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considers with how much greater ease the motion of the hand in 

 writing is directed from the body than towards it, many queslions 

 naturally present themselves.* Are we to infer, that the Orientals 

 are left-handed, or that they use their left hands in writ- 

 ing ? Tlie contrary appears to be the fact : so far, at least, as we 

 are enabled to judge from the accounts of travellers, or have l.ad 

 opportunities of personal intercourse with individuals of the present 

 day. How then, it may be asked, did a method of writing, so 

 awkward as that from right to left, come to be generally adopted 

 among the Orientals ? A method, which, as it preceded that now 

 in use among the Europeans, so it maintained its ground a long 

 time, even among tlie Greeks; by whom it was received from 

 the Phoenicians. Nor did it at once yield to that method, 

 more natural to riglit-handed persons, of proceeding from left 

 to right; the Bas-gocprj^ov, or writing alternately from right to 

 left, and from left to right, forming the link between the Phoeni- 

 cian and the Greek practice. 



European order. The Coptic character is however supposed to have been adopted from the 

 Greek, which it much resembles. Though the Armenian language is ancient, the character 

 is comparatively modern. 



* Many theories have been offered to account for the preference given, in our various actions, 

 to the right hand and right side of the body. Mr. John Bell, with many other anatomists, 

 attributes it to the peculiar distribution of the blood-vi-ssels in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of the heart. Bichat ascribes it merely to the effect of our social iiahits. My friend, Dr. Robert 

 Hamilton of Edinburgh, endeavours to account for it in the following manner : The heart 

 is situated, not in the mesial plan, but considerably to the left ; it is the most noble organ 

 of organic life ; there exists a stront; animal feeling, that this viscus is situated on the left 

 Eide ; that its Injury would be hurtful ; and that Its defence is all-important. Influenced then, 

 by this feeling, whenever there is danger in our active employments, we present our right side, 

 and keep the left, as much as we can, under cover. This induces a habit of acting with thii 

 eide, and this habit produces a greater facility. 





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