_Dial Motto at Karlsbad_ (Vol. iv., pp. 471. 507.).--I do not think it
difficult to throw light upon the Karlsbad inscription sent to you by
HERMES. I believe that there is a mistake either by the inscriber or the
transcriber, and that the word CEdIt ought to be written CeDIt. The
chrono-grammatic letters or numerals would then be MDCCVVVVIIIIIIIIII =
MDCCXXX = 1730. There are, however, as you have printed it, three other
capital letters, but I observe they are not in the same type as the
numerals. The question then arises, how do they appear in the original
inscription? do they all appear there, or only the first two. It is
possible that they, _i.e._ H. H. T., may be the initials of the name of
the then owner of the house I should like this explanation better if the
only capitals, not numerals, were H. H., the initials of the first two
words of the inscription, and unmingled with the numerals. It would then
be H. H. MDCCXXX, or as it would appear upon a house of the present day:
H. H.
1730.
It is probable that by inquiry at Karlsbad, if it were worth while, the
name of the owner and date of the house might afford a certain solution
of his difficulty. The doubtful letters may be the initials of the maker
of the dial.