nhrts nthing bt the nm or ttl! nssttrs who if thy nu lim, wd dsn thr dpndut wth kutmt. Bt al prd of ths srt is fly, nd evr to be avdd.

As the whole of this art depends upon a regular method and a simple alphabet, we have not only endeavoured to establish the former on satisfactory principles, but have been careful to appropriate, according to the comparative frequency of their occurrence, such characters for the letters as, after repeated trials and alterations, were conceived to be the best adapted for dispatch.

The stenographic alphabet consists of eighteen distinct characters (viz. two for the vowels and the rest for the consonants), taken from lines and semicircular curves; the formation and application of which we shall now explain, beginning with the vowels.

For the three first vowels, a, e, and i, a comma is appropriated in different positions; and for the other three, o, u, and y, a point. The comma and point, when applied to a and o, is to be placed, as in the Plate, at the top of the next character; when for e and u, opposite to the middle; and when for i and y, at the bottom.

This arrangement of the vowels is the most simple and distinct that can easily be imagined. Places at the top, the middle, and the bottom of characters, which make three different positions, are as easily distinguished from one another as any three separate characters could be; and a comma is made with the same facility as a point.

Simple lines may be drawn four different ways; perpendicular, horizontal, and with an angle of about forty-five degrees to the right and left. An ascending oblique line to the right, which will be perfectly distinct from the rest when joined to any other character, may likewise be admitted. These characters being the simplest in nature, are assigned to those five consonants which most frequently occur, viz. I, r, t,c hard or k, and c soft or s.

Every circle may be divided with a perpendicular and horizontal line, so as to form likewise four distinct characters. These being the next to lines in the simplicity of their formation, we have appropriated them for b, d, n, and m.

The characters expressing nine of the consonants are all perfectly distinct from one another; eight only remain which are needful, viz. f, g or j, h, p, q, v, w, and x. To find characters for

which we must have recourse to mixed curves and lines, the character which we have adopted are the simplest in nature after those already applied, admit of the easiest joining, and tend to preserve lineality and beauty in the writing.

It must be observed that we have no character for c when it has a hard sound, as in castle; or soft, as in city; for it naturally takes the sound of k or s, which in all cases will be sufficient to supply its place.

R likewise is represented by the same character as 7; only with this difference, r is written with an ascending stroke, and Z. with a descending; which is always to be known from the manner of its union with the following character; but in a few monosyllables where r is the only consonant in the word, and conse-, quently stands alone, it is to be made as is shown in the alphabet for distinction's sake.

2, as it is a letter seldom employed in the English language; and only a coarser and harder expression of s, must be supplied by s whenever it occurs; as for Zedekiah, write Sedekiah, etc.

The prepositions and terminations in this scheme are so simple, that the greatest benefit may be reaped from them, and very little trouble required to attain them; as the incipient letter of the incipient consonant of all the prepositions and of several of the terminations is used to express the whole. But although in the Plate, sufficient specimens are given of the manner of their application, that the learner of less ingenuity or more slow perception may have every assistance, we have subjoined the following directions.

RULE I. The preposition is always to be written without joining, yet so near as plainly to show what word it belongs to; and the best way is to observe the same order as if the whole was to be connected.

RULE II. A preposition, though the same letters that constitute it may be met with in the middle or end of a word, is never to be used, because it would expose to obscurity.

RULE III. Observe that the preposition omni is expressed by the vowel o in its proper position; and for anti, anta, ante, by the vowel a, which the radical part of the word will easily distinguish from being only simple vowels.

The first rule for the preposition is (allowing such exceptions as may be seen in the Plate) to be observed for the terminations; and also the second, mutatis mutandis; except that whenever sis, sus, sys, cious, tious, and ces, occur, they are to be expressed as directed in the fourth rule for the consonants, whether in the beginning, middle, or end of words +

RULE IV. The terminative character for tion, sion, cion, cian, tian, is to be expressed by a small circle joined to the nearest letter, and turned to the right; and the plurals, tions, sions, cions, cians, tians, tience, by a dot on the same side.

The character for h, when lineality requires it, may be made from the bottom and inverted (see Plate). And often h may be omitted entirely, or a vowel may be substituted in its stead, without any injury to legibility, it being rather a breathing than letter.

+ But in a few words where three horizontal characters meet, it will be better to express the sis, &c. by the semielliptical character in the Plate, opposite tious.

RULE V. The terminative character for ing, is to be expressed likewise by a small circle, but drawn to the left hand; and its plural ings by a dot.*

RULE VI. The plural sign s is to be added to the terminative characters when necessary.

RULE VII. The separated terminations are never to be used but in polysyllables or words of more syllables than one.

These rules duly observed will point out a method as concise and elegant as can be desired, for expressing the most frequent and longest prepositions and terminations in the English language. If it should be thought necessary to increase their number by the addition of others, it will be an easy matter for any one of the least discernment to do so, by proceeding on the principles before laid down.

Though a more concise method of writing, or more numerous abbreviations, may not be indispensably necessary, if the foregoing directions be practised for a considerable time, yet contractions will be found extremely useful and convenient to those who have attained a proper knowledge of the subject, and lead to a greater degree of expedition, at the same time that they diminish the labour of writing. It has been observed in the introduction, that abbreviations are only to be employed by proficients in this art; because expedition is not the first, though the ultimate, object in view and that an easy legibility is of the utmost consequence to the learner; which, however, cannot be preserved, if he adopts too soon those very rules which in time will afford him the greatest ease when applied with judgment.

