,a ,philosophicall ,,essay for the      
,,reunion ,,of ,,the  ,,languages1      
,,or1  the ,art of ,knowing all by the  
,mastery of one4  ,,oxford ,printed by  
,,hen3 ,,hall for ,,james ,,good4 #afge4
  ,the ,printer to the  ,,reader4       
,meeting by chance with this ingenuous  
offer1 ,i thought it might not be       
improper since ,i found it in another   
dresse1 to make it speak another        
,language too1 which among the most     
creditable of ,europe1 hath not desisted
 from its claim to ,antiquity3 ,there   
are very few ,nations but have1 at      
sometime or other1 laid in their        
pretences to a supremacy for their      
,language1 and have boasted an          
assistance from unsuspected reason and  
,authority3 ,but however variously the  
controversie hath been manag'd1 the     
modesty1 and ingenuity of this ,author  
hath rendred1 his designe more          
plausible1 for having without any       
private regard 7in such cases most      
usuall to the spruce and flourishing    

,air of his owne ,native tongue7 made   
that noble ,language of the ,romans the 
,basis of his project2 ,and finding him 
throughout altogether free from         
prejudice and partiality1 ,i thought an 
anteview of so excellent and usefull1 a 
designe would not be unacceptable to the
 more ingenious part of the world1 and  
that ,i ought not to neglect so faire an
 opportunity of recommending to their   
consideration that illustrious dialect1 
which as it is certainly of all others  
the most valuable1 so to the shame of   
these modern ages1 is either exceedingly
 impair'd or lost in its familiar uses  
among those who challenge the title of  
the ,beaux ,esprits of the times4 ,the  
aime therefore of this ,projector being 
to facilitate and expedite the ,mastery 
of this as well as others1 its survey   
may possibly appear not altogether      
ungratefull if it be but in hopes to    
find this incouragement that we shall he
 able to reserve some number of years   
from our usually tdious application to  

its study for other eminent uses1 and   
commence men  ,schollers at a much      
easier rate and in an earlier age then  
now commonly practic'd2 ,i should       
prevent the ,author if ,i should        
entertaine you with any farther         
commendation of it then that he hath    
taken for his model the most creditable 
and plausible ,language of the world4   
,if at any time you divert your selfe   
with reading ,novels2 you will here meet
 with notions that are both             
,philosophicall and ,airy1 and in order 
to the maine designe for the most part  
purely scientifick and demonstrative2   
and after if all you shall think that   
you have not mispent your time by       
observing something that is either a    
usefull or pleasurable ,i shall have my 
designe and the ,author the credit4     
,farewell4         99       99       99 
99       99  ,as the ,knowledge of      
forreign ,languages ought not to be     
reputed one of those vain and useless   
curiosities that serve only to amuse the

 mind1 but is certainly conducive to a  
thousand different ends2 so we ought not
 to think it strange if our age1 which  
gives such quall and secure judgement of
 the value of things shew more of       
passion then ever for it1               
notwithstanding all the difficulties    
that are pretended4 ,i am of an opinion1
 that one cannot do the world a more    
acceptable piece of service1 then to    
invent a certain and easie way to become
 universally acquainted with the        
,languages1 and to quit a subject from  
those intrigues1 in which the more      
knowing have at present involv'd it1    
either from a pure impotence to         
disingage it1 or possibly from a fond   
desire of a freer breath of popular ,air
 from those who are ordinarily most     
taken with what they least understand4  
,this designe being only a proper       
entertainment for the most criticall of 
the ,virtuoses1 ,i am the more          
inclinable to expose to the public1 the 
project and plain ,i have form'd1 before

 ,i intirely abandon the whole to their 
censure2 that ,i may at first anticipate
 all manner of reply1 and take advantage
 from the lights of the most accomplisht
 and intelligent persons1 if their zeale
 hath courage enough to make them       
willing to serve the world in their love
 and communication4  ,the ,authors      
designe4  ,most men being prepossest    
with two unjust prejudices against the  
nature of the ,languages1 th'one1 that  
they have not all either resemblance or 
accord among them1 the other1 that they 
only depend upon the inconstancie of    
chance1 and the whisling toyishness of  
custome1 it might be thought no matter  
of extraordinary concernment1 if one    
pretended to succeed in a study of this 
nature by the single efforts of the     
memory1 without either the vivacitie of 
imagination1 or the force of reason     
being interress'd4  ,but being not very 
well perswaded of the agreeableness of  
this method1 in direct opposition to it1
 ,i have fastn'd the whole designe in   

hand upon these two propositions3       
,first1 that there is a certain accord  
between the ,severall ,languages3 and   
that therefore they are attainable by   
comparison4  ,secondly1 they are        
unquestionably founded upon reason1 and 
therefore that must be made use of in   
their mutuall reference4 ,it is upon    
these two foundations that ,i pretend to
 establish the true method of gaining a 
mastery of the ,languages1 making it    
appear to the world by a sensible       
experience that the mind can as easily  
make reflections upon words1 as upon the
 things they represent3 ,imagination and
 ,reason being the two faculties1 that  
can reflect upon their objects1 they    
both will appear in the present designe 
in their uses suitable to their nature1 
the effects of ,imagination shall be    
visible in the severall resemblances1   
and the inferences that are thence made2
 and it will be the worke of ,reason to 
reduce all to certain principles1 upon  
which the argumentative part must relye4

