298 Mr. Wakefield on the Origin 



this propofition can be proved, the argument 

 from fuccefTive derivation, without a fingle 

 inftance of independent difcovery, muft be 

 allowed to amount to the very higheft degree of 

 probability in my favour : and the common 

 fuppofition will appear perfectly gratuitous, 

 with the incumbrance alfo of this great paradox: 

 " you tell us, I might fay, of an invention, 

 *' which is the regular confcquence of refinement 

 ** in fociety, nothing more than a gradual ad- 

 " vancement from what is plain to what is 

 " complex ; by a fimilar procefs, purfued by the 

 " mind in all its exertions for improvement: and 

 ** yet, we can perceive no reafon to conclude, 

 f' that any community but one, and that in no 

 *' wife diftinguilhed by any vaft fuperioricy of 

 *' inventive genius, or the improvements intro- 

 *' duced by them into common life, ever com- 

 *' paffcd this difcovery; though the human 

 *' powers have been uniformly the fame, and the 

 ** condu<5l of fociety has been greatly fimilar in 

 <' different nations at different periods of time." 

 Let us confider then, how the evidence flands 

 in this cafe: only premifing, that, where a con- 

 tinuity of tranfmiffion appears to have taken 

 place, arifing from the intercourfe of nations 

 jvith fach other; and where the words are the 

 fame, the grammatical conflrudion, and other 

 minute peculiarities of compofition much alike, 

 jri two languages; thefe languages are of the 



