153 



A consideration of the Hebrew characters seems to me to furnish 



an answer to these interesting questions, so far, at least, as the 



Hebrew mode of writing is concerned ; and to afford grounds for 



hazarding the assertion, that the Hebrews, if not all the Orientals, 



proceeded originally, in writing, from the left of their pages to the 



right. 



In order to establish this position, it is necessary to observe, 



that a resemblance, more or less striking, may be traced be- 

 tween many of the characters of the Hebrew Alphabet, and the 

 sensible objects designated by their names. This resemblance is 

 not however to be sought in the characters as presented in their 

 ordinary, or what may be called their upright position. Let 

 the characters, however, in a word be so presented, that they 

 shall follow one another downwards, and the resemblance wilj, 

 in not a few instances, be recognised at once. Thus, for ex- 

 ample, the name of 3 signifies a house ; to which, however, 

 the character, in its ordinary position, as in n13. beai-s little or 

 no similitude. Let the word ji^i^ be now so turned, that its 

 constituent letters shall be arranged one beneath the other, (the 

 first being at the top, the second directly under it, and so on,) 



as in g ; and the character n at once presents us with the rough 

 outline of a house. 



In like manner, the name of j signifies a camel ; between which 

 and the character, in its ordinary position, no likeness can be traced. 

 In the lateral position however, --s, we have the profile of a quad- 

 ruped ; of which, as probably the most in domestic use, the camel 

 became the representative. 



Again, •,, signifying a hand, bears a considerable resemblance, 



vol,. XIII. X 



