not previous access; others by gentlemen who have been pleased to express a very favourable opinion of the work, and evinced a kind desire to aid in rendering it still more worthy of public approbation. Among the other systems, which have been alluded to, he would particularly specify that of the late William Blair, Esq., a gentleman well known to the literary public by several ingenious productions. In an article on Stenography drawn up by Mr Hanbury, in Mon. Mag. vol. 43, he thus speaks of the talent displayed by Mr. Blair in the article " Cipher," in Dr. Rees's Encyclopedia. "It is an elaborate erudite performance," &c. If the reader refers to that article, he will find that it was Mr. Blair's intention to have written the article

"Short-Hand" for that grand National Work. "Upon these two departments of the Art, (Cryptography and Stenography) we feel a desire, if opportunity should permit, of laying before the public some results of our own investigations and practice," &c.

In a letter lately received from Mr. Hanbury, he states that it is his "intention shortly to lay before the public the History of Short Hand," which, it is hoped, will meet with an extensive circulation..

Mr. Blair had devoted a number of years to the study of the Art, and among his effects, sold since his decease, by Mr. Evans, were some valuable treatises, and a manuscript containing some of the fruits of his researches and experience on this subject, of which the Editor was so fortunate as to become the possessor.

Mr. Blair's Alphabet is now added to this edition, more, however, as a matter of curiosity, than as generally preferable to that of Mr. Taylor. He uses the same characters for *b and p, t, and d, and k and g, &c., but to abridge thus is only to create confusion. Since the vowels are so generally dispensed with, the

Dr. Byrom, in a paper communicated to the Royal Society, some time since, pointed out the difficulty of this plan.

consonants may well be spared; the Art is, for all practical purposes, expeditious enough already; and it is only, perhaps, as regards the easy decyphering of Short Hand, that any thing remains to be desired. Several new works on Short Hand have appeared "since the present work was published, some of them are encumbered with nearly three hundred arbitrary characters, which certainly cannot be considered as improvements, but burthensome to the memory.

The Editor's grateful acknowledgments are due to several professional Stenographists for various useful suggestions, of which he has availed himself; and while requesting them to ascept the same, takes this opportunity of adding, that he will be happy to receive any further suggestions.

INTRODUCTION.

STENOGRAPHY is, of late years, cultivated and practised by so large a portion of the community, that, to descant in praise of the art, would be to say what few persons are disposed to controvert: it has now become a necessary branch of a liberal education.

As to the early origin of the art, we have but a very imperfect account; it is certain that the Greeks and Romans held the acquisition of it in high estimation. The science, if so it may be called, as exercised by them, was not founded on any established principles; its practice was solely confined to the learned, and every writer had modes of abbreviation peculiar to himself.

Horace points out its brevity; Ovid notices its advantages with respect to secrecy; and Cassienus bears testimony to its expedition. There are numerous epigrams of Ausonius, Martial, and Manilius, commendatory of Short-Hand, and descriptive of its advantages.

Very few books remain which are written in ancient Short-Hand; but this is not surprising when we consider that, such was the unhappy situation of the early ages, either superstition condemned them to

the flames, as the works of impious necromancers, or ignorance and stupidity left them to be devoured by vermin, or erased the characters for the sake of the parchment.

There is no evidence of its first introduction into this country by the Romans: it is possible that their inscriptions might suggest the utility of abbreviations in the Saxon and English languages, and these may have served, as in the case of the Greeks and Romans, for the foundation of the art.

The first attempt we have seen was made in the year 1588, by Dr. Bright.

before the public,

The plan adopted by the early writers, was, to divide the words into dozens, each division headed by a Roman letter, with certain commas, periods and other marks, in particular situations, about each character, to distinguish the words from each other. The first English Short-Hand alphabet was invented by the Rev. John Willis, B.D. in 1602. Since that period numerous systems have been laid many of which display considerable ingenuity. Some of the most popular authors require the pen to be raised in the middle of a word, and point out the most awkward and unscientific modes of joining : others deform their writing, destroy legibility, and burden the memory of their pupils, by a multiplicity of arbitrary and symbolical characters.

The system of Byrom, (1767), Taylor, (1786), Gurney (1753), Lewis (1816), and Mavor, have been the most popular; the latter of which was compiled from Mr. Taylor's, in 1789. Byrom's system has been improved by Molineaux, and also Gawtress, which should be consulted by those who study Stenography as a profession. Those who are curious in the art, and wish for an account of the origin and progress of it, are referred to Mr. Gibbs and Lewis's History, in which much interesting matter will be found.

It is not to be expected that any one system of Stenography will ever be universally practised. Much has and may be accomplished, by some of the modern systems, by persevering practice.

Why this art has not been more generally practised has arisen from the want of application on the part of those who attempt to acquire a knowledge of it.

The pupil too often enters upon his task, expecting to acquire immediate proficiency, without considering that this, like all other useful acquisitions, must be obtained at the expence both of time and labour. The evil does not stop here: the experience of one individual discourages another. Those who are desirous of attaining a knowledge of this science, are dissuaded from attempting it by those who profess to have made the experiment; and thus an art, the construction of which is so simple that "even