C 2000 ) 
hiown Language > But to come down later j Suppofe that 
a iierfon (hould have fome recenter Books or Charters laid 
before him in the P//?e, Text, Exchequer^ Chancery^ Cenrt^ 
and Common Hands^ all written at the fame time, would, 
not he be apt to fay, that one feem'd to him to be older 
than another, and that they were the Hands of feveral 
Nations? - 
If it be difficult for an Inquifitive Perfon to be a perfed 
Mafter in all the Succeffions of Hands, that have been us'd 
m his own Country, fo far as he may be guided by the 
Monuments therein extant, ( and I never heard of any 
Man that wasfuch a Mafter) furely, it muft be more dif- 
fkalt to pronounce the Age of thofe ^ook%,fror^ the Hand, 
which were written in other Countries, in an unknown 
Language. And what may make a Man yet more liable 
tomiftakes (befides the want of Dates in the moft Antient 
Greek, Latin and Other MSSJ was the Pradice of many 
Writers, ftill to life the very fame Hand when in Years, 
as they learnt when they were Young 5 like as many An- 
tient People, who do yet continue to write the Ro^nmd 
-'Secretary Hands, which were more fafhionable 50 or 60 
years ago, than now. I forbear to trouble your Grace 
with any more Words upon this head, or to make mention 
of the different ways of Writing in any other Language : 
becaufe I find this Letter will prove larger than I intended. 
I will therefore (with your Grace's leave) touch upon the 
next Head in your Graces Learned Effay, iliewing the great 
Eafnefs of finding out an Author^and the Time he liv'd in, 
by his Style and Phrafe. 
I wifli, my Lord, that it was as eafie to difcover the 
ViUanoHs Authors of fome Treafonable and Scandalous Li- 
bels, by their as it has been to find out the Printers^ ' 
by the Taper and Letter* Could this be done, it might 
not be unufeful. to the Government. But People have 
iearnt the knack of changing their Style, upon Occafion, 
fo Artificially, as apt to be difcovered, but when they 
them- 
