Hoc ad naturam de ingenio.
The Twin Gifts of Nature
Natural ability and memory are inseparably joined in study, for one discovers and the other guards wisdom.
Those who throw themselves into learning need to be strong in both natural ability and memory. These two are so closely bound together in every course of study and discipline that if either one is missing, the other can't bring anyone to completion — just as profits are worth nothing where there's no safekeeping, and it's pointless to fortify storehouses when you've got nothing to put in them. Natural ability discovers, and memory guards, wisdom.
What Natural Ability Is
Natural ability is an inborn power of the mind that is helped by practice but blunted by excess, calling for moderation.
Natural ability is a certain power planted in the mind by nature, effective in its own right. Natural ability comes from nature, is helped by practice, is blunted by excessive work, and is sharpened by measured exercise. Hence the rather elegant saying of someone: 'I want you to spare yourself at last — there's toil in the pages; race through the air.'
Training the Mind Through Reading
Reading and meditation train natural ability, and reading means being shaped by written rules and instructions.
There are two things that train natural ability: reading and meditation. Reading is when we're shaped by rules and instructions drawn from what has been written. There are three kinds of reading: the teacher's, the learner's, and the person examining something on their own.
Three Ways of Reading
Reading takes three forms — the teacher's, the learner's, and the solitary reader's — and demands attention to order and manner.
For we say 'I read a book to her,' and 'I read a book by her,' and 'I read a book.' In reading, the things that especially need to be considered are the order and the manner.
Read the original Latin
Qui doctrinae operam dant, ingenio simul et memoria pollere debent, quae duo in omni studio et disciplina ita sibi cohaerent, ut si desit alterum, neminem alterum ad perfectum ducere possit, sicut nulla prodesse possunt lucra ubi deest custodia, et incassum receptacula munit qui quod recondat non habuerit. ingenium invenit et memoria custodit sapientiam. ingenium est vis quaedam naturaliter animo insita per se valens. ingenium a natura proficiscitur, usu iuvatur, immoderato labore retunditur, et temperato acuitur exercitio. unde satis eleganter a quodam dictum est: Volo tandem tibi parcas, labor est in chartis, curre per aera. duo sunt quae ingenium exercent: lectio et meditatio. lectio est, cum ex his quae scripta sunt, regulis et praeceptis informamur. trimodum est lectionis genus: docentis, discentis, vel per se inspicientis.
dicimus enim 'lego librum illi,' et 'lego librum ab illo,' et 'lego librum.' in lectione maxime consideranda sunt ordo et modus.
Didascalicon de Studio Legendi (On the Study of Reading) companion
Hugh said begin with small daily portions. Start tomorrow.
Chosen Portion serves one short, ordered devotional reading each day — the medieval lectio pattern, free on iOS.
Hugh taught that formation comes from ordered, incremental daily reading, and Chosen Portion is that ordered daily portion delivered to your phone.
- A curated daily portion in 2-3 minutes, no decision fatigue about what to read
- Progress through complete historic works in order, the way Hugh prescribed
- Free app plus a weekly email unpacking one reading in depth