2^6 Mr. Wakefield on the Origin 



human ingenuity, one great peculiarity diftin- 

 guifhes it from all other human inventions what- 

 soever: the very firft effort brought it to per- 

 feflion. All the fagaeity and experience of 

 fucceeding generations, illuftrated as they have 

 been by a vaft influx of additional knowledge, 

 beyond the moft accomplifhed of their pre- 

 deceflbrs, have been unable to fuperinduce 

 any real improvement upon the Hebrew alpha- 

 bet. This feems to me a fingularity utterly 

 irreconcileable to the common hypothefis : at 

 lead, 1 am acquainted with no plaufible.anfwer 

 to this objeclion. 



Should any one reply, " that alphabetical 

 charaElers may have been in exiftence many ages 

 prior to the date of thefe fpecimens in the 

 ** Scriptures, but that the more ancient memori- 

 *' als, in which they were exhibited, have perifhed 

 ** by the defolations of ignorance and the vicifTi- 

 ^* tudes of time;" I mud demur at an argument 

 that advances no premifes of fufiicient validity to 

 authenticate this conclufion. For, i. It is mere 

 affirmation^ without the leaft Ihadow of hiftorical 

 teftimony to give it countenance, 2. To wave 

 the authority of the Jewijh fcriptures upon this 

 point; (which, however, I mufl beg leave to 

 obferve, is corroborated by abundant evidence 

 from phiiofophy and experience, as well as hiftory) 

 that fimp)icity of manners, predominant in the 

 early ages, fo obfervable in the accounts delivered 



dowr; 





