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lectiial powers and sentiments belonging 

 to our nature accomplish their designs. 



Gall and Spurzheim assert that some 

 persons have both the disposition and talent 

 of accurately noting and remembering the 

 particulars of each object, event, or propo- 

 sition, and are thus qualified to become, 

 in an eminent degree, matter of fact men. 

 ' We see, even in childliood, that some ob- 

 serve almost every thing, but with versatile 

 and insufficient attention ; whilst others, 

 though less general, are more accurate in 

 their remarks. Now, whether a ready and 

 exact observation be a separate talent or 

 not, it ought to be cultivated with the 

 greatest assiduity, since by it alone do we 

 acquire all the materials of our knowledge ; 

 and we cannot reason with propriety upon 

 ill-defined premises. Numerous and un- 

 classed facts are, however, like a great col- 

 lection of numbers, which it would be 



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