ARTIFICIAL VERSIFYING OR, THE SCHOOL-BOY'S Recreation. A New WAY to make LATIN VERSES. WHEREBY Any one of ordinary Capacity, that only knows the A.B.C. and can Count 9 (though he understands not one word of Latin, or what a Verse means) may be plainly taught, (and in as little a time as this is Reading over,) how to make Hundreds of Hexameter Verses, which shall be True Latin, True Verse, and good Sense. Arithmeticae ignarus hic ingrediatur. Never before Published. LONDON, Printed for John Sims at the King's Head, in Cornhill. 1677. Artificial Versifying, Or▪ The Schoolboy 's Recreation. GREAT is the Force of Numbers in the Discovery of Nature's Secrets; the Reason of Numbers (if we dare Credit Solomon, in Wisd. 11.20.) was one of the chiefest Rules according to which God framed the World, so that to set light by the power of Numbers, is to undervalue the Wisdom of the great Creator, who made use of them, as the Prime Instruments, by which he Modulated the whole Creation: All the pleasure and satisfaction we can receive from Natural Speculations, is but dull and insipid, in comparison to the transporting Complacencies, which from thence may be extracted by this kind of Harmony, as is much better known unto every man, by how much the more he is exercised in these Operations. There hath been much time and diligence bestowed by industrious and learned Men of Communicative Spirits, of Former Ages, and of late years, to Reduce their Arithmetical Theories into Practice, to Fit their Conclusions to Instrumental Work, for the benefit of illiterate Artificers: And so successful have their endeavours proved, that thereby commodious Advantages have accrued to Persons of divers Faculties; who though they have been altogether ignorant of Arithmetic, and of all Literature, yet by the benefit of Instrumental Operation, they have been capacitated to perform such Conclusions as their respective Faculties required, though thereof they have not been able to give a better Reason, then, That it is so, because it is so. Now lest the Common Fiddler, (who, though ignorant in Musical Proportions, can notwithstanding Play Tuneably on his Instrument.) And lest the Carpenter, Glazier, or Brick layer, (who, though not at all Versed in Arithmetic, can by his Rule know the Content of his Work,) should boast of their Advantages and Triumph over the Latinist and the Poet, I have thought Fit to Publish this following Invention, to stop the Career of their Mechanical Ostentation. For by the following Tables, any one of the meanest Capacity, that only knows the A. B. C. and can count 9, (though he understands not one word of Latin, or what a Verse is) may be immediately Taught how to Compose Hundreds of Hexameter Verses, which shall be True Latin, True Verse, and Good Sense. The Versifying Tables .1. i s a t t h t p p m oh s u r o u e e p r p r i r r s r i d e b s r p s f a i r i t i i i i d a d i d a m d b a a a a a a b b b .2. d f f b i v v d d i a a e u o e oh a c c t t r t r n m t t a l a a b a n a a a a a b b i b .3. m t i v m v r a s i i n i a i e l c h b q r l d oh i i i i u o i e r i o a s s s b r m b b r b .4. p p m p p c c p c r r oh oh r a oh r oh ae o n r o u n o n d c s t m s c d f i u t a i a e u i c r r b t b d c r u a a u t u u u m n n b n u n n n a t t u t n t t t n n t t b b t r b r b b b 5 s s p f c t d i p i oh i oe r e o u o d m g d i m g r c e n n e m p m g u r i oh r i oh a i l a a r a n r t a a a a a a b r b 6 m q c t p s p s s u u e a l oh r e ae l ae r n a l a m p t d t t n a v p e a a a u e a e m m b r r b b d b r The Use of the TABLES, and Manner of Operation. I. YOU are to know, that every Verse which you are to make by these Tables, will be an Hexameter Verse, (so called, because those kind of Verses consist of Six Feet, neither more, nor less,) and will be made up of just Six Latin Words. II. You are to Note, that every one of those six Words, are orderly to be produced out of the six Tables respectively, viz. the first Word of the Verse is to be wrought out of the First Table, the Second Word of the Verse is to be produced out of the Second Table, the Third Word is to arise out of the Third Table, and so the Fourth, Fifth and Last Words of the Verse, are to be wrought out of the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Tables respectively. III. You are to understand, that whenever you shall be minded to make a Verse by these Tables, you must set down on a piece of Paper any Six of the Nine Figures, called Digits, viz. 1.2.3.4.5, 6.7.8.9. But he that cannot write or read, may conceive any Six of them in his Mind; and since he may be taught the Use of these Tables, either by Word of Mouth, or by Hearing these Directions read, the thing to him will be the same, throughout the whole Operation, as to him that can write and read. iv Six of any of those Nine Figures being set down on a Piece of Paper, are as so many respective Keys to the Six Tables: the first Figure towards the left Hand, is always to be applied to the first Table, and is the Proper Key to that Table; The second Figure, (always reckoning their places orderly towards the right Hand) is to be always appropriated to the second Table; The Third Figure, in order, is as the proper Key to the Third Table: and so every one of the Six Figures are orderly to be applied to their respective Tables, so that the first Figure out of the first Table produces the first Word of the Verse; the second Figure by the second Table, works out the