i LAPD MM US. 263 
Knowledges his obligations to the private papers of Doctor 
‘William Holder, and Mr. Lodowick. We find’in the Bif- 
‘hop’s work a great difplay of ingenuity and. good reafon; ' 
and on this fubje& many excellent obfervations. Since 
‘him feveral eminent authors have engaged in the ftudy, 
and have favored the world with ufeful remarks.. Among 
many who have publifhed I will particularly mention Dr. 
Kenrick, .Thomas Sheridan, Door: Beattie, and Dofor 
Franklin, fome of whofe judicious and forcible reafons.may 
be feen in the differtations of Noah Webfter. . 
An attentive confideration.of this theme has many and 
important. objects. 
We fee hundreds of nations whofe languages are not: 
yet written. We fee millions of children born to labour | 
for years to acquire imperfectly, what children of good - 
capacity would acquire perfectly in a few weeks.» 
We.-fee mountains of volumes printed, and-no man can 
produce, in the Englifh language, a fingle fentence, of ten | 
words;-properly written, if in the received mode of fpel- 
ling. 
To reduce the languages of different ‘nations to writing 
it would be neceffary to invent an Univer/al alphabet, the 
mode of conftruing and applying of which! fhall only — 
here give an idea of, as the bounds of this paper will not 
permit.me to.exemplify more than the English. 
An Univerfal alphabet ought to contain a dingle diftiné 
mark or character, as the reprefentative of each -fimple 
found which it is poffible for the human voice and. breath 
to utter. 
No mark fhould reprefent two or three diftina founds* ; 
nor fhould any fimple found. be reprefented. by two or 
three different characterst. - 
Language 
* As aincall, calm; came, 
tT Asc, &, g, eo. 
