._‚___——_—————‹_——_.———’————`

from others, did urpofely difturb the order of the Alphabet-3 to which

he might have ad ed the ¿Ethiopie and Armenian. I

0.111.

There are two general things to be obferved concerning thefe deri.

ved Letters. t. That they are not of fo great Antiquity. they are not fo nnrnerour as Languages are.

2. That

I. They are not fo ancient, many Nations remaining a long while be

fore they grew fo far civilized as to underliand the ufe of Letters, which to this day are not known amongft many of the American Nations, nor the Inhabitants of Lapland: and after the have been known, and of fome public ufe, it hath been yet aconli erable fpace, before perfong

have written any Difcourfe in their own Language. Enquiries chap. 5. i

'Tis obferved by

Yßhudar of the German, and by Genehrard of the French Tongue, (faith

Mr. Brerewood ) that ’tis not much above 40o years, lince Books began

to be written in thoÍe Languages. a. And becaufe the ufe of Letter: in particular Countries is not Го ап cient as Language, therefore are they not of fo патент: kinds, feveral Nations taking up the ul'e of Letter: from their neighbours, and adapting ' them to their own Tongue. Thus the Spam/h, French, Italian, German,

Britz/h, Вид!‘ , Iri/h, &с. do alloi` them ufe the fame Latine Charaëier, it being probable that they had none of their own, before they learnt this of the Romana. The Coptic or Egyptian Charaf’ter , ever lince Egypt came under the Dominion of Macedon,hath been the Greek , excepting

only feven Letter: proper to their Tongue,which the Greek Alphabet did not {ufhciently expreíì, The Mnjâavite: likewife and the Rußianr, the Georgian: and удивит , do ufe the Greek Charaéter, the Perßanr and

Turk: ufe the Arabic/a: though the Letter: of any Tongue do not al~

waìes remain the fame, but are fubjeët to'the like fate and mutability, to ' which Languages are expofed. Befides this common way of Writing by the ordinary Letten, the An cients have {ometimes Мёд to communicate by other Note: , which were either for Secrecy, or Bre'vity.

1. For Secrecy: fuch were the Egyptian Методы/Миф, ( as they are commonly efleemed ) being the reprefentation ot certain living Crea tures, and other Bodies , whereby they were wont to conceal from the

vulgar the Mylieries of their Religion.

But there is reafon to doubt

whether there be any thing in thefe worth the enquiry, the difcoveries

Vid. Pure/ra: book 5. chap ‚

7.fe&­ x.

that have been hitherto made out of them being but very few and iu Íignificant. They feem to be but a flight, imperfeů invention, futable to thofe hrfi and ruder Ages, much of the fame nature with that Mexi

can way of writing by Piâure , which was a mere ШК: they were put to for want of the knowledge of Letters. And it feems to me queflionable, whether the Egyptian: did not at hrli ай: their Hieroglypln'cl@f upon the lame account, namely, for the want of дети.

Thofe waiès of writing treated of by the Abbot Ty'ithernina, were likewìfe for occult or _ßcret communication: And though fome Learn ed men have {ufpeë’ted and accufed him to have thereby delivered

the Art of Magic, or Conjuring, yet he is fufiiciently cleared and vindicated from any fuch prejudice in that very learned and ingenious

Dilcourfe de Crjptographia, under the feigned name of Стили Selena”,

by