12-8 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book IT. 



CHAP. II. 



The ^left'ion here to be confidered^ is. In ivhat country or countries 

 •was a Language of Art invented? — Language not invented by every 

 Nation that /peaks it. — This proved by the examples of the Goths^ 

 the Laplanders^ and the Greenlanders.—As Language is the mofl 

 jlntietit Art among Men^ it mufl have been invented by a very An- 



tient Civilifed Nation Men mufl have been ajjociated, and lived 



upon the natural fruits of the Earth, before Language or any other 

 Aft could have been invented. — A regular Polity necejfary for 

 that purpofe^ and a clafs of Mcnfet apart for it. — La/Ily, Genius 

 and Natural Parts required. — The Egyptian Nation, is that in 

 •which all the requifites above-mentioned for the invention of Arts^ 

 concur. 



IN -the -preceding chapter, I think, I have clearly proved, that a 

 Language of Art, of which only 1 am now fpeaking, is the 

 greateft art pradifed by men, and of the moft difBcuIt invention, at 

 the fame time of abfolute neceflity for the invention of other arts 

 and of fciences, which never could have been invented without fuch 

 a communication among men, as a language of art, and only a lan- 

 guage of art, can produce. We are now to inquire in what coun- 

 try or countries fuch an art was invented. 



That it is not the invention of every people who pradtife it, will 

 readily be admitted. The Goths, for example, a barbarous people, 

 never could have invented a language of more art than any which 



is 



