Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/149

* SHORTHAND. 115 SHORTHAND. titles such as 'tachygraphy.' 'cryptograpliy,' 'radiography,' etc., have been used. The name 'Eclectic' has been used for two systems: first by Elias Longlc}', because his system was a selection from various modifications of the Pitman sys- tem ; and later by J. G. Cross, whose system is original rather than selected. The name 'Light- line,' which is appropriated by Mr. CJregg, has also been used before by Eanies and by Tliornton, and is equally descriptive of nearly all systems in use before the birth of phonography in 1S37, as well as of the Pernin and others since. The origin of shorthand writing is mostly a matter of supposition. History traces the use of the art with definite- ness back to the time of Cicero. al)Out 70 B.C. The invention is sometimes credited to Cicero himself, and sometimes to his secretary. TuUius Tiro: but had it not been the latter, liis name would never have been mentioned in connection with it. and the property of the slave at that time was always reckoned as belonging to the master. This system of Tiro was largely em- ployed when letters flourished at Rome, and the philosopher Seneca is said to have added much to its efficiency. Centuries later it was used by the Cliristian Fathers, and Cyprian adapted it spe- cially to the theological terms in use in his day. We have traces of its being employed in the tenth century after Christ, and even at a later date in a very limited way. Judging from the few specimens of the system of Tiro that have been preserved, it seems impos- sible that the pen could be made by it to keep pace with the tongue of even a very slow speaker. The alphabetic signs were much longer than those of modern systems, most of them being only a trifle shorter than the usual Roman character, which it often imitated. Thus: t- i *. ■^c^cj V. k u MJi 7 /[down) i^up).'' s "I i' ^ -'z abc d e f g hlkl m no p q rstuvwxyz Besides the clumsy form of these letters, the difficulty was increased both to learner and writer by a very long list of arbitrary forms that must be committed to memory: and to have all these at the finger ends just when wanted, without having to lose time in the efTort to call them up, would be no easy task. Success with such ma- terials would be due more to the writers than to the system. Yet we find Gregory of Nazianzus expressing his gratitude in his last days that so many of his public utterances had been preserved by this shorthand. Pliny also kept a stenographer at his side to record his observations. Awkward as Tiro's system may appear in comparison with those of more modern times, we recognize in it some of the basic principles on which these are founded, such as the shortening of alphabetic signs, the use of single letters to represent short and common words, the omission of letters that are lightly sounded or not sounded at all, the adopting of a cursive or running hand. etc. Xothing seems to be known of the existence of any other system of shorthand during the Greek or Roman ascendency, nor for fifteen centuries afterwards. But at the end of the Dark Ages the invention of printing startled the world from its long slumber; and, soon after, what may be called the second era of shorthand history came into being, and continued without very much im- provement until phonography proper gave it an entirely new impetus. During this second period of some three centuries, about 21.5 systems were submitted to the public, of which only about eight or nine show any real ini])rovement. It is instructive to compare the alphabets of these leading inventors, and note the gradual improve- ment in the alphal)etic signs. The following table is arranged for comparison of the prominent sys- tems of tliis era, and such as manifest the growth of the shorthand idea : T.VBLE I. Brisht J^OIu. KtK liitOL Gimiy Syram. Xiyto-. Uiw. inuin. ism: IGOS. 1(46. T707. UH. re?. VK. 178* TS3?. A 1 A / / /, / B n 1 1- 1 J~ ( C c c c D -1 J s C / ) 1 E < = • V.- > i-'i P L y 1 1 — G J t r r •^ ■> ■- — H o L L 1J ? r -l J > J J 1 J 1 a- »- E r ^ c c "- ^-v N _ L ■2J u ^ ^ AA ( / re M u - ) ) '^ ■^ /-^ - N - " ~ ^-' w — I*-'

( f ■- '- s -^ '^& - P / ■r- " ^ -> f f / Q

1 <]( 1 s- ^ I-' B - r r r / /■/ /y S 1 /• /o /o - - -J T f c / 1 1 1 1 1 1 U f t ^ '- • c'i-i V T V A A N ff^ N W ? ) 1- A A f , «-. f— f X >t „ X + X Jf ^ • Y r X y 7 r~ ^ -/ / Z z. 2. / / -' — - 'J cu l_ r- ( V Sh { e t '- r^r n. ^ r ^ f (tK The two qualities essential to good shorthand are ( 1 ) brevity, in order to secure rapidity in ■writing, and (2) fullness sufficient to make the writing legible. By examining the above systems a opin in the direction of brevity, so far as the alphabets are concerned, is evident ; and at the same time, the characters being quite as varied and significant as are the Roman characters, the writing retains its legibility. When other gains are also taken into account, such as better join- ings of letters, omitting silent or semi-silent let- ters, the gradual adoption of a phonetic principle, pairing of letters according tO soiuid. using dis- tinct signs for combinations of consonants and for syllables, substituting written words for arbitrary signs — taking all these into account, the improve- ment is ver' marked. Timothy Bright, who led this era, and whose treatise was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, was very sanguine about the excellence of his system. Modern writers, however, are prone to depreci-