Chap.Xm. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 263 



ces of any value, can be invented or cultivated without a language 

 of art, I am perfuaded, that fuch a language was a very early 

 invention In Egypt, as early as their firft race of Djcmmi Kings, 

 of which Theuth was not, but only of the fecond. And, I think, 

 the anfwer which Plato has mentioned, that the Egyptian King 

 made to Theuth, when he boafted that he had found out an art 

 of memory, implies that he had only invented the charailers, by 

 which the elemental founds were marked, not the elemental founds 

 themfelves. For, fays the King, you have not invented an art of 

 memoiy, but of reminifcence *. Now, that could not apply to the 

 difcovery of the elemental founds, but only to the notation of them 

 in writing "f. But fuppofmg that Theuth had difcovered nothing 

 more, it was a wonderful difcovery, as there could have been no 

 writing art, without inventing marks for thofe elemental founds. 

 And of what wonderful ufe this invention was, we may judge, by 

 comparing our writing with the Chinefe. The Chinefe, in order 

 to exprefs their ideas by writing, are obliged to make ufe of 80,000 

 figures of one kind or another; which to know and diftinguifh from 

 one another, is the labour of the life of their learned men : Where- 

 as we exprefs all our ideas in writing by 24 letters or alphabetical 

 charaders, by which we not only communicate the ideas, but the 

 founds, that is the language, by which they are exprelTed ; while 

 the Chinefe charafters communicate only the ideas, but not the lan- 

 guage; fo that fome nations in their neighbourhood ufe their writ- 

 ten language, but know nothing of their oral. 



CHAP, 



* Vol. II. of Origin of Language, p. 24. and 25. 



f See what I have faid upon the difference betwixt the two difcoveries, ibid. p. 256. 

 and following. 



