A NEW MANUFACTURE, SYSTEM, OR METHOD OF WRITING, PRINTING, ENGRAVING, DRAWING, PAINTING, STAMPING, WORKING, AND USING CERTAIN CHARACTERS, FIGURES, INSTRUMENTS, AND MACHINES FOR FACILI- TATING CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER LITERARY OPERATIONS
Year: 1804

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
PASQUIER, of Wilderness Row, Charterhouse Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Professor of Languages, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, by Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of December,
in the forty-fifth year of His said Majesty's reign, did give and grant unto
me, the said Stephen Pasquier, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, to make, use, exercise,
and vend my Invention of "A NEW MANUFACTURE, SYSTEM, OR METHOD OF
WRITING, PRINTING, ENGRAVING, DRAWING, PAINTING, STAMPING, WORKING, AND
USING CERTAIN CHARACTERS, FIGURES, INSTRUMENTS, AND MACHINES FOR FACILI-
TATING CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER LITERARY OPERATIONS," within that part of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and the Colonies
and Plantations abroad, for the term of fourteen years; in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a provisoe obliging me, the said Stephen Pasquier,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under hand and seal, and to cause the same to be inrolled in the
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next after the date of
the said Letters Patent, as by the said Letters Patent, relation being
thereunto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said provisoe, I, the said

page_text: Stephen Pasquier, do hereby declare that my said Invention is the contrivance
of such figures (drawn, engraved, printed, stamped, coloured, varnished,
gilt, japanned, painted, moulded, stained, inlaid, or wrought in any way) as
may, by presenting in their outlines and shapes an adequate or more than an
adequate number of distinct places to the letters existing in the alphabet of
the language to be used, and as may also by their being the best calculated for
expressing arithmetical numbers, furnish persons using them with an universal
standard for writing, copying, or expressing ideas almost spontaneously; inas-
much as the person who makes use of my figures needs for writing but to fill
up according to his want the said places marked out for such and such letters
with mere dots or strokes, or equivalent marks. This simple method I call
Eutodidactography or self-taught writing, and may be used for writing and
keeping accounts by persons who never wrote before, provided they know
how to read. When the said figures, dots, or strokes are used in a more
combined or perplexed way with or without transparencies, with or without
colours, the art is named Cryptography; when accompanied only with abbre-
viations, is termed Syntomography; and when conveyed by machines or instru-
ments is called Mechanography; for my said Invention consists also of
such machines and instruments as may facilitate writing and correspondence,
or any literary purpose. Œutodictography, Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 6,
of the second Drawing, present, within four horizontal and two perpendicular
lines, three squares, and in every square nine distinct places, making together
twenty-seven places, which answers to as many letters, and constitute a
whole alphabet or more for several languages. Figure 15 of the same second
Drawing contains as many distinct places within two perpendicular lines, and
the letters have the same respective order, although there are six horizontal
lines in the said Figure. This I call the equivalent of the first Figure, or
the equivalent of three squares; for the nine black letters of the centre of
the said Figure 15 of this Drawing are, B, m, S, L, n, t, d, g, r, which are the
very same that occupy the middle square of Figure 1 of the same second
Drawing, with the same respective order; this squared position of the letters
in Figure 15 I call the equivalent of a square, whilst in Figure 1 I call it
a square; likewise the nine upper red letters of Figure 15th of the same
second Drawing are e, a, I, o, u, w, i, e, y, which are the very same as in the
upper square of Figure 1, and preserve the same respective order in their
squared position; I call this again the equivalent of the upper square of the
first Figure. So I shall call the position of the nine red letters, c, p, f, h, k, x,
v, q, z, in the lower part of Figure 15. Second Drawing, another equivalent
of the lower square of Figure 1 of the same Drawing. So when I say that

