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Article CHRONOGRAMS AND CHRONOPHONS. ← Page 3 of 4 Article CHRONOGRAMS AND CHRONOPHONS. Page 3 of 4 →
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Chronograms And Chronophons.
oAvn country is not wanting in instances of the same kind . Thus , in Winchester Cathedral , on the roof Avhich conceals the lantern toAver from the choir , is a chronogram recording the date and circumstances
of the construction , in 1635 . On an oaken wall plate iu the porch of Brockthorp Church , Gloucestershire , is one to denote the year of the decapitation of Charles I ., and even the day and the period of the
day , " On the thirtieth of January's setting sun . " In Albury Church is an epitaph on George Duncombe , AVIIO died in 1646 , a date denoted by the capital letters mixed up Avith others in the following Avords :
" Res Vrgent eX Isto pVLVere qVI Ibl sepVLtl DorMIVnt . " Let us analyze this a little , and see IIOAV it is built up . The first R is the initial capital at the beginning of the sentence , and does not count ;
all the other capitals denote numerals ; Avhile V , as a numeral , ( 5 , ) has to do duty both for u and for v , if either or both of those letters happen to take part in the sentence . Printed in ordinary type , the
epitaph makes its appearance in a Latin form familiar to those who are conversant Avith this class of inscriptions : " Resurgent ex isto pulvere qui ibi sepulti dormiunt . " The thick capitals , taken in the order in
which they stand , are VXIVLVV 1 IIVLI DMIV ; but rearranged in the order of their dignity or relative importance , they are MDLLXVVVVVVI 1 IIII—rather a lengthened way of saying 164-6 .
Coins , medals , and other articles are often to be met Avith bearing a chronogram stamped or engraved on them . After the opening of a gold mine in Sicily , in 1734 , coins were struck to celebrate the event
and the Latin motto , "Ex visceribus meis htec funditur , " borne on each coin , by converting u into v , and using thick letters for XVICIVMICVDIV , managed to denote the above mentioned date . On the
upper border of a sun-dial , existing some years ago on the Avest end of Nantwich Church , Cheshire , was a chronogram celebrating the coronation of Charles II . in 1621 : " Honor Domino pro pace populo suo parte ; " the significant letters here can
easily be discriminated . Over the door of Sherboume School , Dorsetshire , is ( or was ) a chronogram with the significant letters rubricated , or painted in red . The whole of it relates to the foundation of the school ; while the rubricated letters give the date 1670 ,
Chronograms And Chronophons.
The same conceit used sometimes to be folloAved by , or for , Avell-to-do families , in mottos for articles of domestic use . Thus , a damask table napkin has been described , Avhich contains a motto Avoven into the
linen fabric : ' SIgnVM paCIs DatVr LoiTCre , " to celebrate the conclusion of peace between England and France in 1763 , after seven years' hostilities . In a paper by Addison in the Spectator , relating
to the verbal puzzles Avhich Avere in fashion in the seventeenth century , he gave an instance of a chronogram , showed how it Avas constructed , and pretty plainly hinted his small estimation of such productions :
" This kind of wit avrpears very often on many modern medals , especia'ly those of Germany , Avhen they represent in the inscription the year in Avhich they were coined . Thus , ive see on a medal of
Gustavus Adolphus the folloAvmg Avords 1 ChristVs DuX ergo tiTVMphVs . ' If you take the pains to pick the figures out of the several Avords , and range them in their proper order , you will find they
amount to MDOXVVVII , or 1627 , the year in Avhich the medal was stamped ; for , as some of the letters distinguish themselves from the rest , and overtop their felloAvs , they are to be considered in a
double capacity , both as letters aud as figures . Your laborious German wits will turn over a Avhole dictionary for one of these ingenious devices . A man Avould think they are searching after an apt
classical term ; but instead of that , they are looking out a Avord that has an L , an M , or a D in it . When , therefore , Ave meet with any of these inscriptions , Ave are not so much to look in them for the thought
as for the year of the Lord . Addison might have found abundant illustrations of his meaning in books as Avell as in medals . The title pages , prefaces , dedications , and endings of books
have often been made to shoAv a date in the form of a chronogram , relating either to a person honoured in the book , or to the year in Avhich the book Avas printed . Whether it occurred in any book , as one among the many adulatory compliments to
Queen Elizabeth , Ave do not knoAv ; but a chronogram purports to say , " My Day is Closed In Immortality , " denoting the year of Elizabeth ' s decease , 1603 . Shakspeare , in Elizabeth ' s time , unquestionably kneAV something about chronograms , ( what did
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chronograms And Chronophons.
