THe fyrste conclusyon shalbe suche. This arte is, and consysteth of places and magnytudes The places be as cardes or scrollꝭ [Page] or other thynges for to wrytte in. The ymages be y e symylytudes of the thynges that we wyll retayne in mynde. Than I wyl fyrst p̄pare my carde wherin we may colloke & ordre y e ymages in places. And for the foundacion of this fyrst cōclusyon I wyll put foure rules. THE fyrste is this. The places are the wyndowes set in walles, pyllers, & anglets, with other lyke. THE .ii. rule is. The places ought nat to be to nere togyther nor to fare a sō der. For the nerenesse trouble greatly the naturall memory, by the opposytion of thynges for yf y e places were to fare dystaunt. We wyl recyte with a lytel leaser the thynges that shalbe gyuen to places, where by they shalbe of meane dystaunce. And that shalbe done whan one is. vi. fote fro y e other. THE .iii. rule is suche. But it is vayne as me semeth. [Page] For it is the opynyon of talkers that the places ought nat to be made where as mē do haunt, as in churche and comyn places. For it suffyseth to haue sene church vacaunt wher as people walke nat alway and in that hath ben taught y e cōtrary experyence. Whiche is the mayster of those thynges. THE .iiii. rule is thꝭ. That the places be nat to hye. For I wyl that the men set for the ymages or in the steade of ymages may touch the places, y t whiche I haue iudged as behouefull. I take than the churche greatly knowen by me, the partyes wher of I do cōsyder, and go into it walkynge it .iii. or .iiii. tymes, and thā retourne home to my house, & there I tourne in my thought to remembre the thynges by me sene. And in that maner I gyue the begynnyng of the worke to y e places on y e ryght [Page] syde of the gate fro the whiche men go in the ryght pathe or yle to the hygh auter ther I fyx and ordayne the fyrst place, and the seconde on y e walle next it a .v. or .vi. fote of. And yf there be any notable thynge set, as a pyler in the wyndowe, or other lyke, there put the place. And yf the notable thyng be nat there, or lacke I feyn that in my ymagynation or at myne arbytre ymagynary although some forgynge these placꝭ wolde leaue thē, fearynge that he shulde put in forgetfulnes. The thynge opposyd to that is taken & suffred, so that he be myndfull to haue constytued and ordeyned the place. And so to be ꝓceded fro place to place tyl y t y e fabrycant of y e places retourne to the same gate. And these thynges to be done on y e fyrste walle of the churche, al thyngs lest that be in the myds therof. And yf [Page] any desyre to haue y e circūferēce of the places entre by ordre in to a monastery, and fyll it ful all of places or cōpare the places on the walles without the churche. And he that wylbe remēbred of many thynges, must cōpare many placꝭ. But bicause y t I haue wylled to surmoūt all the men of Itally by habundaūce of thynges and holy scryptures, in Canone lawe and Cyuyl, and in other authoritees of many thynges, whyle that I was but yonge adolescent I haue prepared a C. M. places. And now I haue added to them y e other .x. M. places wherin I haue put the thynges which are to say & vtter by my selfe, so y t they be promptemēts whan I wyll experyment the vertues and strengthes of my memory. And whan I do leaue my coūtre assigned I visite y e cytyes of Itally as a pylgryme or [Page] a wayfarer. I may frely say that I bere with me all my thynges, and yet I ceas nat to edyfy. I do you to wyte y t the places in any churche or mynster is sene onely for to repose & marke the thigꝭ which must be recyted euery day as be y e argumentes, reasons, hystoryes, fables and predicacions made in Lenten. And let this offyce be deputed to these places onely. And I haue set & declared at the ende for these places a thynge that shalbe Iudged necessary and vtile. For I wyl that the yonge infāts shalbe couyetous herof by my ryght documēt ensygned by the places so constytuted & put in ordre, by oftē repetynge, thre or foure tymes in a moneth. For the repeticion of placꝭ can nat be praysed in any maner.
