[ 122 ] 



When I was arranging a vocabulary for the telegraph, I 

 looked over his work, and recalled to my mind ideas upon the 

 fame fubjed, which have for years, at intervals, employed my 

 attention. 



It has employed the talents and attention of feveral men of 

 learning and ability, and it appears to be a fubjedt worthy of their 

 time and labour, and highly inviting to future induftry and in- 

 vention. 



FoNTENELLE, in his Eloge on Leibnitz, mentions hii inten- 

 tion of making out an alphabet of human thoughts, for a philo- 

 fophical language; but his death put a flop to the defign. This 

 intention I have found obfcurely mentioned at the end of his 

 ingenious Memoire on Binary Arithmetic, where he fpeaks of 

 " a new charader," which he projeds — A tranflation, perhaps, 

 might not do juftice to the meaning, I therefore will quote his 

 words : 



" C'efl: que tout raifonnement qu'on pcut tirer des notions 

 *' pourroit etre tire de leur caraderes, par une maniere de calcul 

 " qui feroit un des plus importants moyens d'aider I'efprit 

 '* humain*." 



M. Leibnitz told Boyle, " that though Wilkins and Dal- 

 " garme were great men, he did not think they had hit their 



" point. 



* Memoires de I'Acadeniie de Science, 1703. m. page in. 



