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the gilding does not seem to have been affected, so neither does the paint appear to have been cracked any where, but where the gilding lay under.

Remarks on Mr. Jeake's Plan for Short-hand. By John Byron, M.A., F.R.S. N° 488, p. 388.

In Mr. Jeake's paper it is inferred, from the continual succession of new shorthands, that none of them were constructed on right principles, which, in the opinion of the proposer of this plan, are briefly these: 1. There are in nature only 8 simple characters, viz. 4 rectilinear ones, (-) and 4 crooked or semicircular (C). 2. To avoid the ambiguity and confusion that must arise from the use of compound characters, a perfect short-hand should consist of these 8 simple ones only. 3. But whereas there are 3 times as many letters (or more) in the common alphabet, the consequence is, that one character must serve for 1, 2, 3, or 4 letters; as their frequency of occurrence, or affinity to each other, shall suggest. 4. From these suppositions, among a variety of alphabets that would equally answer his intention, results the following, which (omitting as needless the letters a, e, i, o, h) he proposes for the plan of a perfect short-hand; and computes, with great exactness, that it may be written in less than one quarter of the time that common long hand will require.

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This, with a specimen of the Lord's prayer, as written in it, is the whole of his plan; which, as far as it goes, might have a plausible appearance to a person, at the first turn of his thought towards short-hand; but a little practical attention must have shown him how liable it was to the very objection that he intended to remedy, viz. ambiguity.

The first mark, for instance, (L), in this short specimen, stands for these 4 several words which occur in it, viz. our, will, evil, ever; and 40 more that might be enumerated, must, whenever they occur, be represented by it; not to mention how often it must occasion ambiguity in the beginning, middle, or end of a longer word, or marks, of which it is a constituent part only.

Now, though in the Lord's prayer it is easy, or in casual writing one of his learning and sagacity might be able, by a long familiarity with the characters, to determine the sense of what was written in them, yet it is evident that, to common learners, a difficulty so perpetually occurring must appear insuperable.

The postulatum, likewise, which this plan for short-hand is grounded on, is taken up too expeditiously; for there being in nature 4 rectilinear strokes, the

horizontal, the perpendicular, and the acute, and grave (if I may so call them); it is manifest, by inspection, that from these 4 directions there will arise, at least, 8 curvilinear characters, as each of the straight ones admits distinctly of 2 opposite curves; and there is no absolute necessity that any of them should be always semicircular; a shape that, for the most commodious combination of simple characters, is in fact much oftner inconvenient than otherwise.

The alphabet then of simple characters may be fairly enlarged by one third; and room be also left for the fancy of an inventor to extend it farther, if ho should find it convenient on the whole. He says on the whole; for the worst short-hand may happen to express a few particular words better than the best; and arbitrary marks for words or sentences may be often shorter than regular ones: but this is no inducement to write, in one case, by a bad method, and in the other by none at all.

Another oversight in this plan is the neglect of beauty and linearity; though the simplicity of its character does not perhaps admit of such enormous scrawling as others may. For, to instance again in the specimen; suppose the mark for the word temptation, which expresses a vast variety of different combinations of consonants, to be limited, by a previous knowledge of the language, to that word only, yet after all it is a very aukward one; and ought, by a common short-hand rule of leaving out such consonants as are not sounded (as the p is not in temptation) to have been formed in another manner, wherein the beauty and linearity, and of course the brevity of the mark, would have been pre

served.

In short, this gentleman set out on right principles, which many hap-hazard undertakers have but little considered; but he had not leisure enough perhaps to examine them to the bottom; as was the case with Dr. Green of Cambridge (he that wrote the Greenian Philosophy, as he calls it), who formed a short-hand for his own private use, on much the same plan and principles. He gave Mr. B. one of his sermons in it; and on suggestion of the advantages that he might have taken, he said, that for want of time to consider of his scheme more thoroughly, when he first adopted it, he had overlooked them.

A perfect short-hand, Mr. B. supposes, would be a solution of some such problem as this: "A language being given, to assign the most compendious method of expressing it readily, and legibly, by an alphabet, and rules, the best adapted to that purpose."

This gentleman proceeds no farther than to make an alphabet for his plan ; * but he must be sensible that were it ever so complete a one, many compendious

Mr. Jeake only offers his plan as the mere elements of a short-hand, leaving it to practitioners to build upon his foundation, as they shall judge necessary from practice: he retains the v because it often stands for v or ve or w.—Orig.

applications of it might be obtained by a proper inquiry into the nature of our language (the most happily susceptible of this art of any) and the abbreviations which it admits of, very intelligibly, in writing. And in his alphabet he entirely omits the letter h (which is often wanted), and the vowels a, e, i, o, and yet retains the vowel u, which is certainly as needless as any of the rest: but as a single point, in 5 distinct situations, would have provided for them all alike, he might as well have added that to his plan, in order to express any particular vowel, on occasion; because it would not have hurt his alphabet; and because the reading of his short-hand without any vowels at all, is so extremely difficult. For, as one of his straight strokes (、) must stand for the words am, an, in, on, no, me, him, home, &c. and one of his crooked ones (C) for us, is, us, so, has, his, ease, ice, use, ar, or, &c. and so of the rest; he would himself, in all probability, be often at a loss to distinguish what he had written on his own plan.*

The consonants j and v he has taken no notice of; as if the common way of repeating 24 letters did really give a just idea of an alphabet; which it does not; nor can a perfect short-hand for our language (or any other respectively) well be planned, without considering the real alphabet, or table of every particular sound, or modification of sound; that is to say, vowel or consonant which occurs in it: and then adjusting the proper characters to them, and taking all the advantages that either nature or custom may afford.