page_text: Figure 7 of the second Drawing contains nine squares, and Figure 8 the
equivalent of nine squares, I mean that the squares of the 7th Figure are
regular and the squares of the 8th Figure are irregular, and so they are,
since the center of Figure 8 are quite round. But however, there is no
confusion arising from it, and the position of the letters, or rather of the
dots or marks that are to stand for letters, will be equally distinct. There-
fore, to be explicit, I wish it to be understood by the equivalent of a square
not a real square, but the same respective position of nine distinct places
that are to be found in a real square. So I shall be well understood when I
shall say that Figure 2 or Figure 5 or Figure 14 of the fourth Drawing contain
each the equivalent of three squares, for by that I only mean that every such
Figure contains the number of twenty-seven letters or places for letters, and
that they preserve the same order of construction as in Figure 1 of the second
Drawing. I wish also it to be understood, by perpendicular line any either
straight or crooked line running rather downwards than horizontally by its center;
and by horizontal line any line straight or crooked which is never perpendicular
in any of its parts; so Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6 of
the fourth Drawing are said to have their perpendicular lines, although these
lines deviate very much from the perpendicular. But I call here perpendicular
line a line that serves to preserve the perpendicular order or construction
of letters in a regular figure, such as in Figure 1 of the second Drawing.
So in the group of Figure 2, third Drawing, there are in every Figure
two perpendicular lines and four horizontal lines. Likewise in the series of
alphabets, Figure 12, third Drawing, there are for every alphabet two per-
pendicular lines and four horizontal; and in their equivalent, Figure 11, third
Drawing, there are for every alphabet two perpendicular lines and six hori-
zontal. When in a Figure, such as Figure 2, fourth Drawing, there are two
concentric circles drawn, if the lines that fall upon the larger circle widen nearly
as much as the said larger circle, they will admit three horizontal dots or
marks for letters within their basis, and three within their center, but only
one in the point of the cone, and the two other letters that remain are to be
expressed by dots or marks on each side of the said point of the cone.
But
when in a Figure such as Figure 3, of the fourth Drawing, the two perpen-
dicular run as close or rather closer than the inner circle, they then only admit
of one perpendicular row of letters, or dots for letters, within the said
perpendicular lines, and a perpendicular row on each side without; if the
perpendicular lines that fall on the inner circle are closer than the said sma'l
circle towards the center of the Figure, and then open much wider, as in the
seventh and eighth line of the first column of the eighth Drawing, then they

page_text: will admit only one within the lines by the center or just above, and under
the larger circle, then three farther on, and three at the basis.
With these preliminaries, it will now be very easy to explain the whole
of the system. I resume and say, Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 6, of the
second Drawing, present, within two perpendicular and four horizontal lines,
each three squares, and in every square nine distinct places, making together
twenty-seven places, which answer to as many letters and constitute a whole
alphabet or more for several languages. When the Figure presents more
places for letters than there are letters in a particular alphabet, then the
vacant or supernumerary place or places will be filled up by the repetition
of such letter or letters which are thought to be more frequently used, or to be
more recurrent in that particular language the alphabet stands for. Here,
for example, Figure 1 of the second Drawing, the letter e will be repeated in
the Figure which expresses the alphabet of the English language; the English
alphabet having only twenty-six letters, whilst this said Figure 1 presents
twenty-seven places. Now these twenty-seven places within the lines of
the same Figure 1 in the second Drawing, with the addition of six supple-
mentary places, viz, three above the top horizontal line and three under
the lowest horizontal line, will make thirty-three places for letters, and
complete the alphabets of all the most interesting languages that are known,
a few excepted, which, not to leave any desideratum in this respect, will bo
provided for by another supplement, as may seen by Figure 11th of the first
Drawing for the Russion alphabet, or by Figure 2d and 4th of the same first
Drawing, which, by the addition of a fourth perpendicular row of nine places,
make thirty-six letters or places for letters, to which, if you add four places
above the top horizontal line and four under the bottom line, would make
altogether forty-four places, if so many were wanted. Mark, that this fourth
additional row of nine letters running perpendicularly down is accomplished
by the addition of a third perpendicul line drawn closer to the preceeding line
than the preceeding to the first, in a proportional way to the number of rows
they contain, that is to say, that for three perpendicular rows of letters, or
dots standing for letters, there must be three times the horizontal space which
is allowed for one perpendicular row added on the right hand of the first row.
Of the nine dots, marks, or strokes, in a regular square, eight ought to be
placed as in Figure 8 of the first Drawing, just by the lines, that is, one in
every corner, one between every two corners, and the ninth in the center of
the square. Accordingly, there are three perpendicular rows of marks standing
for letters within two perpendicular lines in a regular Figure, as may be seen in
the first alphabet of Figure 3, second Drawing.

