The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-09
HE ALLITERATIVE PRINCIPLE.

n Mr.. George Wakeman, a writer Of more orgi-
. ality of conception than felicity Of execution,
as recently, in paper magaznlstic, printed a
~hry clever compilation OF examples of allitera-
ION, strung together upon general thread of
Hlbcomment. We use the word clever pur-
Hosely, because the compilatory talent is usu-
Fly underrated, and because to string together
n interesting and coherent piece of literary
Mosaic, peculiar tact, facility, and skill are
&bsolutely needed. TO write brilliantly tor a
&Duple of columns in connected, logical
lay, is comparatively easy - is, at least,
Ulsicr for the majority OF people than t1
"cattPr the same bnlIanCy in little sCntIllat-
Lg rubes, amCtnl SITS, and laclnths OF thought
fom comment TO comment, modulating the
blor OF the gem to the color of the ma
.arial commented upon; and thus it happens
M lat, while OF brilliant essaYlsts we nave many,
brilliant palaeraph5ts we have compare.
|yely tew-the fabrication Of the paragraph
billing into Iequlsitton more minute skill than
= e fabrication OF the essay. 1t IS possible III
Uct, 10 write a resp ctablc essay more or less
random, following somewhat vaguely the
"a fOpe OF a general idea; but TO round a para.
Xaph with completeness is Ike cutting and
|Dlsblng gem, a work OF careful and minute
nipulatlon-altbougn in the former case the
ork is one OF mental, and in the other one OF
anual deXterity.
1t Is the felicity of this subcomment which
bues a compilation, or even a novel, with
teIest and II was tor lack OF thus sort OF com
ent that Smson's History of the Gypsiesn
DtWithstand no 1T material was gold, seemed
i'll and unscIltillant as lead. The felicity o.
torial Comment-thaU which impaIts etler-
esenCe and sparkle to a compilation was
terly wanting, and toe reader was lett TO grOOe
8 way through dreary wilderness OF acts,
lthout the satisfaction OF an occasionally
\ ll-o -the-Wisp-like comment on the part of
r. De editor, who, Tor the time, should have
ayed the rOte of an entertaining companion,
| |using us TO forget the tedium OF travel,
~ rough explanation, wltticsm, and GO Otism,
teTeO TOR no other reason than TO amu5e and
~ terrain. This, however, MIR. SimsOn dId not,
nd hence MIR. SmsOn's Look was stupid,
ii should not have been, instead OF beng
W cid and sparkllng-as 1t should have been. If
( friend takes US by the hand, and asks us to
talk in botanical garden OF his own project
#9, he is expected to explain to MS ell its pecu-
XHarities, to descant lumlnously upon tins point
+ Ild that point; to call our attention to this
4ant and to that one-in short to play, in every
speCt, that peculiar part for when modern
g. llians evoke the services OF Cicero; and, IN
ke manner, when compiler so asks us, he Is
duty bound 10 explain the exact value of
ery O1jet de UeTtu III his collection, and to see
II il that we walk not wearlly through wilder
fsses OF dreary and unntelligibIe details. ANY
Impilation which fails, IN tins respect, through
luClty or want of lucidness in editorial note
ld comment. is, to the extent that 1T so fails,
upid, unreadabe, and to be emphatlcally con-
~ mned.
But to Mr.. Wakeman's paper, whence we pro-
fse first, soue few excerpts at random, and,
|condly q comment or two upon the general
bio ect of ALTERATION. Attrlbuting the collec.
IOn OF the subloineG orthographies TO Mr.. Har-
ave Jennings, Mr.. Wakeman says:-
'Mr Harnave Jennings notices the many differ.
- orthoGrau bies claimed for the name OF Shakes
+ haze. The signature in the British Museum, he
Eys, is probably the real and correct one. Every
IAN is supposed TO know best how to spell his own
me, and Shakespeare's s1elllng Is shakespeare" d."
80 gives collection OF the forms OF orthOgTaphY
lat have been employed, thus:-
Chacsper, SHAKESPEARE, Schakspeyr,
D|* SaXpere, Shakespear, ShakuspeaIeJ
= Saxspere, Shakespeare, ShaXsper,
H& Schackspere, Shakesp-r, ShaXkespere,
Sckake peare, Shakspear, ShakY Yspere,
Scnakespiere Shakespeare, Slakyspere,
Schakespele, shaklspere ShkVsper,
kSchakspaIe, Shakespeare, ShaHper,
bh0Ckspeare, Shakespeare SnaHperej
shackspere, ShakspeTe, ShaXspere
ShackspIre, Schak pere, ShaXsper
Shagseere, Schaksper, ShaXpeare."
Tangent upon the general topic of Billings
lte the author OF ''TOrmenting the Alphabet
bntinues his illustratons:-
these irregularities have given opportunity fol
hny OF these curious devices and humorous con
HIS In language which have occupied even the
eatest minds in moments Of recreation. The ar
& Ically bad Orthography of many oil our tunni
biters is MADE possible by the nconsistenc es o
II phabet But some instances of natural funny
speG aIg no Pee baro tSa MANI Of thu
stances citeO IN this paper, of GEOGRAPHY, and o
~ her methods of tormentng the English alphaOet
I'VE been in print before They are, however
lected as the best illustrations IN point and as no
o stale TO 90 upon the present record. Here Is
tier that was sent TO underta er by an afflicted
~. idower:-
~ 4" 'SH;-My waIf is ded ana Wants to be berries
~ MORO. At Wunor kOk. u nose wair to dig tn
q oe-bi the side OF my too Uther waiis-Let 1t b
II bep.'
s "Here is one sent to a doctor:-
A" CERT ole ObhPe me ut yole KUN un CO me
T. 3. PV a BAD kOwd am Hin IN my Bow Hills an ne
st my Happy light
~ 'Ihe following letter, received by a schoolmaste
as liable to be misundeTstOOd:-
Z" "'SH:-As you man OF noledge intend
ter my son in your school,
"The following bill was sent to a gentleman:
aOsata da
gV 2C
A Pade Josef Jaxn ;
The items of that bill are not apothecares' art
II YES as might be supposed; but merely A horse ha
day and taking OF him home again."
Alluding to the topic of the Palindrome, M
Fakeman has the following list of examples:-
"The palindrome, which Is a ine that reads ALL
ackwSrd or forward, IS difficult TO construct in En-
sh, but Is common In Greek and Latin. One OF III
Est Is Adams first observation TO Eve = Madam, II
DAM Another Is the story that Napoleon, when
/. Helena, being asked by an Engisman If
houVht he could have sacked London, replied 4;
BILE was / ere saw Elba'-the best DalindrOm
rohohlv N the lanQua0e. The fOllOWiug lac