nt, and
who is desirous to speak, finds himself, without long practice, totally
unable to do so; but he may, if he pleases, sing what he has to say,
provided only that he modulate his voice to the tune he is playing. The
reason of this appears to be two-fold; first, that the mind, by
following the tune in the articulation of the words, is relieved in a
great measure from doing double duty; and secondly, and chiefly, because
the person has already acquired, by more or less practice, the faculty
of singing and playing at the same time. From this illustration, we
perceive the necessity that exists in education, of cultivating in the
young, by direct means and special exercises, this important faculty of
managing the thoughts and giving expression to them at the same moment.
It must be acquired by a course of mental discipline, which brings all
the elements of the principle into operation; the collecting and
managing of ideas, the chusing and arranging of words, and the giving of
them utterance, at the same time. That direct exercises of this kind are
necessary for the purpose, is obvious from the illustrations here given;
where we find, that although a person, while playing on an instrument,
may sing his words, he is yet unable to make the slightest deviation
from singing to speaking, without a long and laborious practice.

Here then we have been enabled to trace this supplementary process of
Nature in the education of her pupils, and to detect the great leading
principle or law, by which it is governed. The attainment itself is the
ready and fluent communication of our ideas to others; and the mode
employed by nature for arriving at it, appears to be the training of her
pupils to exercise their minds upon one set of ideas, while they are
giving expression to another. That the mind is actually engaged in two
different ways, at the same moment of time, it is not necessary for us
to suppose. It is sufficient for our purpose, that the operations so
rapidly succeed each other, as to appear to do so. The ability to
accomplish this, we have proved to be in every case an acquired habit,
and is never possessed, even in the smallest degree, without effort. It
is, in fact, the invariable result of exercise and education. The most
gifted of our species are frequently destitute of it; while very feeble
minds have been found to possess it, when by chance or design they have
employed the proper means for its attainment. What is wanted by