Year: 1873

There are two classes of persons who
are professionally called upon for great
temporary exercises of memory, viz,
dramatic performers and barristers. An
actor, when about to perform a new
part, not only commits it to memory,
but ''studies it, SO as to make it part
of himself and all really great actors
identity themselves for the time with
the characters they are performing.
When spart has once been thor
oughly mastered, the performer is usu-
ally able to go through with 1t, even
after long interval, with very little
previous preparation. But an actor is
sometimes called upon to take a new
"paIt at very short notice; he then
simply "Iearns it by heart, (" and speed
lily forgets it. A case of this kind is
cited by DR.. Abercrombie, as having
been the experience of distinguished
actor, on being called on to prepare
himself in long and difficult part, at a
few hours notice, IN consequence of the
illness of another performer. He &C
quired it in very short time, and went
through It with perfect accuracy; but
Immediately after the performance for
got it to such degree that, although he
performed the character for several days
in succession, he was obliged every day
to prepare it anew, not having time to
go through the process of studying "
it, to which Mrs. Siddons used to give
weeks or even months. When ques-
toned respecting the mental process
which he employed the first time he
performed the part, he said he entirely
lost sight of tie audience, and seemed
to have nothing before him but the
pages of the book from which he had
learned it and that if anything had oe-
CURED to interrupt this illusion he
should have instantly stopped.


In the case of barristers, who are
called upon to get up" the "briefs
which are supplied TO them, to master
the facts, to apply to them the principles
of law, and to present them in the court
in the form they deem most advanta-
/ geous to the cause" they have under
taken to plead, the very highest facul-
| ties of mind are called into active exer-
else; but, in consequence, it would
seem, of the want of previous cOnnec-
tion of the ''case," of which they know
nothing but what is set down in their
"brief, " and of the complete cessation
of that connection as soon as the deci-
sion has been given, they very common
ly g forget all about it )" so soon as they
have transferred their attention to their
next brief. A curious instance of this
kind was mentioned to the writer a
few years ago by an eminent barrister,
since elevated to the judicial bench,
whose great scientific attainments led to
his being frequently employed in pa
tent-cases. A heavy" case of this
kind was placed in his hands, and he
was reminded of having been engaged
by the same parties in the same case
when it had first been brought to trial
year previously. He had not the
slightest remembrance of its having
ever been before him none of the par
ticuIars seemed familiar to him and he
was only convinced that he really had
taken part in the previous trial by find
ing the record of his engagement in his
fee-book. For when he came to "get
up - the case again, no remembrance of
his former attention came within his
"sphere of consciousness. - COHtenl-
poraTg ReUtetO.