Mr. B. hopes it will not be thought impertinent in him to offer these remarks on the above plan, of an art which he has taken so much pains to cultivate, and bring to that perfection which his first and last intention of introducing one common standard for the general practice of it required.

On the Sparkling of Flannel, and the Hair of Animals, in the Dark. By Mr. B. Cooke, F.R. S: N° 488, p. 394.

and such like bodies, will be steams of the sulphur, burnt

Mr. C. imagines this sparkling of the flannel, found to be quite electrical: and possibly the acid under the extended flannel in the time of bleaching, may unite with the oil (with which hair, as well as horns, are found by analysis to be replete), and form au animal sulphur, which, on friction, vibration, or any nimble agitation of these hairs, may become luminous.

It should have been mentioned, that the flannel had been worn but few days; and that it was immediately on shaking the under coat from that which was worn above it, that the sparks were emitted; and that their appearance was in a broad

* Vowels may be known to be antecedent or consequent, by the mark being written above or be→ low the line of level: e. g. Cas, C sa ; \ am, \ma. The ambiguities in many of these words, are not important, viz, as, has, is, his, use, us. S. J.-Orig.

† See Phil. Trans, N° 483.-Orig

streak almost contiguous, attended with a crackling or snapping, like what may be observed on moving the finger nimbly along over the prime conductor, when excited in the electrifying machine; of which the lady was able to form a comparison, having afterwards seen some experiments of that sort. This appearance returned at the same time, and on the same occasion, 2 or 3 nights after, but more languid, till it was quite lost.

A lady, who was informed of this, lessened the surprise, which had been thought almost ominous, by assuring, that she had seen the same phenomenon often in new flannel, but never in any that had been long worn or washed: and that the flannel being rendered damp with sea water, and afterwards dried, would heighten the flashing, which she imputed to the sulphur used in bleaching. Mr. C. further observes, that these sparklings had the crackling criterion of electrical fire; and that hair and wool, as well as silk, are electrics per se, and unctuous and sulphureous bodies more electric than others of the same density.

Of an Earthquake at Taunton. By the Rev. John Forster. N° 488, p. 398. Between 10 and 11 o'clock at night, July 1, 1747, Mr. F. being in some company at Taunton, they were suddenly surprised with a rumbling noise like distant thunder, which was followed immediately by so considerable a motion of the earth, that the chairs rocked under them. The noise and shaking seemed to come from a distance, and approached gradually, in such a manner as if a loaded waggon had passed along, and continued nearly the same time as such a waggon would require to go about 100 yards. The motion went from southeast to north-west; which being the direction of the street, on one side of which the house stood, some of them imagined at first that a waggon had really gone along; but on running out and inquiring, they found there had been no waggon.

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Though this happened between 10 and 11 o'clock at night, when most of the town were in bed, the shock was so sensible, that many people got up very much terrified; and these waking others, the consternation soon became general;. inscmuch that, though it was a rainy night, numbers of people ran out into their gardens, and spent the night there, being apprehensive of other shocks. The account then newly brought us of a dreadful earthquake at Lima, being fresh in every body's mind, contributed to increase the surprize.

A worthy clergyman, who lives 5 miles from Taunton, informed Mr. F. that the china and glasses on the cupboards in his house rattled and shook as if they would fall down, and the bells in his house rang. A person who was at that time coming on foot to Taunton also said, that the noise seemed to him like the discharge of cannon at a distance, and came rumbling onwards, till the earth moved under him in such a manner, that he could hardly keep on his legs: se

veral others also that were abroad assured Mr. F. that they had much ado to save themselves from falling.

The extent of this earthquake, as far as can be learned, was from sea to sea; that is, from the South Channel to the Severn. It moved from south-east to north-west, and was felt in every parish through this whole course, which is in length about 40 miles; nor was its breadth much less; for it was felt at the same time both at Exeter and Crookhorn, distant also 40 miles, in a line directly across its before-mentioned course.

Remarks on Mr. Lodwick's Alphabet for Short-hand. By John Byrom, M.A., F.R.S. N° 488, p. 401.

Mr. Lodwick's Essay towards a Universal Alphabet, was given in N° 182 of the Philos. Trans., and is here criticised and condemned, by Mr. Byrom, who was the author of another more practicable short-hand himself, which he had good opportunity of perfecting, by the great experience he had in teaching it to numerous pupils.

A Roman Inscription found at Bath. Communicated to the R. S. by the Rev. William Stukely, M.D., Fellow of the Coll. of Phys., F.R.S., and Rector of St. George the Martyr, London. No 488, p. 409.

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Thus to be read.-Lucius Vitellius Maximiniani filius Titus Ancinus, civis Hispanus Cauriensis equitum alæ Vettonum curator, annos XLVI. stipendii XXVI. hic sepultus est.

Remarks concerning some Electrical Experiments. By the Rev. Dr. Stephen Hales, F.R.S. N° 488, p. 409.

A warm thick piece of iron being suspended by 2 silk lines, had a warm very thick piece of brass laid on it, on which was placed a common hen's egg: when electrified, the flashes from the iron were of a bright silver light colour; from the brass, especially near it, the flashes were green; and from the egg, of at yellowish flame colour; which seems to argue, that some particles of those dif'ferent bodies were carried off in the flashes, whence these different colours were exhibited.

*Like nubes, lapes, sepes.

Of the city of Coria in Spain.

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