[ 73 8 1 
ii. It will at firfl light be allowed, that the forms 
of leveral of the letters, exhibited by the inlcription 
1 am attempting to illuStrate, are confiderably dif- 
ferent from thofe of the letters preferved by Mr. 
Dawkins's Palmyrene infcriptions ; tho’ the forms 
of every particular element repeated in the firft of 
thele monuments, at lead; if we may depend upon 
F. Montfaucons’s copy, nearly refemble one another. 
From whence I would infer, that the letters of M’. 
Spon’s infcription were drawn at Rome, either by a 
perfon not Sufficiently acquainted with the true forms 
of the Palmyrene letters ; or by a native of fome 
part of Syria, where an alphabet was ufed not ex- 
actly the fame with that of the Palmyrenes. The 
latter of which fuppolitions feems to me at prel'ent 
the more probable. 1 ffiall therefore, in confequence 
of this opinion, take for granted, at lead; till I can 
meet with a more accurate copy of the Roman Pal- 
myrene infcription, that the alphabet, to which its 
elements belonged, was Something different from that 
of the Palmyrenes ; though I Should not be fuprized, 
if hereafter, upon an infpe&ion of that infcription, 
thofe two alphabets Should appear to be intirely the 
fame. Nor will this feem altogether improbable, if it 
be conddered, that (23 ) one of Mr. Dawkins’s Palmy- 
rene inscriptions is only three years earlier, and (24.) 
another of them not above Seven years later, than the 
monument I have now in view. What is here ad- 
vanced will perhaps be thought not fo remote from 
(23) Dawk. Mann . Palmyren. Infcript. Palmyren. i, 8. 
('24) Dawk. Marm, Palmyren. Infcript. Palmyren. iv, 9. 
truth, 
