Lectures on the Sphere and Character of Woman, and Other Subjects. ByGeorge W. Burnap,Pastor of the First Independent Church of Baltimore. Philadelphia: Kay and Co.
Lectures on the Sphere and Character of Woman, and Other Subjects. ByGeorge W. Burnap,Pastor of the First Independent Church of Baltimore. Philadelphia: Kay and Co.
These lectures are designed as apendantto a course delivered to the Young Men of Baltimore, last winter, by Mr. Burnap. From the “Sphere and Duties” of Woman the author has excluded all allusion to her physical education and her political rights—regarding the first as a topic for the physician, the last for the jurist. Perhaps this subdivision is injudicious. At all events, from what we here know of Mr. Burnap, we should have been pleased to have his subject extended to Woman in all her relations.
The volume appears to us not only well written, but forcibly original in many of its views and illustrations. A passage, at page 50, in which the lecturer suggests the idea of an instinctive reverence in which each sex holds the other, is not only new, but embodies a truth of important result. Mr. B. justly styles the feeling a human religion. Its moral effects are unquestionably great. The deterioration of every community which isolates the sexes, or prevents their free intercommunication, is here traced to a distinct and sufficient cause.
These lectures are handsomely printed and bound, and would form an appropriate present to any lady.
The Lady of Refinement in Manners, Morals and Religion. ByMrs. Sandford,Author of “Woman in her Social and Domestic Character.” James Loring: Boston.
The Lady of Refinement in Manners, Morals and Religion. ByMrs. Sandford,Author of “Woman in her Social and Domestic Character.” James Loring: Boston.
Mrs. Sandford is the wife of an English clergyman, and has given frequent evidences of her capacity. Her former work, “Woman in her Social and Domestic Character,” was well received in her own country. Whether it has been re-published here we cannot say. “The Lady of Refinement” is well written, and appears to be carefully matured in its opinions.
SECRET WRITING.
Our remarks on this head, in the July number, have excited much interest. The subject is unquestionably one of importance, when we regard cryptography as an exercise for the analytical faculties. In this view, men of the finest abilities have given it much of their attention; and the invention of a perfect cipher was a point to which Lord Chancellor Bacon devoted many months;—devoted them in vain, for the cryptograph which he has thought worthy a place in hisDe Augmentis, is one which can be solved.
Just as we were going to press with the last sheet of this number, we received the following letter from F. W. Thomas, Esq., (of Washington,) the well-known author of “Clinton Bradshawe,” “Howard Pinckney,” &c. &c.
My Dear Sir:—The enclosed cryptograph is from a friend of mine (Dr. Frailey,) who thinks he can puzzle you. If you decipher it, then are you a magician, for he has used, as I think, the greatest art in making it.Your friend,F. W. Thomas.
My Dear Sir:—The enclosed cryptograph is from a friend of mine (Dr. Frailey,) who thinks he can puzzle you. If you decipher it, then are you a magician, for he has used, as I think, the greatest art in making it.
Your friend,
F. W. Thomas.
This cipher is printed precisely as we received it, with the exception that we have substituted, for convenience sake, in some instances, characters that we have in the office, for others that we have not. Of course, as these characters are substitutedthroughout, the cryptograph is not affected.
By return of mail we sent the solution to Mr. Thomas; but as the cipher is an exceedingly ingenious one, we forbear publishing its translation here, and prefer testing the ability of our readers to solve it.We will give a year’s subscription to the Magazine, and also a year’s subscription to the Saturday Evening Post, to any person, or rather to the first person who shall read us this riddle.We have no expectation that it will be read; and, therefore, should the month pass without an answer forthcoming, we will furnish the key to the cipher, and again offer a year’s subscription to the Magazine, to any person who shall solve itwith the key.
Lest the tenor of our observations on Cryptography should be misunderstood, and especially lest the nature of our challenge should be misconceived, we take occasion to refer to our Review of Mr. Walsh’s “Sketches of Conspicuous Living Characters of France,” published in the April number of the Magazine. M. Berryer, the French Minister, is there said to have displayed the highest ingenuity in the solution of a cipher addressed by the Duchess of Berri to the legitimists of Paris, but of which she had neglected to furnish the key. Berryer discovered this to be the phrase “Le gouvernement provisoire.” Beneath this sentence the alphabet had been placed, letter for letter; and thus whenawas intendedlwas written, whenbwas meantewas substituted, and so on throughout. This species of cryptograph is justly considered very difficult. We remarked, however, that we would engage to read any oneof the kind; and to this limit our correspondents must confine themselves. To be sure, we said, in our last number, that “human ingenuity could not construct a cipher which human ingenuity could not resolve”—but then we do not propose, just now, to make ourselves individually the test of “human ingenuity” in general. We do not propose to solveallciphers. Whether we can or cannot do this is a question for another day—a day when we have more leisure than at present we have any hope of enjoying. The most simple cryptograph requires, in its solution, labor, patience, and much time. We therefore abide by the limits of our cartel. It is true that in attempting the perusal of Dr. Frailey’s we have exceeded these limits by very much; but we were seduced into the endeavor to read it by the decided manner in which an opinion was expressed that we could not.
