Got great ideas, but no idea how to build a website?Get Bluehost.Their AI design tool creates high-quality WordPress sites super fast.
Whether you're a blogger, influencer, or launching a side hustle, Bluehost helps boost your growth with built-in marketing and e-commerce tools.Upgrade to cloud to get 100% uptime and 24-7 security to stay online all the time.Why wait?
You've got the vision.Make it real.Visit Bluehost.com to get started.
Ready for an audio experience like no other?Dive into the world of infinite sounds with crystal clear high fidelity, only on Saul Good Media.
Visit SaulGoodMedia.com today and start exploring the boundless universe of sounds that will soothe, inspire, and revitalize your senses.Start listening today and experience uninterrupted serenity at SaulGoodMedia.com.
CHAPTER II.THE MYSTERIOUS PARCHMENT."'I declare,' cried my uncle, striking the table fiercely with his fist, "'I declare to you it is runic, and contains some wonderful secret which I must get at any price.'I was about to reply when he stopped me.
"'Sit down,' he said quite fiercely, 'and write to my dictation. I obeyed.I will substitute," he said, a letter of our alphabet for that of the runic.We will then see what that will produce.Now begin and make no mistakes.
The dictation commenced with the following incomprehensible result. N E E D R K E K T comma S A M N A T R A T E S S A O D R R N E M T N A E I N U A E C T R R I L S A A T V A A R DOT N S C R C I E A A B S C C D R M I E U T U L F R A N T U
d-t, i-a-c, o-s-e-i-b-o, k-e-d-i-i-y.Scarcely giving me time to finish, my uncle snatched the document from my hands and examined it with the most rapt and deep attention."'I should like to know what it means,' he said after a long period.
I certainly could not tell him, nor did he expect me to, his conversation being uniformly answered by himself."'I declare it puts me in mind of a cryptograph,' he cried.
"'Unless, indeed, the letters have been written without any real meaning, and yet why take so much trouble?Who knows, but I may be on the verge of some great discovery.
My candid opinion was that it was all rubbish, but this opinion I kept carefully to myself, as my uncle's stroller was not pleasant to bear.All this time he was comparing the book with the parchment.
The manuscript volume and the smaller document are written in different hands," he said.The cryptograph is of a much later date than the book.There is an undoubted proof of the correctness of my surmise.An irrefragible proof I took it to be.
The first letter is a double M, which was only added to the Icelandic language in the twelfth century.This makes the parchment two hundred years posterior to the volume.
The circumstances appeared very probable and very logical, but it was all surmised to me.To me it appears probable that this sentence was written by some owner of the book. Now, who was the owner, is the next important question.
Perhaps by great good luck it may be written somewhere in the volume."With these words Professor Hartwig took off his spectacles, and, taking a powerful magnifying glass, examined the book carefully.
On the fly-leaf was what appeared to be a blot of ink, but on examination proved to be a line of writing, almost effaced by time.This was what he sought, and, after some considerable time, he made out these letters.
"'Arne Sagnussemm,' he cried in a joyous and triumphant tone, "'that is not only an Icelandic name, but of a learned professor of the sixteenth century, a celebrated alchemist. I bowed as a sign of respect.
"'These alchemists,' he continued, "'Avicenna, Bacon, Lully, Paracelsus, were the true, the only learned men of the day.They made surprising discoveries.
May not this Saknusem, nephew mine, have hidden on this bit of parchment some astounding invention?I believe the cryptograph to have a profound meaning which I must make out.
My uncle walked about the room in a state of excitement almost impossible to describe."'It may be so, sir,' I timidly observed, "'but why conceal it from posterity if it be a useful, a worthy discovery?'"'Why?How should I know?'
Did not Galileo make a secret of his discoveries in connection with Saturn?But we shall see.Until I discover the meaning of this sentence, I will neither eat nor sleep.""'My dear uncle,' I began."'Nor you neither,' he added.
I was lucky I had taken double allowance that day. In the first place, he continued, there must be a clue to the meaning.If we could find that, the rest would be easy enough.I began seriously to reflect.