page_text: Now the general way or method of spelling, reading, and writing, will be,
for any European language, to proceed from the top of the left hand row,
down to its bottom, next from the top of the second row down to its bottom,
and then from the top of the third row down to the bottom of it, and so on
going to the right hand. But for the Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Turkish,
Malayan languages, this rule may be well reversed. I mean the rule of
proceeding from the left to the right, as the general way of writing and reading
those languages, and some other Eastern languages, is from the right to the left
hand. However, for the sake of amusement or for secret writing, one may
always be at liberty of adopting or using either way, or other way that may be
agreeable or convenient, or fixed upon by the persons corresponding, or denoted
by some mark agreed upon, to denote the method. It will be of some service
to remark, that the middle square in Figure 1 of the second Drawing, or that'
part which answers to the middle square, Figure 8 and Figure 15, retains
constantly, or almost constantly, the same nine letters, B, m, S, L, n, t, g, r,
which I call the immutable letters, as they are to be found in the generality of
languages, with nearly the same power of inflexion, and so on by approximation
in the top and bottom squares; so that, in my system, he who knows the
order which I gave to the English alphabet, knows, of course, already, in great
measure, all the other alphabets. These figures that contain three squares
between two perpendicular and four horizontal lines, as in Figure 6th of the
second Drawing, or the equivalent of three squares, as in Figure 12 of the first
Drawing and Figure 15 of the second Drawing, or those figures that contain
three times three squares, as in Figure 8 of the second Drawing, or even an
uninterrupted series of three squared figures, as in Figure 3 of the same second
Drawing or their equivalent, as Figure 16 of the same Drawing, are the best
calculated for expressing arithmatical numbers, inasmuch as there is never
any want of setting down cipher or ciphers, which are to be counted by the
number of perpendicular rows left in blank, or unwritten or undotted on the
right hand of the dot that stands for an arithmetical figure. So the dot, which
you may see at the bottom of Figure 2, second Drawing, expresses the number
ten, and equally the red dot marked at the bottom of Figure 6 of the same
Drawing, supposing that all the other places in this said 6th Figure were
left in blank, because the dot stands in both Figures in the second perpen-
dicular row; likewise the red spot in the center square of Figure 7th of the
second Drawing, by its being put in the fifth perpendicular row on the left
land, and on the horizontal row assigned for the number 5, expresses fifty
thousand, supposing all the right-hand perpendicular rows of arithmetical
figures left in blank, or unwritten upon. In general, any figure of twenty-

page_text: seven places, on three perpendicular rows of nine places each, or of a greater
number of perpendicular rows of nine, that are distinct for letters, will also be
equally so for figures. So you may express one hundred million in Figure 16
of the second Drawing by the dot which is put at the bottom, and adding a
dash, either under or above the figure, which dash determines in this circum-
stance, by its length, the number of ciphers to be counted on the right hand.
One might also fix it on the comma, which is marked at the top, or that which
is at the bottom on the right hand. Without this caution, it would express
the number one, followed by twenty-six ciphers, supposing the rest of the
series of the said Figure, which contains nine alphabets, and consequently
twenty-seven perpendicular rows for letters or arithmetical figures unwritten
upon. Although one may use the Figure 12, Figure 13, and Figure 14 of the
second Drawing for expressing alphabets with dots or strokes, they having
twenty-five places upon five perpendicular rows, they are not so convenient
for arithmetical figures as the others, which I have more particularly adopted,
and which I prefer to them. The reason is, that one cannot express so dis-
tinctly with them numbers by mere dots, as the perpendicular rows will hardly
admit of more than seven distinct places, and nine is the proper number, in a
perpendicular row, for arithmetical figures. But they may be used in crypto-
graphy or secret writing, as Fig. 6, which contains an extraordinary alphabet.
Again, though in the distribution of my letters or dots for such letter or letters,
I have continually marked upon my Figures nearly the same order every-
where, people may, if they choose, alter that respective distribution, as it is
of no great importance by what letter one may begin or finish the order of the
said letters; however, to obtain a general standard; I think it is preferable
to adopt the order I have established. One may also put the marks for letters
on the perpendicular and horizontal lines instead of putting them by the lines.
But it is better to reserve this means for additional dots, for a sort of abridged
writing, where such or such dot or dots may stand for whole syllables or words.
Drawing eighth, line eleventh, contains part of the Lord's Prayer in dots.
Many of my Drawings present figures which have the direction of their per-
pendicular lines and perpendicular rows turned toward several points. Some
have their bases on the left hand and some on the right hand, as in Figure 8
of the fourth Drawing, and Figure 15 of the same Drawing; but the number
of three squares in that case will shew the perpendicular direction. O marks
the top, and X the bottom of the alphabet. The Figures that contain nine
squares may have their top, as the writer chooses, indifferently in one of the
four sides of the whole Figure; so it is indifferent in Figure 8 of the second
Drawing to put the top of the basis of the alphabet either at a, or at b, or

