80 On the Origin of 
have expected to find different nations inde- 
pendently of each other falling upon the same 
expedient. This expectation however is dis- 
appointed. All the alphabets at present in 
use may be traced either by external or inter- 
nal evidence to the same source. In the third 
place, it is contended that the uniform failure 
in devising any contrivance similar to the al- 
phabetical characters, or at all comparable 
to them in simplicity and convenience, of 
all those nations who have continued for a 
great length of time unconnected with the 
rest of the world, and who appear neverthe- 
less to have acquired considerable proficiency 
in various other arts and sciences, is a strong 
proof that the invention is not to be ascribed 
to any effort of human ingenuity, Fourthly, 
it is said, that whereas most of those who 
consider alphabetical characters as a human 
invention, conceive them to have originated 
in a supposed simplification of the Egyptian 
hieroglyphics, it would appear that this tran- 
sition is by no means so easy and natural asit 
has generally been represented. 
These arguments it shall now be my busi- 
ness to examine in their order. 
I. In the first, which is derived from the 
supposed peculiarity of this art in having ad- 
vanced at once to perfection, two things are 