oAvn country is not wanting in instances of the same kind . Thus , in Winchester Cathedral , on the roof Avhich conceals the lantern toAver from the choir , is a chronogram recording the date and circumstances
of the construction , in 1635 . On an oaken wall plate iu the porch of Brockthorp Church , Gloucestershire , is one to denote the year of the decapitation of Charles I ., and even the day and the period of the
day , " On the thirtieth of January's setting sun . " In Albury Church is an epitaph on George Duncombe , AVIIO died in 1646 , a date denoted by the capital letters mixed up Avith others in the following Avords :
" Res Vrgent eX Isto pVLVere qVI Ibl sepVLtl DorMIVnt . " Let us analyze this a little , and see IIOAV it is built up . The first R is the initial capital at the beginning of the sentence , and does not count ;
all the other capitals denote numerals ; Avhile V , as a numeral , ( 5 , ) has to do duty both for u and for v , if either or both of those letters happen to take part in the sentence . Printed in ordinary type , the
epitaph makes its appearance in a Latin form familiar to those who are conversant Avith this class of inscriptions : " Resurgent ex isto pulvere qui ibi sepulti dormiunt . " The thick capitals , taken in the order in
which they stand , are VXIVLVV 1 IIVLI DMIV ; but rearranged in the order of their dignity or relative importance , they are MDLLXVVVVVVI 1 IIII—rather a lengthened way of saying 164-6 .
Coins , medals , and other articles are often to be met Avith bearing a chronogram stamped or engraved on them . After the opening of a gold mine in Sicily , in 1734 , coins were struck to celebrate the event
and the Latin motto , "Ex visceribus meis htec funditur , " borne on each coin , by converting u into v , and using thick letters for XVICIVMICVDIV , managed to denote the above mentioned date . On the
upper border of a sun-dial , existing some years ago on the Avest end of Nantwich Church , Cheshire , was a chronogram celebrating the coronation of Charles II . in 1621 : " Honor Domino pro pace populo suo parte ; " the significant letters here can
easily be discriminated . Over the door of Sherboume School , Dorsetshire , is ( or was ) a chronogram with the significant letters rubricated , or painted in red . The whole of it relates to the foundation of the school ; while the rubricated letters give the date 1670 ,
Chronograms And Chronophons.
The same conceit used sometimes to be folloAved by , or for , Avell-to-do families , in mottos for articles of domestic use . Thus , a damask table napkin has been described , Avhich contains a motto Avoven into the
linen fabric : ' SIgnVM paCIs DatVr LoiTCre , " to celebrate the conclusion of peace between England and France in 1763 , after seven years' hostilities . In a paper by Addison in the Spectator , relating
to the verbal puzzles Avhich Avere in fashion in the seventeenth century , he gave an instance of a chronogram , showed how it Avas constructed , and pretty plainly hinted his small estimation of such productions :
" This kind of wit avrpears very often on many modern medals , especia'ly those of Germany , Avhen they represent in the inscription the year in Avhich they were coined . Thus , ive see on a medal of
Gustavus Adolphus the folloAvmg Avords 1 ChristVs DuX ergo tiTVMphVs . ' If you take the pains to pick the figures out of the several Avords , and range them in their proper order , you will find they
amount to MDOXVVVII , or 1627 , the year in Avhich the medal was stamped ; for , as some of the letters distinguish themselves from the rest , and overtop their felloAvs , they are to be considered in a
double capacity , both as letters aud as figures . Your laborious German wits will turn over a Avhole dictionary for one of these ingenious devices . A man Avould think they are searching after an apt
classical term ; but instead of that , they are looking out a Avord that has an L , an M , or a D in it . When , therefore , Ave meet with any of these inscriptions , Ave are not so much to look in them for the thought
as for the year of the Lord . Addison might have found abundant illustrations of his meaning in books as Avell as in medals . The title pages , prefaces , dedications , and endings of books
have often been made to shoAv a date in the form of a chronogram , relating either to a person honoured in the book , or to the year in Avhich the book Avas printed . Whether it occurred in any book , as one among the many adulatory compliments to
Queen Elizabeth , Ave do not knoAv ; but a chronogram purports to say , " My Day is Closed In Immortality , " denoting the year of Elizabeth ' s decease , 1603 . Shakspeare , in Elizabeth ' s time , unquestionably kneAV something about chronograms , ( what did