page_text: at c, or at D, as there will be always three perpendicular squares on a perpen.
dicular direction. So this is one of the best Figures for cryptography. This
will be better illustrated by refering to the number 18, printed on vellum,
where the reader will see, by the inspection of colours put in divers directions
upon those Figures that present nine squares, or the equivalent of nine
squares, grouped in one Figure, if you write upon the red and blue
you will
take the top A and the bottom B for the direction of your perpendicular row;
and you have two different ways of writing on the same Figures, and following
the direction of the said colour, for you may put the top of your alphabet
either towards A or towards B. But if you write on the yellow-coloured
center perpendicular rows, then you alter the direction of your perpendicular
rows of letters; and likewise if you write on the green-coloured alphabets, the
top and bottom of the rows of your dots may be at your choice, either towards
D or towards C. You may equally at your choice write upon them in the
European way or in the Eastern way, as the Arabs and Persions. You may
write on all the centers at first in several ways, or begin by one of the lateral
rows of squares, or construe a part of your alphabet downwards as the Chinese
their characters, or upwards, if you prefer or have agreed so with your corre-
spondent; or you may combine your alphabets obliquely. Now, if you con-
sider that the coloured copies of engravings ought to be only used for helping
your memory and that of your correspondent, who is furnished with a like set
of coloured copied, and that you make only use of them for directing yourselves
on the copies that are without colours, it is of all impossibility for any person
who is not in the secret to decipher one line in ten years. Here, for example,
Plate 18 and P. 19, may direct a person who wants to write secretly on the
Plate 20, which is destitute of colours, and has only four places of references
supposed agreed upon, viz., A, B, C, D, in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Drawing 9th;
the top and bottom of the alphabet is sufficiently explained by the equivalent
of of three perpendicular squares in one row. The few letters put in them,
instead of dots, shew the direction; 0 shews always the top, and X the
bottom. In the centrical cross, the yellow-coloured places with letters on
them stand only for parts of alphabets, to be used as chance may admit, whilst
the red-coloured rows exhibit a whole alphabet. In Figure 5, Drawing 9tli,
the red-coloured figures will be naturally written upon and read together,
either in horizontal or perpendicular way, and many of the others obliquely,
from corner to corner; their direction will be sufficiently explicit by inspection.
Drawing 17th shews, that with my systom of Figures one may easily write
on all directions, in zigzag or angular lines, as in Figure 1; in streight lines,
as in Figure 2; in circular lines, as in Figure 3 of the same 17th Drawing,

