Chapter XIII: Part 13

The preceding outline of the philosophy of ventriloquism is sufficient to exhibit the nature of the art, and we will now proceed with a few hints as to how certain sounds are to be produced, premising, however, that they will not be numerous, as no definite rules can be laid down.

A bass and somewhat sepulchral tone is produced in the lower part of the throat, in much the same manner as when attempting to gurgle, except that the lips should remain closed, and the head kept in its natural position.

The greater the distance from which a sound has apparently to come, the nearer must the tip of the tongue be brought to the front of the mouth, the greater must be the contraction of the muscles, and the articulation must be made in the upper part of the throat.

The natural voice may be easily disguised by wearing a pair of pince-nez spectacles, with a very strong spring. The spring pressing on the air-passages of the nose will considerably alter the tone of the voice.

To make the sound of a voice appear as coming from the other side of a partition, or through a door, it is only necessary to open the mouth slightly, to fix the jaws fast, to draw back and roll the tongue, and then to speak; the sound then, instead of being formed in the mouth, will be formed in the pharynx, and appear to come from beyond such material as may be indicated by the action or natural speech of the performer.

To imitate the sound of the same voice after the door has been opened, or the partition removed, requires somewhat different management. The voice must not, of course, be altered from the original pitch, but must be made in another part of the mouth. To do this, the lips should now be tightly closed, one corner of the mouth (that away from the audience) should be drawn downwards towards the ear, the lips opened at that corner only, and the words to be spoken breathed out of the opening so formed.

To make a sound seem as coming from a distance is accomplished in a similar manner to that in which a sound is made to appear as coming from the other side of a door or wall, except that according to the distance from which the sound is represented as coming, must the palate of the mouth be thrown more or less back towards the pharynx, when the sound will be reflected in the cavity so formed, and appear to come from above or below, or according to the direction in which the ventriloquist holds his mouth and face. The voice, of course, may be made to come nearer or to recede, according to the varying size of the cavity described.

A ventriloquist should always have in his mind the knowledge that distant or muffled sounds are more or less indistinct, and as certain consonant sounds are ventriloquially difficult to utter, they may safely be slurred over, rather than risk the success of the illusion by moving the lips. For example: if the imitated voice is to be made say, "See what you are doing there, you bad boy," it should be spoken as if the labial consonants were omitted, and as if it were written "See 'ot you're doing there, you' ad whoy." A little careful preparation will soon enable the performer to dispense with such consonant sounds as those mentioned, except for his own natural voice.

As a general rule, it may be said that insect-sounds are produced more by the lips than the throat; but most sounds that are not phonetic may be produced in various ways, and the discovery of them must be left to the imitative powers of the reader.

It has already been observed that ventriloquism will be found of great service in making entertainments of parlour magic, clairvoyance, and the like more lively. It is related of Comte, the celebrated French conjurer, that ventriloquism added a great charm to his performances, but that he made the chief use of his powers in that direction when on his travels, as he found that they served as puffs for his public entertainments, and were a great help in attracting crowds. At Tours, for instance, it is stated he induced the people to break in four doors, to rescue a man supposed to be dying of hunger. At another place he renewed the miracle of the prophet Balaam's ass, by making a donkey, carrying an exceedingly stout man, complain of his excessive weight. Upon another occasion, at a fair, Comte saw a countryman driving a pig in order to offer it for sale. The pig was so fat that it could hardly move, and the following dialogue took place:--

_Comte_: "What's the price of your pig, my good man?"

_Man_: "A hundred francs, sir, at your service."

_Comte_: "The price is too much; seventy francs is abundance."

_Man_: "One hundred francs is the price, neither more nor less; take
the pig at that or leave it."

_Comte_: "Stay (and approaching the animal); I am sure your pig is
more reasonable than are you. (Addressing the pig) Tell me on your
conscience, my fine fellow, are you worth one hundred francs?"

To which the pig was believed to reply in a hoarse and hollow voice:
"You are a long way out; I'm not worth the half--I'm measled, and, if
you buy me, you will be taken in."

Finally, we would recommend our young friends to practise those few sounds we have mentioned, and others will soon come naturally; to bear in mind our observations as to sounds from a distance and from various directions; and before attempting anything like a set entertainment, to write out beforehand and to rehearse over and over again the dialogues to be introduced. Strange sounds may sometimes be tried, secretly, in order to try the effect on others; but care must be taken, if ever ventriloquism is used for practical joking, and the nerves and feelings of those against whom the joke is to be directed well considered, or mischief may attend what would otherwise be perfectly innocent.

FOOTNOTE:

[2] A coin or other article may be as easily palmed as a card, and in the same manner, except that the muscles of the hand found between the fleshy cushions at the root of the thumb and little finger will be found most convenient for holding such articles as a half-crown, a glass ball, or a cork. Still smaller articles may be held securely and secretly between the bottom parts of any two of the fingers.

FIRESIDE FUN.

During the long winter evenings, when families are assembled together for the Christmas vacations, pleasant and profitable hours may be spent quietly sitting round the fire and indulging in such mental games and pastimes as will be explained in this section. The English language is composed of words of various construction, and it is our intention in the few following pages to describe some of the many ways in which combined amusement and information may be obtained by exercises in word and letter puzzles; to speak of the different kinds of acrostics, enigmas, charades, rebuses, and the like, and how they are made; to give a few examples of each; and generally to do what we can to help wile away pleasantly some of those hours which, it is feared, in some circles may hang heavily for want of that specific instruction which it will be our object to impart. Moreover, we will treat here of authors, cities, rivers, countries, mountains, and other matters, so that fair opportunity is offered to our young friends to turn to account such knowledge as they possess; and it is hoped that they may be encouraged to seek further information on the subjects that these various subjects give rise to.

DECAPITATIONS.

