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