112 On the Origin of 
may have been, it was sufticient, I apprehend, 
to suggest the idea that characters substituted 
for these elementary sounds would, by their 
various combinations, form written words 
analogous to the words in language produced 
by the actual combination of the sounds 
themselves. That this idea is perfectly easy 
and obvious, I do not pretend to affirm; it is 
doubtless a very ingenious one, but that it is 
so wonderfully difficult, mysterious, and sub- 
lime assome have delighted in representing it, 
T do most strenuously deny. On the contrary, 
it does not seem in its own nature to have 
called for any thing like so astonishing an ex- 
ertion of genius as many other inventions 
which have nevertheless been universally as- 
cribed to mere human ingenuity. 
When the art was once invented, the cir- 
cumstances which would give rise to its im- 
provement are perfectly evident; and, when 
the system was brought nearer to perfection, 
that the more rude and imperfect stages of it 
should be neglected and forgotten, and all 
monuments of them be lost, is surely not at 
all surprising. ‘That this was the case at 
least with regard to some alphabets, we have 
it still in our power to prove by facts. The 
Greek alphabet, we are told, when originally 
introduced by Cadmus, consisted but of six- 
