338 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



he has endeavoured to prove, that all the languages now in the 

 world are derived from one language, which he calls the primitive 

 language : For that there is or was fuch a language, he lays down as 

 a principle, in which he fays many learned men agree with him; and 

 there is one author,very learned in language, M. Bullet, who, in his Cel- 

 tic Didionary, has made a colledion of many words from feveral lan- 

 guages that he mentions, which he fays are w^ords of this common lan- 

 guage. But M. Gebelin has taken a much wider range, and has gone 

 through not only all the languages of the old world, but even thofe 

 of the new ; and has endeavoured to fhew, that they have fuch re- 

 femblances, and are fo connected with one another, that they muft 

 be all derived from one original, or primitive language. But where 

 this original language was inver.ted, or where it now is or ever was, 

 neither he nor M. Bullet has faid. But that is not the queftion at 

 prefent, which is only w-hether fuch an original language exifls, or 

 ever did exift in any country. Now this M. Gebelin has endeavour- 

 ed' to prove, by comparing together all the feveral languages I have 

 mentioned, and which, indeed, are all the languages of the world. 

 And I think he proceeds upon a principle which cannot be difputed, 

 that languages, which refemble one another, not only in the found 

 of the words, but in the fenfe of them, muft be all derived from one 

 common language : for otherwife it is impoffible to account for fuch a 

 conformity. This work, in which he compares with one another all 

 the languages, antient or modern, that are known, is the greateft 

 work upon language that ever was undertaken ; and, in executing it, 

 he lliews, I think, a wonderful knowledge of many languages, and 

 alfo very good judgment in comparing them together. Tiie reader, 

 therefore, I hope, will think himfelf obliged to me, if I give him 

 a fummary view of it. 



He not only examines the languages that are now fpoken in Eu- 



rope. 