There are English words in abundance which, being shorn of their initial letter or syllable, form other words of different meanings. Such words will be considered under the heading of "Decapitations." It will always afford amusement and interest to an assembled company if some one of their number selects an appropriate series of words, and gives an impromptu arrangement, in prose, doggerel verse, or good rhyme if he can, of the several significations of the various words thus arrived at, leaving others to puzzle out the series of words from the descriptions given. In propounding the puzzle, in this and in other cases to be hereafter described, the proposer should exercise his wit and ingenuity in making it as amusing as possible. A judicious play upon words is always appreciated, and sure to cause mirth; indeed, the maxim "that the worse the pun the better the joke" should be borne in mind and acted upon when indulging in "Fireside Fun."

We proceed with a few illustrations of "Decapitations," the appropriate solution being given after each puzzle:--

My whole is a word of one syllable, and expresses a species of
grain.
Behead me, and you make me very warm.
Once again, and at meal times I shall be called into requisition.
And yet again remove my initial letter, and I remain a simple
preposition.

_Answer_: Wheat, heat, eat, at.

My whole is but an atom when complete;
You'll find it both in light and heat.
Behead me once, and you behold
A pleasure ground for young and old.
Decapitate again, and you will find
I long ago preserved mankind.

_Answer_: Spark, park, ark.

I have used all my whole this puzzle to frame,
But if you behead me, then murder you name;
Behead me again, and not dead as supposed,
For I still live and breathe, but am much indisposed.

_Answer_: Still, kill, ill.

As an illustration of "Decapitation" of words by syllables rather than by letters, we give the following:--

My whole is significant of dissolution.
Behead me, and I am a school exercise significant of construction.
Behead me again, and I denote the place attained by the exercise.

_Answer_: Decomposition, composition, position.

My whole is unbearable.
Beheaded, I am bearable.
Again beheaded, I am easily moved.
Once more beheaded, I remain a solid piece of furniture.

_Answer_: Insupportable, supportable, portable, table.

The following words, among many others, are suitable for "Decapitation":--

Abate (bate, ate); abundance (bun, dance); abroad (broad, road); bail
(ail, _il_, French for he); bland (land, and); clout (lout, out);
discomfort (comfort, fort); draft (raft, aft); drear (rear, ear); drill
(rill, ill); drink (rink, ink); dwell (well, ell); encompass (compass,
pass); invalid (valid, lid); chair (hair, air); seat (eat, at); shire
(hire, ire); slate (late, ate); and so forth.

CURTAILMENTS AND RETAILINGS.

Here we find an enlargement and modification of the "Decapitation" series of puzzles, obtained by varying the endings as well as the beginnings of words, or by varying the endings only. From the examples given it will be seen that it is legitimate to make these variations in different ways. The first examples involve the removal of final letters only to make words of different significance.

Complete, I am a privilege exclusive,
By many sought with hope illusive;
Curtail me, and for sacred use I'm claimed;
Once more, and your own head you've named;
Curtail again, in Erin's Isle I then abound,
And if again you venture, a father will be found.

_Answer_: Patent, paten, pate, Pat, pa.

Curtail a patriarchal dwelling-place, and find the number of that
council in ancient Rome of which Appius Claudius was the chief.

_Answer_: Tent, ten.

Curtail the miser's treasure, and it becomes grey with age or white
as the frost on the grass.

_Answer_: Hoard, hoar.

A monarch curtailed becomes to all a blood relation, said by Hamlet
to be less than kind.

_Answer_: King, kin.

Curtail that organ which is said by some to be the seat of all
emotion, and there remains one of the five senses.

_Answer_: Heart, hear.

In many words the final letters, particularly the last three, when standing alone, do not, unless re-arranged, express a word conveying sense or meaning, but by an easy and simple re-arrangement or transposition can be made to do so. This may be seen in such words as--

Sword, word (_ord_ transposes into _rod_).
Scent, cent (_ent_ transposes into _ten_).

Puzzles of this class are usually included among "Retailings," and the above examples of "sword" and "scent" are examples combined of both Decapitation and Retailing.

Again, in other words, the finals can be made to express two or more words of different meanings, as--

Fowl, owl (which also transposes into _low_).
Scant, cant, ant (which also transposes into _tan_).

The following is a combined Decapitation and Retailing puzzle, the retailing being effected by a transposition of the letters:--

Strike my whole, and 'twill give you a light.
Behead and retail me, I'm the gossip's delight.
Behead me once more, and your heads I'll adorn;
Once again, and I'm left at last all forlorn.

_Answer_: Match, chat (_atch_ transposed), hat, at.

Many words of more than one syllable may be treated under this puzzle, by lopping off the original ending and substituting some other which will make a word of an entirely different meaning, thus:--

Retail what is needed to bury the dead,^a
With that on which doctors rely for their bread;^b
These together combined should be bright and clear,
And be taken for breakfast without any fear.^c

_Answer_: ^a Coffin, ^b fee, ^c coffee.

We will now give a few puzzles founded on one or more of the previous examples; but our young readers will find that "Retailings" offer a much wider range of words from which to select than do "Decapitations." More fun, however, will be obtained by combining the two. The word _transpose_ is used in some books instead of _retail_; but _transpositions_, properly so-called, will be treated later on:--

Complete, I am common,
Beheaded, I am a ceremony,
Retailed, I am a head-dress.

_Answer_: Trite, rite, tire.

Complete, I am a servant,
Beheaded, I am an apartment,
Retailed, I am an extensive waste.

_Answer_: Groom, room, moor.

Complete, I grow within a field
And pleasant pasture often yield;
Decapitate, a suitor then
Is quickly brought before your ken.
Behead again, I am a word
Oft on the cricket field is heard.
Restore my head, cut off my tail,
To name a spice you will not fail.

Behead me now, and you will find
The master passion left behind.
Complete me as I was before,
Put on my head, my tail restore,
My second letter take away,
An envelope I am, you'll say.
Now, if you but curtail once more,
I'll show an inlet on the shore.

_Answer_: Clover, lover, over, clove, love, cover, cove.

