Beyond the search of sense, the soar of thought.
Now vainly asks the scenes she left behind;
Its orb so full, its vision so confin'd!
Who guides the patient pilgrim to her cell?
Who bids her soul with conscious triumph swell?
With conscious truth retrace the mazy clue
Of varied scents, that charm'd her as she flew?
Hail, MEMORY, hail! thy universal reign
Guards the least link of Being's glorious chain.



THE PLEASURES OF MEMORY

PART II.

Delle cose custode, e dispensiera.
TASSO.

ANALYSIS OF THE SECOND PART.

The Memory has hitherto acted only in subservience to the senses, and
so far man is not eminently distinguished from other animals: but,
with respect to man, she has a higher province; and is often busily
employed, when excited by no external cause whatever. She preserves,
for his use, the treasures of art and science, history and
philosophy. She colours all the prospects of life: for 'we can only
anticipate the future, by concluding what is possible from what is
past.' On her agency depends every effusion of the Fancy, whose
boldest effort can only compound or transpose, augment or diminish