—— 
a Na 
275 
Hints on the Establishment of an UNI- 
VERSAL WRITTEN CHARACTER. 
In a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Joun Kemp. 
By Witi1am Br OWN, M. D. 
Communicated by Dr. Hoxme. 
READ JAN. 26, 1798. ES | 
me, 
My dear Sir, 
About three years ago, my much 
esteemed friend Dr. James Anderson, threw out 
in conversation some things concerning a charac- 
ter, by means of which men of all nations might 
have intellectual intercourse, though their lan- 
guages were unknown to each other. Since that 
time, I have occasionally turned my thoughts to 
this subject, and now take the liberty of communi- 
cating to you the his which my reflections have 
suggested, 
The intention of those gentlemen, who have em- 
selves in devising means for universal 
i = among men, seems rather to have 
been to introduce a new system of language, than 
to invent a plan for representing the already exist- . 
ing tongues, in such a manner, as to be intelligible 
to men of all nations. . But unless this be accom- 
plished, we gain little; because if a new language 
