initial common hand letter, as P. for plaintiff, D. for defendant, W. for witness, C. for court, T. for testimony, V. for verdict, J. for judgment, &c. The physician may, with like propriety, use P. for patient, pulse, or perspiration, F. for fever, I. for inflammation, R. for respiration, &c.

The clergyman may find it convenient to use H. for heart, or heaven, S. for sinner or salvation, R. for redemption or resurrection, J. for judgment, C. for conscience, condemnation, &c.

Young gentlemen who attend lectures on chemistry, anatomy, or other subjects, may save much-labour and time, by using the initials of certain technical terms, which occur frequently in the course of their study.

It is a source of no small gratification to the author of this work, that his labours have been extensively patronized, that his system is now used in the Pulpit, at the Bar, and in the Legislative Hall, by many gentlemen who do honour to their respective professions-that it is introduced into numerous Academies and Colleges throughout the United States, and that its practice serves to enrich the common place book of thousands, who would not descend to the drudgery of writing by long hand in hours, what they now record in minutes.

Although the value of short-hand can never be duly appreciated, except by those who have acquired it, still they must be wilfully blind who do not discover its utility, as a labour and time saving art; especially when the time necessary to its acquisition is reduced to a few hours, and the expense is brought within the ability of all. It is not, however, to be supposed, that every individual who acquires a knowledge of the theory, will be able to report the language of the most rapid speaker. Nor is there one in ten thousand, who will ever be called to the station of a Gurney, or a Gales; still, most persons may find it pleasant and convenient, to write two, three, or four times as fast as they are enabled to, by the common method. And such degrees of facility may be easily obtained, in the course of a few hours or days.

With these introductory remarks, this seventh and stereotype edition is submitted to the American public, By their humble servant,

MARCUS T. C. GOULD.

Philadelphia, May 18th, 1830.

of the common alphabet, because he cannot at once read elegantly, the musician his notes, or the Tyro in mathematics his Elements of Euclidlet him persevere in practice, and he will soon attain the object of pursuit.

To turn this necessary practice to the best possible account, he should record in a common place book from day to day, such facts and other items of information, as may be considered immediately interesting, or worthy of future perusal-his notes should be read while the subject is familiar, and by this course, the writing and reading of short-hand may in a few days be made easy, useful, and amusing; while the art cannot fail to become a potent labour and time-saving engine, not only for the actual accumulation and preservation of knowledge, but for the cultivation and expansion of the mind. For by judicious exercise, this faculty can be trained to receive more, and retain longer, whatever may be worthy of its attention.

This improvement, however, does not depend on the substitution of one faculty for another, but on their mutual co-operation, as auxiliary, each to the other. For though we are able by short-hand to preserve a literal copy of any particular subject, for our gratification and instruction, thereby increasing our stock of knowledge; yet, if memory be left to languish in sickly inactivity, and thus gradually lose its energies and become enervated, for the want of proper exercise, the loss is equal to the gain.

The memory, then, while it should not be overburdened with unnecessary verbiage, should never be released from that habitual exertion on which its own preservation and usefulness depend; the great secret of preserving and improving the memory, consists in giving it a sufficient quantity of the right kind of aliment, affording due time for its digestion, and no more relaxation than is absolutely necessary to its health and vigour

The person who can write rapidly, does not consequently substitute writing for memory, but employs it as an assistant; and every person when committing words to paper for his future use and improvement, should endeavour to fix in memory, at least the leading features of the subject, depending on short-hand, only for that which memory cannot recall. When the memory is thus properly exercised, it cannot fail to be improved; and the mind, being released from the unnecessary incumbrance of words, will find more time to grow and expand, by reflecting, or comparing and analyzing the ideas which words may have infused; for the memory should be rather the repository of ideas than of words, which are the mere vehicles of thought, and always at hand.

Although the following system is in itself complete, so far as intended for correspondence and general use, yet, for the gratification of those who may wish to make other abridgments, and particularly those of the learned professions, who may think proper to engraft upon the established system, certain technical or other abbreviations, adapted to their own respective professions, the following hints may be useful.

The lawyer or judge may, with much propriety, even if writing shorthand, substitute in place of certain words which occur very frequently, the

Initial common hand letter, as P. for plaintiff, D. for defendant, W. for witness, C. for court, T. for testimony, V. for verdict, J. for judgment, &c. The physician may, with like propriety, use P. for patient, pulse, or perspiration, F. for fever, I. for inflammation, R. for respiration, &c.

The clergyman may find it convenient to use H. for heart, or heaven, S. for sinner or salvation, R. for redemption or resurrection, J. for judgment, C. for conscience, condemnation, &c.

Young gentlemen who attend lectures on chemistry, anatomy, or other subjects, may save much-labour and time, by using the initials of certain technical terms, which occur frequently in the course of their study.

It is a source of no small gratification to the author of this work, that his labours have been extensively patronized, that his system is now used in the Pulpit, at the Bar, and in the Legislative Hall, by many gentlemen who do honour to their respective professions-that it is introduced into numerous Academies and Colleges throughout the United States, and that its practice serves to enrich the common place book of thousands, who would not descend to the drudgery of writing by long hand in hours, what they now record in minutes.

Although the value of short-hand can never be duly appreciated, except by those who have acquired it, still they must be wilfully blind who do not discover its utility, as a labour and time saving art; especially when the time necessary to its acquisition is reduced to a few hours, and the expense is brought within the ability of all. It is not, however, to be supposed, that every individual who acquires a knowledge of the theory, will be able to report the language of the most rapid speaker. Nor is there one in ten thousand, who will ever be called to the station of a Gurney, or a Gales; still, most persons may find it pleasant and convenient, to write two, three, or four times as fast as they are enabled to, by the common method. And such degrees of facility may be easily obtained, in the course of a few hours or days.

With these introductory remarks, this seventh and stereotype edition is submitted to the American public, By their humble servant,

Philadelphia, May 18th, 1830.

MARCUS T. C. GOULD.

10

THE learner, being supplied with a small blank book, about the size of this work, without ruling, should proceed to write the stenographic alphabet, as exhibited in the opposite plate, No. 2.

1st. Commence with the character standing for s, and write it across the page, from left to right, repeating the letter s s sand in the same manner, write and repeat t, d, r, &c. to the end of the alphabet.

2nd. Proceed to write the whole over again, repeating not only the letters which the characters represent, but also the words standing at their right, till the whole are familiar, and well fixed in the memory-thus, b stands for be, by, been; d, stands for do, did, done; p, for peace, person, power, &c. During this exercise, the learner should endeavour to copy the characters in length, proportio inclination, &c. beginning and ending, according to rules for making the characters, page 11; at the same time, striving to increase the facility of execution as far as practicable.

3rd. Without ruling, write from left to right the contents of the table of joining, as seen in plates 4 and 5; observing that one letter at the top of the page, and another at the right or left, are properly joined in the angle of meeting-the top letter being always made first. The learner, when joining these characters, should repeat to himself the combination, thus, bb, db, vb, gb, &c. Example. Under m, and against 1, ml are properly joined --under 1, and against m, lm are joined, and so of the other characters.

4th. After reading with attention the rules for spelling and writing, go on to copy the contents of the several plates in their regular order, carefully comparing every doubtful character, with the rules and explanations, till the whole system is familiar, which will probably be in the course of half a dozen lessons. From this time, the theory being familiar, short-hand will be an amusement and convenience; and the learner may, without other instruction or study, obtain, by occasional practice, almost any degree of facility which he may desire.