On an Universal Character. 95 
mistaken for another in any case, as would give a 
greater number of characters than all the words in 
the English language; and perhaps, a hundred times 
more than can be wanted for our purpose: that 
there could, in fact, beno difficulty in forming a hun- 
dred millions of distinct characters, no two of which 
could be mistaken for each other, were it neces- 
sary: but there will not be wanted perhaps above 
five hundred characters for all the purposes of lan- 
guage. . 
These characters too can be formed in such an 
analytical way, as to be of even more easy reference 
in a dictionary than the alphabetical arrangement now 
in use; and printing might be practised with half the 
number of types that are now required. I was 
perfectly astonished at the facility with which 
all these things could be done; and not less pleas- 
ed on contemplating the benefits that would result 
from this mode of writing, were it introduced into 
general practice. 
The first advantage would be the opening of a 
free literary intercourse among all nations; as the 
_ writings and books of every nation would be equal- 
ly intelligible to all other nations as to those to whom 
they originally belonged. 
The second would be facilitating the art of writ. 
ing—for any man could then write as fast as another 
can speak; and the discourse would be taken down, 
not as it now is (by those who write it in short-hand} 
