BORN BLIND AND DEAt^. 51 



lost Sight of the philosophical studies of his early years. I 

 have been able to learn nothing of the author, but what is 

 contained in the following slight notice, which I transcribe 

 from Anthony Wood. " The reader may be pleased to know, 

 that one George Dalgarno, a Scot, wrote a book, entitled, Ars 

 Signorum, &c. Londpn, 1660. This book, before it went to 

 press, the author communicated to Dr Wilkins, who from 

 thence taking a hint of greater matter, carried it on, and brought 

 it up to that which you see extant. This Dalgarno was born 

 at Old Aberdeen, and bred in the University at New Aber- 

 deen ; taught a private grammar school witli good success for 

 about thirty years together, in the parishes of S. Michael and 

 S. Mary Mag. in Oxford ; wrote also, Didascalocophus, or, the 

 Deaf and Dumb Man's Tutor ; and dying of a fever, on the 

 28th of August 1687, aged sixty or more, was buried in the 

 north body of the church of S. Mary Magdalen." (Ath. Oxon. 

 vol. ii. p. 506-7.) 



The obscurity in which Dalgarno lived, and the complete 

 oblivion into which his name has fallen, are not a Httle won- 

 derful, when we consider that he mentions among the number 

 of his friends Dr Seth Ward, Bishop of Sarum ; Dr John Wil- 

 KiNs, Bishop of Chester ; and Dr John Wallis, Professor of 

 Astronomy at Oxford. It is still more wonderful, that no no- 

 tice of him is taken in the works either of Wilkins or of Wal- 

 lis, both of whom must have derived some very important aids 

 from his speculations. 



This unfairness on the part of Wilkins, has not escaped the 

 animadversion of one of his own biographers. " In the prefa- 

 tory epistle (he observes) to the Essay towards a Real Charac- 

 ter, Dr Wilkins mentions several persons who assisted him in 

 this work, particularly Willoughby, Ray, and Dr William 

 Lloyd and others j but it is remarkable, that he does not men- 



^^ tion 



