3311.] 
To the Editor of the Monthly 
SIR, 
IME is the least comprehensible of 
the various relations that appertain 
to the nature of existence. Lovicians 
have always disagreed in their definitions 
of it; and our conceptions are little im- 
proved respecting it, since the philoso- 
phers of Greece puzzled themselyes and 
mankind on this and: many other sub- 
jects, about two thousand years ago. 
These truths, however, appear to be felt, 
that Time at once generates and devours 
all things ; that it is the medium of ex- 
istence, or of sensation ; that we cannot 
eonceive any mode of existence uncon 
nected with it, and consequently are 
obliged toadmit an Eternity of time past, 
and of time future. 
Yet, however sublime may be the 
march of Time, ‘as it-regards existence 
in-the aggregate, it is impossible not 
to be sensible of its relative proper- 
ties, as it affects the mind of man. It 
is evident that we measure it by the 
combined variety and force of impres- 
sions made on the mind; that we have 
abridged ‘seasons of great vacuity or 
sameness; and others filled with strong 
impressions, which double or treble the 
perceptions of any given period. 
No one need be reminded of the length 
of weeks of adversity ; and there are few 
80 radically oppressed by the knavery of 
the world and of lawyers, as not to have 
felt the comparative shortness of weeks 
of pleasure. Every one must.also have 
been sensible of the length of periods, 
accompanied by change of scene, and 
novelty of ideas; and of the relative di- 
mination of similar periods passed without 
variety and care. We are affected in 
-regard to Time as.we are by the winds 
-and waves during a sea voyage; if the 
wind is fair, aud. the sea unruffled, we 
go forward a hundred miles without 
being sensible of our course; but if the 
wind is stormy, and the sea rolls violently, 
every mile makes more vivid impressions 
than would the hundred miles under 
Opposite circumstances. In like manner, 
if we travel twenty miles on a road with 
which we are familiar, we receive few 
r no impressions, and the iwv. ends of 
our journey as matter of reminiscence 
Appear to meet; but if we travel over 
twenty miles of a road we never travelled 
before, the impressions are unmerousy 
and the apparent distance expands ‘to 
‘woany times that of the other road, with 
which we are familiar. Thus it is that 
“Mpyarying time presents such yarying 
» Montutx Mag, No, 213, 
Magazine. 
Curious Phenomena of Time. 
453 
impressions to the minds of the same 
men at different periods. 
~ This principle operates also in a simi- 
Jar.and uniform manner with reference to 
the whole progress of the same life. Uns 
der similar circumstances, either of same= 
ness or variety, time appears to become 
shorter as life advances, or as our fatni= 
liarity with it increases, 
Every one who has attained the age of 
forty must be sensible of the preat appat 
rent duration of the early periods of his 
life, compared’ with that of the latter 
periods. The rapid stealth of ‘timé is 
the universal complaint of every one as 
he advances in age. He feels it, but 
does not examine, or does not unders 
stand its cause. He-deplores in vain 
the rapid passage of weeks, months, 
years, and decades of years! . He remem= 
bers the slow and solemn progress of 
his'‘school days,—how he measured the 
tardy hours from meal to meal, and‘ 
from’ day to day,—how remote was Suns 
day from Sunday !—Now the day pass. 
es before he can» turn himself;—the 
year revolves before he can execute 
any meditated project ;—thirty absorbs 
twenty before he couid have supposed 
it ;—he finds himself forty as in a dreams 
—at fifty he feels himself mocked by the 
advance of age, and wonders what are 
become of the last ten years;—and at © 
sizty his growing infirmities, by diminish= 
ing his enjoyments, and his’ sources of 
variety, reduce to a narrow span all 
that passes in perception of existence, 
till, by the accelerated motion of time, 
he is hurried into the grave ! 
This universal sensation, so intimately 
blended with our existence and: enjoy- 
ments, has not, that I know of, been 
analyzed, or reduced to any practicable 
view by any writer ancient or modern. 
Yet surely amidst speculative enquiries, 
this subject cannot be considered as un- 
interesting ; and although we may not be 
ableto arrest the march of time; or post. 
pone the period of our dissolution, we 
may thus be enabled to make a just es- 
timate of our little span. of existence; 
and ‘save ourselves the mortification 
which may arise from ‘total ignorance of 
the fleeting nature of our latter days. 
The abstract cause of these phenomena 
regarding time, may be explained in the 
following manners We measure nascent 
or passing time by a mixed feeling arising 
out of the impressions of the moment, 
and of the proportion of those impressions 
to the impressions we have already expe- 
rigwced. in the time that we have lived. 
sik Je 
