“on the Englifh Alphabet. 149 
th ledge is an abundant recompenfe for the labour 
*« it cofts him, that we can get. to the bottom in 
« fuch ftudy, and difcover the fir& principles of 
‘¢ the art; whereas in the works of Gop and nature, 
* there is a wifdom and contrivance ‘of which we 
** cannot fee the end; and, therefore, I doubt 
** whether in fuch matters, the human faculties can 
** ever attain to perfect {cience."* 
Indeed, the ultimate or fmalleft conftituent par- 
ticles of matter are fo envelopped and hidden from 
human ‘comprehenfion,; that I know of nothing 
better whereby to exprefs my ideas thereof than by 
believing it poffible, that the Great Inrettrcence 
- who formed this world as it is, could alfo form its 
likenefs in miniature, and all’ that it contains of 
every kind whatever, within a fpace which might 
be filled by a particle fo minute, that it fhould elude 
the fineft fearch of microfcopic enquiry wherewith, 
according to our prefent ftate, we are acquainted! 
not to believe this, would amount to an affertion, 
that matter could be annihilated merely by divi- 
fion—which would be an abfurdity to fuppofe. 
But, leaving reflections, fo far abftracted from 
our prefent fubject, the enquiries are, whether or 
not the Englifh Alphabet be defective? And, if 
it be fo, whether, as being the bafis of the language, 
it would be either practicable, or defirable to regulate 
it 
* Hiftory of the Origin and Progrefs of Language, 
vol, ii, page 18 and 206. 
