2.
How ten thousand Persons may use these seals to all and every of the purposes aforesaid, and yet keep their secrets[5] from any but whom they please.
Footnote
[5]secrets private.
[Seals private and particular to each owner.] The present is one of those articles of a nature already noticed in the introduction, which can scarcely be classed as an independent invention; it is in fact little, if any, more than some intricate application of the foregoing, a mere step beyond the more obvious employment of such seals. We may consider the first as the instrument, and No. 2 as an ingenious table, by the aid of which to construct alphabets, words, or sentences.
3.
A Cypher and Character so contrived, that one line, without returns and[6] circumflexes, stands for each and every of the 24. Letters; and as ready to be made for the one letter as the other.
Footnote
[6]or—for and.
[An one-line Cypher.] A line to be continuous, and yet capable of signifying a series of letters, must be curved. A method of performing this occurred to the author some years ago, which affords a very simple key, being composed from the Circle and the Ellipsis, and can be, therefore, very readily kept in mind. The first affords only one figure, the second can be varied to one vertical and two inclined figures, and all can be again varied as to size, but for convenience only three gradations are recommended, as four or more would increase the difficulty of writing accurately. These varieties are shown in the annexed diagram—