148 



danim. Scm and Cham had also several sons and grand- 

 sons, whose names need not be mentioned; but it may 

 not be amiss to observe, that the languages, spoken after 

 the confusion, by the peculiar descendants of each of the 

 three original Patriarchs, differed more widely, from those 

 spoken by the descendants of the other two Patriarchs, 

 than the languages, spoken by the descendants of each, 

 differed from each other. Thus, the languages, spoken by 

 the descendants of Japhet, differed more, from those spoken 

 by the descendants of Sem or Cham, than the Japhetic 

 languages did from each other. A difference, also, with 

 each other, but in a lesser degree, betwixt the languages, 

 spoken by the immediate descendants of each of the sons 

 of the same Patriarch, may be observed. Thus, a diffe- 

 rence may be observed, betwixt the languages, spoken by 

 the sons of Gomer, ' and those spoken by the sons of Ja- 

 van. But the difference, betwixt the languages spoken by 

 the descendants of each of these sons, for instance, of each 

 ot tlie four sons of Javan, is the smallest of all; as some 

 communication, betwixt persons so nearly connected, would 

 be suffered to subsist. Thus, the language of the Man- 

 tchoo Tartars, descendants from Magog, is, as we are in- 

 formed by Mr. Barrow, and Monsieur I'Eveque, rich, so- 

 norous, and energetic; and more like the Greek, than any 

 of the Oriental languages. It is alphabetic, or, more pro- 

 perly speaking, syllabic; and the different parts of speech 

 are susceptible of expressing number, case, gender, time, 



modes 



