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Athenaeum；〃 with additions by the author。 Soon after opening it we
come to names with which we are familiar； the first of these； that of
Cornelius Agrippa； being connected with the occult and mystic
doctrines dealt with by many of De Morgan's correspondents。 But the
name most likely to arrest us is that of Giordano Bruno； the same
philosopher； heretic； and martyr whose statue has recently been
erected in Rome； to the great horror of the Pope and his prelates in
the Old World and in the New。 De Morgan's pithy account of him will
interest the company ： 〃Giordano Bruno was all paradox。 He was； as
has been said； a vorticist before Descartes； an optimist before
Leibnitz； a Copernican before Galileo。 It would be easy to collect a
hundred strange opinions of his。 He was born about 1550； and was
roasted alive at Rome； February 17； 1600； for the maintenance and
defence of the Holy Church； and the rights and liberties of the
same。〃
Number Seven could not contain himself when the reading had reached
this point。 He rose from his chair； and tinkled his spoon against
the side of his teacup。 It may have been a fancy； but I thought it
returned a sound which Mr。 Richard Briggs would have recognized as
implying an organic defect。 But Number Seven did not seem to notice
it； or； if be did； to mind it。
〃Why did n't we all have a chance to help erect that statue？〃 he
cried。 〃A murdered heretic at the beginning of the seventeenth
century； a hero of knowledge in the nineteenth；I drink to the
memory of the roasted crank； Giordano Bruno！〃
Number Seven lifted his teacup to his lips； and most of us followed
his example。
After this outburst of emotion and eloquence had subsided； and the
teaspoons lay quietly in their saucers； I went on with my extract
from the book I had in hand。
I think； I said； that the passage which follows will be new and
instructive to most of the company。 De Morgan's interpretation of
the cabalistic sentence； made up as you will find it； is about as
ingenious a piece of fanciful exposition as you will be likely to
meet with anywhere in any book； new or old。 I am the more willing to
mention it as it suggests a puzzle which some of the company may like
to work upon。 Observe the character and position of the two
distinguished philosophers who did not think their time thrown away
in laboring at this seemingly puerile task。
〃There is a kind of Cabbala Alphabetica which the investigators of
the numerals in words would do well to take up； it is the formation
of sentences which contain all the letters of the alphabet； and each
only once。 No one has done it with v and j treated as consonants；
but you and I can do it。 Dr。 Whewell and I amused ourselves some
years ago with attempts。 He could not make sense； though he joined
words he gave me Phiz； styx； wrong； buck； flame； quiz。
〃I gave him the following； which he agreed was 'admirable sense；'
I certainly think the words would never have come together except in
this way： I quartz pyx who fling muck beds。 I long thought that no
human being could say this under any circumstances。 At last I
happened to be reading a religious writer；as he thought himself；
who threw aspersions on his opponents thick and threefold。 Heyday
came into my head； this fellow flings muck beds； he must be a quartz
pyx。 And then I remembered that a pyx is a sacred vessel； and quartz
is a hard stone； as hard as the heart of a religious foe…curser。 So
that the line is the motto of the ferocious sectarian who turns his
religious vessels into mud…holders； for the benefit of those who will
not see what he sees。〃
There are several other sentences given； in which all the letters
（except v and j as consonants） are employed； of which the following
is the best： Get nymph； quiz sad brow； fix luck；which in more sober
English would be； Marry； be cheerful； watch your business。 There is
more edification； mare religion； in this than in all the 666
interpretations put together。〃
There is something very pleasant in the thought of these two sages
playing at jackstraws with the letters of the alphabet。 The task
which De Morgan and Dr。 Whewell； 〃the omniscient；〃 set themselves
would not be unworthy of our own ingenious scholars； and it might be
worth while for some one of our popular periodicals to offer a prize
for the best sentence using up the whole alphabet； under the same
conditions as those submitted to by our two philosophers。
This whole book of De Morgan's seems to me full of instruction。
There is too much of it； no doubt； yet one can put up with the
redundancy for the sake of the multiplicity of shades of credulity
and self…deception it displays in broad daylight。 I suspect many of
us are conscious of a second personality in our complex nature； which
has many traits resembling those found in the writers of the letters
addressed to Mr。 De Horgan。
I have not ventured very often nor very deeply into the field of
metaphysics； but if I were disposed to make any claim in that
direction； it would be the recognition of the squinting brain； the
introduction of the term 〃cerebricity〃 corresponding to electricity；
the idiotic area in the brain or thinking…marrow； and my studies of
the second member in the partnership of I…My…Self & Co。 I add the
Co。 with especial reference to a very interesting article in a late
Scribner； by my friend Mr。 William James。 In this article the reader
will find a full exposition of the doctrine of plural personality
illustrated by striking cases。 I have long ago noticed and referred
to the fact of the stratification of the currents of thought in three
layers； one over the other。 I have recognized that where there are
two individuals talking together there are really six personalities
engaged in the conversation。 But the distinct； separable；
independent individualities； taking up conscious life one after the
other； are brought out by Mr。 James and the authorities to which he
refers as I have not elsewhere seen them developed。
Whether we shall ever find the exact position of the idiotic centre
or area in the brain （if such a spot exists） is uncertain。 We know
exactly where the blind spot of the eye is situated； and can
demonstrate it anatomically and physiologically。 But we have only
analogy to lead us to infer the possible or even probable existence
of an insensible spot in the thinking…centre。 If there is a focal
point where consciousness is at its highest development； it would not
be strange if near by there should prove to be an anaesthetic
district or limited space where no report from the senses was
intelligently interpreted。 But all this is mere hypothesis。
Notwithstanding the fact that I am nominally the head personage of
the circle of Teacups； I do not pretend or wish to deny that we all
look to Number Five as our chief adviser in all the literary
questions that come before us。 She reads more and better than any