Publisher's Synopsis
An excerpt from Shorthand and Typing, Vol. I:
THE first man in England who invented marks to represent words was Timothy Bright, M.D., who published in the reign of Elizabeth, in the year 1588, a treatise called "Characterie, an arte of shorte, swifte and secrete writing by character. Invented by Timothe Bright, Doctor of Phisike. Imprinted at London by I. Windet, the assigne of Tim. Bright, 1588. Cum privilegio Regise Majestatis. Forbidding all other to print the same." Mr. Angel, in his work on Shorthand (1759), to which reference will be made more in detail in jts chronological order, says: "I have indeed an English manuscript, dated 1331, but from the language, spelling and letters I cannot think it of that antiquity, and therefore shall not dispute Mr. Bright's claim to his being the first publisher of Shorthand in English."
The book is dedicated to the Queen - "To the most high and mighty Prince Elizabeth." He says: "Cicero did account it worthy his labour, and no less profitable to the Roman Commonweale, to invent a speedy kind of writing by character." He quotes Plutarch, and adds that this invention was increased afterwards by Seneca, and that the number of characters grew to seven thousand. There are few characters, short and easy, "Every Character Answering A Word."
It appears there was no alphabet. There are, it is true, certain marks for the letters, but they are incapable of being joined. They are on the principle of the secret writing which was so common at that period, purely arbitrary. The letter A was a vertical stroke ( - ). By adding various marks in different positions the letter A represented 12 words, namely, abound, about, accept, accuse, advance, air, again, age, all, almost, also, although. But A is also represented by a horizontal stroke (-), and by final additions in varying positions Bright gets another dozen words....
The reader is next instructed to learn the characterie words by heart: he is to join every character to the word: then he is to learn to refer either words of like signification or of the same kind, or contraries, into those that be quite characterie: and thus "thou hast in this book an English Dictionary." The reader is also informed that "thou may'st attain it if thou wilt but one month take pains therein: and by continuance of another month may'st thou attain to great readiness." There is a Table of Words, with characters annexed, which, said the author, addressing the reader in the simplest language, "thou art to get by heart." John Willis (1602) says of this Table of Words, "it required such understanding and memory that few of the ordinary sort of people could attain to the knowledge thereof." Subsequently Peter Bales published the Table of Words considerably increased.
Queen Elizabeth granted Timothy Bright a patent dated 26th July 1588 (Patent Office Roll, 30th Elizabeth, part 12), as follows: -
Elizabeth, by the Grace of God,
to all manner of printers, booksellers, stacyoners, and other oure officers, ministers, and subjects greetinge. Whereas, oure well-beloved subject, Tymothe Brighte, Doctor of Phisicke, hath latelie invented a shorte and newe kynde of writing by charecter to the furtheraunce of goode learninge, knowe ye that wee of oure Grace speciall, mere mocyon and c'ten knowledge have graunted and geven priviledge, free libertie and lycence, and by theise presents for us oure heires and successors do graunte and gyve pryvyledge, free liberty and lycence to the saide Tymothe Brighte and to his assignes for and dueringe the space of fyfteene yeeres next ensewinge the date hereof for hym and his assignes onlie to teache, imprynte and publishe or cause to be taughte, imprynted and published in or by character not before this tyme com'onlye knowne and used by anye other oure subjects....
