VOL. XVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 313 



in the first file; so those of the first, second, and third ranks in the 6th file, 

 are like those of the same ranks in the second file. 



Some of these 29 single consonants, are commonly supposed compounded ; 

 as th, ch, sh, gn, ng, &c. But if we consider the sound of each single consonant 

 in the composition a-part, and then the conjunction of them in that order, 

 so as the single sounds may be clearly discerned in the composition, we shall 

 never make the sounds required ; and if neither by this, nor by any other con- 

 junction, the required sound can be made out, it must be a single, and no com- 

 pound sound. 



All single sounds ought to have single and distinct characters. But it will be 

 impossible, in the use of the present characters or alphabets, to add those that 

 are wanting, and to correct and limit the sound of others in use, thence to 

 constitute a perfect alphabet ; because people so long accustomed to such cor- 

 rupt and different expressions of the present characters, will be always subject, 

 on the sight of the old, to give them those sounds they have been used to, and 

 to spell words according to their old and corrupt custom, whatever rules shall 

 be given to the contrary; and therefore there will be a necessity of a whole new 

 set of characters, both vowels and consonants. Such a set of literal characters is 

 proposed in fig. 9 and 10, pi. 9. The first rank in every file are the radical 

 characters ; the other succeeding ranks have each a distinct characteristical ad- 

 dition, to distinguish them from each other, which causes some complication ; 

 but yet I judged it necessary to express the same in the character, the more re- 

 gularly to sort them into classes, and to express the derivation of letters of the 

 same organ, the one from the other. 



In writing, the vowels are to be placed over the consonants, which they fol- 

 low in expression; and whereas some syllables begin with a vowel, place the 

 1 2th consonantal character, answering to the Hebrew, aleph; and over the 

 same, place the vowel beginning such a syllable. To distinguish the long vowel 

 from the short, add a dot to the vocal character. The 9, 11, 12, 13, 14th 

 vocal characters, are^ for want of single strokes, compounded of the first and 

 second. The diphthongs, truly such, may be made by the conjunction of the 

 single vocal characters in the order as they follow, and they will be easily dis- 

 tinguished from the 5 preceding- compounded characters of the single vowels, 

 because there will not readily occur any diphthongs compounded of the first two 

 vowels. The accent may be a cross line under the syllable to be accented. 

 The characters signifying the various modes of expression, may be these fol- 

 lowing, and ought to be placed at the beginning and end of every sentence, re- 

 quiring it : — [ ] Explication, () Parenthesis, { ; Emphasis, ? ? Interrogation, 

 ! ! Wonder, { i Irony. / ,i»(!0 



VOL. nt. S 8 