A word expressing bitter hate
My total does disclose,
'Tis shared alike by small and great
'Twixt those who still are foes.
Now change the scene, take off my head,
A lady comes to view,
A sweeter name may ne'er be said
Than this, if tales be true.
Decapitate once more, and lo!
Small insects now appear;
Retail at once, in French 'twill show
Whence daylight comes so clear.
Restore, take off my head again,
And now in winter I am chiefly seen,
But in summer, too, I'm cooling when
Your lips are parched, I ween.
My whole restore, yet not my tail,
Transposed, then I will name
What we in justice cannot fail
To designate a claim.

_Answer_: Malice, Alice, lice, ciel, ice, claim.

Complete, I am shrill;
Beheaded, a musical instrument;
Beheaded and transposed, I denote equality.

_Answer_: Sharp, harp, par.

Complete, I'm in a difficulty.
Behead me, and I show signs of grief.
Once more, and I am a useful seed;
Again, and I am what philosophers name our ancestors.
Transposed, I am a vegetable.

_Answer_: Scrape, crape, rape, ape, pea.

Complete, I am a reproof.
Beheaded, I am a portion of land.
Beheaded again and transposed, and I become the lot of all humanity.

_Answer_: Chide, hide, die.

Complete, I am without rule or method.
Beheaded and transposed, I am a mythological true friend;
Again, and I give expression to sounds of grief.

_Answer_: Random, Damon, moan.

My whole is a metal.
Beheaded, curtailed, and transposed, I am a noted English poet.
Beheaded and transposed, I then become an American poet.
Curtailed again, and I name one of Italy's chief rivers.

_Answer_: Copper, Pope, Poe, Po.

Sufficient examples of puzzles of this nature will have been given to show that very many of the words of every-day use may be made to serve for Retailings.

Still another form of the word puzzle known as Retailings consists in choosing some word which, upon the addition of one or more letters at the end, will make one or more different words of distinct meanings, as in the following examples:--

I am often heard in parliamentary debates. Retail me, and I am the seat
of all affections and passions; retail me again, and I am your near
neighbour when seated round the fireside.

_Answer:_ Hear, heart, hearth.

I am a disagreeable noise. Retail me, and I help to express an
agreeable sound; retail me again, and I am sullied and soiled.

_Answer:_ Din, ding (_ding_, _dong_, the sound of bells), dingy.

I am an earl famous in Scottish story. Retail me, and I am used for
manure; once more, and expect stormy weather.

_Answer:_ Mar, marc (refuse of fruit and seeds from which the oil has
been pressed), March.

I am a plant and its fruit. Retail me, and I am a well-known fruit;
retail me again, and I am a gem.

_Answer:_ Pea, pear, pearl.

I am of great warmth. Retail me, I am bleak and barren; retail me
again, and I am a pagan.

_Answer:_ Heat, heath, heathen.

ANAGRAMS.

The inversion or transposition of the letters of a word or sentence to form a new word or phrase is an anagram. This is indeed a literary amusement which will extend the intellect and quicken the thinking powers of all ingenious riddlers who seek to excel in this mental pastime. In past ages it engaged the attention of statesmen and divines, and many wise and witty persons have devoted their leisure hours to this exercise of ingenuity.

The term anagram, in its proper sense, means the letters of one or several words written backwards, being derived from two Greek words "_ana_" (backwards) and "_gramma_" (letter). Thus the word _live_ would form its anagram--_evil_; but the term anagram is now used in the wider sense in which we explained it. Our young friends must not be discouraged at their first attempts in forming anagrams--their anagrams may have little merit, crude efforts seldom have much to recommend them--but perseverance here, as elsewhere, will be rewarded. The true merit of an anagram springs from an apt association of ideas, and a close relation between the transposed words and the original from which they are derived. This involves much practice, great thought, and an infinitude of patience, but is productive of real enjoyment.

The father of the Earl of Beaconsfield, Isaac D'Israeli, devoted a chapter in his "Curiosities of Literature" to a consideration of the anagrams which he had met with in his wonderful research. The chapter should be read by all who wish to excel in these literary exercises, and from it we have selected a few of the choice specimens recorded therein:--

"Charles James Stuart--claims Arthur's seat," "James Stuart--a just
master." "An eccentric dame in the reign of Charles I. believed herself
to be gifted with the spirit of prophecy, but as her prophesies were
usually against the Government of the day, she was eventually brought
by them into the Court of the High Commission. She based her claim
as prophetess upon an anagram she had formed on her name: 'Eleanor
Davies--Reveal, O Daniel.' This anagram was imperfect, as it had one
_l_ too many, and the letter _s_ was omitted, but it satisfied her. The
bishops reasoned with her out of the Scriptures to no avail, but one of
the Deans of Arches vanquished her with her own weapons. He took a pen
and hit upon this excellent anagram, 'Dame Eleanor Davies--Never so mad
a ladie.'"

An anagram on the late Princess Charlotte, daughter of George IV., is also considered worthy of record:--

"Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales," transformed into "P.C., her
august race is lost. O fatal news."

The elder D'Israeli had a keen perception and a thorough appreciation of the points in a good anagram. If this is hereditary, the younger Disraeli, the late Prime Minister of England, no doubt appreciated the ingenuity of the opponent who converted his title into a stinging comment on the result of the general election of 1880:--

"The Earl of Beaconsfield--Self-fooled; can he bear it?"

The names of celebrated men and women of the present day, and those who have come down to us in the pages of history offer a wide field for the young riddler.

The following are samples, new and old, of this species of anagram, which we have collected from various sources, in the hope that they may incite our young friends to fresh exertions:--

"Louis Napoleon--Ape no lion, Soul."

"Lord Monteagle (he who gave information of the Gunpowder Plot)--Go,
tell no dream."

"Horatio Nelson--Lo! nation's hero."

A better one than this was composed by Dr. Burney--

"Honor est a Nilo--His honor is from the Nile."

"Marie Antoinette--Tear it, men; I atone."

"Selina, Countess of Huntingdon--See, sound faith clings to no nun."

