102 On thé Origin of 
and therefore cannot be supposed to have any 
conception of the natare or use of letters. 
Hence it is inferred that, all mankind being 
in this predicament before the introduction of 
letters, they ‘would be equally incapable of 
analysing the sounds made use of in language. 
Now this mode of concluding from the illite- 
rate of the present day to the whole human 
race, before the invention of letters, seems 
to me very hasty and erroneous. The class 
who know nothing of letters now, in¢ludes 
only those who are ignorant and una¢eustom- 
ed to any kind of speculation or reflection; 
then, it comprehended allt the wisdom and 
learning in the world. Because the philoso- 
phers of Egypt and Chaldea resemble the 
uneducated of the present day, im theit igno« 
rance of letters; we are not to suppose that 
they were therefore as ignorant in every res- 
pect; as destitute of reflection, as little likely 
to trace out the elementary. sounds whieh 
eompose the words of spoken language as 
these latter would be. Every one at all acs 
- quainted with the history of philosophy ot of 
the world in general, must acknowledge that 
these nations at a very early-period had made 
a considerable progress m various arts and 
sciences. The stupendous monuments'of their 
skill in the mechanical arts which to this day 
