SIO London Philosophical Society. 



letters, the peculiar merits and character of Byrom's plan; 

 observing as he passed along, that being himself neither an 

 inventor, a publisher, nor a teacher, otherwise than con 

 amove, of short-hand, he could have no partial or local in- 

 terests to serve in the recommendation of this method as 

 superior to every other plan hitherto invented. 



On a large sheet the lecturer had delineated the various 

 powers and simple combinations of the straight line and 

 the circle; showing that from these two figures every need- 

 ful character might easily be derived : and that, in most 

 cases, by simply changing the position of the same figure. ' 



Another sheet. No. 2, contained an easy and apt de- 

 lineation of the use of the vowels; and this was further 

 illustrated by sheet No. 3. 



From several curious mathematical diagrams, the leciurer 

 demonstrated on geometrical principles the true proportion 

 and curvature of the short-hand characters, from the size 

 of the loop, chiefly as they are separately made ; and also 

 fixed the proper angle of inclination of certain oblique 

 characters, both curved and rectilinear. 



Having described, as distinctly as the nature of the sub- 

 ject and the character of a popular lecture would admit, 

 the elementary principles of Byrom's method, the lecturer 

 next proceeded to recommend the system and the art in 

 general, by the exhibition, round the Society's Hall, of a 

 great variety of short-hand specimens, exhibiting perhaps 

 some of the most curious and interesting examples of the 

 beauty, legibility, and practical brevity of the art ever pro- 

 duced. Among these specimens*, there is one marked 

 C, which may fairly be considered as one of the most cu- 

 rious specimens of short-writing extant. It is a correct 

 fac-simile of Dr. Byrom's own hand-writing, from an ori- 

 ginal MS. in the possession of the Doctor's niece, a lady of 

 distinguished merit and excellence, at Bageley in Cheshire. 

 This specimen is rendered more curious by an ornamental 

 head-piece, containing an exact sketch of Byrom himself, 

 taken from an original painting; being the only likeness 

 of the Doctor in existence. The words of the specimen are 

 St. Pachomius's soliloquy to the various members of his 

 body, exhorting them respectively to perform their various 

 duties with cheerfulness, obedience, and promptitude. 



This interesting lecture was concluded bv a recommen- 

 dation of Byrom's method to the study of the learned pro- 



* These specimens, and the various diagrams, &c. &c. are given bv the 

 lecturer tc the Society ; and tliey are highly deserving of being preserved as 

 curious and valuable exemplifications of thi:> useful art. 



'■• fessionsj 



