sidered as the inventors of it; every species of hieroglyphics being recorded in their history. Hieroglyphic writing, strictly so called, is a simple representa. tion, or mere picture. The abridgments afterwards introduced may be divided into three kinds. First, when the principal circumstance was made to represent the whole. In order to signify a battle, two hands were delineated; one holding a bow, another a shield: a tumult, or popular insurrection, was expressed by an armed man casting arrows; and a siege, by a scaling-ladder. This may be stiled a picture character; or, as the learned Dr. Warburton, bishop of Gloucester, called it, "a Curiologic Hieroglyphic." The second, and more artificial method of contraction, was by putting the instrument for the thing itself. Thus, an eye in the clouds, or eminently placed, was designed to represent God's omniscience, as perceiving all things; an eye and sceptre, to represent a king; and a ship and pilot, the Governor of the universe. This may be called the Tropical Hieroglyphic. The third, and still more artificial method of abridging picturewriting, was, by conversion, or making one thing stand for, or represent another: for example, the Bull Apis stood for Osiris, and not the picture or image of Osiris *. This hath been denominated the Symbolic Hieroglyphic +. * Some authors have said, that, at first, symbols had some quaint resemblance of, or analogy to, what they represented. Thus, among the Egyptians, a cat stood for the moon; because the Egyptians held, that the pupil of her eye was enlarged at the full moon, and was contracted and diminished during its decrease: a serpent represented the divine nature, on account of its great vigour and spirit, its long age and revirescence. 66 That these improvements are not imaginary, is proved from a fragment of Sanchoniatho, preserved by Eusebius, recording, "That Taautus, having imi"tated Ouranus's art of picture-writing, drew the portraits of the gods Cronus, "Dagon, and the rest; and delineated the sacred characters, which formed the "elements of this kind of writing. For Cronos, particularly, he imagined the "symbols of royalty: four eyes; two before, and two behind, of which two "were closed in slumber; and on his shoulders four wings; two stretched out, as in the act of flying; and two contracted, as in repose. The first symbol "6 signified, that Cronus watched though he reposed, and reposed though he "watched. The second symbol of the wings, signified in like manner, that, even "when stationed, he flew about; and, when flying, he yet remained stationed. "To each of the other gods he gave two wings on their shoulders; as the "satellites, of Cronus, in his excursions; who had likewise two wings on his "head, to denote the two principles of the mind, reason and passion.”—Here we see that Ouranus practised a kind of picture-writing, which Taautus afterwards improved. This, and the enormous bulk of the picture volumes, produced a further change in writing; the figures were totally rejected; and, in their room, certain arbitrary marks were instituted, expressing not only visible objects, but mental conceptions. These of necessity must be exceedingly numerous, as is the case in the Chinese writings, in which some authors have asserted, they could still trace out the remains of the picture character. The learned bishop of Gloucester, Dr. Warburton, in his Divine Legation of Moses *, observes, that all the barbarous nations upon earth, before the invention or introduction of letters, made use of hieroglyphics, or signs, to record their meaning. Such a general concurrence in the method of preserving events, could never be the effect of chance, imitation, or partial purposes; but must needs be esteemed the uniform voice of nature, speaking to the first rude conceptions of mankind; "for,” adds the learned prelate," not only the Chinese of the east, the Mexicans of the west, and the Egyptians of the south, but the Scythians likewise of the north, as well as those intermediate inhabitants of the earth, the Indians, Phenicians, Ethiopians, Etruscans, &c. all used the same way of writing, by picture and hieroglyphic." We shall dismiss the present section, by endeavouring to im press the minds of our readers with a distinction which will be found to be of great importance in the present inquiry; namely, the difference between imitative characters and symbolic or arbitrary marks. "Every medium," says Mr. Harris, in his Hermes, p. 331, 332, through which we exhibit any thing to another's contemplation, is either derived from natural attributes, and then it is an Imitation; or else from accidents quite arbitrary, and then Taautus, or Thoth, was the Mercury, on which name and family all the inventions of the various kinds of writing, were very liberally bestowed; that here mentioned as the improvement of Taautus, being the very hieroglyphics above described; and that as before practised by Ouranus, the same with the simple American paintings. Such then was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic; and this the second mode of invention for recording mens actions, not as hitherto thought a device of choice for secresy, but an expedient from necessity for general use. In process of time, their symbols and delineations, turning on the least obvious, or even perhaps on imaginary properties of the animal or thing represented, either to form or construe this, required no small degree of learning and ingenuity. Vol, iii, p. 97 to 305. it is a Symbol." The former may be truly said to derive its origin from that imitative faculty which is so conspicuous in the human species; the latter is founded in necessity or convenience, and becomes significant by compact: the one hath only an immediate reference to sensible objects, which present themselves to the sight; the other to mental conceptions: in short, the former is applicable to hieroglyphic representations; the latter comprehends symbols and marks for sounds, significant of ideas by adoption. Hence we may conclude, that all representations, marks, or characters, which were ever used, by any nation or people, must have been either imitative or symbolic*. [Astle. SECTION II. On the Origin of Letters, and the Invention of Alphabets. THE art of drawing ideas into vision, or of exhibiting the conception of the mind by legible characters, may justly be deemed the noblest and most beneficial invention of which human inge. nuity can boast: an invention which hath contributed more than all others to the improvement of mankind. This subject has engaged the attention and perplexed the sagacity, of many able