CHARACTER. 



Chancier, operations, therefore, became cumbersome and difii- 

 W ""V^' <-ult in a high decree. The complete remedy for 

 this inc-onvniK-nce was found, by that immense im- 

 provement in the mode of numeral notation, of con- 

 fining the whole numeral characters to one series on- 

 ly, and giving this series successively the power of 

 the second, the third, or any higher sericR, by means 

 of position alone ; the same characters in the first 

 row denoting units, in the second tens, in the third 

 hundreds, and so forward as far as numeral expres- 

 sion is required. 



This may justly be set down as 'the perfection of 

 numeral notation, and gives modern arithmetic the 

 most decided superiority over the ancient. It is 

 commonly supposed to have been derived to us 

 from the Arabs, who are thought to have learned 

 it from the Indians. Some doubts, however, have 

 been lately started upon this point ; and Ance de 

 Villoison, in the 2d volume of his Anccdola Grxca, 

 quotes an Italian author, who maintains, that our mo- 

 dern numeral characters were derived from the 

 Greeks, having been used by them in the times of the 

 emperors for expressing weights and measures, and 

 afterwards extended to express any kind of number. 

 It is not perhaps easy to determine the point, nor is 

 it of much importance ; but it is curious to observe, 

 that something of this mode of notation appears in 

 the Hebrew numerals ; for though with them three 

 series of characters were used for units, lens and /(- 

 dreds, and thousands were denoted by applying to 

 these respectively an accentual mark, yet frequently, 

 too, when both thousands and hundreds were to be 

 put down together, the thousands were signified, by 

 merely placing the proper numeral without an ac- 

 cent, before the mark for the hundreds, an approach 

 undoubtedly to the modern mode of notation, though 

 i ^ it does not appear to have ever led to farther im- 

 provements. 



' As the best illustration of this subject, specimens 



of different kinds of numeral characters are given in 

 Plate XL. See also NUMBER and NUMERAL NOTA- 

 TION. 



3. SYMBOLICAL CHARACTERS, or characters in- 

 tended to express a particular object or idea by 

 means of a mark bearing some supposed or imagina- 

 ry analogy to the thing represented. 



Symbolical characters differ from the two former 

 classes of characters in this, that in the former, the 

 signification of the mark is purely arbitrary ; in the 

 symbolical, it is connected with the object by some real 

 or supposed resemblance, sometimes in appearance, but 

 more commonly in properties, operations, or effects. 

 Symbolical characters probably had their rise from 

 picture-writing, and were at first mere abbreviations, 

 but afterwards became specific marks, formed by pe- 

 culiar though arbitrary rules. Of this class of cha- 

 racters there are numerous kinds, such as hierogly- 

 phics, symbols, armorial-bearings and other heraldnc 

 signs ; to which may be added, musical notes, scien- 

 tific abbreviations, &c. For the account of each, see 

 under the proper heads, HIEROGLYPHICS, SYMBOLS, 

 HEKALDHY, Music, ALGEBRA, &c. 



11. The peculiar and distinguishing properties be- 

 longing to an individual. This application of the 

 term arises from these peculiar properties being re- 

 garded as the marko by which different individuals of 





the same species were distinguished tnd recognised. Chtnctv- 

 It is H-ldom, if ever, applied to bodily power*; and *" "" ""-" 



in ment.-il qualities, refers generally, though not 

 universal! . > moral than intellectual endow* 



mcnts. Sec MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



III. The persons or agents exhibited in poetical 

 or narrative composition. The distinctive properties 

 of individuals, when in any way remarkable, forming, 

 as it were, the marks by which they are recognised, 

 these are frequently regarded as constituting the in- 

 dividual himself, especially when, by the influence or 

 operation of such peculiar qualities, important event* 

 are produced upon the situation and conduct of other 

 men. From this species of personification, the de- 

 nomination of characters has been introduced, as de- 

 noting the individuals by whom the action* or events, 

 which form the subject of composition, either poeti- 

 cal or narrative, are carried on. In regard to what 

 belongs to such characters, and in what manner their 

 introduction, c'evelopement, and operations, are to 

 be regulated, see under the heads of EPIC POETRY, 

 TRAGEDY, COMEDY, NOVEL WRITING, HISTORY, 

 BIOGRAPHY, &c. 



Besides the foregoing different applications of the 

 form, character, therr are other subordinate ones; 

 but as they all relate immediately, or remotely, to 

 those already considered, they require no particular 

 notice. ()) 



CHARACTER OF KEYS, in music. Most of 

 those writers who have brought forward irregular 

 systems of temperament, or such wherein an invariable 

 law is not observed (as far as the scale or number of 

 notes in the octave will admit) in the temperament of 

 the different concords, as in regular douzeai-es for in- 

 stance, in the case where eleven of the fifths are tuned 

 equal, have insisted much on the advantages of what 

 they call the peculiar character of certain keys, ari- 

 sing from their varied and often very considerable de- 

 grees of imperfection, in the principal concords of 

 such keys. Earl Stanhope was one of those who in- 

 sisted on the advantage of the great contrast of the 

 harmony in some of the keys in his temperament, 

 when compared with others. This gave rise to a 

 controversy on the subject in the Monthly Magazine, 

 vol. 22 and 23, in which the very able and much to 

 be lamented Dr Callcott took a part. From all, 

 however, that we have read or heard, we are disposed 

 entirely to disregard the characters of keys derived 

 from their imperfections ; and to contend, that no- 

 thing seems wanting to heighten the pleasure of hear- 

 ing modulation skilfully conducted, on regularly 

 tempered scales, and where the different keys are ex- 

 actly alike tempered, as on D. Loeschman's patent 

 instruments with 24- strings or pipes in each octave, 

 or by able singers or violin players, who use HO tem- 

 pered harmonies whatever ; and the same has lately 

 been more fully confirmed, by often hearing the Rev. 

 Henry Liston's patent organ, where every harmony- 

 is given absolutely perfect, and yet nothing seemed 

 wanting in the effects of its modulations, or of the 

 pieces performed upon it in different keys. ({) 



CHARACTERISTIC NOTES, in music, are 

 the leading note, and the subdominan't. Their uses 

 in pointing out the key of a piece of music, where the 

 proper number of sharps or flats happens not to have 

 been Affixed to the beginning of the piece, or supplied 



