(1) Cases where the name of the person, fact, or event gives its date; as, Birth of the colored orator and politician Frederick Douglass (18)17. This kind of a case is of rare occurrence, and it would be like the charlatanry which has disgraced many former memory systems to allow the pupil to suppose that it frequently happens. A glance at the event, word, or description will quickly tell him if it represents the necessary figures, and if it do not, he must resort to an analytic date word, or phrase, or sentence, whichever he finds most suitable for him. No one figure alphabet contains the advantages of all others. Each has special advantages in special cases. Whatever figure alphabet, however, is used, the main thing about it is to master it thoroughly.
(2) Cases where a significant or analytic word or phrase expresses the date or number. “Ill-usage” expresses the date of the death of Columbus in 1506, as he died in great neglect. The impetuous pupil says: “How can I be sure that this phrase applies to Columbus? Would it not apply to any one who had been ill-used?” Certainly not. It applies only to an ill-used man whose date (birth or death, &c.) was in 1506. If he knows of some other man who was greatly ill-used and who died in 1506, then he must use another analytic phrase for that man. See next paragraph.
Six distinguished persons were born in 1809, yet the date of the birth of each is easily fixed: Darwin, whose principal work was called “Origin of Species;” Gladstone, noted for his vigorous eloquence; Lincoln, who was conspicuous as a binder together of separated States; Tennyson, who was chosen as Poet-Laureate, and who was born at Somersby, England; Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, who early displayed a musical genius, and whose first oratorio was called “St. Paul;” Elizabeth Barrett Browning [née Elizabeth Barrett], whose poems are distinguished for their subjectivity. The analytic formulas for these different persons born in the same year, 1809, may each differ from the others, thus:
| Birth of | Charles Darwin | Species (18)09 |
|---|---|---|
| —— | William Ewart Gladstone | Spellbinder (18)09 |
| —— | Abraham Lincoln | Splicer (18)09 |
| —— | Alfred Tennyson | Poet (180)9 or (0) Selected (9) Poet or Somersby (09) |
| —— | Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy | (180)9 or Precocious (180)9, or (0) St. (9) Paul |
| —— | Elizabeth Barret Browning | (180)9, or Subjective (18)09 |
- Do all pupils succeed in finding analytic date or number words without any previous training in In., Ex., or Con.?
- What proportion succeeded?
- Does this not confirm the rule?
- Do these failures ever become successes?
- How?
- What must be carefully studied hereafter?
- After studying my formulas, what should the pupil do?
- What will be the result, if the pupil acts on my advice?
- In what ways may the different processes for dealing with dates and numbers be classified?
Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706, and died in 1790. (0) “Sagacious (6) child” would analytically fix his birth, as he was known as a precocious boy: or the single word (06) Sage. As he was a great worker all his life, (90) “Busy,” or “(9) Benjamin (0) Ceased” would significantly express his death-date.
(3) Cases where the initial consonants of a short sentence analytically express the date.
The analytic number words, phrases, and sentences which one retains most easily are those which he has made himself. Formulas prepared by others are perfectly retained, however, if they are thoroughly assimilated.
The analytic word or phrase is what one most usually finds and uses. Sentences will sometimes be useful because they may contain the name of the event, and they sometimes offer a wider range for selection of the needed consonants; but care must be taken to avoid ambiguity. To indicate the birth of Lincoln, we might use this formula: (1) Dawn (8) of (0) Assassinated (9) President, but as Garfield was also assassinated, the formula in its meaning would equally apply to the latter. If, however, we know that Garfield was born in 1831, the ambiguity would be removed. (1) Dawn (8) of (0) Assassinated (9) Abraham could apply only to Lincoln. (1) Dawn (8) of (0) Slavery’s (9) President would be applicable to the career of Buchanan, Pierce and Fillmore, but it would express the birth-date only of Lincoln, while it would be wholly inapplicable to his career. (1) Dawn (8) of (0) Slavery’s (9) Punisher would exclusively apply to Lincoln’s life and birth-date.
- Can you think of any other analytic words to express the date of the birth of Abraham Lincoln?
- Since “h” has no figure value, could we not use “Shaper”?
- If not, why?
- What analytic number, word, phrase, or sentence, does the pupil retain best?
- Are formulas made by others ever perfectly retained?
- In what cases?