second word of the Verse; and so the Six Figures do produce the six words of the Verse out of their respective Tables. V When you have Pitched upon any six Figures to make your Set of, and put them down on Paper, the way to work them out so, that every of the six Figures may produce its respective Latin word out of its proper Table, (to which by its place or order it appertains) I say, the Rule for Operation is this, viz. With the Figure that belongs to its proper Table, you must Number on with the Columns of the said Table, till you come to 9 in count upon the Columns, (reckoning the first Column of the Table always one more ●hen the Figure,) at which Ninth Column you are always to make a Stop, (for in the whole Operation you are never to count past 9) and diligently mark the Letter you shall find therein, and write it down on a Piece of Paper, (which is to be the first Letter of your Latin word,) and as diligently you are to observe the Column, wherein you found that Letter, (which if you mistake, your whole Operation for that word will be frustrated,) from which Column, count the succeeding Columns till you come to the Ninth, and mark well that Ninth Column, and the Letter in it, which you must put down on the Paper to the other Letter, and so counting forward to the Ninth Column, see what Letter is therein, and add it to the other on the Paper, and so do till the Word is wrought out by that Table, which that you may know, it is so contrived, that when the Word is ended, the last Count of 9 will fall upon a Blank-Column. But since the Use of the Tables will be more clear by Example, I shall so clearly and evidently declare their use by this Set of Figures (467182) working every Figure through its proper Table, that it shall be apprehended by the meanest Capacity. Example, 467182. The first Figure towards the left Hand being (4) belongs to the first Table, and therefore I shall call the first Column of that Table 5, the second Column 6, the third Column 7, the fourth Column 8, and the next Column 9, at which I stop, and observing the Letter that is in that Column, which is (t). I set it down on a Piece of Paper: and because it is to be the first Letter of the first word of the Verse, I put it down at the beginning of a Line, and with a great Letter thus, 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tristia fata tibi producunt Sidera prava. Then the next Column, wherein I found that t, I reckon 1, the next Column to that 2, the next 3, and so I count the Columns on in order, till I come to the Ninth Column from the said t, wherein finding the Letter (r) I put it down next to t as above; then well marking the Column in which I found that r, I from thence count on (as I did from t) orderly to the ninth Column, and therein finding the Letter (i) I add that to r as above: from this, i, I reckon till I come to the ninth Column, wherein I find the Letter (s), which putting down to i, as above, I go on to count from this s, to the ninth Column, as therein finding the Letter (t), I add it to s, as you see above; I proceed to reckon the ninth Column from this t, and therein finding the Letter (i), I put it down next to t, as above: then to the ninth Column from this i, I therein find the Letter (a), which putting down next to i, I proceed to count on to the ninth Column from a, but therein finding a Blank, I thereby know that the whole word is wrought out, and there are to be no more Letters in the first word of the Verse, than those above, viz. Tristia. To work out the second word of the Verse by the second Figure in order, which is (6), I apply it to the second Table, and call the first Column thereof 7, the second Column in order 8, and next 9, at which I stop, and finding therein the Letter (f), I put it down on the paper in the same Line with Tristia at a convenient distance, because it is to begin another word, and beginning from the Column in which I found f, to count the Columns till I come to the ninth, I find therein the letter (a), and putting it down to f, as above; from this a I reckon till I come to the ninth Column, I therein meeting with the Letter (t), and putting it down to a as before, I from thence count to the ninth Column, and finding therein the Letter (a), I add it to t, as you see before, and proceed to reckon on to the ninth Column from thence, wherein finding a Blank, I thereby do know, that the Word is composed, and that there is to be no more Letters in the second word of the Verse then, fata. To work out the third Word of the Verse by the third Table, I apply to it the third Figure (in order in the Set) which is (7) and do therefore call the first Column of that Table 8, the second Column 9, in which I find the Letter (t), which I put down in the same line next to Fata, at a convenient distance, because it is to begin another word, from which Column I count till I come to the Ninth, and therein finding the Letter (i), I put it down to t, as before, and from thence reckoning to the Ninth Column, I there Find the letter (b), which adding to i, (as you see before) I from thence count to the ninth Column, and therein Finding the Letter (i) I put it down to (b), and counting from this i, to the Ninth Column, I there do Find a Blank, by which I know that there are to be no more Letters in the third Word of this Verse then, tibi. To Work out the fourth Word of the Verse, I apply the fourth Figure in order in the Set, which is (1) to the fourth Table, and count the first