The principle part of this method is briefly this: to remember
any thing in History, Chronology, Geography, &c a word is formed, the
beginning whereof being the first sylable, or syllables of the thing sought,
does by frequent repetition of course draw after it the latter part, which is
so contrived as to give the answer. Thus in History the deluge happened in the
year befor
Christ two
thousand three hundred and forty eight; this signified by the word
Deletok: DEL standing for
deluge and etok for 2348. The first thing to be done
is to learn exactly the following series of vowels and consonants, which are to
represent the numerical figures, so as to be able at pleasure, to form a
technical word, which shall stand for any number, or to resolve a word already
formed into the number which it stands for.
These letters are assigned arbitraily to the respective figures
and may very easily be remembered. The first five vowels in order naturally
represent 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.—The diphthong au being composed of a. 1. and u.
5 stands for 6—oi. for 7 being composed of o. 4. and i 3—ou for 9
being composed of o. 4 and u. 5. The ei. will easily be remembered for 8 being
the initials of the word. In like manner for the
consonants where the initials could be conveniently
retained, they are made use of to signify the number; as t for three f. for 4
s. for 6 and n. for 9. The rest were assigned without any particular reason,
unless that possibly p may be more easily remembered for 7 or
septem, k for eight or
oKto, d for 2 or Duo b for 1 as being the first
consonant, and l for five being the Roman letter for 50. than any others that
could have been put in there places. Always remember that the dipthong's are to
be considered but as one letter, or rather as representing only one figure.
Note also that y is to be pronounced as w for the more easily distinguishing it
from i as syd = 602, pronounced
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swid, typ = 307 = pronounce twip. The reader will
observe that the same date or number may be signified by different words,
according as vowels or consonants are made choice of to represent the figures
or to b
egin the words with as 325, tel, or
idua
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154 buf or blo or alf or alo. This variety gives great room for choice, in the
formation of words, of such terminations as by their uncommonness are most
likely to be remembered, or by any accidental
relation or
allusion they may
have to thing sought. Thus the year of the world in which
AEneas is
supposed to have settled in
Italy is
2824; but as this may be expesed either by ekef or deido, I choose rather to
join deido to
AEneas, and
make the technical word AEnedeido than AEnekef for a reason which is very
obvius—Thus
King Jno
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began his reign A.D. 199 (one thousand being understood to be added as I shall
shew hereafter) but as this may be expesed by
anou,
boun, or ann I make choice of the last for then it is but calling him Jann
insted of Jno and you have time almost in his name. It is further to be
observed, that z and y being
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made use of to
represent the cypher, where many cyphers meet together as in 10000, 1000000
&c instead of a repetition of azyzyzy which could neither
could be easily pronounced nor
remembered, g stands for hundred th. for thousand and m for million thus ag.
will be 100 ig 300 oug 900 ath 1000
oth 4000
&c—