Cg od 
probably formed from the cries by which nature direQs us to 
exprefs our feelings. Hiftory confirms this account of the origin 
of the art; as pi@ture-writing has been found in ufe among many 
nations fomewhat raifed above the favage ftate, and not yet 
arrived at refinement. PiCture-writing was improved into a more 
artificial mode, and gradually paffed through the feveral hierogly- 
phic forms enumerated by Warburton with erudition and accuracy. 
He has followed the fucceffive fhades of hieroglyphic denotation, 
beginning with the rude eflays of piéture-writing, and advancing 
through analogy, emblem, &c. to the ufe of figns by inftitution 
or the arbitrary characters of the Chinefe. He juftly obferved 
that the earlieft fpecies of arbitrary characters, of which thofe 
ufed by the Chinefe feem to be a juft example, were probably 
derived from the hieroglyphic forms, and of this refemblance the 
Chinefe letters ftill retain fome faint veftiges. The likenefs 
continually declining by the carelefs delineation of current ufe, 
their affociation with the ¢hings fignified, which they now ceafed 
to exhibit to the eye, became weaker, while their conneétion 
with founds, their brother figns, grew ftronger; hence at length 
they feemed, and in fact became, folely reprefentative of them. 
Here Warburton ended. Monfieur Goguet, “ De lorigine des 
~  Joix, des arts, &c.” advanced farther, and conjeGtured, that the 
next ftep in the feries was made by the introduction of marks. 
denoting fyllables, or the more compound elements of words. 
This mode of writing ftill prevails among the Ethiopians and 
fome Indian nations; and, according to Koempfer, in Japan. It 
is probable that fyllabical denotation fucceeded to verbal, as 
Monfieur Goguet has conjeCtured; but of this tranfition he has 
affigned 
