The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-09-12
Anagrams.

The putting together of anagrams
seems more childish occupation than
even that of composing acrostics; yet
many great divine has practised ana
gram making-has been, so to say, an
anagrammatist. An acrostic, however
elaborate, however surprising, is after
all but the work of human ingenuity,
into which the author may introduce,
within the rules of the composition,
whatever he thinks fit. An anagram.
however, is a reading of an unchange-
able word or words pregnant with mean
ing which it has been reserved for the
anagrammatist, in an intuitive and
quasi-prophetic spirit, to bring to light.
Many an anagrammatist seems to have
/ had the coolness to consider himself an
| inspired being. The Calvinistic op-
ponents of Arminius made known with
orarular solemnity their discovery that
the letters forming the name Arminius
were to be found in the phrase !" Vani
orbis amicus;" when the Arminians,
prefxing to the name of their chief an
oh which belonged to it in the orig
| inal Dutch, replied that the true signi-
fication of the word, so utterly perverted
and misunderstood by their opponents,
| was Habui curam Sionis." 1t is seen
that the theological makers of anag ans
allowed themselves considerable license,
treating words aud phrases on the con-
venient principle of taking from them
Just as much as suited their purpose and
leaving the rest. There could be no mis-
take, however, as to the meaning of the
words "Frere Jacques Clement" of
which the letters can be recombined so
as to form "C'est Penfer qui Ia ree"-
view of the probable origin of Henry
IFS assassin which many at the time
must have thought fair and reasonable
One of the best anagrams ever made was
that composed by DIR. Birney on the
name of Nelson, 4" Horatio Nelson be-
ing converted by new arrangement of
the letters into Honor est a Milo"
"Je charme tout is an anagram of
Marie Touchet," the beautiful mistress
of Charles x. Similarly "Rose de Pin
dare was found to be an appropriate
anagram of Pierre de Ronsard."
Many other celebrated anagrams may
be mentioned, such as that into which
the letters composing Voltaire's name
were formed-"O alte vir." "Vig-
neron turns naturally into Ivrogne."
La Revolution Franchise can be
| shown anagrammatically to indicate that
"un Corse la fnira." When Jean
Baptiste Rousseau, ashamed of his origin
called himself " Verniettes," his friends
and enemies were not long in finding out
that the new name might be read " Tu
| tie renies." There is no U in Verniet-
| tes, but the rules of anagrammatic art
permit the substitution of U for V, G
for K, S for q, for J, and conversely
A wild humorist and poet, Andre Pu-
| jom, was much struck by the fact that
his name might be decomposed and
recomposed so as to form "pendu a
Rome" He had, of course. no idea
that any such end would befall him
| but the mysterious anagram pursued
him like destiny. He imprudently Wis
tied Rome, where his fate compelled him
to commit crime of which death by
hanging was the inevitable punishment.
In 1886 priest in France made will
in favor of his nephew and niece. Some
years afterward he quilted the service
of the Roman Catholic Church, married
and had children. Upon this the nephew
and niece brought an action against
their uncle, demanding that the mar
riage should be annulled; and this an
nullation, pronounced by the Court of
Rennes, has been confirmed by the
Court of Cessation. The reason Of thi.
decision is that the magistrates who
pronounced judgment are convinced
that in this affair the law of the State
is subordinate to that of the Roman
Church, and that social salvation i'm
poses upon them the mission of main
tanning intact Roman Catholic discipline
Therefore the uncle was not married,
and his children are illegitimate; the
Court of Cessation holding that there
are ex-judges, ex-soldiers, ex-lawyers
but no ex-priests. The sacerdotal char.
acter is indelible; and when once he has
received the sacred JUNCTION, the priest
forever retains the mark. He may de
sert his affairs, he may abdicate his func
tions, he may be stripped of his gowr
as unworthy to be minister, he may
abjure his belief; apostate, criminal, ane
guilty of sacrilege, he remains priest
It depends upon him to profane th'
sacerdotal character; but neither hi
indignity nor his infamy can eface it
impression"