"James Watt--Wait steam (the 'J' being converted into 'I')."

"Lord Palmerston--So droll, pert man."

"William Ewart Gladstone--A man to wield great wills."

"Leon Gambetta--Able man to get."

"Florence Nightingale--Cling on, feeling heart."

"The Marquis of Lansdowne--Landowner, oft squeamish."

"Alfred Tennyson, poet laureate--Neat sonnet or deep tearful lay."

It will be noticed that several of the examples that we have given are particularly apt, anagramatically describing some special feature in connection with the person selected for experiment.

The names of flowers, birds, &c., can be treated in like manner and afford much amusement. For instance, who would recognise "The calceolaria" when transformed into "Eat coal, Charlie," or the "Geranium," "Ear in mug," the "Heliotrope," "Hit or elope"?

Bird-fanciers would be at a loss to discover "The nightingale" in "High gale in tent," or "The turtle dove" in the words "Eve, let truth do." And if we turn to Natural History fresh illustrations abound--"Cool'd rice" effectually disguises that carnivorous reptile the "Crocodile."

WORD SQUARES.

This is a form of word puzzle which has only to be known to become widely popular, demanding ingenuity and patience of no common order before it is mastered. On first setting out we will confine ourselves to words of four letters. Each line of words from left to right and downwards must form the same word. One example will clearly show our meaning.

+---------+
1 | M E A D |
2 | E D G E |
3 | A G U E |
4 | D E E D |
+---------+
1 2 3 4

These letters being read from left to right and downwards, the first row and the first column will be found to form the same word; the second row and the second column the same; and so on. This is the basis of the puzzle. It requires some research to select the fitting words, when words of four letters only are used, but when words of five letters are employed we are more puzzled; with words of six letters our perplexities increase, and upon proceeding to higher numbers we are almost prompted to be content with what has already been attained. But difficulty is the great charm to the true riddler, who finds the construction of riddles to be "a whetstone of patience," as Camden aptly named it years ago.

In propounding these puzzles the synonyms only of the different words out of which the puzzle squares are to be formed are to be supplied, and care must be taken in the selection of the words that they are of the same number of letters. The following illustration will assist to make our meaning clear:--

1. Compensations (Amends). 2. A favourite (Minion). 3. To assist
(Enable). 4. To eat sparingly (Nibble). 5. A coin (Dollar). 6. Sarcasms
(Sneers).

+-------------+
1 | A M E N D S |
2 | M I N I O N |
3 | E N A B L E |
4 | N I B B L E |
5 | D O L L A R |
6 | S N E E R S |
+-------------+
1 2 3 4 5 6

The riddler has to puzzle out the answers of the six words, and write down the answers as shown in the accompanying diagram, always being careful to see that the words, when written out, are the same in the columns and rows of the corresponding numbers. This illustration will completely let our readers into the mysteries of "_word squares_," and we will now give a few specimens selected from a large quantity which have come under our notice.

_Four letters._ (1) A river in Oxfordshire ISIS
(2) A portion of our body SIDE
(3) A thought IDEA
(4) A chair SEAT

(1) A very common male Christian name JOHN
(2) A river in the United States OHIO
(3) The noise of a serpent HISS
(4) A portion of the human face NOSE

(1) My first has regal powers to sway, KING
(2) Is worshipped as my second, in a way; IDOL
(3) In harmony my third is sweet and clear; NOTE
(4) My fourth 'midst hills is ever near. GLEN

_Five letters._ (1) A period of time W E E K S
(2) A very common female name E L L E N
(3) To avoid by artifice or stratagem E L U D E
(4) A small anchor K E D G E
(5) A contemptuous contortion of face S N E E R

_Six letters._ (1) A poetical name for old England A L B I O N
(2) A Portuguese province in Africa L O A N D A
(3) A town in East Prussia B A R T E N
(4) Something aimed at or designed I N T E N T
(5) A town in Denmark O D E N S E
(6) A town in France N A N T E S

BIRDS, FRUITS, AND FLOWERS ENIGMATICALLY EXPRESSED.

Little difficulty will be experienced in the construction or solution of this simple form of enigma. It will, however, be found to possess a charm all its own, which will add greatly to the mirth and gaiety of the social circle. The following examples will let our readers into the whole secret of this pleasant pastime:--

_Birds._--What a severe attack of quinsey prohibits you from doing.
_Ans._--Swallow.

An architect well known to fame.
_Ans._--Wren.

A portion of a whole, and a continued range of hills.
_Ans._--Part-ridge.

What a coward does in the hour of danger.
_Ans._--Quail.

Equality, and a state of utter decay.
_Ans._--Par-rot.
A monarch, and a toiler of the seas.
_Ans._--King-fisher.

_Fruits._--A vowel, and a cooking apparatus.
_Ans._--O-range.

To give way to anxiety and sorrow.
_Ans._--Pine.

The greatest crime in a school-boy's calendar.
_Ans._--Peach.

The colour of growing herbage, and a challenge.
_Ans._--Green-gage.

_Flowers._--The title of one of Macaulay's Lays, and the name of one
of the public funds.
_Ans._--Virginia Stock.

What a good conscience gives to its possessor.
_Ans._--Heart's-ease.

An Irish vehicle, and a people who live under one government.
_Ans._--Car-nation.

What honey is, and the name of more than one king.
_Ans._--Sweet-william.

A religious devotee, and a babe's head gear.
_Ans._--Monk-hood.

A noted Quaker, and a _handy_ article of dress.
_Ans._--Fox-glove.

REBUSES.

Dr. Johnson and succeeding dictionary makers give as the meaning of the word Rebus, "a word represented by a picture;" but we need not go further than its literal translation, "by things," to arrive at a true idea of this enigma. The Rebuses with which we are now about to concern ourselves will be formed by a series of objects (things) which, when taken as a whole, will be found to complete the riddle. This is a pastime in which many of our great men have taken delight. Lord Macaulay is to be credited with the following:--

Here's plenty of water you'll all of you say, (c) Sea
And, minus the h, a thing used every day, (a) Hay
And here is nice beverage, put them together; (t) Tea
What is it, with claws, but with never a feather? CAT.

