OF THE LENNI LENAPE INDIANS. 71 



mankind are embodied, and acquire an outward form to the 

 ear and an inward form to the mind ; while writing is but a 

 secondary mode of communication, much more limited in 

 its objects and use, and which is in necessary connection 

 with the oral signs of ideas. It seems idle at this day to 

 talk of a written language, entirely independent of speech, 

 and unconnected with it. There is little reason to doubt but 

 that such a connection will he discovered in the Mexican 

 writing, as it has been in the Egyptian and Chinese. 



Auxiliary to these vast labours, Europe has produced, 

 since the beginning of the present century, a great number 

 of grammars ami dictionaries of languages, which till then 

 were little known, and some of them not at all*. Several 

 of those which had been composed by the catholic mission- 

 aries, and either never published or printed solely for the 

 use of the missions, have been drawn forth from their re- 

 cesses, and published with learned notes and ad htions. 

 Anions; them we remark the Chinese d ctionary of Father 

 Basil de (ilemona never before printed, which was published 

 at Paris by M. de Guignes, in the year is 13, by order of 

 the emperor Napoleon, in a lame folio volume of 1 1 14 

 passes, with a supplement by M. Klaproth, and the Japanese 

 giammar of Father Rodriguez translated into French and 

 printed at Paris by M. Landresse with valuable additions by 

 M Abel Hemusat and a supplement by baron W. HumboMtf. 

 The Asiatic Society of Calcutta are prosecuting their learned 



* Several exoeiierrl grammars have also been published of languages 

 already known, as the Amine. Hebrew, A <■ among which arc remarked 

 those of Gesenius, Silvestre de Sacy, ami several other eminent philolo- 

 gists. The Arabic grammar of the latter is particularly esteemed. As 

 an orientalist and a writer on general grammar, M. d< Sac) enjoys u 

 In j li and 1 1 1 - 1 1 \ acquired reputation. 



i Elements de la Grammaire Japonaise, |>ar le P. BLodriguez. Traduil 

 do Portugais -nr le MS. de la Biblioth que du Roi, el collationni av< i la 

 Grammaire publiee par le m mi a Nangasaki en 1604. Pal M. <'• Lan- 

 dresse. Precede d'un explication des Syllabaires Japonais, avec deux 

 Planches. Par M. Abel RLemusat. Paris, 1825. 



Supplement i la Grammaire Japonaise du P. Rodriguez, ifcc. Par M. 

 le Baron G. d<; Humboldt. Pari*. ls2'3. 