Column thereof 2, the second Column 3, and so on till I come to the Ninth Column, wherein finding the Letter (p) I put it down at a convenient distance from the Word tibi, in the same line (it being the first Letter of another Word) and counting to the Ninth Column from p, I therein find the Letter (r) which putting down to p, (as you may see done before) I from thence reckoning to the Ninth Column, do therein find the Letter (o) which l add to r, and from thence counting to the Ninth Column, I there meet the Letter (d) which I put down next to o, and from thence I go on to the Ninth Column, wherein finding the Letter (u) I add it to d, and from thence count to the Ninth Column, and therein finding the Letter (c), I put it down next to u, and counting from thence to the Ninth Column, I find therein the Letter (u), which putting to c, I reckon from thence to the Ninth Column, and finding therein the Letter (n), I add it to u, and counting from thence to the ninth Column, I find there the Letter (t), which putting down next to n, I proceed to count from thence to the ninth Column, in which finding a Blank, I thereby know that the fourth Word of this Verse is wrote out, and that that it hath no more letters, then producunt. To work out the fifth word of the Verse, I apply the fifth Figure in order (which is 8) to the fifth Table, and counting the first Column thereof 9, I there make a stop, and finding therein the letter (s), I put it down (as you see above) at a fit distance from the word producunt, and from thence counting to the ninth Column, I therein find the letter (i), and setting it down next to s, I from thence reckon to the ninth Column, and finding there the letter (d) I add it to i, from whence counting to the ninth Column, I find therein the letter (e) which I put down next to d, and counting from thence to the ninth Column, I there find the letter (r), which I add to e, and proceed to reckon from thence to the ninth Column, in which Finding the letter (a) I put it down to r, and numbering from thence to the ninth Column, I Find there a Blank, by which I know that there are to be no more letters in the Fifth Word of the Verse, then Sidera. To work out the sixth and last Word of the Verse, I apply the sixth and last Figure, viz. 2, to the sixth and last Table, and counting the first Column thereof 3, the next 4, and forwards till I come to the ninth Column, wherein Finding the letter (p) I writ it down at a convenient distance from the Word Sidera, and from the Column wherein I found this p, I count to the ninth Column, and therein Finding the letter (r) I writ it down next to p, and reckoning on to the ninth Column from thence, I Find therein the letter (a), which putting down next to r, I reckon from thence to the ninth Column, wherein finding the letter (v), I add it to a, and counting from thence to the ninth Column, I do therein Find the letter (a), and putting it down next to v, I from thence proceed to count to the ninth Column, and Finding therein a Blank, I thereby understand that this Word is ended, and there are to be no more letters in the sixth and last Word of the Verse, then prava. By which several Operations I have made it plain to you, that in this Set of Figures, (467182) the Figure (4) in the first place produceth the first word of the Verse, Tristia; the Figure (6) in the second place bringeth out the second word, Fata; the Figure (7) in the Third place produceth the third word, tibi; the Figure (1) in the fourth place worketh out the fourth word, producunt: the Figure (8) in the fifth place formeth out the fifth word Sidera, and that the Figure (2) in the sixth and last place doth work out the sixth and last word of the Verse, Prava. Every of which 6 words being wrote down on a piece of Paper (as before is taught) as they were wrought out, makes this Hexameter Verse. Tristia fata tibi producunt sidera prava. As to the Trueness of the Latin, and the Verse, I appeal to any ingenious Grammarian, and as to the Sense, I could wish the Physiologists had not subscribed their Probatum est. You must Remember, that when you put the Figure 9 amongst any Set of Figures, and appropriate it to its proper Table, you always count the first Column of that Table, as 1, the next Column 2, and so reckon on till you come to the Ninth, and so to proceed in the Operation, as with any other Figure. As for Example, you will find done in this Set of Figures (988978) (where the Figure 9 is in the first and fourth place) which being worked out by these Tables, produceth this Verse. Perfida dicta mihi confirmant somnia multa. Which Set of Figures if you place exactly backwards, thus (879889) you will have a Verse wrought out consisting of Latin words quite different from the former, which make an absolute Alteration in the Sense also: For you are to know, that the Alteration of the place of any of the six Figures, (you propose to make your Set of) produceth a Verse different in Words and Sense: You will find the last inverted Set of Figures (if truly worked out by their respective Tables) to yield this Verse. Impia facta, scio, praedicunt sidera saepe. By every way changing the Figures places will be produced such variety of different Latin words to compose Verses of, causing such various Alteration in their Sense, that these Operations cannot but prove very delightful to him that understands the Latin Tongue; and not a little grateful to him takes pleasure in the Power of Numbers. FINIS.