304 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



by the general name of Tradition or Delivery. Tradition 

 hath three parts ; the first concerning the organ of tradi- 

 tion ; the second concerning the method of tradition ; and 

 the third concerning the illustration of tradition. 



For the organ of tradition, it is either Speech or Writing : 

 ' "> for Aristotle saith well, < Words are the images of cogita- 

 tions, and letters are the images of words ' ; but yet it is 

 not of necessity that cogitations be expressed by the 

 medium of words. For ' whatsoever is capable of sufficient 

 differences, and those perceptible by the sense, is in nature 

 competent to express cogitations/ And therefore we see 

 in the commerce of barbarous people that understand not 

 one another's language, and in the practice of divers that 

 are dumb and deaf, that men's minds are expressed in 

 gestures, though not exactly, yet to serve the turn. And 

 we understand further that it is the use of China and the 

 kingdoms of the high Levant to write in Characters Real, 

 which express neither letters nor words in gross, but 

 Things or Notions ; insomuch as countries and provinces, 

 which understand not one another's language, can never- 

 theless read one another's writings, because the characters 

 are accepted more generally than the languages do extend ; 

 and therefore they have a vast multitude of characters ; as 

 many, I suppose, as radical words. 



These Notes of Cogitations are of two sorts ; the one 

 when the note hath some similitude or congruity with the 

 notion ; the other ad placitum, having force only by 

 contract or acceptation. Of the former sort are Hiero- 

 glyphics and Gestures. For as to Hieroglyphics, (things 

 of ancient use, and embraced chiefly by the Aegyptians, 

 one of the most ancient nations,) they are but as continued 

 impresses and emblems. And as for Gestures, they are as 

 transitory Hieroglyphics, and are to Hieroglyphics as 

 words spoken are to words written, in that they abide not ; 

 but they have evermore, as well as the other, an affinity 

 with the things signified : as Periander, being consulted 

 with how to preserve a tyranny newly usurped, bid the 

 messenger attend and report what he saw him do ; and 

 went into his garden and topped all the highest flowers; 



