6 HISTORr of the SOCIETK 



2dly, into fyllables, or articulate founds, the constituent parts 

 of words ; and, lajlly, into letters, or inarticulate founds, the 

 conftituent parts of fyllables. 



There are only two of thofe practicable methods of typi- 

 fying fpeech, that have any peculiar advantage to recommend 

 their ufe. Thefe are the verbal method, on the one hand, and 

 the elemental, on the other. Each of thefe having their pecu- 

 liar advantages, are now to be mentioned. 



The advantages of the verbal method confift in this, that 

 different nations, by this means, might communicate their de- 

 fires by writing, without the knowledge of each other's fpeech. 

 But the neceffary difadvantage of this method is more than fuf- 

 ficient to counterbalance its great benefit ; becaufe, while there 

 would not be fufficient accuracy for thus expreffing every 

 thought in writing, it would require to make it the bufinefs of 

 a man's life to read and write. Whereas the advantage of the 

 elemental method will appear from this, that while the com- 

 mutation of our figures and our fimple founds is perfect, our 

 fpeech, which is compofed of thofe fimple founds, may be 

 written with facility, and our written language read with abfo- 

 lute perfection. The benefit of this method, therefore, far more 

 than compenfates for its lofs, in not ferving as a mean of cor- 

 refpondence between foreign nations. 



Music and fpeech are next confidered, in order to fee their 

 neceffary connection and the difference of their principles. 



The formation of articulate expreflion, by means of vocal 

 founds and confonants, is then illuftrated, in fhewing the na- 

 ture of our fpeech, as the foundation of our art of writing. 



Thus, an alphabet is reprefented as being the work of inge- 

 nuity and wifdom, and as being, with good reafon, the boaft 

 of fcience. The corruption, therefore, of this alphabetical 

 method of characlerifing fpeech, is reprobated as an error pre- 

 judicial to fcience, and difgraceful to a nation that is wife and 

 learned. 



Orthography 



