{ 262 } 
N°. XXXII 
PRIZE DISSERTATION, 
which was honored with the Magellanic Gold Medal, by the Philofophical Society 
January, 1793. 
CADMUS, or a TREATISE on the ELEMENTS of 
WRITTEN LANGUAGE, dlluftrating, by a philofo- 
phical Divifion of SPEECH, the Power of each Charac- 
ter, thereby mutually fixing the Orthography and Orthoe- 
Ve a 
CUR NESCIRE, PUDENS PRAVE, QUAM DISCERE MALO? 
Hor: Ars Poet: v, $8, 
With an ESSAY on the mode of teaching the DEAF, or 
SURD and confequently DUMB, to SPEAK. 
ERHAPS there is no fubje& of which the 
generality of men are fo ignorant, as the fub- 
je& of the following paper: indeed there is f{carcely one 
that ignorance affeéts fo much to defpife; but, though 
unexpanded minds may not deem it worthy of a thought, 
fome of the greateft philofophers have confidered it of 
fuch importance as to claim their particular attention. 
The learned Bifhop Wilkins, in his treatife on a _philofo- 
phical language, informs us, that befides the famous Em- 
perors Caius Julius Cefar, and OGavius Auguftus, who 
both wrote upon this fubje&, Varro, Apian, Quintilian 
and Prifcian beftowed much pains upon the alphabet: fince 
them Erafmus, both the Scaligers, Lipfius, Salmafius, Vof- 
fius, Jacobus Matthias, Adolphus Metkerchus, Bernardus 
Malinchot, &c.—alfo Sir Thomas Smith, Bullokar, Alex- 
ander Gill, and Do&tor Wallist; the laft of whom Wil- 
kins thinks, had confidered with the greateft accuracy and 
fubtlety the philofophy of articulatefounds. He alfo ac- 
knowledges 
+ Iam forry that my remotenefs from any library prevents my perufing moft of thefe au- 
hors, asl write this in Tortola, my native place. 1792. 