[Page]THe seconde conclusyon shalbe that whan any hath the carde or scroll I wyll shewe the maner to wryt in the same, as I was some tyme beynge yonge adolescent in y e cōpany of sondry noble mē. It was proposed of thē to recyte names of men, that one of y e assysten [...]s shulde say I denye nat that. And these be the names that folowe. I dyd set in the fyrst place a certayne frende of myne hauynge the same name. In the seconde place lykewyse, and as names dyd I colloke & set in place as they had named, and they thus collocated were by me recyted afterwarde. And let the collocatoure aduyse him to set alway his frende doynge the thynge that he is accustomed to do comynly, and procede this cōclusion clerely, and names knowen. And yf the frende be knowen haue suche a name Boxdrab, [Page] Zorobabell, than set y e same thinge that is spokē or named in his place I say asmuche of lyke thynges in names of beastes as of the hors, y e oxe, and asse, do that the hors be set in the fyrst place. In the seconde y e oxe, and the asse in the thyrde. And thus must be done in thynges that haue no lyfe, as the boke, the cote, y e gowne, & of other thynges in lykewyse. But he wel ware that thou be nat deceyued, yf the boke were set in the fyrst place, and the cote in y e seconde for so thou mayste symply whan thou shulde recyte y e names The offyce of this arte is to excyte the mynde naturall y t neuer is nat nor can be admonested. For y e gest of the ymage is to set and vnset & apposyted therfore y e ought to be set in the place that moueth. And yf it can nat moeue to be moeued with another, put such a thynge in [Page] the hande of mouer, bycause that by the mouynge the memory be moued to the naturall. But some yonge man of his spyryte & subtyll wyt wyll saye that these preceptes & commaundementes be nat perfyte in all partyes. For y e ampt set in the place moueth. And howbeit bycause that it is so lytell it cā nat moue for the grayne of peper put ī the hande of the mouer nor also lyft it, whiche I graunt, yf y e onely ampt be there collocat. But yf ye set a multytude of ampts moūtynge & descēdynge on a tree. That y t y e onely ampt coude nat do alone, y e multytude wyll do it. And the frende also wyll moue in the place dyuers graynes of peper. Some other yonglynge wyll cōtraryenge. The full bely doth nat moue me y e multytude of fleas, may nat be set nor well collocated. But I wyll collocat [Page] there for the flea the frende takynge a flea. And I haue afore set in the place of the flea the ryghte excellent mayster of all thē of oure tyme the good phisitien Gyrard of Uelonne, y e whiche I behelde ones takynge a flea.
THe .iii. cōclusyon is al of gold yf I take men for the lettres of the alphebete, and so I haue the lyuynge amages. For I set for the lettre. A. Anthony. B. for Benet, & so the other persones and names of whom the fyrst lettre is that which I wyll collocat. And I do set by y e lettres some fayre maydēs for they excyte greatly my mynde and frequentation whan I was yonge I dyd collocat Iunipere pistorien or of pyse which I loued greatly. Beleue hardily to my sayenges that yf I set the fāyre maydens mooste [Page] facylly and decently recyte this y t I haue set in my memory. Reteyne thꝭ secret very behoueful thā into y e artificiall memory, whiche I haue of a lōge whyle put in science. And for feare of blame or shame y e thou wolde haue a remembraunce incō tynent collocat fayre maidens. For the mynde by the location of maydens & vyrgyns is a merueylous mouynge to hym that hathe sene y e wytnes testyfyeth the thynge. But this behouefull precept can nat ꝓfyt to thē that haue women in hate and dyspyle thē. Nor shall nat folowe the fruyt of this art but dyfficylly, and slowly, howbeit all good and chast men are except. For the preceptes y t hath borne me so much honesty I ought nat to hyde, saing y t I desyre, & enforce me w t all my powers to leaue it to my successors excellently lerned in goodnes.