The prospect of going without food and sleep was not a promising one, so I determined to do my best to solve the mystery.My uncle, meanwhile, went on with his soliloquy.The way to discover it is easy enough.
In this document there are 132 letters, giving 79 consonants to 53 vowels.This is about the proportion found in most Southern languages, the idioms of the North being much more rich in consonants.
We may confidently predict, therefore, that we have to deal with the Southern dialect. Nothing could be more logical.Now," said Professor Hartwig, to trace the particular language.
As Shakespeare says, that is the question, was my rather satirical reply.This man, Saknussem, he continued, was a very learned man.
Now, as he did not write in the language of his birthplace, he probably, like most learned men of the sixteenth century, wrote in Latin. If, however, I prove wrong, in this case we must try Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, and even Hebrew.
My own opinion, though, is decidedly in favor of Latin."This proposition startled me.Latin was my favorite study, and it seemed sacrilegious to believe this gibberish to belong to the country of Virgil.
"'Barbarous Latin, in all probability,' continued my uncle, "'but still Latin.' "'Very probably,' I replied, not to contradict him."'Let us see into the matter,' continued my uncle.
Here you see we have a series of one hundred and thirty-two letters, apparently thrown pell-mell upon paper, without method or organization.
There are words which are composed fully of consonants, such as mm.rnlls, others which are nearly all vowels, the fifth, for instance, which is antif, and one of the last ossebo.This appears an extraordinary combination.
Probably we shall find that the phrase is arranged according to some mathematical plan. No doubt a certain sentence has been written out and then jumbled up, some plan to which some figure is the clue.Now hurry to show your English wit.
What is that figure? I could give him no hint.My thoughts were indeed far away.While he was speaking, I had caught sight of the portrait of my cousin Gretchen, and was wondering when she would return.
We were affianced and loved one another very sincerely, but my uncle, who never thought even of such sublunary matters, knew nothing of this.
Without noticing my abstraction, the professor began reading the puzzling cryptograph all sorts of ways, according to some theory of his own. Presently rousing my wandering attention, he dictated one precious attempt to me.
I mildly handed it over to him.It read as follows. S E G N I T T A M U R T N E C E R T S E R R E T T E , R O T A I V S A D U A , E D N E C S E D S A D N E L A C A R T N I I I L R J S I R A T R A C S A R B M U T A B I L E D M E K.
M-E-R-E-T-A-R-C-S-I-L-U-C-O-Y-S-L-E-F-F-E-N-S-N-I dot.
I could scarcely keep from laughing while my uncle, on the contrary, got in a towering passion, struck the table with his fist, darted out of the room, out of the house, and then, taking to his heels, was presently lost to sight. End of chapter 2.
Hey there, listeners.Are you ready to unlock a world of captivating stories, soothing sounds, and enlightening lectures?
At Saul Good Media, we believe in the power of audio to enrich your life, and now we're offering you a chance to experience it all for free.For a limited time, you can get a 1-month free trial to our premium, ad-free service.
Imagine having unlimited access to over 500 audiobooks, meditative sounds, and exclusive shows, all at your fingertips.Just head over to soulgoodmedia.com and sign up to start your free trial today.
No ads, no interruptions, just pure, immersive audio content.Don't miss out.Transform your listening experience with Soul Good Media. Visit sellgoodmedia.com and start your free trial now.We can't wait for you to join our audio community.
Happy listening. Welcome to Soul Good Media, where your journey into a world of endless audio possibilities begins.
Imagine a place where you can discover thousands of captivating audiobooks, immerse yourself in tranquil sounds for sleep and meditation, and explore timeless stories and lectures that expand your mind and enrich your soul.
At SoulGoodMedia.com, we believe in the power of stories to transform lives. Whether you're a lifelong learner, a parent seeking bedtime stories for your children, or someone looking to unwind after a long day, we have something just for you.
We invite you to try Sol Good Media free for one month.Explore our extensive collection and find the perfect audio content that resonates with you.
Join our community of passionate listeners and unlock a world of knowledge, relaxation, and inspiration.Visit soulbudmedia.com today and start your free trial.That's S O L G O O D M E D I A .com
Sign in
