on the Englifk Alphabet. 353 
“* litteree, fi fono nihil differrent. Alioqui propter 
** fonorum confufionem et fimilitudinem lingua 
“* feateret amphibologiis: nec poffet commodé legi 
“‘ vel intelligi; ac loquenti fimul et audienti nau- 
** feam pareret.” 
. Thofe, however, who have not very affiduoufly 
examined the nature and formation of thofe fimple 
founds, of which words are conftruéted, would do 
well to pay fome attention-to a fubject, which is 
as intimately connected with every thing elegant and 
liberal, as are the concealed foundations with the 
fuperfiructure of the moft beautiful piece of architec- 
ture. Now as the elemental founds form the foun- 
dation, and in fhort the whole effence of language, 
perhaps nothing would contribute more to {pread 
and perpetuate it, than a certain and diftinct 
notation of its elements, or fuch marks, infcribed or 
fuperfcribed, as fhould indicate the anomalies, to 
which fome poor, folitary letters are, in our Jan- 
guage, fubjected. 
Without doubt the exiftence of the Greek lan- 
guage for upwards of five and twenty centuries, 
without any great alteration, may be attributed, in 
part, to its precife orthography, as well as to the 
excellent genius of thofe writers, who made ufe of it.* 
U “Though 
* The variety of their diale&s makes nothing againft the 
regularity of their general pronunciation; for it feems 
certain, that they were all well acquainted with the exa& 
powers of each letter; and, that they added, exchanged, 
or 