[Page]THe .iiii. conclusion is, that the ymages of the alphabete, or y e names demonstratyfs of lies shuld be well reteyned & fyxed in mynde and often repeted, I begyne than this wyse yf it chaūce me to sette in place of this copulatyue. And I set in place Eusebe & Thomas, howebeit that in this ordre eusebe be in place, & Thomas standynge afore hym, but yf Thomas holde of eusebe, and eusebe holde the copulatif of Thomas that is mas, y t of mas we se this pronowne of Thomas And in y e place apposed in this arte the rule is suche that fyrst in ordre is moost presed of the place, and so of the ende. And fyrst we wryte in this copulatyfe and lykewyse in y e place. And lyke thinges is to be obserued generally in all dyctions, & other thīgs to be colloqued.
[Page]THe .v. cōclusiō is ī y e syllables of .iii. letts, in whō we ꝓcede thus, for yf y e vowel be in y e myddel as thꝭ syllable (bar) I take than y e ymage of the last lettre and adde some thinge therto, of the which let be y e begynnyng in lykewyse to the two other letters y t do procede. Thā yf I set in the place of Raymonde smyttynge the place with his stafe, the syllable (bar) shalbe reysed in y e place. And yf Symon hyt y e place we shall haue the syllable belowe. Than lete this rule be kept whiche is thus. Repeted there where y e vowel is in the myddle of the syllable of the letters the ymage of the laste letter .R. is taken apposynge another mobyle, or mouynge her selfe to the two letters afore. But yf the vowell beyne the ende as the syllable (bra) than I colloke to y t ymage of y e fyrst letter of y t thynge mobyle [Page] or mouynge, wherof lete the begynnynge be lyke to y e two folowynge Than I set & appose Benet amōge the Frogges in the place shal haue the syllable (bra) And yf I set Thomas I shall haue the syllable (tra) The habundaunce than of these thynges that begyn as the syllable yf they be redyly had here great vtylyte and profyte. But yf the vowell be in the begynninge, making any syllablꝭ as ī thꝭ word (Amo) thā alway the ymage of the fyrst letter is to be colloqued in the place of y e thynge hauynge hys lyke begynnynge of the syllable folowe, yf y e harnest turne y e mylstone, thꝭ worde (Amo) set there shalbe y e place. And yf, this eusebe, rede, this word, enio to vs ye must alway knowe yf we may ꝓfytably collocat, the diction of thre or foure syllables, and it is no nede. For in vayne one is to be [Page] made by many thynges whan it may be by few. It suffyfeth to haue set the fyrst or seconde syllable, we may always collocat the totall dyction of two syllables as, Pater, I wyl set in the place the thynge or y e man for the ymage of the syllable. Pa. as Paule, and for the syllable, ter, sythe that the vowell is in the myddel I wyl take Raymonde hauynge a pyece of lynnene clothe in his hande. I conclude than thus nobly that the ymages of y e alphabete adioyned togyther, and the habundance of y e thynges begynning as the syllables wyl serue vs euer, yf the ymages do lacke in thē. For yf I can haue other I wyl leaue these wherof we shal speke in the other conclusions.
THe .vi. conclucyon is in these dyctions, breade, wyne, wood, and other like. And in al dygnitees [Page] as is the Emperour, the Kynge. &c And so of eche I make collocacion by the sōunde of y e voyce, the which all thynges do vnderstande, and y e Rustykes in theyr demonstration, and to speake more euydēt they are concordinge & vnyformal in speche vulgar and latyn. In suche dyctions I demaunde none other ymages. But put that same that y e sayd dyction soūde, and all the syllables of suche dyctions may be by good mention collocate easyly. For in y e body of man I haue sounde ymages of cases so that the head is the case Iuuima. The ryght hande the genityfe. The lyft hande y e datyue, The ryght fote the accusatyue, the lyfte fote the vocatyue. And the bely or stomake the ablatyue. And for the synguler nōbre I set a fayre mayden naked. And for the plurell the same mayde, well arayed and [Page] rychely or her that I wolde be remembred of. Or I wyll collocate some thynge, or a man yf it be some thynge as bread I wyll collocate a mayden all naked in the place touchynge y e bread with her ryght fote And yf I wyll collocat any dyctiō I set a man constytued in offyce or dygnyte as a Bysshop, I collocat a Bysshop in the place, smytynge y e bare erth with his ryght fote. And yf thou consyder dylygently these thynges, O ryght swete reder, thys mention wyll shew very goodly vnto the, and thus I was accustomed for to collocat these dyctions.
