ANTIQUITY OF WRITING. 30. 



fiuitions of writing, prove, that the several kinds abovemcntioned 

 were used by the Egyptians. Indeed, they reckon but three kinds of 

 writing, when in fact, there were four. Porphyry names ouly three 

 sorts, epistolic, hieroglyphic, and symbolic: and this was not much 

 amiss; because the fourth, the hierogrammic or sacerdotal, not dif. 

 fering from the epistolic in its nature, he comprised it under the 

 general term of epistolic. It is observable, that Porphyry judici. 

 ously omits to explain epistolary writing, as supposing it to be well 

 known : but Clement adds to epistolic the hierogrammic, which 

 was alphabetic, but being confined to the use of the priests was not 

 so well known : he with equal judgment explains the nature of 

 these characters. 



The Egyptians, as hath been observed, in the most early ages, 

 wrote like all other infant nations, by pictures ; of which rude orJ, 

 ginal essays some traces are yet remaining amongst the hierogly. 

 phics of Horapollo, who tells us, that the ancient Egyptians painted 

 a man's two feet in water to signify a fuller ; and smoke ascending 

 to denote fire*. Out to render this rude invention less incommo- 

 dious, they soon devised the more artful and expeditious way of 

 putting the principal part for the whole, or by putting one thing of 

 resembling qualities for another. The former was the curiologic 

 hieroglyphic ; the latter, the tropical hieroglyphic ; which last was 

 a gradual improvement on the first, as appears both from the nature 

 of the thing, and from the records of antiquity +. 



These alterations in the manner of delineating hieroglyphic 

 figures, produced and perfected another character, which hath been 

 called the running hand of hieroglyphics, resembling the Chinese 

 writing, which having been first formed by the outlines of each 

 figure J, became at length a kind of marks : the natural effects of 

 which were, that the constant use of them, would take oft the at. 

 tention from the symbol, and fix it on the thing signified ; by which 

 means the study of symbolic writing would be much abbreviated, 

 because the writer or decyphercr, would have then little to do, but 



Lib. i. c.65; Lib. ii. c. 16. 



t Many instance!* of this kind may be found in Horapollo, lib. i. c. 14 and 

 40. Plutarch Is. and O-ir. Diod. Sic. lib. i. 



| The inquisitive reader, by comparing Kircher's Account of Egyptian Hie- 

 roglyphics with those published by Purchag, will find that the former exactly re- 

 tcmble the Mexican, nut only in their use, but, as Purcha* (p. 69) and Diodorus 

 Siculus(p. 194) say, in their forms and figures. 



