Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	left_a	right_a	stand_v	23,693	5	7.0021	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69856	Digiti-lingua, or, The most compendious, copious, facil, and secret way of silent converse ever yet discovered shewing, how any two persons may be capable, in half an hours time, to discourse together by their fingers only, and as well in the dark as the light / by a person who has conversed no otherwise in above nine years.	Person who has conversed no otherwise in above nine years.	1698 (1698)	Wing D1472; ESTC R14754	6,548	33

his Hat put behind him under a Table or otherwise as conveniency best offers so that the person about to disclose stand or sit next him or can well reach his hand without notice taken by the Company Complying with this caution one Friend may discover his mind to the other with all the secrecy imaginable by making the same Figures on and about his Friends hand as he could on his own hand if his Friend saw him because this way the Person to whom spoke apprehends as well in the dark by feeling as if he saw the same Figures in the light Thus in the most private manner and by stealth can a man make assignation to meet his friend promise to renew a Visit ask Counsel give Advice c. without the least suspicion of the sharpest over-looker nay one of the two friends may look a third person earnestly in the face as seeming intent on what discourse entertains the Company and indeed minds only what his silent friend and himself are mutually conversing about on each others Fingers I believe I have by this time furnished a witty head with ways enough to disclose a secret as private as secrecy itself Furthermore any two persons may discourse Riding or Walking and so that not to be observed by any Persons meeting or passing by But as a Crown to the conveniency and pleasure in this way of Converse let me mention the facility in learning the method here delivered which is easily done in the space of half an hour ordinarily while a Pipe is smoaking or the Cloath taking away And I can most truly affirm I know some great persons who after this my manner can express any thing sooner by their Fingers than the most skilful Artist can by his Pen and Ink provided he write in words at length I forbear to relate any pleasant accidents happening by the use of these Alphabets because I make use of them Tam Necessitate Quam Diversione Since there is no word but is made up of one or more Vowels the Vowels consequently come about oftner than any five Consonants wherefore let the Thumb and Four fingers of the left hand touched by the top of the Fore-finger of the right hand represent the five Vowels aciou viz. the top of the Thumb a. the Fore-finger e. the Middle-finger i. the Ring-finger o. and the little Finger u. as by the Figure The Consonants are thus decipher'd The fore-finger and thumb of the left-hand put together B The four fingers bent in towards the palm of the hand C The thumb and fore-finger of the left-hand joyned by the fore-finger of the right-hand D The fore-finger of the right hand laid on the back of the 4 fingers of the left hand F The two Fists joyned G Draw the fore-finger of the right hand quite along the middle of the left hand H Touch the Nail of the middle finger of the left hand I conson Draw the fore-finger of the right hand quite along the back of the left hand K Lay the fore-finger of the right hand on the knuckles of the left L Put 3 fingers in the palm of the hand M Put 2 fingers in the same manner N Put the fore-finger of the right hand between the fore and middle finger of the left P Turn the top of the fore finger of the left hand to the bottom of the thumb of the same hand Q Lay the fore finger of the right hand semicircularly in the palm of the left R Encircle the thumb of the left hand with the fore-finger of the right S Touch the side of the left hand with the fore finger of the right T Touch the nail of the little finger of the left hand U conson Put two fingers on the little finger of the left hand W Lay the 2 foer-fingers across X Touch the bottom of the hand long ways with the fore finger of the right hand Y Make the figure of the letter in the palm of the hand Z Note for H and K let the Finger be brought from the Part where it is set to the end of the direct Line within and without the hand Place this in Page 19. Notwithstanding I have so largely and plainly described the form of every significative Figure I have that the whole Alphabet might be viewed at once caused these Figures to be here set in their Alphabetical Order as may be perceived Now nothing can be easier when any person views the whole twenty six Figures than to make such and such signs by his fingers at first sight as according to these rules represent such and such letters as make up the word he would express This I say must be as facile as for a skilful Musician to play off a Tune at sight or as if out of the twenty six letters there litterally set over their respective representative Figures I were with a Pen and Ink to take AND for and so likewise of any other word But this I think good to advise that whosoever desires to be a proficient in this silent Language ought to be able to express the whole Alphabet in their Alphabetical Order laying aside these instructions as absolutely perfect before they pretend to discourse as a Boy ought well to make his letters before he essays to write words But now it may be objected if three men buy three of these Books and make use of the same Alphabet they must undoubtedly alike apprehend which I grant to be true but to make my words good I here present the world with another Alphabet and shall anon shew the pleasure and commodity of them both together Let the top of the four fingers and the Thumb signifie the five Vowels a e i o u beginning at the little finger for a. and so backwards as by the following figure The Consonants I thus dispose The