Kotlces refpeQ'tng Neiu Bools. 2*^5 



fo that they prove to be a different combination, though formed 

 of nearly the fame elements and nail-headed itrokes. 



It is well known that, for more than a century paft, about 

 which time the Pcrfepolilun infcriptions were firft difcovered 

 by European travellers, opinions ha\'t been much divided 

 refpec^ling thefe chara6lers. Some have believed them to be 

 talifmans, and others the characters of the Guebres, or an- 

 tient inhabitants of Perfia; others held them for mere hiero- 

 glyphics, and others for alphabetic characters, like ours. 

 Kaempfer fuppoi'ed tlicn) to cxprei? whole ideas, like the. 

 Chintfe characters, but that tliey had been appropriated 

 folely for the palace of Iftakhar. 



After that period, however, fome of a fimilar kind were-' 

 found alfo in Egypt ; but as neither the Egvptian hierogly- 

 phics, nor the cliaraclers obCervcd on the nur.amies, had the 

 lealt refemblance to them, they Icrvcd only to prove the con- 

 nexion, which we know from hillorv that Perlepolis once, 

 had with iLgypt. Ralpc, on finding fome others on a cy- 

 linder of loadltone, perfuaded himlelf that they were, the 

 fame with the Chinele characters; and, confequently, that: 

 the Chinefe writing had been formerly known Zi\^_ cultivated. 

 on this fide of the Ganges. 



The above account of the difcovcrv of thefe infcriptions is, 



taken from Dr. 1 lager's preface to his late work Entitled DiJ- 



Jcrtalion o« the neiu ly dij covered Bubyio'iuan Infcriptions* , itii 



which the learned author endeavours to prove that the Perils- 



pohtan characters were derived from the Eabylonian. 



*' By the Babylonian bricks here exhibited," fays the 

 learned author, " the whole difficultv in regard to their 

 origin is removed; as it is evident that Babylon, in point of 

 cultivation, was much earlier than Perfcpolis, and that the- 

 Chaldeans were a celebrated people when the name of the 

 Perfians was fcarcely known. 



" To confirm this opinion, and by it to prove that the 

 Perfepoliian characters were derived from the Babylonian, 

 I have lliouglit it necefl'ary to begin this work by a brief 

 examination of the antiquity, extent, and fciences of the- 

 Babylonians; and through fcantincfs of original monuments, 

 to prove, bv aftronomy, architecture, and languages, their 

 well-founded clarni to anti(|uitv. i\t the fame time I have 

 endeavoured to (how that not onlv the Perfians, but alfo tl'.e 

 Indians, were difciples of liie Cliakleans; and that the Egyp- 

 tians ihemfclvcs, who pretend to be the inftructors of all na- 

 tions, probably derived their pyramids and obcliflcs from Ba- 

 bylon. Proceeding, then to the Babylonian inicriptions, I 



'■ To bt lud ui Richardfoiis, atul Cui!h-1! aa<! Manin's. 



have 



