23(^ PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1705. 



For example, suppose I should be willing to consider the nature of the Irish 

 letters, their orgin, progress, and variations, with their relation to the Roman, 

 Franco et Anglo-Saxon : this might be done by travelling in Ireland, principally 

 by taking a trip into the Scotch Highlands, and perhaps into the Isle of Man, 

 and by consulting some English and other libraries, whither some Irish MSS. 

 have been carried. 



If I would consider the French, Italian, Spanish, or English hands, each 

 country affords sufficient helps. But if a man would consider the letters of a 

 dead or living language, which spread far, and has been, or is used in several 

 countries : he cannot be supposed a perfect master in all the ways of writing 

 that language, till he has considered the whole state and succession of its letters 

 in each of those countries. Among those languages I reckon tlie Hebrew, 

 Arabic, Turkish, Armenian, Persian, Greek;, Latin, Teutonic, Sclavonian, &c. 

 And though Latin is common among us, and every one is pronouncing the age 

 of a Latin MS.; yet I think they would do well to inquire where, as well as 

 when, a book was written. And if they are certain that such a Latin book was 

 written in such a particular country, or province, it is then more easy,, by con- 

 sidering the succession of letters used in that province, or by comparing it with 

 other books written there, to say how old it is. For want of this consideration, 

 many learned persons have been almost always out in their calculations, and 

 have pronounced at random. If then this method appears rational, and even 

 necessary, in order to attain a sufficient measure of this sort of knowledge ; it 

 follows, that it is no easy matter to assign the age even of a Latin MS. no not 

 even in England, where yet I suppose there may be as great a variety of Latin 

 hands, as in most other countries. 



As for painting and music, I know very well that each painter*s hand, and 

 each musician's manner, differs from another ; but whether there is a gradual 

 and remarkable variation from themselves, in the course of their lives, is what 

 I never heard asserted. This is certain, that they can change their way of 

 painting and composing at pleasure; and therefore, Mr. H. Purcell's Dulcibella 

 is said not to be like his other music; and Mr. Fuller the painter could pass one 

 of his pieces upon Sir Peter Lely for a most incomparable picture of Mich. 

 Angelo. But then these changes and variations, from their usual manners, are 

 very seldom made ; and a man generally pursues and practises that which is 

 most agreeable to his own genius. For this reason, when a painter's hand is 

 fixed, his manner is then limited ; and so, when a curious person comes into a 

 gallery, he knows that this picture was done by Ryley, Kneller, Vandyke, 

 Dobson, Tintoret, &c. and that to be a copy after Rubens, Georgeon, Salv. 

 Rosa, Han. Carraccio, Pietro di Cortona, &c. When he comes to an opera. 



