( ) 
more poffible. fince that in ChHdren ^ every dkf ^ . 
- the Knowledge of words^ with their various Conftruftions 
and Significations, is by degrees attained by the Ear s lb 
that, in a few years, they arrive to a competent abiKty of 
ExprelEng themfelves in their firft Language, at leaft as to 
the more ufual Parts and Notions of it ^ Why fliould it be 
thought impoffible, that the Eye (though with fome dip 
advantage) might as well apply fucb Complication of Let- 
ters or other Charaders, to reprefent the various Concep» 
tions of the mind^as the Ear^a like Complication of Sounds? 
For though, as things now are, it be vejry true that Letters 
arc, with us, the immediate Charafters of Sounds, as thofe 
Sounds are of Conceptions: yet is there nothing, in the 
nature of the Thing it felf, why Letters and Qiarafters 
might not as properly be applyed to reprefent tomediate- 
ly, as by the Intervention of Sounds, what our Concepti- 
ons are. 
Which is fo great a Truth, ( though not (b generally fa- 
ken notieeof,) that 'tis Prafi:iced every day 5 not onely by 
the Chinefis^ whole whole Language is faid to be made up of/ 
fuch Gharafters as to reprefent Things and Notions, inde- 
pendent on the Sound ofwordsjand is therefore different- 
ly fpoken, by thofe who differ not in the Writing of it s 
(like as what^ in Figures^ we Wxite 5 1, 2, for Om^ 7wo^ 
Three 5 a Frenchman, for example, reads t^», Deux^ Tro^^ 
But, in part, alfo amongft our felves, as: in the Numeral 
Figures now mentioned , and many other Charafters of 
Weights and Metals, ufed indifferently by divers Nations to 
fignifie the lame Conceptions^ though exprefled by a diffe- 
rent Sound of words: And, more frequently, inthepra^ 
£tice of Specious Arithmetick, and operations of Algebra ^ 
exprefled m fuch Symbols , as fo little need the Intervene- 
f ion of Words to make known their meaning, that^ wheo i 
difierem perlbns come to exprelsjinWordsjthe fenfe of thofe 
Charafters) they will as little agree upon the fameWords^, 
lEhougb all exprels the lame fenfe, as two Tranflators of one 
and the lame Book into another Language* 
Aadj though! will not dilpate the Pra^iical pofi^bilityv 
