264 CAD MUS. 
Language appears common to nature. Almoft every 
beaft and bird and infe&t conveys its feelings by founds 
pittered in different ways. The language of man is how- 
ever the moft extenfive: his ideas are conveyed by words, 
formed cither by fingle or connected founds; thefe founds 
are produced by modifications of the voice and breath. 
Every modification is called a letter, which, reprefented by 
a mark, and the marks known by the eye to be the repre- 
fentatives of the founds, an idea is as intelligibly convey- 
ed by the marks as by the founds. 
* {How much have the learned to lament the imperfe& 
ftate in which human genius has yet left the alphabet! 
Tt has been the cuftom to confider ‘the *redu@tion of lan- 
guage to the eye as an art bordering fo much on divine, 
as almoft to furpafs human iavention. If we examine the 
ignorance, in this refpect, of even the moft learned men, 
‘we may with fome propriety afcribe to the fubje& much 
difficulty, but, when the firft fources of error are conquer- 
ed, every thing appears plain and fimple. 
I am confident the Hebrew language was not formed 
‘before that alphabet; [the alphabet was probably the Ethi- 
opic,| for the radicals of the Hebrew are compofed each 
of three characters, and by permutation might form ten 
thoufand words.’ Thefe verbs have all eighteen flexions, 
_and might form one hundred and eighty thoufand words, 
which would be more comprehenfive than human genius. 
It is impoffible that a language fo mechanically and fo 
artificially formed could be the effe& of chance,’ it’ muft 
have been formed upon the alphabet, and more efpecialty 
as it is formed’ by three charaéters in all cafes and not by 
three diftinét letters or founds ; for the =] beth, 3) vimel, 
‘“] and daleth, without the point, have the powers of Ba*, 
“* Tisthe Vocal of the H. 
