence. at only re-
tains what happens to hit my fancy"
almost renders the latter part Of the
paragraph a direful insult; neverthe-
less, how many and how great a ma
Jority or us are in like case. says the
London Standard. The magnitude OF
the majority Is such that the reputation
for possessing good memory is really
one Of the easiest to obtain, though 1t Is
oft conferred, when compared to the
prodigies of which we would have you
read, 10 those hardly deserving the
honor. The Incidental recollection. such
as the trivial fond records" that Ham
let determined to wipe from the tables
or his memory. so provocative OF the
| phrase. what a marvellous memory Is
yours" possesses,in reality no claim to
the adjective; memories such as Will
lam Wotton, DR.. Fuller. and Lord Nh
caulay possessed alone deserve the ep-
| tibet"
The reverend gentleman who figures
hrst on our list was born In the year
1866. and took his B.A. degree at Cam
bridge some twelve years and five
months later: he could remember almos,
any sermon he heard. and on one occa-
| sion repeated every word certain bish-
op had just delivered from the pulpit IN
the course OF his address. AS the blsh-
op was his auditor doubtless the won
derfrl retentlve faculty OF his mind was
duly appreciated. The brother of the
publisher OF the letters of Junius. an
other William and another "W"-Wood-
fall-had so wonderful a memory that
| he could attend a debate and without
notes accurately reproduce the same
the following morning. In this instance
the faculty was of particular value. for
| until 1712. when he became the editor OF
the Morning Chronicle, lie was by pro-
fession parliamentary reporter. No
doubt Wottou could have recalled every
word OF q parliamentary debate had he
tried and Woodfall presumably could
have repeated sermons he had heard
but once. until his auditors weared of
them. or possibly before, but strangely
enough the faculty they possessed lives
In our remembrance In connection WITH
their professions. DR.. Thomas Fuller,
the writer OF the History OF the Worth
les OF England 1862. could. however, In
addition to repeating sermons. at which
he was an adept. though not In n libel
lous sense, dssociate himself from his
| professional surroundings and perform
| prodigies OF memory quite, foreign to
his calling. For instance. he could re-
peat five hundred woHjs In an unknown
tongue after hearing them twice and on
one occasion he undertook to walk from
Temple Bartto the farthest. end Of
Chcapside, and to repeat on his return
every sign on either side OF the street In
the order Of their occurrence.
1t Is related of Fuller that he had
once to attend at n court OF seQuestra-
ton. and. naturally enough, the subject
of his marvellous memory cropped up
"'Tis true. gentlemen" said the Doctor
that fame has given me the report of
being a memorist;tand, if you please.
will give YOU specimen OF It," The
council thereupon suspended further
business and settled down with relish to
enjoy an eleemosynary entertainment
Gentlemen" continued the worthy,
| you want a specimen OF my memory
and you shall have one. Your wor-
ships have thought fit TO sequeStrate q
poor but honest parson. who Is my
neighbor, and commit him TO prison. If
you will have the goodness to release
him out OF prison. pledge myself never
to forget the kindness while l live"
This pretty wit so Influenced the COM
mlttec that they proceeded to stultify
themselves and Quash their former de-
| cision. The advantages that accrue TO
the ordinary schoolboy from the posses
sion OF inordinatc powers OF memory
are self-evident. The Regius Professor
Of Greek at the close of the last century.
the same being Richard (his memory
| was so remarkable that we are Surpris-
| ed he was not called William) Person,
discovered that fact when still at Eton.
| Having lent his Horace" to practical
joker. who returned to him another VOL
ume without his noticing the fact until
too late. on being called upon to read
and couStrue from the works OF Qulutus
| II. Fiaccus, Person accomplished his
task so admirably that 1t was not until
the class. who were in the secret, smiled
more OF less lOuuly lnut lHt r master
said. "Porson. you seem, TO me 10 be
reading on one side of the page while
am looking at the othcr.s Pray. whose cdi-
ton have you?" When he ca,ne to en-
anime the volume it turned out TO be an
English Ovid. Person, however. on be-
Ing ordered to go on. finished the ode
with the utmost promptitude and dis
patch.
Another William. surname Lyon, by
profession a strolIlng actor. and posses
sing nn extraordinary memory and an
inordinate thirst. on one occasion Mt
Edinburgh Is said to have wagered
bowl OF punch that. he would at the re-
hearsal next morning repeat the whole
OF the Daily Advertiser from the begin
ming to end. Needless to say, he accom-
pllshed his task most successfully, not
emitting an advertisement the price OF
q stock. or, we will guarantee. n sylla-
bic OF any laudatory notice of his own
| performance on the boards that appear
ed therein. 1t Is recorded By the
Percys that an individual, name not
| mentioned. though he must have been
baptized William, for it'appenrs 20 be 4
Characteristic of the bearers OF that
name 10 enjoy great powers OF memory.
could not only repeat every word in an
ordinary newspaper from beginning TO
| ht,t nn,,1I Il CO frnu1 np1 hnntp-