an English writer on prophecy. About 1838 Frere introduced a tactile alphabet, a phonetic system for teaching the blind to read. He had the advantage of having his plan carried out by a blind man, who suggested several changes. He also invented the ‘return’ lines—that is to say, the lines in his book are read from left to right and from right to left alternately, the letters themselves being reversed in the return lines. He devised a cheap method of setting up and stereotyping his books. Aided by Miss Yates of Fairlawn, Frere was able to have ‘The Book of the Prophet Isaiah’ printed from embossed metallic plates according to his stereotyping method (London, 1843–9).
