9$ miscellaneous observations, Sept. 19. 



Among a number that might be selected, the follow- 

 ing remarks on the ' effects produced on the memory 

 by committing to writing an acquired knowledge,' 

 appear to me to deserve the atttention of every rea- 

 der of your ufeful miscellany. 



' The utility of writing, in enabling one genera- 

 tion to transmit its discoveries to another, and in rl us 

 giving rise to a gradual progrefs of the species, has 

 been sufficiently illuftrated by many others. Little 

 attention however has been paid to another of its ef- 

 fects, which is no lefs important; I mean to the foun- 

 dation which it lays for a perpetual progrefs in the. 

 intellectual powers of the individurJ. 



' It is to experience, and to our own reflections, 

 that we are indebted for the moft valuable part of 

 our knowledge ; and hence it is, that although in 

 youth the imagination may be more vigorous, and 

 the genius more original than in advanced years, yet 

 in the case of a man of observation and inquiry, 

 the judgement may be expected, at least as long as his 

 faculties remain in perfection, to become every day 

 sounder and more enlightened. It is, however, only 

 by the constant practice of writing, that the results 

 ©f our experience, and the progrefs of our ideas, can 

 be accurately recorded. If they are trusted mere- 

 ly to the memory, they will gradually vanifli from 

 it like a dream, or will come in time to be so blended 

 with the suggestions of imagination, that we ihall not 

 be able to reason from them with any degree of con- 

 fidence. What improvements in science might we 

 not flatter ourselves with the hopes of accomplilhing, 

 had we only activity and industry to treasure up 

 •very plausible hint that occurs to us ! Hardly a day 



