Royal Society. 37 



Romans, gained possession of tiie country and learnt tlie use of 

 tiiese symbolical characters, tliey endeavoured in succession to ex- 

 press the particular sounds of their own languages in proper names, 

 by using the hieroglyphic as an acrostic of the word with which it 

 had been previously associated in the original designation of things. 

 The same process is said to be now actually in progress with the 

 symbolic characters of China*, making a certain limited number of 

 characters Acrostic and Phonic : and thus has been developed the 

 only rational manner in which the greatest of all human inventions, 

 the formation of an alphabet, could have been achieved. As a pre- 

 cious yet melancholy gift, we may shortly expect a posthumous 

 work on the Egyptian or Coptic language, in part dictated by the 

 dying breath of this most distinguished person, of whom it may 

 therefore be truly said, that from the tomb he illuminated mankind. 

 I must here conclude my inadequate and superficial sketch, 

 drawing, however, if one may be permitted to do so, an inference 

 from one so preeminent ; that, although expatiating through the 



* " Though it is likely that all hieroglyphical languages were originally 

 founded on "the principles of imitation, yet in the gradual progress towards 

 arbitrary forms and sounds, it is probable that every society deviated from 

 the originals in a different manner from the others; and thus for every in- 

 dependent society, there arose a separate hieroglyi^hic language. As soon 

 as a communication took place between any two of them, each would 

 hear names and sounds not common to both. Each reciprocally vvould 

 mark down such names, in the sounds of its own characters, bearing, as 

 hieroglyphics, a different sense. In that instance, consequently, those cha- 

 racters cease to be hieroglyphics, and were merely marks of sound. If 

 the foreign sounds could not be expressed but by the use of a part of two 

 hieroglyphics, in the manner mentioned to be used sometimes in Chinese 

 dictionaries, the two marks joined together, became in fact a syllable. If a 

 frequent intercourse should take place between communities speaking dif- 

 ferent languages, the necessity of using hieroglyphics merely as marks of 

 sound, would frequently recur. The practice would lead im[ierceptibly 

 to the discovery that, with a few hieroglyphics, every sound of the foreign 

 language might be expressed ; and the hieroglyphics, which answered best 

 this purpose, either as to exactness of sound or simplicity of form, would 

 be selected for this particular use ; and, serving as so many |letters, would 

 form, in fact, together what is called an alphabet. This natural progres- 

 sion has actually taken place in Canton, where, on account of the vast 

 concourse of persons, using the English language, who resort to it, a voca- 

 bulary has been published of English words in Chinese characters, expres- 

 sive merely of sound, for the use of the native merchants concerned in 

 foreign trade; and who, by such means, learn the sound of English words. 

 To each character is annexed a mark, to denote that it is not intended to 

 convey the idea, but merely the foreign sound attached to it. The habit 

 cf applying the sound, instead of the meaning of hieroglyphics, to foreign 

 words, led to the ap|)lication of them likewise as sounds, to assist the me- 

 mory in the pronunciation of other hieroglyphics in the same language, 

 but not in common use ; and the repeated application of them for those 

 purposes may be at length supposed to have effaced their original use." — 

 Slantons Kmh(usti, vol. ii. p. .jJB-S. 



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