Plutarch, in his life of Cato, informs us, that the celebrated speech of that patriot, relating to the Catalinian conspiracy, was taken and preserved in short-hand. There are numerous epigrams of Ausonius, Mar. tial, and Manilius, descriptive and com mendatory of short-hand. Probably the moat ancient method of short-writing at present extant, is a Latin MS. entitled " Ars Scribendi Characteris ;" or, " The Art of Writing in Characters." The au thor of this tract is unknown ; but we be lieve, it was printed about the year 1412.
The ancient Irish alphabets, particular ly the first, which was purely stenogra phic, named Bobeloth, have a strong re semblance to many of our modern short hands, but they are now little known. A specimen of this writing may be seen in Ledwich's Antiquities, p. 98.
M. Lambinet, in his Researches upon Printing, observes, that modern steno. graphy, which, like the telegraph, dates in France from the foundation of the republic, has neither the inconvenience, nor the obscurity, nor the danger, of the ancient. The old characters varied under the hand of the copiers, and the sense changed according to the genius of the interpreters ; so that their contractions are become so many enigmas, because we can refer to no other copies to ascen. tam the true reading, and because the authors are no longer in existence. " But," continues Lambinet, " by the present system of stenography, the wri ters follow the words of the public ora tors, take down their speeches, the mo tions, the debates of the tribune, or the lectures of the professors at the Lyceum, and produce a literal translation at last, in the usual characters, and in print." What the improved short-hand is, to which this French Writer alludes, we are not informed.
The ingenious attempt of the late learned Bishop Wilkins, towards a real character and philosophical language, has much the appearance of some short-hands now in use. How far this attempt might have been successful we know not, had the contrivance been carried to that de gree of perfection of which the Bishop thought it capable. The reader may find a specimen of this philosophic character in Stower's Printer's Grammar.
The shortest and most curious mode of writing, not professedly stenographic, which we have hitherto seen, is the spe cimen of ancient Welsh, by the ingenious Mr. W. Owen. This also may be seen in
Mr. Stower's Grammar, p. 294 The art of short-writing was first at tempted to be published in this country in the year 1388, in a treatise entitled " Characterie, or the Art of Short, Swift, and Secret Writing, by Character, by Timothy Bright, M D." Two years after the appearance of Dr. Bright's treatise, Mr. Peter Bale published his-" Writing Schoolmaster," which he divided into three parts : the first of which he entitled " Brachyraphy," containing rules to write as fast as a man can speak, with propriety and distinction. In 1618, ap. peered Willis's " Stenography, or Short hand Writing, by spelling Characterics." This system consisted of ten alphabets, denominated words of sort ; seven of which were composed of the initial let ters of words ; the rest principally by the omission of unnecessary letters, and by symbolical figures. This system was at tempted to be improved upon by Henry Dix's " Brachygraphy." Omitting the mention of numerous other methods of short-hand writing that soon followed these several schemes, we must proceed to lay before the reader such a system of stenography, as, if generally known, would supersede the necessity of every other system ; having been the result of great labour and ingenuity, as well as re commended, and its practical utility suffi ciently demonstrated, by the practice of some of the first literary characters of our age, and the best judges of the art. This system is that invented by the late ingenious and worthy Mr. John Byrom, M. A. F. R. S. commonly known by the appellation of Doctor: availing ourselves, at the same time, of the very judicious im provements introduced by Mr. Molineaux, of Macclesfield, whose introduction to Byrom's short-hand is certainly the most beautiful and complete work on the sub ject ever yet produced to the public. It is published for the author, by Longman and Co. London.
The shorthand alphabet, as exhibited in the annexed plate, consistsof the short est and simplest marks in nature ; and on the proper formation and combination of these characters depend the beauty and accuracy of the writing. We will endea vour to lay down such directions as ap pear necessary to acquire a general know ledge of the art; referring our readers to Mr. Molineaux's Treatise, for more ample instructions on the subject.