We doubt whether this was one of the historian's first efforts, for every endeavour must have a beginning, and this rebus bears the marks of a practised hand.

Subjoined are further examples of the Rebus enigma:--

^a A gatherer of honey; ^b a form of supplication; ^c a fruit; ^d a
bird; ^e a title; ^f a fish oft found on the breakfast-table; ^g one
of Ireland's emblems; ^h a forest tree; ^i a county in the north of
England.

If these words you rightly puzzle out,
'Twill prove you know what you're about
Join their initials, 'twill produce a word
Which if applied to you would be absurd.

_Answer_: ^a Bee; ^b Litany; ^c Orange; ^d Canary; ^e King; ^f Haddock;
^g Emerald; ^h Ash; ^i Durham.--BLOCKHEAD.

(_a_) The flower that vies in beauty with the rose;
(_b_) An emblem of peace;
(_c_) A dark blue flower, with green leaves, which blooms in shelter;
(_d_) The sweet briar will recall my name.

These joined together, as above,
The word will surely rhyme with dove.

Answer: ^a Lily; ^b Olive; ^c Violet; ^d Eglantine.--LOVE.

First in the path of Duty, (D)
And ranking first in Art, (A)
Foremost in Virtue and in Vice, (V)
Leading all in Immortality, (I)
And foremost in Devotion. (D)

Pore over these with studious care,
A kingly name is hidden there.

_Answer_: DAVID.

Eleven letters I contain;
And if you now would find the same,
Know that a figment of the brain
Will straightway help you to my name.

My 2, 3, 6 is a human being; my 4, 5, 6 is a snare; my 2, 3, 4 is
a contraction of a girl's name; my 6, 7, 8 is a contraction of a
boy's name; my 8, 10, 11 is the name of a weight; my 11, 10, 8
implies negation; my 4, 10, 8 the past tense of a verb signifying to
acquire; my 2, 3, 8 is a web of rope yarn; my 1, 6, 11 is a place
of entertainment for man and beast; my 2, 1, 6, 8 is the name of an
aromatic plant; my 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 is an immense combination of
people.

_Answer_: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
I m a g i n a t i o n.--IMAGINATION.

ARITHMOREMS.

The Arithmorem is, perhaps, the most modern of all riddles, and will, we anticipate, be a novelty to many of our readers. In its construction, figures are substituted for Roman numerals, and letters are added to complete the word it is desired to disguise. These letters, however, may be, and indeed should be, transposed out of their proper order, so that the solution of the riddle may be the more difficult. For example, "54 and e," written as follows, by substituting the Roman numerals LIV. for the figures 54, give LIVE. That is an Arithmorem in its first stage and simplest form. Our examples will illustrate its fuller development. It must, however, be understood that in the solution the words used are to be looked upon only as so many letters and treated accordingly, as is the case in anagrams.

(1) (_a_) 602 and fee (a handsome structure).
(_b_) 201 " orant (a medicine to produce sleep).
(_c_) 1550 " osage (to be happy and joyous).
(_d_) 57 " ten song (a famous traveller).
(_e_) 151 " egan (partaking of a celestial nature).
(_f_) 56 " stone (an author or authoress).
(_g_) 556 " e (the incarnation of evil).

The initials will name a country dear to all lovers of liberty and freedom:--

_Answer_: (_a_) 602 = D C I I and F E E, or Edifice.
2 6 3 5 4 7 1
(_b_) 201 = C C I " O R A N T, " Narcotic.
4 8 7 5 3 2 1 6
(_c_) 1550 = M D L " O S A G E, " Gladsome.
7 4 2 6 5 3 1 8
(_d_) 57 = L V I I " T E N S O N G, " Livingstone.
1 3 2 4 8 11 10 7 9 5 6
(_e_) 151 = C L I " E G A N, " Angelic.
7 5 6 4 3 1 2
(_f_) 56 = L V I " S T O N E, " Novelist.
5 3 6 7 8 2 1 4
(_g_) 556 = D L V I " E " Devil.
1 5 3 4 2
--ENGLAND.

Arithmorems may be elaborated so as to partake of the nature of double acrostics, as in the next examples:--

(2) (_a_) 751 and e pay one (a book of reference).
(_b_) 550 " a no go (a Venetian mode of conveyance).
(_c_) 100 " thy ear (an amateur sailor).
(_d_) 6 " spoor (a conditional stipulation).
(_e_) 1050 " e satan (an improvised juror).

The initials and finals read downwards will name, the former the country from which the latter assisted a whole nation to emigrate:--

_Answer_: (_a_) 751 = D C C L I and E P A Y O N E, or E ncyclopedi A.
(_b_) 550 = D L " A N O G O, " G ondol A.
(_c_) 100 = C " T H Y E A R, " Y achte R.
(_d_) 6 = V I " S P O O R, " P rovis O.
(_e_) 1050 = M L " E S A T A N, " T alesma N.
--EGYPT, AARON.

(3) (_a_) 51 and u bath (a large flat fish).
(_b_) 51 " a nob (a name given to persons whose hair
is not of a natural colour).
(_c_) 5 " ber (a part of speech).
(_d_) 551 " asu ana (a Spanish province).
(_e_) 201 " ran to (a stupefying drug).
(_f_) 102 " r n t (an acid).
(_g_) 250 " uoapa (a town on the Mexican coast).

The initials and finals, read as before, will resolve themselves respectively into the name of a well-known town in the West Indies, and the chief product for which it is celebrated:--

_Answer_: (_a_) 51 = L I and U B A T H, or H alibu T.
(_b_) 51 = L I " A N O B, " A lbin O.
(_c_) 5 = V " BER, " V er B.
(_d_) 551 = D L I " A S U A N A, " A ndalusi A.
(_e_) 201 = C C I " RANTO, " N arcoti C.
(_f_) 102 = C I I " RNT, " N itri C.
(_g_) 250 = C C L " UOAPA, " A capulc O.
--HAVANNA, TOBACCO.

