\^6 Of the Advancement of Learning, Lib. VL 



while, and fo betake themfelves to new labours. Nay the wifeft of 

 Ptov.6. Yiings fends the Jlotfjfitl, of what rank or quality foever, unto the Ants^ 

 tphqfe only care is to live upon the MA2»ftoc\^ hut not to improve it IjJoW' 

 ing thegroitndof Sciences over again^ and reaping a. nta> Harveji. 



I. Nor» let Hs come unto the Art of Delivery^ or of Exprejfing^ andTranf- 

 ferring thofe things which arc Invented^ Judged^ and laid up in Aiemorj 5 

 which^ by ageneral name^ we will terpt Tradition. This comprehendeth 

 in it all Arts touching Words and Speeches ; fox though Reafon be^ as it 

 wcve^the Soul of Speech, yet in the manner of handling, Reafon and 

 Speech (hould be feparate,even as the -S^«/and the Body are. We will 

 divide thefe Traditive Sciences into three Parts 5 into the Knowledge cott' 

 cerning the Organ oj Speech-, into the Knowledge concerning the Method of 

 Speech j and into the Knowledge concerning the llluliration and Orna- 

 ment of Speech. 



§ The Knowledge f(7»«r»/«g. f/je Org4« tf/.S'/ecf-^ generally receiv'da 

 which is alfo called Grammar , hath two Parts 5 the one of Speech 5 the 

 other of IVriting. For Arijiotle faith well, Words are the Images of Cogi" 

 prct. tations'-, Letters arc the Images of tVofds '■) we will affign both to Gr^*?- 

 mar. But to derive the Matter fomewhat higher- before w€ come to 

 Gi-aminar, and the Parts thereof now fet down 5 we muttfpeakof the 

 Organ of Tradition in general. F?or there feems to be other Traditive 

 Emanations befides Words and Letters. For ^is is certain whatfbever 

 may be diftinguithtinto differences, fuffieient for number, to exprefs 

 the variety of Notions(fb thofe differences be perceptible to fenfe^may 

 be the Convoy of the Cogitations from m^n to man. For we fee Na- 

 tions of different Language to trade one with the other, well enough 

 to ferve their turn by Gefiurcs. Nay, in the praftice of many, that 

 have been dumb and deaf from their birth, andotherwife were in- 

 genious, we have feen flrange Dialogues held between therajand their 

 friends, who have learn'd their Geftures. Moreover it is now generally- 

 known that in China, ar^d the Provinces df the high Levant, there are 

 at this day in ufe , certain Realy and not Nominal Chara5fers , " that is, 

 fuchas exprefs neither Letters n6r Words 5 but Things and Notions : in 

 ilbmuch, that many Countries that underftand not one anothers Lan- 

 guage, but confentitig in fuch kindof C/^^r^^er/ ("which are more gene- 

 rally receiv'd amorfgft thfem) caii communicate one with another by 

 fuch Figures written j fb as every Country can read and deliver-in his 

 own native Tongue, the meaning ofany Book v/ritten with thefe C/&4- 

 ra£fers. '} '■ / . \''/.' , ,- 



^ § Notes therefore of things, wiiich without tHe nelp and mediatioa 



DK NoTis °^ ff^ords fignfie Things, are of tWo forts ; whereof the firfl fort is fig- 

 BERuM. nificant of C('«gr//zjfj' 3 the other ad placitum. Of the former fort are 

 Hieroglyphickj andGcJitires 5 of the later are thofe which we call Cha* 

 ra&ers Real. The ufe of Hieroglyphicks is very ancient , and had in a 

 - kind of Veneration 5 efpecially amongft the Egyptians, one of the molt 

 Ancient Nations : So that Hieroglyphicl(s feem to have been ^firji-born 

 writing, and elder than the Elements of Letters 5 unlefs, it may be, the 

 Letters of the He^jrews. As f^rGcfinrc s, they ?itc,SiS itwere,Tranfitory 

 Hieroglyphicks. For as words pronounced vam^bi^writings remain , fb Hie 

 roglyphickj expreffed by GeJfHrcs,ate iranfient,but/'^/«/e^,permanent. As 

 when r«7<?»(/^r being confulted with, how to prefcrve a Tyranny, bid 



« the 



