it belonged, and not for general ufe and inflruftion, which, perhaps, it 

 could not anfwer, as being generally unintelligible. So that the monu- 

 ment I am defcribing may be the oldefl extant defigned for public read- 

 ing, on which the numeral charafters are infcribed, as being commonly 

 known and in ufe. 



But fhould the reader rejefl; this explication of the figure or mark 

 in queflion, and fuppofe it to be the Greek numeral letter i fanpi, 

 often written like the Hebrew % and ufed to denote the number 90, 

 (according to which, the date of the infcription would be H90); this 

 would indicate a yet higher degree of literature in this country, at 

 that period, as (hewing an acquaintance not only with Greek as well 

 as Latin letters, but alfo with the mathematical ufes of the former in 

 computation. The learning of a people is improperly eftimated by 

 magnificent monuments of the arts ; which arife from the opulence and 

 luxury, produced by commerce: but letters are independent on thefe, 

 and may have been highly cultivated here ; though, as happened to 

 other nations, (for inftance the Carthaginians), war and revolutions, in 

 deftroying books, deftroyed all velliges of learning. If fumptuous edi- 

 fices and fculptures are to be made the criterion of a nation's profici- 

 ency in fcience, it may be hereafter fuppofed, that the modern Scotch 

 were an ignorant people, aud the ancient Palmyrenians the moll learned 

 of nations. 



Longinus declares the contrary ; and the thing is fo remote from faft, 

 that we are direfted to adopt a different opinion ; that luxury, and favage 

 rufticity are equally unfavourable to learning and genuine civilization : 

 men being, in both thefe ftates of fociety, alike occupied with purfuits 

 and amufements, which have no relation to ftudy and intelleftual at- 

 tainments. 



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