104 On the Origin of — 
degree that the information which each person 
had to communicate was an object of interest 
and importance. Hence the want of some 
contrivance to facilitate this communication 
would be quickly felt; the inconvenience aris- 
ing from the want of some means of fixing, in 
a durable form, the fleeting sounds which is- 
sue from the organs of speech, would frequently, 
present itself, and a strong desire consequently 
would be conceived, to devise some method 
of accomplishing so important an object. 
. Let us suppose then that such a desire was 
generated in the mind of some. eminently en- 
lightened and ingenious inquirer of those days, 
in sufficient strength to induce him to devote 
his thoughts to the subject. Two methods 
would, inall probability, present themselyes 
to his choice. Zhe one, to endeavour to,ex- 
press, to the eye, by visible signs, the ideas 
which were expressed by means. of spoken 
language to the ear, without any reference.to, 
or.connexion with the audible signs already 
in use; thus forming a completely new lan- 
guage addressed to the eye, altogether. inde- 
pendent of the old one addressed to the ear;—— ~ 
The other, to devise a system of visible signs 
corresponding to the words used in spoken 
language, dependent upon them, and. con- 
veying ideas to the mind only in consequence 