Without giving the full details, as above, showing how the puzzles are to be worked out, we will now give some examples of Arithmorems which form the names of persons who have, in their different ways of life, made those names illustrious and honoured. Afterwards will be found the titles of books, names of birds, beasts, and fishes. These various examples will show what a vast source of entertainment is here disclosed for the display of wit, ingenuity, and knowledge.

1.--1,051 and _run the tar_. Is honoured as a reformer.
2.--550 " _after the rage_. Is honoured as a kingly king.
3.--1,251 " _shout brush rope_. Is honoured as a discoverer.
4.--102 " _no east warns_. Is honoured as a mathematician.
5.--701 " _H. larks seen_. Is honoured as a novelist.
6.--150 " _hat, robe or tent_. Is honoured as a novelist (lady).
7.--550 " _Yes, fear not, n.n._ Is honoured as a poet.
8.--1,506 " _Ad hue._ Is honoured as an historian.

ANSWERS.

^1 Martin Luther,^2 Alfred the Great, ^3 Christopher Columbus, ^4
Sir Isaac Newton, ^5 Charles Dickens, ^6 Charlotte Bronte, ^7 Alfred
Tennyson, ^8 David Hume.

_Puzzles._ _Answers._

101 and Or burn nose so. Robinson Crusoe.
657 " Few fear oak. Vicar of Wakefield.
1,552 " Ah! for that one. Heart of Midlothian.
151 " A pen. Pelican.
1,001 " Pat rang, Ptarmigan.
1,100 " Roar not. Cormorant.
50 " A pet one. Antelope.
550 " Opera. Leopard.
1,500 " Or ye dar. Dromedary.
105 " No hay. Anchovy.
2 " Bet what. Whitebait.
651 " Harp. Pilchard.
50 " On port lent a hoy. Anthony Trollope.
551 " In jam is bee ran. Benjamin Disraeli.
5 " Cors nil ort mem. Mortimer Collins
101 " Sink oil well. Wilkie Collins.
100 " Nor real meat fry. Florence Marryat.
105 " To pay more rent. Coventry Patmore.
1,500 " For jaunty he on sea. James Anthony Froude.

It will afford a capital exercise in the use of the Roman numerals if our young readers will amuse themselves by working out the details of the solutions of the aforesaid puzzles and answers.

DIAMOND PUZZLES AND WORD PUZZLES OF VARIOUS SHAPES.

These puzzles are formed upon the same general principle as described in "Word Squares." The peculiarity of the different puzzles is disclosed in the names, and we will proceed by giving one example of each.

The _Diamond Puzzle_ is arranged by selecting letters or words that may be set forth in the shape of a diamond, thus:--

_Puzzle._ _Answer._

1.--A letter that is both vowel and consonant. W
2.--A Jewish tribe. dAn
3.--A Trojan woman. heLen
4.--A character in "Guy Mannering." berTram
5.--A Grecian hero. agamEmnon
6.--A novelist and poet. walteRscott
7.--A character in _The Tempest_. sebaStian
8.--A character in _Love's Labour's Lost_. merCade
9.--Effervescence. frOth
10.--A letter of the Greek alphabet. eTa
11.--A consonant. T

The central letters read downwards or horizontally name a great novelist and poet--Walter Scott.

The following is an example of a _Diagonal Puzzle_:--

_Puzzle._ _Answer._

1.--My first is a ticket. LabeL
2.--My second is a voice in music. tEnOr
3.--My third is a water-bird. diVer
4.--My fourth is an expensive ornament. jEwEl
5.--My last is a sharp instrument, useless to boys, RazoR
but often longed for by boys.

Read from left to right, diagonally, and vice versâ, as shown by the capital letters, and discover the names of two Irish writers of rollicking humour--Lever and Lover.

The _Conical Puzzle_ is arranged in this manner:--

_Puzzle._ _Answer._

1.--A consonant. B
2.--An English river. wYe
3.--An island builder. coRal
4.--Furrows cut by a tool. groOves
5.--A lover's message. valeNtine

The central letters read downwards as in the Diamond Puzzle will give the name of one of England's greatest poets--Byron.

The next example is of an _Oblique Puzzle_:--

_Puzzle._ _Answer._

1.--Malicious retaliation. R evenge.
2.--A musical term. O ctave.
3.--An ecclesiastical assembly. S ynod.
4.--A Scottish river near Elgin. S pey.
5.--The pen's close companion. I nk.
6.--A negative. N o.
7.--A personal pronoun. I.

The initials form the name of a celebrated composer of music--Rossini.

The next form given is _Pyramidal_:

_Puzzle._ _Answer._

1.--A consonant I serve to name, P
2.--A portion of the human frame, eYe
3.--A title of nobility, baRon
4.--Similitude behold in me, parAble
5.--A town that may in Wales be found, beauMaris
6.--With blood I ever do abound, sanguIneous
7.--And I an English town proclaim. barnarDcastle
In Durham you may find the same.
Now take the centres, which are meant
To tell you what I represent--Pyramid.

The last form we give is that of a _Cross_:--

A female name. aMy
Hostility. wAr
Metal. oRe
Partaken of food. aTe
The mind satisfied by evidence. convInced
A contract. indeNture
Equidistant. ParaLlels
The official residence of a consul. consUlate
Food consumed. aTe
A pronoun. sHe
A beverage. tEa
A period of time. eRa

The central letters give the name of a reformer--Martin Luther.

CRYPTOGRAPHY.

This word, being derived from the Greek, "cryptos," a secret, and "graphein," to write, almost explains itself.

