212 
eaken crofier, or paitoral-ftaff, gilt and 
painted, lay on his left hand, which was 
quite found and perfe& ; and an earthen 
vefle] at his feet, in. which probably had 
been enclofed his entrails when he was 
embalmed. I was told, 1778, that a man 
at Cambridge had a large ring with a 
fone in it, td be fold, which he took out of 
the coffin. No doubt one of the workmen 
took it when the coffin was firft opened. 
=o 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T AM happy that I have directed the at- 
J, tention of X.Y.Z. to the very judicious 
obfervations of Dr. Anderfon,onthe fymbo- 
Jic character. Inthe book I mentioned he 
will meet with fome inteérefting informa- 
tion on this fubje&t, which will be of ef- 
{ential fervice to him, if his diétionary 
be not too far advanced. From the paf- 
fages I now tranfcribe he will be able to 
form fome judgment of Dr. Anderfon’s 
pian. 
Speaking of the formation.of the cha- 
racters, he fays, ‘* The moft fimple figure 
I couwid think of was that of a downright 
ftroke refembling a capital I in print: tt 
remained to fee how-many variations this- 
figure admitted of without .danger of 
miftaking one for the other; and firit, the 
Simple line might be varied by making a 
fhort line at right angles to it on the deft 
fide ; and this admits of the following 
diftingtions, viz. the left-hand mark may 
be at the bottom of the line, or at the 
middle of it; or at the top. Second, 
the left-hand mark may be double ; and 
this alfo admits of a threefold variation ; 
and, laftly, there may be three left hand 
marks. ‘Thefe form in all eight different 
charaéters, totally diftinét from each 
ether, which might be employed as a ge- 
neral index. 
<< A {econd variation of the right line 
may be made with the fame facility and 
certainty as the firt, merely by reverfing 
the order of the feorizontal mark, that is 
to fay, by putting it to the vigbi-hand of 
the perpendicular line infead of the left ; 
always following the fame order in placing 
the marks as in the firft feries ; that is to 
fay, making the fir mark at the bottom, 
the fecond at the middle, and the third at 
the top of the line; then recurring to the 
double marks, the fourth will be two at 
the bcttom and middle; the fifth at the 
middle and top; and the fixth at the top 
and bottom ; the feventh has three marks 
to the right hand at the bottom, middle, 
and top.’ Dr. Anderfon obferves, that 
“ the zeneralindex being combined with the 
Dr. Anderfon’s Symbolic Charaéters. 
‘could ever be either lott or 
[Oa t, 
other marks he mentions will form a feries 
of charaéters of very eafy formation, none 
of which can be confounded with any of © 
the others, and which would admit of 
being carried to an indefinite number ; 
much greater than ever could be wanted.” 
With refveé to the concilenefs of the 
fymbclic charaéter, he fays : ** books, in 
the language of whetever country they 
had been compofed, would be equaily 
legible throughout the whole of rhe na- 
tions that employed this charatter, and 
they might be fo printed as to contain as 
much matter in one page, as now contti- 
tutes nearly half a volume. 
Nor would the facilities that it ‘would 
afford in the other concerns of life be leis 
than thofe already {pecified. The words 
of an orator would be taken down, by any 
one of his hearers, with the utmof faci- 
lity, as fait as he could pronounce them ; 
not in that inaccurate manner, which muft 
ever refult from the ufe of fhort hand, as 
now practiled, but with the mofi perfeé& 
accuracy and precifion ‘poffible ; fo that 
not a fingle idea, that dropped from him; 
mifrepre=" 
fented.”” ie SS 
A fketch of a work of this kirid moft 
be imperfeétirom the want: of types to 
expreis the charaéters ; but I hope that 
the above extracts will induce X.Y. Z. 
to confult the book from which they are 
taken: the title of it is, ** Recreations 
in Agriculture, Natural. Hiftory, Arts, 
and Mitcellaneous Literature, by James 
Anderfon, L.L.D.” Vol. 6, London: 
printed by T. Benfley, Bolt-court, Fleet- 
ftreet ; and fold by John Cumming, No. 
40, Holborn-hill, 1802. . 
Withing good fuccefs to your Maga- 
zine, which fo happily blends “ xéile 
dulei.”” I remain, Your’s, 
Aug.10,1803. A CONSTANT READER. 
——— 
For the Monibly Magazine. 
OBSERVATIONS upon the THEORY adapt- 
ed by MR. BURKE im his EXAMINA- 
TION of the EFFECTS produced upon 
the MiND dy WORDS. 
‘ 
HE Treatife upon the Sublime and 
Beautiful abounds with fo many ac- 
curate obfervations, it illuftrates fo many. 
of thofe caufes.which for ever lie hid to. 
a comimon obferver; that teo much credit 
can fcarcely be given to its ingeniovs 
author. When a work has cnce received 
general approbation, it becomes.a fort of. 
oracle, it is quoted with confidence ; and 
there always are thofe who confider every 
> 
attempt to call it in qveftion, as facrilegi- 
rather than fee a favourite | 
ous; and wh, 
+ auiher 
