Didactic

Listen to Dominic Gerrard read 'Didactic'.

Eighteen lines of Brachygraphy shorthand characters written in pencil fill the page of a notebook with 'Didactic' written in longhand at the top. In the top right corner is the number twelve, indicating the page number.

'Didactic' Part 1. Courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Source

The shorthand notebooks of Charles Dickens and Arthur P. Stone [ref: cdc5890009_14], Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia.

Description

An exercise in shorthand critiquing Catholicism. Please be advised that this text includes anti-Catholic sentiment.

Transcription

Although the forms of religious belief in the world are almost innumerable it is probable that their grounds and foundations are very few. One constantly recognises the same idea reappearing under diverse terms from the time of the old heathen mythology even to the present day. This is always observable in the superstitions of mankind. It is, or it would seem to be, so extremely difficult to separate the old notions altogether from new. […] artful taking advantage of the ignorance of the […] this tendency in mankind. Thus no one can visit Rome, the headquarters of all degrading superstition and fail to see incorporated into the pure[ity and] beauty of Christianity the […] pagan ceremonies of ages ago. Just as many of the Christian churches in Rome are built upon ruins of the old temples, so many of the practices retained in them and made articles of religious faith ought to have perished and forever vanished from sight in the light of the Christian dispensation, but still encumber them, the mere dust and ashes of a rotten and dead […].

Source text

To date, no direct source text has been identified for this shorthand dictation exercise.

Transcription credits

With thanks to: Amy D, Clarissa Parkinson, Elizabeth Agnew, Frances T, Ken Cox, and Shane Baggs.

Rights

Courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Please seek further permission from the Free Library to reuse the image.

Didactic