THe .vii. conclusyon is that we may collocat dyctions by soū de of the voyce, Iestures of the body, of the symilytudes, and of their ymages. I vse it ofter for I set my frende for the dyction. I knew a doctour [Page] that had alway in his mouth communication of y e law spekynge of the tyme of appellations. Thys doctour of law sayde he coulde say all the lawe by herte or rote only I than wyllynge to collocat the sayd lawe I set thys dolour that alway hytteth laughters, & by the Iestes of the body are set y e ymages whan any Iestures be made in the dyction I make my frēde (for this worde spolio) the whiche dyspoyleth another. And for this worde, Rapio, I set my frende rauysshynge somewhat by force, by symylytude I set the ymages whan I fynde y e thyng at the dyction semblable letters, howbeit that they are vnlyke in sygnyfycation whan I colloke well for this worde cano.
THe .viii. conclusyon is for the lordes Iurisconsultes, a lawyers. And I wyll begyne to speake [Page] of the volumes of the cyuyll lawe. And whan I wyll gyue these thynges to the places I take y e colours of y e couerynges, as for F. veteri. a blacke skynne. For y e Code a grene skynne. For a volume a skynne of varyable colour. For the instytutions a lytell boke. And y e autentyke a Notary hauynge a great Instrument. For y e autentike I set a mayden hauynge a pryuylege. For the boke of feodes, I set some castell. For the decret autentyke I sette an olde man wrytynge in the place, by cause y e auctorytees of holy fathers is in it. For y t decretalles a bysshop syttynge in a chayre. For clementynes, a mayden named Clemence. For the syxt, an instrument, so called in Itally, wherof Ouyde wryteth. Altera pars staret, pars altera duceret orbet. For y e conmētatours of the lawe I set thē that haue lyke [Page] name. But I take the ymage of y e glose of the doctryne by my selfe of me fyrst gyuen in y e collocacions of dyctions. And I haue for the Dygestes fayre Iunipera gyuynge a harp to a florentyne, that he maye synge the Iester of Rome. The allegations of y e decrete shalbe thus collocated, for a mayden is set for y e allegation. And this mayden maketh a cloth or a cedule. And set for the question y e fayre Iunipera beatynge her mayde. And for the consyderation I set a preste consecratynge the hoost. And for Penaunce I set Iunipera shryuyng her to me of her lyght synnes.
THe .ix. conclusyon shalbe, that I wyll shew how placꝭ ought to be gyuen to y e rubrysshes of eche lawe, & set two ymages for y e same as I am wont, for yf I wyll remē bre [Page] me of the rubrysshe of transaction I set Thomas hauyng frogges or the gest of the body. I feyn two men that wolde nat of longe tyme cease theyr contension and debate and gyuynnge eche to other tokēs of peace. That is the fayre ymage of the rubryshe of the transactions But the pryncyples of the lawes where as chapyters be set in place by alphabete or sounde of voyce symylytude or gestures of the body, wherof is spokē afore and playnly ynoughe.
THe .x. is in collocatynge, argumentes. For the whiche I am accustomed to set two images. The fyrst is the gest of y e body, as yf one sayd thus. The testamēt a vayleth to none but yf it be made with .vii. witnesses. Therfore I feyne the testatour to haue made this testamēt [Page] before two wytnesses, and a rynge that sealeth the sayde testamente. The seconde ymage is it that collogateth two other diction more princypall of the argument. Take here of an example, thou Iurisconsul, of this phylosophres wote my meanynge. Whan in the act the wyll is demaunded of any, he ought to ꝓcede. Here be sondry wordes, but it suffyseth to collocat & set the wyll fro procedynge. And than we may say by and in memory y e other partyes of the argument of the collocation of two or thre dyctions. The other thynges we shall recyte elegantly, & beleue this y t the mayster hath experymēted it ryght well.
