es Ta 
tus fays, that Cadmus, with the other arts and fciences, brought 
letters into Greece, where before they were unknown: that thefe 
were fuch as the * Phoenicians ufed; but in procefs of time, with 
the + found they altered the rhythm of their letters, and laftly the 
lonians changed the form of a few. 
Ir has always appeared to me unaccountable how Cadmus 
came to poffefs the exclufive honour of introducing an alphabet 
into Greece, when it is well known the other { leaders of expe- 
ditions from the Eaft could have done the fame as well as the 
petty prince of Boeotia. Therefore no fufficient reafon can be 
affigned for reje@ing what has been advanced refpe@ting the Pelaf- 
gians and their ufe of letters; and let it be remarked, that Pelaf- 
gus, Inachus, /Eolus, Lelex and Cecrops, were the chiefs of 
oriental colonies an hundred years before Cadmus. If the fad 
then be, as is here prefumed, and which feems extremely probable, 
that the Pelafgians had letters, which Cadmus happily improved, 
Diodorous Siculus and Herodotus are eafily reconciled. For the 
latter informs us the Pheenicians (and Cadmus was one) them- 
felves changed the gwvy and pufues of their charaéers, The firft 
was their vocality or found: Thus for Aleph, Beth, Gimel, they 
faid Alpha, Beta,Gama. They alfo innovated the rhythm of thefe 
eaftern elements, that is, they § inverted their form, and altered 
their 
* Toss met comarres ypewvres.. Herodot. lib, 5. 
+ Apc tn Dorn wersbarsvras ro puluov ser ypeejotrav. Herod. Sup. 
~ Newton’s Chron. p. 13. 
§ Itidem literaram modum figuram & {eriptionis feriem novarunt, Weffeling. ad Herodot. 
Sup. Salmas, ad templ. Herod. Attic p. 58—g2. 
ap 
