The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-03-03

10 the last lucid remembrance OF al
the declamations lie had ever delivered
Cyrus. according 10 Pliny. knew The
name OF every soldier in his army. The
same is related @! Mithridates. who
could repeat the names Of his vast
army OF eighty thousand men.
scipio knew by name all the inhabi
tants OF Rome; and il is said. Likewise
~ George Ill, tha, be never forgot q
face he had once seen. or a name IL
had ever heard
Themis,ocles could call by name
every citizen OF Athens. although the
number amounted go twenty thousand
Both Napoleon ]. and Napoleon III
had extraordinary powers Of memory
IL is said OF the first that he could re-
peat the names Of his fullest regiment,
having heard the LIST but once read.
Later in life discovering one OF his
Did soldiers IL q certain stonecutter,
he was able 10 tel! at once the rank
he held IN the army. the exact corps
and regiment be belonged TO- where
he had served, and the individual char.
scter he had borne FOR bravery.
Napoleon III. could retain an incred-
ible array of names figures and facts
with perfect accuracy. His memory
had undergone a severe training. no
doubt. during his early season Of im-
prisonment when il was perilous for
him 10 carry written memoranda about
him. But never daring 10 trust solely
10 the sense Of hearing in its action
upon his memory, il was a fixed habit
1f his life 10 write in notebook what
ever he wished 10 preserve. and then
destroy the leaf
Seneca complained of old age. when
he could not as formerly. repeat two
thousand words i'll the order in which
they were read. Al a certain recita-
ton of his class. when a student. two
hundred verses had been unconnected-
ly recited by the different pupils. when
be repeated them, from the last to the
trst, in perfectly reversed order, and
without misplacing word.
The Druids taught their whole circle
Of sciences in twenty thousand verses,
which students were called up to COM
NIT 10 memory, and which frequently
occupied space Of twenty years.
Blind Tom. the famous negro pianist
Affords an example OF marvellous mem
JFy. All that he knows or performs he
has either heard or improvised. His
'epertoire embraces the vast number
II five thousand distinct pieces. Esti-
mating the average number OF notes
n a single bar 10 he eight. and the
HNprl Innl hos f.f h1 In, q,
Iormance 10 be two hundred, we dis
,over that the facts retained by this
.aISical prodigy amount 10 the aston
,shing number Of eight millions.
Liszt and Rubinstein, the gifted plan
.sts, were both accredited with the
possession Of great memories. 1t is
related also of Wiegis. a German vio-
inist, that upon the discovery that the
scOre of a certain valuable opera had
been lost, he volunteered 10 write il
rom memory. This he successfully
lid, TO the incest details, and was paid
therefor a handsome sum of money. |
Upon many an occasion Wiegis accur- +,
itely performed his part at the opera |
when he was so intoxicated as TO make |
/ necessary 10 provide him with his !
instrument. and rightly adiusl it in |
ais hands.
Rollin tells rs Of the remarkable |
memory possessed by Adrien. John |
Wilson, the painter: Queen Elizabeth !
and Julius Caesar were about equally |
'ndowed with this valuable faculty. |
The conversation OF the historian Ma. |
'auley exhibits an infinite store OF per |
.ectly appropriate and correct quota |
lions, while Prof. parson could recite |
tery many lengthy poems with aston
Shing accuracy.
Racine could reclte all the tragedies !
)l Euripides. Euler the mathemati- !
ian, could repeat The Euclid. Lord |
granville repeated the Now Testament |
rom beginning 10 end in tte original |
ireek; and Cooke. the tragcdian, is |
aid to have committed to memory all |
he contents of large daily newspa-
,rr,
~Strazniky was said % know the name
ind place OF every one Of the hundred |
bousand volumes OF the Astor Ii |
Jrary Tho same was said Of old Il |
lrarian Magliabecchi, who, besides |
showing the name Of every book OF |
ais vast library. could repeat the con
.eHts Of great number of them. aud |
,ould tell any inquirer not only what !
JOok would best satisfy his wishes, but |
he chapter and page where the de- |
sired data would be found
AIrandola would commit TO memory |
he contents of book by reading IL !
.hree times over. and could frequently 1
'cpeat the words backward as well |
~ forward. Thomas Cranmer IS said |
o have committed TO memory. in three |
months, an entire translation OF the !
Bible, and Loibnitz. when an oil man. |
sCuld recite the whole OF Virgil word !
or word.
Bossuet could repeat not only the |
whole Bible. bat al OF Homer. Virgil |
and Horace. besides many other works; |
)ut still more astonishing example |
han any Of these Is that of Carneades. |
who. when required. could repeat any I
'olume found in his library. as readily |
a. IL he were reading.
Mr.. Henkle. through the medium OF |
he Journal OF Speculative Philosophy.
brought to light an example OF memory |
hat j. unsurpassed in ancient or mod |
srn times. This gifted individual was |
me Daniel Mccartney. an humble "a
5orer, in Salem. COlumbiana County. /
lhfo IIa vrae o.sft. fffffnra.o ara \