HISTORT of the SOCIETT. 



»5 



error in our praaice, notwithftanding the length to which it is 



arrived. ^ 



If, on the other hand, our writing has departed much trom 

 the rules of juft orthography, in that cafe, however well dil- 

 pofed for a reformation, it is not in the power of a few mdi- 

 viduals, to make fo great a change in the literary fyftem of the 

 country, as this reformation would require. 



But if there is to be acknowledged any advantage in the al- 

 phabetical method, the very difficulty of undertaking fuch a 

 reformation, affords the ftrongeft argument for the expediency 



of the meafure. 



This will appear by confidering, that in departing from the 

 alphabetical rule, we lofe the Uterary advantage of the elemental 

 method ; at the fame time, we do not derive from the verbal 

 method, then fo far purfued, that benefit which the Chinefe 

 have, in compenfation for their want of alphabetical ortho- 

 graphy. 



The corruption of the Chinefe orthography may naturally 

 lead to the introdudion of the alphabetical method. But the 

 corruption of the alphabetical method, while it introduces a 

 real difficulty and confufion into our orthography, is attended 

 with no advantage, except perhaps the ideal pleafure of fome 

 fpeculative men, when in purfuit of the derivation of the lan- 

 guage. 



Phyf. CI. Dr Walker, Profeffor of Natural Hiftory, read 

 a paper on Petrifadion, by Everardus Joannes Thomassen 

 a Theussinck, of Zwoll in Holland. 



J^n~Cl. Dr HuTTON read a continuation of his DifTerta- 

 tion on Written Language as a Sign of Speech. [See fupra, 



1786. 



July i- 



Thomaflen on 

 petrification. 



July 17- 

 Dr Hutton on 

 written lan- 

 guage. 