E. St. J. will observe that his cipher includeseveryletter of the natural alphabet. Then (admitting it to be a cipher of the kind proposed) his key-phrase must contain every letter of the natural alphabet. In such case no letter of the phrase can standfor more than oneof the alphabet, and the whole would be nothing more than a simple cipher, where the natural characters are represented, invariably and respectively, by arbitrary ones. But in this supposition there could be no such words asll, &c.—words seen in the cryptograph.Therefore, his cipher isnotwithin the limits prescribed—Q. E. D. We do not say that wecannotsolve it, but that we will not make the attempt. This for the obvious reasons above assigned.
P. S. We have just received the annexed letter from Mr. Thomas, enclosing one from Dr. Frailey:
Washington, July 6th, 1841.My Dear Sir,This morning I received yours of yesterday, deciphering the “cryptograph” which I sent you last week, from my friend, Doctor Frailey. You request that I would obtain the Doctor’s acknowledgment of your solution. I have just received the enclosed from him.Doctor Frailey had heard me speak of your having deciphered a letter which our mutual friend, Dow, wrote upon a challenge from you last year, at my lodgings in your city, when Aaron Burr’s correspondence in cipher was the subject of our conversation. You laughed at what you termed Burr’s shallow artifice, and said you could decipher any such cryptography easily. To test you on the spot, Dow withdrew to the corner of the room, and wrote a letter in cipher, which you solved in a much shorter time than it took him to indite it.As Doctor Frailey seemed to doubt your skill to the extent of my belief in it, when your article on “Secret Writing” appeared in the last number of your Magazine, I showed it to him. After reading it, he remarked that he thought he could puzzle you, and the next day he handed me the cryptograph which I transmitted to you. He did not tell me the key. The uncommon nature of his article, of which I gave you not the slightest hint, made me express to you my strong doubts of your ability to make the solution. I confess that your solution, so speedily and correctly made, surprised me. I congratulate myself that I do not live in an age when the black art is believed in, for, innocent as I am of all knowledge of cryptography, I should be arrested as an accessory before the fact, and, though I escaped, it is certain that you would have to die the death, and, alas! I fear upon my testimony.Your friend,F. W. Thomas.Edgar A. Poe, Esq.
Washington, July 6th, 1841.
My Dear Sir,
This morning I received yours of yesterday, deciphering the “cryptograph” which I sent you last week, from my friend, Doctor Frailey. You request that I would obtain the Doctor’s acknowledgment of your solution. I have just received the enclosed from him.
Doctor Frailey had heard me speak of your having deciphered a letter which our mutual friend, Dow, wrote upon a challenge from you last year, at my lodgings in your city, when Aaron Burr’s correspondence in cipher was the subject of our conversation. You laughed at what you termed Burr’s shallow artifice, and said you could decipher any such cryptography easily. To test you on the spot, Dow withdrew to the corner of the room, and wrote a letter in cipher, which you solved in a much shorter time than it took him to indite it.
As Doctor Frailey seemed to doubt your skill to the extent of my belief in it, when your article on “Secret Writing” appeared in the last number of your Magazine, I showed it to him. After reading it, he remarked that he thought he could puzzle you, and the next day he handed me the cryptograph which I transmitted to you. He did not tell me the key. The uncommon nature of his article, of which I gave you not the slightest hint, made me express to you my strong doubts of your ability to make the solution. I confess that your solution, so speedily and correctly made, surprised me. I congratulate myself that I do not live in an age when the black art is believed in, for, innocent as I am of all knowledge of cryptography, I should be arrested as an accessory before the fact, and, though I escaped, it is certain that you would have to die the death, and, alas! I fear upon my testimony.
Your friend,
F. W. Thomas.
Edgar A. Poe, Esq.
Washington, July 6th, 1841.Dear Sir,It gives me pleasure to state that the reading, by Mr. Poe, of the cryptograph which I gave you a few days since for transmission to him, is correct. I am the more astonished at this since—— [We omit the remainder of the letter, since it enters into details which would give our readers some clue to the cipher.]As ever, yours, &c.,Chas. S. Frailey.F. W. Thomas, Esq.
Washington, July 6th, 1841.
Dear Sir,
It gives me pleasure to state that the reading, by Mr. Poe, of the cryptograph which I gave you a few days since for transmission to him, is correct. I am the more astonished at this since—— [We omit the remainder of the letter, since it enters into details which would give our readers some clue to the cipher.]
As ever, yours, &c.,
Chas. S. Frailey.
F. W. Thomas, Esq.
LATEST FASHIONS, AUGUST 1841. FOR GRAHAM’S MAGAZINE.
LATEST FASHIONS, AUGUST 1841. FOR GRAHAM’S MAGAZINE.
Transcriber’s Notes:
Table of Contents has been added for reader convenience. Archaic spellings and inconsistencies in hyphenation have been retained. Obvious punctuation and typesetting errors have been corrected without note.
[End ofGraham’s Magazine, Vol. XIX, No. 2, August 1841, George R. Graham, Editor]