CONTENTS, 



terminate rules, the words of the Shanfcrit, expreffing the particular ideas, falling 

 under the general ideas denoted by the i-oots. — Examples of this given by Pons the 

 Jefuit : — a knowledge of the roots, and of the Grammar of the Language, together 

 with the rules of derivation and compofition, will enable a perfon to form a Lan- 

 guage of his own, which will be underftood by thofe who know the art by which the 

 Language is formed. — The Jefuit Pons's account, of this Language, confirmed by 

 Mr Wilkins. — This Language the work of philofophers. — It may be compared to the 

 Categories of Archytas. — The Greek and Latin, though not fo perfeft as the Shan- 

 fcrit, wonderful works of art, — connefting, by means of Derivation, Compofition, and 

 Flection, fome millions of words. — Fledtion the greateft of thefe. — Its wonderful ef- 

 fects in nouns and verbs. — In the Greek verb upwards of a thoufand variations. — 

 M. Gebelin, though learned in Languages, knew fo little of the philofophy of Lan- 

 guage, as to maintain that men fpeak naturally, and have from nature the ideas they 

 exprefs by the words. — According to him, two perfons meeting, who had learned 

 no Language, would hold communication together by fpeech, and underftand one 

 another. — ^This the primitve Language of Gebelin : — According to him, all other arts, 

 as well as Language, natural to men ; and they have from the beginning the know- 

 ledge of aftronomy, and of all the arts of life — No natural ftate according to Gebe- 

 lin, the Savages, at prefent to be found, being men degenerated. — The Author's 

 fyftem, from antient books, very difterent from Gebelin's ; — though an admirer of 

 Greek learning, and a reader of many books in that Language, M. Gebelin has not 

 read their philofophers, who would have taught him the progrefs of man from capa^ 

 city to energy. — Without Greek philofophy, no natural talents or application will a- 

 vail. — Contradiction in Gebelin's fyftem ; — it is refuted by the faft, of deaf perfons 

 being likewife dumb, and being taught to fpeak with great labour and much diflicul- 

 ty. — Even the moft barbarous Language a work of art, if the words exprefs all the 

 ideas of the fpeaker, and are connected together. — Men, in the natural ftate, witli- 

 out the ufe of fpeech, are in the cafe of dumb men : — They could not teach them- 

 f^.lves : — But the Dxmon Kings of Egypt, who invented Language, muft firll have 

 taught themfelves, and then others. — Progrefs of the art even in Egypt. — The firft 

 vords there monofyllables. — ^The Language in that ftate went to China : — When a 

 Language of words of feveral fyllables was invented, thefe monofyllables were made 

 the roots of the Language. — In this way the Shanfcrit was formed. — But the Chinefc 

 have preferved the Language, in monofyllables, as they got it. — The great imperfec- 

 tion of that Language. — The queftion. In what country Gebelin's primitive Lan- 

 guage was Invented } — It could be no where but in Egypt, where the D;emon Kings 

 reigned.— ^rhe Jews had no Language revealed to them, — no country in fuch a ftate 

 of civility, when Ofiris went to India, that they could have invented the moft bai^.^ 

 barous Language — Of the way the Egyptian Language was communicated to other 



nations. 