page_text: and Figure 1, 2, 3, 4, of Drawing 13, and the border of Figure 1, Drawing 14th;
or any crooked line, as in Figure 5, Drawing 13th; or in divided lines, as in
Figure 2, Drawing 16th, and in the outward part of the border of the
16th Drawing; or with interwoven lines or figures, as in Figure 4 and 5 of
Drawing 17th; or as in Figure 1 and 2 of Drawing 14th. In fine, my figures
admit any shape, form, or disposition, whether regular or irregular, and the
lines may be varied at fancy. The alphabets set in almost all the Figures of
the Drawings, Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, will add perspicuity to the smaller
Drawings, I mean on the Numbers 7, 8th, and up to 17th inclusively. The
alphabetical letters, written on many of the dots in others, will plainly show
the direction of the perpendicular bend of the figures or of the alphabets.
O shews always the top of figures, and X the bottom of them. Figure 12,
of Drawing 4th, will fully explain the way of writing on Figure 1 and 2 of
Drawing 12th; for if you follow the colours in their perpendicular bent, in
Figure 12, Drawing 4th, you will discriminate three lines, the upper line of
five alphabets resting their bases towards the center of the group, and carrying
their tops on the circumference. These five alphabets are white, yellow,
green, yellow, and white; each colour for one alphabet. The centrical or
middle line consists of seven figures or alphabets, viz, red, blue, red, interval
in white, red again, another interval, then red, blue, red parallel to the cir-
cumference. The under line consists of the same figures and colours as the
upper line, but has its basis vice versâ on the circumference and top toward
the center. The letters O and X will make it quite plain. This example
will shew that such Figures as this last group may be varied, according to
one's choice, for the reading or writing in those that are without colours.
Drawing 15th is sufficiently plain, only observe that the blue diamonds, or
places marked in blue in Figure 2, are only mere interstices between alphabets.
In Drawing 16th, Figure 2, half line a and half line a, make one line; the
two half lines B, another; C and C another; but the middle line is whole.
This will sufficiently explain the reading of, and the writing on, the outward
border of Figure 1, same Drawing. Half line top, and half line bottom, make
one line; and so the two half sides yellow corner and yellow corner, make one
alphabet, green and green another; each half alphabetical figure is to be
brought together, and you are guided by the perpendicular direction for joining
them. Drawing 11th shews a good pattern for cryptography in Figure 3 and
Figure 4. Figure 3 is now plain enough, but Figure 4 requires a little
explanation. The single squares and round, which do not touch, make a third
of an alphabetical figure, so that every three of these at your choice will
present an alphabet; but those that have the shape of a spindle make each a

page_text: whole alphabet. My Figures will guide you to write with dots on a trans-
parent paper very easily, with the help of my tracing desk, and when strained
on tiles, or represented in any other way on proper materials, may furnish you
with substitutes for slates; I mean for writing on them. My Figures, pro-
perly stamped, or moulded, or engraved, or wrought, may also enable the blind
to read and write, by rough and smooth surfaces being presented to the nice
feeling of their touch.
Homilorgan or machine, drawing 6,) which may be of use to the deaf and
dumb for conversation, or in being put in a large and conspicuous place for
speaking to the eyes of a numerous assembly of people, by the help of letters,
marks, or symbols, established on the general principle of my new systom of
writing:-Number 1. Plan of cylinders moving the symbols. 2. Plan of the
three ranges of keys for moving the cylinders. 3. Section of the breadth of
the plan of the cylinders. 4. Section representing the length of the cylinders,
and the keys that are to move them. 5. One of the different sorts of springs
which one may use for the cylinders. 6. That part of the elevation of the
machine which when placed upon exhibits through the little round openings,
marks, or symbols of a colour quite different from the colour of the place they
stand upon. Fig. 7. The white round speck shows the vacant place of the
symbol. Fig. 8. The black speck is the symbol seen when moved.
I conceive, that with the foregoing description and the Plates annexed, my
Invention is sufficiently explained to enable any intelligent person to under-
stand it, and that the various means of applying the principles of it, according
to the end desired, will be sufficiently obvious. The writing, reading, and
tracing desk (Drawing 21), may facilitate its execution, as well as be useful
for many other literary purposes, and which I therefore consider as an useful
part of the Invention.
a, the
Figure 1, profile of the circular frame, &c., in the top of desk.
outside frame. 6, the circular ditto. c, the groove which the 3 bolts of the
circular frame shoot into to keep both frames together. d, plate of glass.
e, the space beneath it.
Figure 2. f, profile of square brass frame. 9, two of the four brass pins for
fastening it
Figure 3. h, top of desk, elevated. i, the outside frame. k, the inner
circular frame which move round within it. 1, three bolts which keek both
frames together by bolting into the groove c, Figure 1. m, two notches, for
finger and thumb to turn round the circular frame. n, a plate of glass, which
may be square, circular, oval, octagon, or any shape.
to keep anything laid over the glass in its place, fixed
o, a thin brass frame,
with four spring pins,

page_text: as at g, Figure 2. p, a horse, hinged to the under side of desk top, and alters
its position by working in the notches of the under frame. q, the under frame,
to which the upper one is hinged in front.
Figure 4, plan of the top of the desk.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Pasquier, have hereunto set my!
hand and seal, the Ninteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and five.
Inrolled the same Nineteenth day of June, in the year above
written.