and judicious persons for more than two centuries: some of the most respectable writers have rea. soned upon erroneous principles, and, by their works, have ob * Διαφέρει δὲ τὸ ΟΜΟΙΩΜΑ ΤΕ ΣΥΜΒΟΛΟΥ, καθόσον τὸ μὲν ὁμοίωμα τὴν φύσιν αυτὴν τα πράγματος κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἀπειχονίζεσθαι βέλεται, καὶ ἐκ ἔστιν ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀυτὸ μεταπλάται, τὸ δε γε σύμβολον, ἤτοι σημεῖον τὸ ὅλον ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἔχει, ετε και ἐκ μόνης υφίςτάμενον τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπινοίας· A representation or resemblance differs from a symbol in as much as the resemblance aims as far as possible, to represent the very nature of the thing, nor is it in our power to shift or vary it but a symbol or sign, is wholly in our power, as depending singly for its existence on our imagination. Ammon. in lib, de Interp. p. 17, b. The above is the meaning to be annexed to the word symbol, the principal use of words being to explain things; but the great Lord Bacon truly observes, "That the first distemper of learning is, when men study words and not matter." Shaw's Bacon, vol. i. p. 25. That excellent writer was so strongly impressed with this sentiment, that he makes the same observation in different parts of his works. It is said of Plutarch, that, like a true philosopher, he regarded things, more than words. scured the true path which might have led to the discovery of letters. Monsieur Fourmont, Bishop Warburton, and Monsieur Gebelin, have endeavoured to shew, that alphabets were originally made up of hieroglyphic characters; but it will presently appear, that the letters of an alphabet were essentially different from the characteristic marks deduced from hieroglyphics, which last are marks for things and ideas, in the same manner as the ancient and modern characters of the Chinese; whereas the former are only marks for sounds; and, though we should allow it an easy transition, from the Egyptian hieroglyphics, to the characteristic marks of the Chinese, which have been demonstrated by Du Halde and others to be perfectly hieroglyphic, yet, it doth not follow, that the invention of an alphabet must naturally succeed these marks. It is true, there is a resemblance between the Mexican picture. writing, the Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the Chinese characters; but these are foreign to alphabetic letters, and, in reality, do not bear the least relation to them. The hieroglyphic characters of the Chinese, which are very numerous, are in their nature imitative, and do not combine into words, like arbitrary marks for sounds or letters, which are very few, and are of a symbolic nature. We shall shew, that these authors, whose learning and ingenuity entitle them to the highest respect, and whose writings have furnished many useful hints to. wards the discovery of alphabetic characters, have not filled up the great chasm between picture-writing and letters, which, thought the most difficult, was the most necessary thing for them to have done, before they could attempt to account for the formation of an alphabet. We shall demonstrate, that letters do not derive their powers from their forms, and that originally their forms en. tirely depended on the fancy or will of those who made them *.— Other writers who have considered this difficult subject, have freely confessed that it was above their comprehension t. Many learned men have supposed that the alphabet was of di. vine origin; and several writers have asserted, that letters were * See Mons. Fourmont's Reflections Crit. sur les Hist. des Anc. Peuples, tom. ii. a Paris, 1735.-The Divine Legation of Moses, by the late Dr. Warburton, bishop of Gloucester, vol. iii. p. 121. Mons. Gebelin's Monde Primitif, vol. iii. Paris, 1775. + Mr. Wise's Essay on the Origin of the Language and Letters of Europe, p. 92, 93. See Universal History, vol. xx. p. 18, n. H. first communicated to Moses by God himself; whilst others have contended, that the Decalogue was the first alphabetic writing. It is highly proper for us to inquire how far these opinions are well founded; for, if they can be supported, there is an end of our pursuit; but if it shall appear that they are warranted neither by reason nor by scripture, we shall be at full liberty to pursue our inquiry for the satisfaction therefore of those who have adopted those opinions, it is incumbent on us to have recourse to the Holy Scriptures themselves. The first mention of writing recorded in Scripture, will be found in Exodus xvii. v. 14; "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write + this, for a memorial, in a book; and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." This command was given immediately after the defeat of the Amalekites near Horeb, and before the arrival of the Israelites at Mount Sinai. It is observable, that there is not the least hint to induce us to believe that writing was then newly invented; on the contrary, we may conclude, that Moses understood what was meant by writing in a book; otherwise God would have instructed him, as he had done Noah in building the ark; for he would not have been commanded to write in a book, if he had been ignorant of the art of writing; but Moses expressed no difficulty of comprehension, when he received this command. We also find that Moses wrote all the words and all the judgments of the Lord, contained in the twenty-first and the two following chapters of the book of Exodus, before the two written tables of stone were even so much as promised §. The delivery of the tables is not mentioned till the Of these opinions were St. Cyril, Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, and Isidore of Seville, amongst the fathers; and Mr. Bryant, Mr. Costard, Mr. Windar, with many others, among the moderns. See St. Cyril against Julian, book viii.; Clement of Alex. book i, stromat. cap 23; Euseb. Preparat. Evaug. lib. ix. cap. 7; Isidore, Origin. lib. i. cap. 3; Mr. Bryant's Ancient Mythology; Mr. Costard's Letter to Mr. Halhed; and Mr. Windar's Essay on Knowledge, p. 2. ch. i. Univ. Hist. vol. iii. p. 212, Note T. + The Hebrew word n, which word is generally used for drawing letters or literal characters; to write; Exod. xxiv. v. 4; and chap. xxxiv. v. 18.See Parkhurst's Lexicon. Gen. vi. ver. 14, 15, 16. "And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, &c." Exod. xxiv. v. 4. "And he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the audience of the people; and they said, All that the Lord hath said we will do, and be obedient." Ibid. v. 7. |