same that d is in the other Alphabet B The same that r is in the other Alphabet C Joyn the 2 thumbs and 2 fore-fingers D Cross the Wrist with the fore-finger F Put the two Fists one upon another G Draw the fore-finger round the hill of the thumb H The same that f is in the other Alphabet K The fore-finger of the right hand laid within the fingers of the left I. The same as in the other Alphabet MN The fore-finger of the right hand put between the fore-finger thumb of the left P Encompass the fore-finger of the right hand with the fore-finger and thumb of the left Q The same that h is in the other Alphabet R Joyn the 2 little fingers cross ways S Lay the fore-finger of the right hand directly across the palm of the left hand T Touch the thumb najl U conson Put all the fingers overone another almost cross W Connex the knuckles X Put the fore-singer thumb of the right hand to the side of the left hand Y As in the other Alphabet Z Noce for h and r let the finger be brought from one end of the Line where it is

Digiti-Lingua OR The most compendious copious facile and secret way of silent Converse ever yet discovered Shewing how any two persons may be capable in half an hours time to discourse together by their Fingers only and as well in the dark as the light The Directions herein given are so clear and the Method so extensive yet both superlatatively easie that if six persons are in company and each of them well versed in the design yet two of them may discourse together and the other four wholly ignorant of what they mean By a person who has conversed no otherwise in above nine Years The Figures curiously Engraved on Copper Plates Pulchrum est Digito Monstrari Dicier hic est Persius LONDON Printed for P. Buck at the sign of the Temple near the Inner-Temple-Gate in Fleet-street 1698. Digiti-Lingua OR The most compendious copious facile and secret way of silent Converse ever yet discovered HAving been obliged thro' an unfortunate impediment to these or some such like methods of Converse for now near ten years last past I have diverse times endeavoured to render the way of expression more facile and less burthensome to the memory as well as more brief and copious both in respect of time in which a word may be expressed and also of the figurative letters which represent a word and having now in my own judgment brought it to as convenient a period as I well can I here present the World with it To whose censure or approbation I leave it I am sensible there hath of late been published a pretty piece of Ingenuity intituled Sermo Mirabilis wherein the Author undertakes by his Book I mean to learn a person so as to be capable to discover his mind to his Mistress or his Friend and requires but six hours time for apprehension In which time I truly believe it may be done and must own it as my own private opinion that few people would have patience to sit six hours together upon no other business than purely to learn an Alphabet The reason why I judge my method more facile in attaining and less burthensome to the memory is because in matters of small moment to me nothing seems to affect the memory more than sight Now the Gentleman having contrived most of the Consonants about the Head which the person expressing can never see there must certainly be some small time allowed for recollection that Nose begins with n Mouth with m and so of the rest whereas these Alphabets of mine depending only on the two hands the person learning sees every significative figure he makes the often seeing of which as well as the often doing so greatly helps towards impressing it on the memory Neither do I perceive how this Gentleman makes his Alphabet more difficult to an indifferent person by pointing to two several places for one letter since his general rule is that that part of the Head or Body represents such a letter as the name of such part begins withal he says point to Arm for a or to Elbow for e and omit pointing to the Thumb and Fore-finger for those two vowels render it more unintelligible to a third person who is acquainted with his Alphabets which I cannot apprehend unless he had designed two other letters to be represented by the top of the Thumb and Fore-finger because I say pointing often to the Arm as in discourse is unavoidable and not at all to the Thumb any Person observing his general rule might perceive the mutation and thereby render it every whit as plain as without alteration according to his instructions I cannot but believe for the reason before given it is easier by far to understand what is said than to express it if the several parts are pointed to but slowly and indeed I think his way will not allow of so swift an occular apprehension unless a Man knows where his Eye may meet a Letter by reason of the distance of the parts pointed to as these Alphabets of mine where the Eyes are continually confin'd to so small a compass as about one hand All that possibly can be done by the directions given in Sermo Mirabilis may more quick free and easily be done by the Alphabets here delivered and much more For two persons can never discourse by those letters unless they see each others Arms Hands Head and Body and that perfectly too whereas by my Alphabets nothing is required but the Hands which in case of urgent necessity may be held over anothers Head or the person thus expressing may put his hands behind him his Friend standing at his back nay a hundred other conveniencies there are that Arms Head and Body will never admit of which any person using these Alphabets will soon discover However for more perspicuous demonstration sake I think it may not be amiss in this place to subjoyn a supposition or two which when rightly apprehended will as well make way for many more of the like nature as superlatively convince the unprejudiced World that nothing of this sort yet published can justly claim a parity with the Methods here laid down in respect of