"Memory is weak in very young children, and in very old men; but the weakness proceeds from dissimilar causes. The former are not capable either of bestowing so close attention upon things, or of comprehending them so perfectly, as would be necessary for their making a strong or lasting impression on the memory. In the latter, all the powers of perception are become dull, nothing can strike them so deeply as to infix itself in the memory."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)


Work Title
Place of Publication
London and Edinburgh
Publisher
Printed for W. Strahan, T.Cadell, and W. Creech
Date
1774
Metaphor
"Memory is weak in very young children, and in very old men; but the weakness proceeds from dissimilar causes. The former are not capable either of bestowing so close attention upon things, or of comprehending them so perfectly, as would be necessary for their making a strong or lasting impression on the memory. In the latter, all the powers of perception are become dull, nothing can strike them so deeply as to infix itself in the memory."
Metaphor in Context
The memory of the same person is not equally perfect in all the periods of his life. Memory is weak in very young children, and in very old men; but the weakness proceeds from dissimilar causes. The former are not capable either of bestowing so close attention upon things, or of comprehending them so perfectly, as would be necessary for their making a strong or lasting impression on the memory. In the latter, all the powers of perception are become dull, nothing can strike them so deeply as to infix itself in the memory. That this is the real cause of the decay of memory by age, is evident from the common remark, that old persons forget what happened yesterday, but remember distinctly what occurred many years ago: could recent events affect their deadened organs with equal force, their remembrance of them would be equally tenacious. In the former part of youth, memory is very firm: many causes then concur to make all our perceptions strong, and consequently durable; the mind is not pre-occupied; the spirits are lively; curiosity is high; every thing being new, strikes with its full force; admiration is easily raised, and all the passions strong, and fit for communicating vigour to the perceptions which occasion them. In the age of maturity, many of these causes of strong remembrance cease: but their place is in a considerable degree supplied by others; things are more perfectly understood; the connexions of perceptions are more fully perceived; and memory is improved by habit. It is in youth and maturity, that genius exerts itself with greatest power: in childhood it has scarce begun to dawn; in old age it sinks into a glimmering twilight. Were it only on account of the assistance from memory of which it stands in need, it must be in some measure subject to these changes. But this is not the only or the principal cause of its being subject to them; the powers on which it has a more immediate and essential dependence, are subject to the same changes. It is a general law of our nature, that all our faculties rise gradually to their perfection, and gradually decline.
(II.ix, pp. 267-8)
Categories
Provenance
Reading in C-H Lion
Citation
Only 1 entry in ESTC (1774).

An Essay on Genius. By Alexander Gerard, D.D. Professor of Divinity in King's College, Aberdeen. (London: Printed for W. Strahan; T. Cadell, and W. Creech at Edinburgh 1774). <Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
06/27/2013

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.