es, when the _iron_ bells were tolled.

Whilst such a method is a novelty to the student, he might tolerate it
as such, but as a memory-aid it is always unreliable, since it is
something _in addition_ to the matter to be remembered and forming no
part of it, the invented story, if remembered at all, is apt to be
recalled as an integral part of the selection itself.

7. In this first perusal the reader has noticed that there is a _certain
uniformity of construction_ in the first line of each stanza, as in the
first stanza we have: "Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells;"
in the second, "Hear the mellow wedding bells--golden bells;" in the
third, "Hear the loud alarum bells--brazen bells;" and in the fourth and
last, "Hear the tolling of the bells--iron bells."

8. The reader has also observed that the second line in each stanza
contains a reflection in the form of an exclamation on the function or
result of the uses of the bells spoken of, as in the second line of the
first stanza we see: "What a world of merriment their melody foretells;"
in the second stanza the second line gives us, "What a world of
happiness their harmony foretells;" the second line of the third stanza
reads as follows: "What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells;"
and in the fourth stanza the second line runs thus: "What a world of
solemn thought their monody compels."

9. Other points of resemblance [In.], or of unlikeness [Ex.], were
noticed in the reader's first perusal of this poem, and these, as well
as those already remarked upon, will greatly facilitate his learning the
exact language of each stanza.

10. Now comes the _test_. It is often said that habit is "second"
nature. The Duke of Wellington more truly said: "Habit is _ten times_
nature." The reader early acquired the habit of learning prose and
poetry by the _rote_ method--the method of repeating the sentences over
and over again almost endlessly till ear or eye retains the exact
language.

Now, if the reader has gained a _clear conception_ of the
Analytic-Synthetic and Interrogative Analysis methods, he is sure to be
convinced of their undoubted superiority to the _rote_ method. And if he
must needs learn Poe's "Bells" before to-morrow night, he would probably
spend most of the intervening time in trying to learn it by the
discredited _rote_ method, and most likely fail in the attempt, while he
is satisfied in theory that he could memorise it by one of my methods