536 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



even in Egypt. — T'be firjl -words there monofyllahles. — The Lan- 

 guage in that flat e went to China: — When a Language of "words of 

 feveral fyllables ivas invented^ thefe nionofyllables -were made the 

 roots of the Language. — In this -way the Sbanfcrit was formed. — 

 But the Chinefe have preferved the Language^ in nionofyllables^ as 

 they got it. — The great imterfeclion of that Language. — The quef- 

 tion. In what country Gebelins primitive Language -was invented? 

 — It could be no "where but in Egypt, "where the Dt^emon Kings 

 reigned. — The Jews had no I anguage revealed to them, — no coun- 

 try in fuch a fate of civility, "when Ofiris went to India, that they 

 could have invented the mofl barbarous Language. — Of the way 

 the Egyptian Language was communicated to other nations, and 

 how it came to be fo barbarous as it was fpoken by fome nations. — 

 // "Was conveyed to India by Ofiris, and by him depofited in the 

 hands of the Bramins, who have preferved it with little or no cor- 

 ruption, but have not improved it. — It alfo "went to Greece, but not in 



fo great purity as to India, — ^vas preferved there by Homer and the 

 other poets. — Next to the Greek Language, it is in the great ef pu- 

 rity in the Celtic. — This proved by its refemblance to the Latin, — 

 and by the name o/'Shanfcrit being a Celtic ivord. — Surprifng that 

 in fome of the mof barbarous Languages, a good deal of the art of the 

 antient EgyptianLanguage fhould be preferved, — as in the Gothic ; — 

 even in the Language of Greenland there is a dual number. — Ho-w 



fo many Languages , differing fo much from one another, fhould be all 

 derived from one primitive Language, accounted for. — The variety 

 made in the two Egyptian alphabets fill more "wonderful. — Objec- 

 tion anfwered, that it was not confifant with the "wifdom and good- 

 nefs of God, to confine the invention of Language to one country. — 

 That country fifficient for the furpcfe. — The variety of the fyfem 

 of nature did not admit that many countries ffould be fo "well fitted 



for that purpofe. — Objection, that all the people en earth have not 

 learned the ufe offpeech, particularly the Orang Outangs. — But they 



may 



