3o6 Mft PVakefield on the Origin 



the idea of a war between two nations. This 

 abbreviated method would be more expeditious 

 than the former: but what it gained in concife- 

 nefs, it would lofc in perfpicuity. The great 

 defideratum would ftill be unatchieved. This is 

 only a defcription, more compendious indeed, 

 but ftill a defcription, of outward objeds alone 

 by drawing their rcfemblance. To this head, if 

 I miftake not, the pi^ure writing of the Mexicans 

 is to be referred. 



3. The next advance would be, to the ufc 

 of fymbols : the incorporation, as it were, of 

 abftrad and complex ideas in figures more or 

 lefs generalized, in proportion to the improve- 

 ment of it. Thus, in the earlier ftages of this 

 device, a circle might ferve to exprefs the fun, 

 a femicircle the moon: which is only a contraftion 

 of the foregoing method. This Jynibol writing 

 in its advanced ftate would become more refined, 

 but asnigmatical and myfterious in proportion 

 to its refinement. Hence it would become lefs 

 fit for common ufe, and therefore, more parti- 

 cularly appropriated to the myfteries of phi- 

 lofophy and religion. Thus t-v^o feety ftanding 

 upon water, ferved to exprefs an impoffibility : 

 z ferpent denoted the oblique trajeflories of the 

 heavenly bodies : and the beetle, on account of 

 fome fuppofed properties of that infedt, ferved 

 to roprefent the fun. Of this nature were the 

 Hieroglyphics of the Egyptians. 



4. But 



