Chnp. IV. AN.TIENT METAPHYSICS. 323 



to the rhythm of their languages, which would have failed the fcho- 

 lar a "Teat deal of time and trouble. 



o 



L ur, concerning the Shanfcrit, I have not learned i'o much from 

 any author that I have read, nor from any man with whom I have 

 converfed, as from Mr Wilkins. He, as I have faid elfewhere*, ftu- 

 died this language for 16 years under tvro Bramin mafters, and, I 

 am perfuaded, underftands more of it than any man in Europe. 

 Before I had the pleafure of his acquaintance, I thought it highly 

 probable, that a language of fo great art as the Shanfcrit could not 

 have been invented in a country fo barbarous as India was when the 

 Eg)^ptians came to it, but was imported into India with other arts 

 by Ofu'is. But now I am not only convinced of this by arguments, 

 but Mr Wilkins has proved it by fads: For he has proved to my 

 conviction, fuch a refemblance betwixt the Greek and the Shanfcrit 

 that the one muft be a dialed of the other, or both of the fame ori- 

 ginal language. Now, the Greek is certainly not a dialedt of the 

 Shanfcrit, any more than the Shanfcrit is of the Greek. They muft 

 therefore, be both dialeds of the fame language : And that lan- 

 guage could be no other than the language of Egypt, brought into 

 India by Ofiris, of which undoubtedly the Greek was a dialedt, as 

 I think I have proved f . But, before I give the reader the proofs 

 which Mr Wilkins has furnifhed me, by comparing the two lan- 

 guages together, and fliowing how much they refemble one another . 

 I will make fome general refledions upon the tranfmiffion of lan- 

 guages from one country or nation to another, and what changes 

 they muft neceflarily undergo in their paftage. 



And, in the ^/y? place, as language is an art of vulgar and daily 



ufe, pafling through the mouths of the whole people of a country, 



Sf 2 it 



* Vol. VI. of Origin of Language, p. 149. in the note at the bottom of the page, 

 -|- Vol. I. Origin of Language, book 3. chap. 13. 



