144 * Mr. Harvey's Obfervations 
‘* para/retratar las fylabas, y hacer vifibles las pala- 
*« bras; pero fe daban 4 entender con pinceles, 
‘* fignificando las cofas materiales con fus. proprias 
** imagines, y lo demas con numeros, y fenales 
‘ fignificativas: en tal difpoficion, que el numero, 
‘ la letra, y la figura formaban compete y daban 
‘* entera la razon.” * 
How tedious and imperfect ‘saul this pradtice be 
found if it ihould be put in competition with the 
moft complex alphabetical writing! Though | it 
would ‘be much eafier to invent a multitude of 
arbitrary characters than retain the remembrance 
hereof; yet human invention would be exhaufted 
in this cafe, ere half the changes of any common 
alphabet fhould be completed. Perhaps this may 
be amply evinced by the following curious theorem, 
which Mr. Harris has inferted in his Hermes, a 
work too well known, to ftand in need of any 
additional praife: ‘‘ Mille milliones fcriptorum mille 
‘ annorum millionibus non feribent omnes 24 lite- 
‘ rarum alphabeti permutationes licet finguli quotidic 
‘ abfolverent 40 paginas, quarum unaquzque con- 
“‘ tineret diverfas ordines literarum 24." An 
inconceivable number ; being twenty three places of 
| e figures, 
* 
- 
ra 
o 
al 
* Anton, de Solis Hift. de la Conquifta de Mexico, 
page 71. 
+ Quoted by Mr, Harris from Tacquet’s Arithmetic, 
See Hermes alfo upon the yay or matter of Language, * from 
page 316 to page 327, 