their secrecy pleasure and conveniency In the first place therefore I will suppose an honourable and and agreeable contraction of an inviolable friendship between two persons whether of the same or different Sex I judge it not material to my matter in hand to distinguish who are both very well versed in one or both of these Alphabets which many or most of their Friends and Acquaintance may discern and so perhaps these two Friends tho' they know they can discourse together without any Friends understanding who I now suppose to be in company yet because they cannot do it without their knowledge that they are communicating they out of a piece of breeding and gentility totally decline it because for a very true reason though a very ill one if the same thing at the same time may bear both those contrary Titles viz. The company being ignorant what the two Friends say that troublesome Fiend jealousy may suggest nocent or dishonourable inclinations especially if of two different Sexes when in reality it may only be a meer thought a slight piece of raillery or a thing of no manner of concern or moment But some people are so cursedly bewitched and by this Foe to all Quietude that they no sooner perceive a whisper but they proclaim a Plot. 'T is what the fair Sex are too often undeservedly charged withal Now if such jealous persons were in company as sometimes may happen and either of the two friends any dependance upon them I think it great folly this way to disoblige them which may be avoided and one friend disclose his mind to the other without the least perceivance of any in company by the use of either of these Alphabets in this manner let the person to whom the other is disclosing but dispose one of his hands out of the company as to be hid with

set to the other end thereofi Place this in Page 25. If the instructions given to the former Alphabet are rightly understood there needs none to this because reason dictates the same use Now I would say by this Alphabet Good Morrow Sir which is thus done The two Fists upon each other G Two fingers put upon the fore finger of the left hand oo Two thumbs and 2 fore-fingers joyned Which being put together make Good d When the word is ended point directly into the middle of the hand which notation must be given at the end of every word again Three fingers in the middle of the hand m Top of the fore-finger o 2 fingers drawn along the middle of thehand rr Top of the fore-finger as before o Fingers cross ways over one another w Then again the Notation Two little fingers cross ways S Top of the middle finger i Along the inside of the left hand r Then the Notation Which being bore in memory make Good morrow Sir But if it should so happen that two persons are conversing to-together by the use of either of these Alphabets and suspect a third person to apprehend 't is but exchanging five or more Letters in an Alphabet and they can never make Head or Tayl of it of which intentions any Man may acquaint his Friend by a whisper or otherwise As for Example you would say by this Alphabet Sir your Servant which in words at length will be thus 2 little fingers cross ways S Top of the middle finger i Along the inside of the hand r The point in the middle of the hand the notation Then again Fore-finger and thumb to the side of the hand y Top of the fore finger o Top of the thumb u Along the middle of the hand r Then the Notation Again 2 fingers cross ways S Top of the ring finger c Along the middle of the hand r Thumb Nail v Top of the little finger a 2 fingers in the palm n Draw the fore-singer directly down the middle of the hand t Then the Notation But now I will suppose that you have agreed to take the Vowels as in the other Alphabet and exchange r in this Alphabet for r in the other Alphabet which is c in this and for c in this Alphabet you will take k in the other alphabet You must thus begin then Two little fingers cross ways S Top of the middle finger i Fore finger semicircularly in the palm of the hand r Now any indifferent person that understood both Alphabets would think that you were about to say sick or some other word with more letters after the r which is c in this Alphabet or else when he sees the period at the end of c in this Alphabet tho to your self and friend it signifies r He concludes you speak Latin or make some mistake in the letters when the truth is he himself is in error But thus exchanging 5 or 6 letters in an Alphabet in many words they will be found so often to reiterate that a stander-by tho acquainted with the method shall apprehend but in a meer mist let him be never so expert at it However having here described 2 Alphabets every person is left to his liberty to make up one for himself and friend out of the 2 that will be as private from all the world as if they never heard of such an invention but I think the design here laid down is now made so plain it needs not further Demonstration For an affirmative point to one Eye For a negative point to the Nose But if you neither affirm nor deny put one finger upon the Eye and another upon the Nose which may very well signify I don't know or indifferent And whereas most of the letters are deliniated by the Fore-finger of the right hand if it happens that you are to express two Letters of the same sort just together it may be done either by two fingers at once as double o double e double f or any other letter except those that are deciphered by more than the fore-finger of the right hand or else at twice as best suits perticular Fancies Abbreviating the words by these Signs is the same as with a Pen and Ink because to intimate which needs no more than the representative Figures of W. C. H. That Y. T. and so of any other word as the person himself pleases The throwing out the hand from the body in way of discourse signifies and. I heartily wish all Persons may as soon discern the commodity as the use of these Fruits of a few vacant hours FINIS