The following short and practical rules will be found, we hope, fully adequate to every purpose for which they were intended, and are far superior in the facility of their application to any which we have seen.

RULE I. The usual abbreviations in long-hand, are always to be followed; as Mr. for Master, M. D. for Doctor of Physic, and Abp. for Archbishop, &c.

RULE II. Substantives, adjectives, verbs, and participles, when the sense will direct to the meaning, are to be expressed by their initial consonant with the distinguishing marks exhibited in the Plate, viz. a substantive must have the dot exactly over its initial consonant; an adjective must have a dot under it; a verb is to be expressed by a comma over its initial consonant; and a participle by a comma under. These being the four principal parts of

* In horizontal characters, by the left hand is meant the top, and by the right the space below the letter (see ing joined in the Plate.) In all other characters the right and left positions will naturally be known.

+ The dot or comma being placed thus, will never occasion them to be mistaken for vowels, because they should always be on one side or other; whereas the mark for parts of speech must constantly be placed exactly over or under.

speech, will be sufficient: and an adept will never be at a loss to know when he can with safety apply this rule to them.

RULE III. To render the writing more legible, the last letter of the word may be joined to the first, and the proper mark applied.

RULE IV. The constituent or radical part of words, especially if they are long, will often serve for the whole, or sometimes the first syllable; as, we ought to moderate our ex. by our circum.; a man's man. commonly shape his for.

RULE V. All long words without exception may have their prepositions or terminations expressed by the incipient consonant of such preposition or termination.

RULE VI. When there is a great dependence between the parts of a sentence, the initial letter will often suffice: as L. is the capital of Great B.; the eldest S. of the king of Great B. is styled prince of W. Every one, it is presumed, will allow this to be perfectly legible in long-hand, then why may it not in stenography?

RULE VII. The terminations ness and less may be omitted; as faithfulness is only to be written faithful; forwardness, forward; heedless, heed; stubbornness, stubborn, &c.

RULE VIII. The second and third persons of verbs, ending in eth and est, may be expressed by s; as, he loves, thou teaches; instead of he loveth, thou teachest; or even without s; as, he love, &c.

RULE IX. Words may often be entirely omitted, and yet no ambiguity ensue; as, In beginning God created heaven and earth, for In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

RULE X. When there is an immediate repetition of a sentence or word, a line is to be drawn under the sentence or word to be repeated; as, Amen, Amen, is to be written Amen; but if any words intervene before a word or sentence is to be repeated, the line must be drawn as before, and a ▲ or mark of omission placed where the repetition should begin; as, Is it just the innocents should be condemned a reviled ?

BOOKS ON STENOGRAPHY.

The above directions for acquiring the useful art of Short-hand, we have extracted from Dr. Mavor's very excellent System of Stenography,' which we conceive decidedly superior to any other extant. This system, then, we recommend to the serious attention of the young pupil, advising him entirely to disregard the ignorant puffs of those various professors, who pretend to teach this art in a new manner, and whs, too often, reap a successful harvest from the credulity of youth.

PART. IV. ARITHMETIC.

ARITHMETIC teaches the method of computing numbers, and explains their nature and peculiarities. The four first fundamental principles, viz. addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division have always, in a certain degree, been practised by different nations.

Numbers, as a science, must, in a great measure, have depended on the advancement of commerce, because arithmetical calculations becoming, then, more necessary, would receive a greater degree of attention. Thus arithmetic is, with great probability, supposed to have been of Tyrian or Phoenician invention. From Asia it is said to have passed into Egypt. From Egypt, arithmetic was transmitted to the Greeks; thence, with its improvements, it proceeded to the Romans, and from the Romans it has been dispersed over the modern nations of the world. The symbols or characters of numbers, and the scale of numerical calculations have been considerably diversified in different ages. The Hebrews and Greeks, and after them the Romans, had recourse to the letters of their alphabet for the representation of numbers. The Mexicans adopted circles for ciphers, and the ancient Peruvians coloured knotted cords, called quipos. The Indians are, at this time, very expert in computing by means of their fingers; and the modern natives of Peru are said by the different arrangements of their grains of maize, to surpass Europeans, aided by all their rules.

The Arabian or Indian notation, which is now universally practised, was originally derived from the Indians, and was, in the tenth century, brought by the Moors or Saracens from Arabia into Spain. Its improvements principally consist in its brevity and precision; instead of employing twenty-four characters, only nine digits and a cipher are wanted. The symbols also are more simple, more appropriate, and determined; and therefore the powers of them are less liable to inaccuracy or confusion. With the symbols too, the scale of numerical calculations has been varied. The first improvement was the introduction of reckoning by tens, which, no doubt, took its rise from the obvious mode of counting by the fingers, as that was customary in the primary calculation of every nation except the Chinese.

The Greeks had two methods of marking the advance of numbers; one on the plan which was afterwards adopted by the Romans, and which is still used to distinguish the chapters and sections of books; and in the other, the first nine letters of the alphabet represented the first numbers from 1 to 9, the next nine