delivery, he failed to avoid this fault, he should be corrected "by hurting himself against the point." The positions of the body might also be enumerated and be subjected to the rules of notation, but this would be unnecessary, as they are always sufficiently understood, being the accompaniment of the gestures and motions of the head, the arms and the hands. 7 Reprehendenda est et illa frequens et concitata in utrumque partem nutatio, quam in Curione patre irrisit et Junius, quærens quis in lintre loqueretur. . Jactantnr et humeri: quod vitium Demosthenes ita dicitur emendasse, ut, cum in angusto quodam pulpito stans diceret, hasta humero dependens immineret: ut, si calore dicendi vitare id excidisset, offensatione illa commoneretur. Quint. l. xi. c. 3. CHAPTER XV. APPLICATION OF THE SYMBOLS, AND SYMBOLIC LETTERS. Difficulties which occurred in adjusting the application of the symbolic letters-Why letters have in general been preferred to symbols of any other kind-The contrivances for varying the signification of the same symbolic letter-Of the sets of letters-General rules relative to the symbolic letters-Symbols expressing various relations and connections -Of marking the positions of the feet-Symbols for the voice-Systematic arrangement of the symbolic letters-Alphabetical table and arrangement—Illustration of the method of notation applied to a part of Gay's fable of the Miser and Plutus. CHAPTER XV. Application of Symbols, and Symbolic Letters. HAVING appropriated to the gestures of the various parts of the body, symbolic letters, in such a manner as to be intelligible and distinct in their separate use, I now proceed to explain their application when combined together. In order to do this more effectually, it is necessary to give a short account of the difficulties which occurred in this system of notation of gesture, and of the manner in which they have been got over. The language by which the vast variety of different gestures might be clearly expressed, appeared extremely limited; so much so, that it became a question, whether it would not be necessary in such an undertaking, to invent many new names, the better to discriminate their minute and undefined differences. But this was considered as likely to prove so offensive an embarrassment, that it was determined to try every contrivance which might extend the resources of the ordinary language, and give variety to the common terms, by placing them in new situations; strictly avoiding the introduction of any word not already established in the language. The object of this, was both to guard against offence, and, by the use of common words, to facilitate the acquisition of the art of notation. In the same view, letters have in general been preferred to symbols, as their application is more easily understood and retained in memory. The names applicable to gestures, which the English language affords, have been found more copious than was expected, but still they are few in comparison to the wide application for which they are required on this occasion, and are besides embarrassed by a great difficulty, which without various contrivances, almost renders them useless for the purposes of notation; because in this art a single letter, or two at most, could be allotted for the designation of any one name. The difficulty arises from this circumstance, that many of the best words relating to gesture in our language, begin with the same letter, as may be seen in the table annexed. The consequence of this was, the necessity of resorting to expedients which would not otherwise have been submitted to. One of these was, the being obliged often to reject a more expressive and appropriate name, in order to bestow its initial letter upon some other name recurring more frequently or more necessary in another place. When many names beginning with the same letter are necessarily retained, several contrivances are resorted to in order to distinguish them from each other; one is marked by a capital and another by a small letter: and again, instead of |