THe .xi. conclusyon, and thus I haue the ymages vnto the nō of a C. whiche are .x. I haue also .ix ymages of the nombre begynninge [Page] from one to y e nōbre .x. The whiche I haue dyuyded on the fyngers of men. I haue gyuen to the fyrst fynger of the ryght hande for the fyr [...]t nōbre, or for one. The seconde for y e secōde, or for two. And so I procede to y e .iiii. fynger of the left hande. And bycause that these thynges may the better be retayned in mynde. I saye the fyrste fynger of the ryght hande to be of the Gelfes, The seconde of the Gelbilayts. The thyrde of the Iewes the forth of the rynges. The v. of the eares. And so of the lefte hande I call the fyrst fynger of the Gelfes, for Gelfes be estemed ryche and of great estymation, the seconde of the Gelbelayts. And the thyrde of the Iewes, For yf ye poynt to a Iewe with that fynger he wyll loke away fyersly. And who that wyll knowe the cause, shall fynde it [Page] euydent. Therfore I call the forthe and the .v. euen so for the nombre of a M. I haue set here, yf any nō bre be to me ꝓposed easyly to haue the ymage of the same. The conclusyon is suche, yf any shulde aske yf that in one selfe place he ought to set many thynges. I answere thus yf I wolde put the thynges in places that are ꝓposed to me of other bycause that I ought forthwith to reherce the sayde thinges proposed I wyll collocat onely in the place the ymages of one thynge. But yf I dyspose to set in places the thynges that I rede ī my bokes, so that I maye recyte by herte in remembrynge them, I doubt nat to set very often in one place the ymages of many thynges
[Page]THe .xii. conclusyon shalbe very propre. That is I wyl make and shewe in what maner ought to be made the ymages of nombres for all nombres that we can thynke I haue onely founde .xx. ymages. And therfore I wyll descrybe them chyefly, For y e nombre of .x. I take a great crosse of golde or syluer, for the nombre of .xx. I take the symylytude of y e lettre of yren or of wood vnioyned to any thynge that is rounde. For we shall wryte the nō bre of .xx. in y e carde or scroll in this maner, or for .xxx. and y e symilytude of this fygure is coniunct in thys maner to the thynge. Therfore I shall fynde some examples whiche I wyll set wherby the reder maye vnderstande in the more easyly, although it be of a rude wyt or conclusiō, yf I wyl say .ii.q.iii. I must haue a g [...]lfe in the place holdynge [Page] in his ryght hande a crosse. and a Iewe that with all his strengths seketh to take it fro hym by vyolēce of that made fro the ryghthande. Yf I wyll say .ii. Corinthios .iiii. I wyll feyn the Gebelyn in the place that shall holde a curtayne in his ryghthande shewynge it to a fayre mayden whiche shall receyue it in her ryghthande, for the fourth fynger I wyll set a mayden maryed. And so I collocat and set for the. iiii. and .ix. nombre, yf I wyll remembre me of penaunce in the .iiii. dystynction, I wyll colloke an olde preeste and nat yonge to whom Iunipera shal shryue her fautes. And she shall do a woūderous thynge, for she shall absolue the preste holdynge her ryght hande ouer his head, and so of the other. And bycause that this be nat that processe let vs here make an ende of the [Page] art of memory artificyall, and preceptes, of whome all thynges is cōprised simplycytyuely, at y e lest so explycityuely to leaue any thynge, that I promysed to wrytte in this place to Iudge an vtyle thynge herī in place to set in y e .v. place a hande of gold In the .x. a crosse gylted, in y e .xv. a hāde of syluer. And in the .xx. y e ymage of y e same nombre. And this my doctryne teacheth for to do in all other thynges