Alphabetical Characters. 87 
‘nations acknowledge that they received them 
“from Spain. Did the Spaniards invent them 
“then? No; they got them from the Moors; 
“the Moors learnt them from the Arabians; 
‘‘ and even these do not seem to have been the 
‘original inventors; but to have brought 
“them from the East Indies; a region in 
“which many of the arts and sciences flou- 
“‘ rished in a very remote period of antiquity, 
“and which appears to have been the origi- 
“nal birth-place of this as well as of several 
‘other important inventions. Accordingly 
‘‘on examining the arithmetical figures em- 
“ ployed in the East Indies with those in use 
‘among ourselves, we find unquestionable 
“ evidence of a similarity of origin, not only 
‘in the identity of the principle upon which 
“they proceed, but in the striking resem- 
“blance observable in the characters them- 
* selves.” 
Thus it appears that both the arguments 
hitherto examined in favour of the doctrine 
now under consideration may be applied to 
at least equal advantage, in proving the di- 
vine origin of the Arabic numerals. If I 
mistake not, we shall presently find that the 
analogy is capable of being carried still far- 
ther. But what has already been advanced 
is I think abundantly sufficient to shew that 
