ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 255 



Certainly that reformed kind of writing, according to the 

 pronunciation, is but a useless speculation, because pro 

 nunciation itself is continually changing, and the derivations 

 of words, especially from the foreign languages, are very 

 obscure; and lastly, as writing in the received manner no 

 way obstructs the manner of pronunciation, but leaves it 

 free, an innovation in it is to no purpose. 



There are several kinds of ciphers, as the simple, 17 those 

 mixed with non-significants, 18 those consisting of two kinds 

 of characters, 18 wheel-ciphers, 80 key-ciphers, 91 word-ciphers, 33 

 etc. There are three properties required in ciphers; viz., 1, 

 that they be easy to write and read; 2, that they be trusty 

 and undecipherable; and 3, if possible, clear of suspicion. 

 For if a letter should come into the hands of such as have 

 a power over the writer or receiver, though the cipher itself 

 be trusty and impossible to decipher, it is still subject to 

 examination and question, unless there be no room to sus 

 pect or examine it. 



There is a new and useful invention to elude the exami 

 nation of a cipher; viz., to have two alphabets, the one of 

 significant, and the other of non-significant letters; and 

 folding up two writings together, the one conveying the 

 secret, while the other is such as the writer might probably 

 send without danger. In case of a strict examination about 



17 In which each letter corresponds to a different letter of the alphabet. Ed. 



18 That is, joined to other letters and words, the juncture of which destroys 

 the sense to an ordinary observer, which the first letters and words are intended 

 to convey. Ed. 



19 Abbreviated writing, or shorthand. Ed. 



20 This is a kind of dial, on which are drawn the circumferences of two 

 concentric circles, bordered by the letters of the alphabet. Each letter being 

 marked with a sign, we know to what letter of the exterior circle, each of the 

 interior corresponds in relation to its rank in the alphabet. For example, sup 

 pose that it had been previously determined that the letter f should represent 

 a, g b, and h c, the receiver of the missive should turn the interior circle of 

 the dial round until the a in this circle pointed to / in the exterior, and then in 

 the place of the letters in the note he had received, he would read those which 

 corresponded to them in the interior circle. Ed. 



81 The key-ciphers are those figures which explain the latent sense of the 

 letter, and are either conveyed with it, or previously concerted by those who 

 are parties to the communication. Ed. 



29 Verbal ciphers are those which represent entire words. Ed. 



