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."