Cryptographs are formed by a substitution of one letter for another throughout a sentence, or by using figures, signs, &c., in the place of letters. Cryptography as a science is supposed to enter largely into State diplomacy, secret correspondence being maintained by its means with the various State officials scattered over the globe. In the commercial world it is a fact that such correspondence is transmitted by telegraph with much saving of labour and money and with perfect secrecy, each correspondent possessing a key which enables him to translate into plain words and sentences the otherwise unintelligible jumble of signs. The "agony column" of the daily papers often contains specimens of cryptographic writing, most mysterious to the general reader, but plain to those for whom it is intended. It is, however, as a means of amusement that Cryptography here finds a place.

The first requisite is to provide ourselves with a key. The following will serve as an example:--

A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M.
8. z. w. t. 3. s. r. v. 4. p. n. m. l.

N. O. P. Q. R. S. T. U. V. W. X. Y. Z.
a. 5. e. i. o. u. f. 2. h. 6. g. x. d.

Shakspere's "Seven Ages" will then read thus:--

8mm fv3 65omtu 8 uf8r3,
8at 8mm fv3 l3a 8at 65l3a l3o3mx em8x3ou.
fv3x v8h3 fv34o 3g4fu 8at fv34o 3afo8aw3u,
8at 5a3 l8a 4a v4u f4l3 em8xu l8ax e8ofu,
v4u 8wfu z34ar u3h3a 8r3u.

In the solution of this and kindred puzzles the student should examine very carefully to find out the letters, figures, or signs that most often recur--they will be found to stand for _t_, _s_, and the vowels, and as soon as these letters are discovered the translation is easy. We will vary the key, and still this suggestion will hold good.

A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. K. L. M.
e. k. w. m. t. b. c. o. a. s. r. f.

N. O. P. R. S. T. U. V. W. Y.
s. l. i. y. d. n. h. j. p. g.

A few lines from Byron's "Childe Harold" will then read thus:--

Notflysadhieceasnotmtpgflys,
Panokytenoerraswtsdtesmpanowottserrkrllf.
Rehcoascnotwrlhmdepegpanoiregbhrdwlys,
Esmrajascedabteynowlsneas'mslnlfk,
Esmcrlpascasnlmeg.

* * * * *

Below is a love letter, which requires much deciphering, but which is followed by a translation:--

H.
20 cwt., Half Moon,

MOST EXPENSIVE HELPER, _Initial walking month_.

A small obligated beefsteak headcovering the pawnbroker's purchase 6 exclamation timepiece correctly. Myself design taking thee 2 the dried grass place-of-sale house of amusement 2 the ocean testament-myself-the-thigh-shiver-pointed weapons pastime of a village.

With kind Cupid,

Myself cured pork always thine,
MALE CAT DONKEY.

TRANSLATION.

Hoverton Crescent,

DEAREST ADA, _1st March_.

We must meet at uncle's by 6 o'clock precisely. I intend taking you to the Haymarket Theatre to see William Shakspere's play of "Hamlet."

With kind love,

I am, ever yours,
THOMAS.

CHRONOGRAMS.

A chronogram is a sentence or inscription in which occur words, containing, as initial letters or otherwise, letters that represent the Roman numerals. In some chronograms the initial letters only are counted as forming the solution of the puzzle, but in others all the letters contained which may be used as Roman numerals are taken into account. History supplies us with many first-rate chronograms; in fact, it was once the custom to strike medals with chronogrammatic sentences, in which the date of the occasion commemorated was set forth by the initial letters of the superscription.

Queen Elizabeth died in the year 1603, and the following chronogram relating to that event has come down to us:--

"My Day Is Closed In Immortality."

The initial letters of this sentence are M = 1000; D = 500; I = 1; C =
1 2 3 4

100; I = 1; and I = 1; or, MDCIII = 1603.
5 6

Gustavus Adolphus, Sweden's great hero, commemorated one of his victories, obtained in the year 1632, by a medal on which was struck the following chronogrammatical inscription:--

C h r I s t V s D V X; ergo T r I V M p h V s.[3]
3 6 4 2 4 5 6 4 1 4

In this chronogram all the letters representing the Roman numerals have been brought into use, which arranged in the order set forth by the figures printed beneath them, read as MDC = 1600; VVVV or 4 × 5 = 20; X = 10; and II or 1 × 2 = 2; or, 1632.

These illustrations afford a fair insight into the construction and design of the Chronogram proper. A few illustrations of this riddle in its more modern form now follow:--

Write one thousand down, quite plain,
Then half of two, then add again
Fifty and one's final letter;
You can then do nothing better
Than, after every evening meal,
Walk the distance I reveal.

_Answer_: M (1,000), I (half of two), L (fifty), E (onE's final letter)--MILE

"After supper walk a mile."--_Old English Proverb._

_Puzzle._ _Answer._

A famous English warrior duke, } MARLBOROUGH.
Whose battles are renowned; }

A celebrated admiral, } DRAKE.
Who first the globe sailed round; }

A navigator who was killed } COOK.
By savage treachery; }

A noted voyager who first } CABOT.
America did see; }

A sailor second in command } COLLINGWOOD.
In great Trafalgar's fight; }

The vessel in which Nelson fell, } VICTORY.
In his struggle for the right. }

The initials of these six words take,
And place them side by side;
Then they will name, as thus arranged,
The year when Nelson died.

_Answer_: M = 1,000; D = 500; CCC = 300; V = 5; or, 1805.

To half-a-dozen add six, and to the result add five hundred. The whole will represent a word signifying clear, lucid, bright, or glowing.

_Answer_: (Half-a-dozen), VI; (six), VI; (five hundred), D; or, VIVID; or, Vivid.

_Puzzle._ _Answer._

A poet who in blindness wrote } MILTON.
His work of greatest fame; }

Another who, in Charles's reign, } DRYDEN.
Did make himself a name; }

Then he who's often Father called } CHAUCER.
Of our English poetry; }

The far West claims this modern bard, } LONGFELLOW.
So rich in symphony; }

The scolding wife of Socrates, } XANTIPPE.
Her name you surely know; }

The Prince of Latin poets last, } VIRGIL.
We call on you to show. }

The initials of these names you'll find In order written down,
Will give the date in which the Plague Did rage in London town.

