398 O F 1 N F A N C Y. 



D and T, of F and V, of G and J, of G and K, 



and of L and R, there may be many languages 

 in which thefe different confonants are not em- 

 ployed. But, in every language, a B or a P, a 

 C or an S, a K or a Q^ a D or a T, an F or a 

 V, a G or a J, an L or an R, are indifpenfible ; 

 and, in the moft contrad:ed alphabets, there muft 

 be at lead fix or feven confonants ; becaufe the 

 articulation of them is not complicated, and the 

 founds by which they are uttered are all diflindt 

 and different from each other. Children who 

 cannot eafily pronounce R, fubftitute L in place 

 of it, and T in place of D ; becaufe the former 

 are more diiScult to articulate than the latter : 

 And the foftnefs or harflmefs ot a language de- 

 pends on the choice of confonants which are more 

 or lefs difficult to pronounce. But it is needlefs 

 to enlarge upon this fubjetSt. 



Some children, at two years of age, articulate 

 diftincily, and repeat whatever is faid to them ; 

 but moll children require a long time. It has 

 been remarked, that thofe who are long before 

 they learn to fpcak, never articulate with the 

 fame facility as thofe who acquire that faculty 

 more early. The latter may be taught to read 

 before thev are three years of ajre : and I have 

 known children read amazingly at four. But, 

 after all, it is difficult to determine whether any 

 advantages are to be derived from fuch prematiu'e 

 inOiudion. We Iiavc had io many examples ot 



prodigies 



