col 



^ifteWnm^mm^e. 237 



Tt often hztppen^ td tiiose "^hd Hev6b much 

 rime to reading; ot cdrrtpostfion, that as soort aS 

 their rcverici com-fncnccs, they tinconsciouslf 

 remove theityfes from thdir Hdok or writing 

 desk to some'^^articul'dr spbt iti (he tlpartmentf 

 Which may be fttvoutable to rtient^l wandering,' 

 6t associated with it by habit. Now, if they 

 would prcvioxt^ly affix to the idea of this spot, 

 the idea bf consciousness that they have de- 

 parted froiYt their prorf)cr btfctipatfbn, they 

 would probably be enabled irtrthis rtiannet t^ 

 dieck the fit of musing; at its commeDcemeht*,^ 

 and to save the tit^ie which x\'ould othcr\vi<(tf? 

 have been sqCranclc^ilrd. No one fs urracquaintcJ 

 with the story of the orator, who could not 

 plead without holdrng a string in- his hatid, for 

 tlie purpose of recitlhng^ h?s wavering thoughts^/ 

 The biting of our naifs, during composition^, 

 may be referred to th<^ same cause. We asso- 

 ciate the idea of this practice with that of our 

 first and main employment, so thstt the formet^ 

 is never present without the la:ttef j— ^and ^ 

 fiew tvain of ideas obtruding themselves on cnrf 

 study are kept at a distance by the reeurrencfe? 

 of the practice alluded to ; which we hav€^ 

 previously identified with the recoJlection of 

 our origiflaf object of contemplation. As 

 nail-biting h intended to fix abstracrioiVi 

 drumming with our fingers is a practice, by 



