Chap. XV. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 275 



have fhovvn, connedled with language), which, though very much 

 more natural to man tlian language, as Nature furnilhes him the 

 materials of which it is made, (and, therefore, it is pradtifed by the 

 moft barbarous nations), was not formed into an art, except in 

 Egypt, where a moft curious analyfis was made of it into notes, to 

 which, as I have fhown, numbers were applied in order to (how 

 the diftinction of them, and their relation to one another. And a- 

 nother art was likewife invented in Egypt, which has ftill a clofer 

 connection with language; I mean the writing art, of the invention 

 of which, I have treated in a preceding chapter *. 



That in a country where fo many other arts were invented, and 

 thefe not fo neceflary as language, this moft neceflary of all arts, 

 lliould have been invented, muft appear at firft fight highly pro- 

 bable. And if we confider, that the Egyptians, as Herodotus fays, 

 borrowed nothing from any other country, it is not only probable, 

 but of abfolute neceffity, that they fhould have invented an art of 

 language, without which, they could have invented no other art; 

 for, as I have obferved in more than one place, in the courfe of this 

 work, it was only by the intercourfe and communication with one 

 another, which language affords, that men could have invented any 

 other art. 



But farther, I think I have fliown, that the matter of language, 

 I mean articulation, could not have been invented without fuper- 

 natural afliftance, which the Egyptians had from their Daemon 

 Kings. Now, without articulation no language can exift, not even 

 the rudeft and moft inartificial. But it is farther proved, that the 

 Egyptians made one great ftep in forming an art of language ; and 

 that was by analyfing it into its elemental founds, and fo making an 

 alphabet; which, though it be the firft thing that our children are 



M m 2 taught, 



* Cap. 13. of this book. 



