1о

The Original of Letters.

Book — I.

man, Saxon, Danijli, Norman, according to thefeveral viciíiitudes of Plantations and Conquefts, thatthis Nation hath undergone. And ac cordin as fuch Conqueůs have been more or lefs compleat and abfo

lute , Ё) have the Language: been more or lefs generally altered: which is the reafon why the Saxon Tongue was by our progenitors more fully ` ""

introduced in England, then either that of the Frank: amon (i the Gau/r,

`

or that of the Gat/n or Lumbardr in Ital), or that of the Got :,Pandalr or Moor: in Spain. That which feems to be the neweß Language in the World, is the Ma

li'iffbm'”

та“ chap’ lajan , which is now as general and common amongft the Natives of the Baß-Indie: , as Latin or Freneb is in фей: parts of the World.

'Tis làid

to be but of late invention ‚ occalioned by the concourfe of Fifhermen

from Pega, Sinn, Bengala, and feveral other Nations, who meeting tege ther at a lace convenient for Filhing, and linding that it was by fituati.

on excee ing commodious for Traflick from feveral parts , did agree to Еще there a Plantation 5 and accordingl-y built the Town of Malaeea, which hath lince, for many years, been governed by the Рапида“, and is now under the power of the Hollander.

And, for the more facil een

verfe with one another, they agreed upon a dìliinét Langnage, which prg bably was made up by feleůin the той foft and eaÍy words belonging to each feveral Nation. ' Anä this is the onely Language ( for oughtl __ know) that hath ever been at once ‘тетей; if it may properly be Iiy'lcd a diftinâ Language, and not rather a Medley of many. But this being invented b rude Filhermen , it cannot be expeëted that it Íhould

have all thofe ad'vantages, with which it might have been furnilhed by the rulesof Philofophy. â‘äiïämrîn'

I know that the Learned Golive doth añirm фе China Language to be

° ’5' invented by Art 5 but, on the 'neit difcovery be Country, made of it at pre. this no Ju”. diltance, from thofe whou ave lived many years intothat and

tend to underûand the Language, it appears to be Го exceedingly equivo eal,and in many refpeëts fo very ifnperfeô‘, that there is little reafon to be

lieve it had any (uch Original.

CHAP.

III.

I. The Original 0f Letter: and Writing.

II. That allLetter: were de~

ri'uedfrogn tbe Hebrew. II I. The ufe af Letter: i: lef: ancient, and tbe kindsqf then: lçß numerous , tlncnof tbe Language: Меж/Ним.

IV. 0f Note: fbr Secrecy or Brevitj.

V. 0f real Cbaraòlerr.

V I. 0f Alphabet: in general.

Q. l

Aving laid down this brief~ and general View of' Langnagei, 'tis re» quifite that fornething Íhould be alfo premiled concerning Letters,

' f

the Inwentz'an of which was a thing of fo great Art and exquifitenefs,

‘мы, w, that Tully doth from hence inferr the divmlty and fpirituality ofthe hu xib. i. mane jòul,and that it muli needs be of a fart more excellent and abliraët ed Eß'ence then mere Matter or Body , in that it was able to reduce all articulate lbunds to :4 Lenen. Though