Part 20 (1/2)

The principles on which the necessary 20 consonants have been chosen are as follows:--

1 ”b” and ”c,” the first two consonants in the alphabet

2 ”d” from ”duo,” ”w” from ”two”

3 ”t” from ”tres,” the other may wait awhile

4 ”f” from ”four,” ”q” from ”quattuor”

5 ”l” and ”v,” because ”l” and ”v” are the Roman symbols for ”fifty” and ”five”

6 ”s” and ”x” from ”six”

7 ”p” and ”m” from ”septem”

8 ”h” from ”huit,” and ”k” fro” because it is so like a ”9”

0 ”z” and ”r” fro for its digit, viz, ”j,” and one digit waiting for its consonant, viz, ”3,” the conclusion is obvious

The result may be tabulated thus:--

|1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |0 |

|b |d |t |f |l |s |p |h |n |z | |c |w |j |q |v |x | |r |

When a word has been found, whose last consonants represent the number required, the best plan is to put it as the last word of a rhyotten, the rhyme will secure the only really important word

Now suppose you wish to remember the date of the discovery of America, which is 1492; the ”1” may be left out as obvious; all we need is ”492”

Write it thus:--

4 9 2 f n d q g w

and try to find a word that contains ”f” or ”q,” ”n” or ”g,”

”d” or ”w” A word soon suggests itself--”found”

The poetic facultycouplet will soon be evolved:--

”Columbus sailed the world around, Until America was F O U N D”

If possible, invent the couplets for yourself; you will remember them better than any others

_June_, 1888

The inventor found this ”Me hies He often, of course, had to show his friends the sights of Oxford, and the easy way in which, asked or unasked, he could embellish his descriptions with dates used to surprise those who did not kno the thing was done