ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 163 



these to grammars But before we proceed to its several parts, 

 it is necessary to say something in general of the organ of this 

 traditive doctrine, because it seems to have more descendants 

 besides words and letters. And here we observe, that whatever 

 may be split into differences, sufficiently numerous for explain- 

 ing the variety of notions, provided these differences are sensi- 

 ble, may be a means of conveying the thoughts from man to 

 man ; for we find that nations of different languages hold a 

 commerce, in some tolerable degree, by gestures. And from 

 the practice of some persons born deaf and dumb, but otherwise 

 ingenious, we see conversation may be held betwixt them and 

 such of their friends as have learned their gestures. And it is 

 now well known, that in China and the more eastern provinces, 

 they use at this day certain real, not nominal, characters, to 

 express, not their letters or words, but things and notions ; inso- 

 much, that numerous nations, though of quite different lan- 

 guages, yet, agreeing in the use of these characters, hold corre- 

 spondence by writing. And thus a book written in such 

 characters, may be read and interpreted by each nation in its 

 own respective language. 



The signs of things significative without the help or interposi- 

 tion of words are therefore of two kinds, the one congruous, the 

 one arbitrary. Of the first kind, are hieroglyphics and gestures ; 

 of the second, real characters. The use of hieroglyphics is of 

 great antiquity, being held in veneration, especially among that 

 most ancient nation, the Egyptians, insomuch that this seems 

 to have been an early kind of writing, prior to the invention of 

 letters, unless, perhaps, among the Jews. And gestures are a 

 kind of transitory hieroglyphics ; for, as words are fleeting in 

 the pronunciation, but permanent when written down, so hiero- 

 glyphics, expressed by gesture, are momentary; but when 

 painted, durable. When Periander, being consulted how to 

 preserve a tyranny newly usurped, bid the messenger report 

 what he saw ; and, going into the garden, cropped all the tallest 

 flowers ; d he thus used as strong a hieroglyphic as if he had 

 drawn it upon paper. 



Again, it is plain that hieroglyphics and gestures have always 

 some similitude with the things signified, and are in reality 

 emblems ; whence we call them congruous marks of things : but 

 real characters have nothing of emblem, as being no less mute 

 than the elementary letters themselves, and invented altogether 



