Does relying on written records weaken the ability to remember?

If we would believe Montagne on his word, he would persuade us that he was a Man of No Retention; that his Memory was treacherous, and fail'd him in every thing: But that in his Judgment, there was no defect. And yet should we credit the Portraiture he has drawn of his own Mind, I mean his Book, we should be of a different Opinion. I could not, says he, receive an Order without my Table-book; and if I had an Oration to speak, that was considerably long-winded, I was forc'd to that vile and miserable necessity of learning it word for word by Heart; otherwise I had neither Presence nor Assurance, for fear my Memory should shew me a slippery trick. Does a Man that could learn Memoriter, word for word long-winded Discourses, to give him some Presence and Assurance, fail more in his Memory than his Judgment? And can we believe Montagne when he says, I am forc'd to call my Domestick Servants by the Names of their Offices, or their Countries; it being the most difficult thing to remember Names; and if I should live long, I am persuaded I should forget my own?

The memory should only be occupied with such things as are important to be retained, and which will be of service to us in real life. Novel-reading is the worst thing for children, since they can make no further use of it, and it merely affords them entertainment for the moment. Novel-reading weakens the memory. For it would be ridiculous to remember novels in order to relate them to others. Therefore all novels should be taken away from children. Whilst reading them they weave, as it were, an inner romance of their own, rearranging the circumstances for themselves; their fancy is thus imprisoned, but there is no exercise of thought.