_Answer_: MDCLXV; or, 1665.

If from five you take five, you may leave a word denoting contempt or dislike.

_Answer_: FIVE; V (or 5) taken away, leaves FIE, or fie!

One thousand two hundred and nothing and one,
Transposed, give a word expressive of fun.

_Answer_: M (one thousand), CC (two hundred), O (nothing), I (one) =
M C C C O I; or, COMIC.
3 5

A thousand and fifty and one transpose,
'Twill produce a fruit in Spain that grows.

_Answer_: M (a thousand), L (fifty), and ONE; or,
M L O N E transposed.
1 3 4 5 2

LOGOGRAMS.

As its name implies, a logogram is a puzzle in which a word is made to undergo several transpositions, by the addition, subtraction, reversion of order, or substitution of a letter or letters.

To Lord Macaulay we are indebted for some of the choicest specimens of this class of word puzzling. One of his logograms has been selected, and is given here, because it so clearly displays all the peculiarities of this class of riddle, and because it is also such a marvel of ingenuity and skill, and at the same time is so happily expressed.

"Cut off my head, how singular I act!
Cut off my tail, and plural I appear;
Cut off my head and tail--most curious fact!
Although my middle's left, there's nothing there!
What is my head, cut off? A sounding sea!
What is my tail, cut off? A flowing river!
Amid their mingling depths I fearless play,
Parent of softest sounds, though mute for ever."

The answer is, Cod; and every line reveals a fresh play upon the word. Cut off its head, and it is _od_ (odd), singular; its tail, and it is plural, Co. (the abbreviation for Company); cut off its head and tail, and it is O (nothing); the head cut off, is a sounding Sea (C); its tail, a flowing river--Dee (D). Amid their (the sea and the Dee) depths the _Cod_ may play, parent of softest _sounds_ (the air bladder of the cod, a favourite delicacy to many), yet mute for ever.

Charles James Fox, the history of whose early life has been written by Mr. G. O. Trevelyan, is to be credited with the following clever logograph:--

"What is pretty and useful, in various ways;
Though it tempts some poor mortals to shorten their days;
Take one letter from it, and then will appear
What youngsters admire every day in the year;
Take two letters from it, and then, without doubt,
You are what that is, if you don't find it out."

_Answer_: Glass, Lass, Ass.

Our next example is rather a long one, but claims a place of honour wherever logograms are treated. This was also written by Lord Macaulay.

"Come, let us look close at it: 'tis a very ugly word;
One that should make us shudder whenever it is heard;
It may not be always wicked, but it must be aways bad,
And speaks of sin and suffering enough to make one sad.
Folks say it is a compound word, and that is very true;
But then they decompose it, which of course they're free to do.
But why of the twelve letters should they take off the first three,
And leave the nine remaining, as sad as they can be?
For while they seem to make it less, in fact they make it more,
And let the brute creation in, that was left out before.
Let's see if we can't mend it; 'tis possible we may,
If only we divide it in some newer-fashioned way.
Suppose, instead of three and nine, we make it four and eight;
You'll say, ''Twill make no difference--at least, not very great.'
Yet only see the consequence; that's all that needs be done
To change the weight of sadness to unmitigated fun.
It clears off swords and pistols, conscriptions, bowie knives,
And all the horrid weapons by which people lose their lives.
The native voice of merriment's compressed into one word,
Which chases away sorrow whenever it is heard.
Yes, four and eight, my friends, let that be yours and mine,
Though all the host of demons may exult in three and nine."

_Answer_: Man-slaughter, Slaughter, Man's-laughter.

The next specimen we give is by William Pitt, first Earl of Chatham.

"To discover the name that my verse would express
A letter you'll first from the alphabet guess;
Which letter, by this may be easily known,
Its shape is the very reverse of your own.
My next, if a fair one too rashly exposes
A beauteous complexion of lilies and roses,
What the beams of the sun will infallibly do
To deaden their lustre and sully their hue.
Add to these, what induces the amorous swain
To persist in his vows, though received with disdain.
These, joined all together, will make up the name
Of a family known in the annals of fame."

_Answer_: S-tan-hope (Stanhope).

Robert B. Brough, the dramatist, was in early life most sensitive to criticism, and gave vent to his spleen in this somewhat bitter logogram:--

"Cut off my head, and you will quickly see
Something disliked by you and me;
Cut off my tail, and then it is clear
The past of a verb will quickly appear;
Cut off my head and my tail also,
You'll have a conjunction then, I trow.
Whole, I'm an insect, not over clean,
Dreaded at picnics in meadows green;
To critics, to publishers, intimate friends,
My name a most delicate piquancy lends;
When they smile in their guile, and hiss as they sing,
And hide under flatteries a venomous sting."

_Answer_: Wasp, Asp, Was, As.

The following words will be found suitable for use in puzzles of this nature:--

Span. (Snap, spa, asp, pan, nap.)
Price. (Rice, ice, rip, rep.)
Lady. (Lad, day, lay.)
Angel. (Angle, glean, leg, glen, lane, gale, Lea.)
Degrade. (Grade, dare, dear, ear, are, dad, gear.)
Legate. (Eaglet, eagle, gale, lag, gat, get, let.)
Copper. (Pope, Poe, Po, core.)

METAGRAMS.

This riddle is formed by changing the initial letter of a particular word again and again, so as to produce as many words as possible of different meanings. Our first example affords a good illustration of the process to be pursued.

Well known to all as a covering for the head; Cap.
Change my initial, a doze I mean instead. Nap.
Once more, and an opening you will see; Gap.
Exchange again, I'm found inside a tree. Sap.
Once more, I mean then to befall. Hap.
Again, I'm used by travellers, one and all. Map.
Again, in this my mother often nursed me. Lap.
Exchange again, and this my food would be. Pap.
Again, and a sharp blow you've spelled. Rap.
Once more, and a blow that's hardly seen or felt. Tap.