ON TEACHING THE DEAF AND DUMB TOSPEAK. 313 
fective, becaufe in neither work, have letters been invented 
for the founds not before reprefented.---If the dumb had 
the advantage of learning a language properly {pelled,- 
every time they read in a book, the founds would be im- 
prefled upon the mind, and reading would offer an eternal 
fource of improvement, both in correct fpeaking, and in 
matter; and thus might a perfon, who had once learned 
his letters, be capable of reading every thing correaly, 
and a child would not have to learn a language in merely 
learning to read; thirty founds only would be required, 
and he would have no idea of the poffibility of fubftitut- 
ing a wrong letter in writing, for one which he could 
properly pronounce; thus, {pelling would not be a ftudy 
in writing. I ipeak now, not only in favour of the deaf 
and confequently dumb, but of all others, who have not 
yet learned to read, Some of thefe ideas I have often re- 
peated, but repetition is admiffible, when we confider with 
how much difficulty truth is made to grow in a foil where 
prejudice has permitted error to take deep root. 
Many of the dumb learn to communicate by their fin- 
gers, forming an alphabet, by pointing at each finger, by 
fhutting them feparately, by laying various numbers of 
fingers upon the other hand, firft on one fide, then on the 
other, and by different figns, pafling through the whole 
{cale of founds---and compofing words by vifible motions, 
which are agreed upon bya friend. They alfo write, and 
learn the meaning of things, by referring to the reprefen- 
tatives of words inftead of the words themfelves, and the 
meaning of things would be as eafily taught by this mode 
as by the ear, provided there were as much repetition in 
one cafe as in the other. | 
It is neceflary, that the dumb have each a book, in 
which fhould be written under proper heads, the names 
of familiar obje@s, and under them thofe things which 
have a connection, beginning with genera, and defcend- 
ing to {pecies. Rr2 It 