  ,the first part of the ,designe4  ,for
 the easier exercise of ,imagination1 ,i
 shall acquaint you with a method that  
will appeare very naturall1 by which    
insteed of considering the ,languages   
precisely in themselves 7as hitherto    
hath been usuall7 they may be compar'd  
one with the other without much         
difficultie1 and at the same time their 
accord1 dependance1 and mutuall         
relation1 discover'd either from the    
resemblance of words1 the proportion of 
their scope or compasse1 and the        
conformity of their expressions4 ,tis   
true that this agreement1 and relation  
is not a little obscur'd by the severall
 od constitutions of mens minds1 that   
checque at1 and satisfie themselves with
 the first1 and naked appearance without
 any farther inquirie1 but withall its  
presently1 and easily perceiv'd by those
 who are happy enough1 in a genius for  
such kind of ,learning4 ,its something  
like the paradoxes ,geometry proposeth  
upon the relation1 and proportion of    

figures1 where we are mus'd at the first
 draught1 and there appeares so little  
likelihood in them that the             
unexperienc't would take them only for  
the tricks and whims of a melancholique 
brain2 whereas an ingenuous ,artist1    
from the most naturall1 and simple      
notions gradually conducts the mind to a
 kind of insensible discovery of truth1 
and makes it see on a suddain what it   
could not expect1 and that with such    
open assurances as quit that from all   
suspicion1 which but now had scarce any 
face of truth4  ,knowing no other method
 then this1 that may be proper to make  
new discoveries in the sciences ,i      
endeavour'd to make what use ,i could of
 it1 so farr as my subject permitted2   
,and since amidst the severall          
resemblances of the ,languages1 there   
are some so evident1 as necessarily     
grance upon the most unobserving eye1 ,i
 have so order'd my reflections1 that by
 a reference to these1 as models1 ,i    
might by degrees arrive at the knowledge

 of the others1 which although reserv'd1
 and sometimes more distanc't1 yet are  
neither less certain1 nor reall3 not    
unlike the subalternate conclusions in  
speculation1 which are not a jot the    
lesse true for being farther remov'd    
from their first principle4  ,thus tis  
that a ,language with which we are      
already acquainted1 either by the       
assistance of ,art1 or ,conversation1   
leads us to an intimacy with those that 
were altogether unknown to us before1   
and that their relation redresseth the  
treachery of the memory in the close and
 juncture of one with the other4  ,but  
that ,i may compasse this my designe    
with lesse trouble1 my greatest care is 
to make choise of one ,language as a    
rule to measure by1 and a principle to  
reduce all the rest too3 for to pretend 
to compare them immediately one with    
another1 as some would have it1 is to   
cherish confusion among those things    
that demand the most of order4  ,the    
veneration that ,i have alwayes had for 

antiquity1 made me think at first of    
ingaging for the ,hebrew1 as being 7for 
ought we know7 the earliest1 the most   
noble1 and most naturall ,language of   
the world and that from which all       
others1 in a manner1 derive themselves4 
,but it was not long before ,i began to 
consider1 that this would directly      
crosse the first principles of my       
intended method1 and appear a kind of   
indeavour to teach an unknown ,language1
 by another1 of which we have the most  
imperfect1 and slender information of   
all4 ,the kindnesse1 and inclination ,i 
ought to have for my own ,country1 had  
almost perswaded me to rest my self     
there1 and to make my native tongue the 
basis of this universall reduction but  
then the rest of the ,europan world     
7which ,i have no reason to slur or     
contemne7 would have as ill resented the
 project1 as we did it in the ,germans1 
who would long agoe have challenged this
 honour to themselves4 ,i had in the end
 no other course to take1 but to throw  

myselfe upon the ,latine1 in which ,i   
luckily met with all the necessary      
conditions that did easily1 and         
plausibly conduce to my design'd        
attempt4  ,to say the truth ,aristotle  
himselfe1 a man of a judgement in such  
things the most exact that ever was to  
take a measure from1 demanded but three 
qualifications1 viz4 ,universality1     
,certainty1 and ,proportion2 that it    
should be generally known to all those  
that are to make use of it in the       
quality of a measure1 that it should be 
fixt1 and determin'd in its selfe1 and  
then that it should be proportion'd to  
all those things1 to which it prescribes
 their bounds1 all which characters do  
with advantage combine in the ,latine1  
and that with such propriety that they  
cannot be attributed to any other       
without some sort of injustice2 for the 
greatest part of the other ,languages   
they are determind to the extent of a   
particular ,kingdom or ,country1 the    
,latine hath no such disadvantage upon  

it4 ,it is to speak properly the        
,language of ,europe3 ,religion1 and the
 ,sciences have more enlarg'd its       
dominions1 then all the conquests of the
 ,romans2 tis almost the common ,idiom  
of the ,north1 and universally knowne to
 persons of birth and education1 who    
alone are presum'd to stand in need of  
the assistance of forraigne ,languages4 
,it disownes the common imperfection of 
others1 which by nature being subject to
 change1 cannot by consequence1 serve   
for a certain determinate rule in all   
ages2 and if it now survive through the 
large extent of its entertainment1 it   
hath much the advantage of others1 that 
are in a manner deceas'd to this that is
 fixt1 and retaind by a well assur'd    
custome and if its being universally    
known allows all persons to share its   
uses1 so its being steddy1 and          
unalterable1 secures it from all the    
uneven changes of time4  ,as to its     
proportion1 it in a manner keeps a mean 
between the ,ancient and ,modern        

,languages1 it is neither altogether so 
pure as the one1 nor so corrupt as the  
other1 and so with the same ease is     
applicable to both2 and in earnest is   
infinitely the most compendious1 it     
being farre less trouble to passe from  
the mean to an extream1 or from the     
extream to the mean1 then to trace it   
from one extream to another4 ,however   
this would seem incommodious beyond all 
redresse1 to attempt to reduce all the  
,languages1 either to the most ancient1 
or else to any one of the most modern1  
because in reality1 the former have no  
more relation to the later1 then these  
have with others of the same age1 which 
have been as so many channels to derive 
,antiquity to us4  ,besides the ,latin  
makes a friendly meeting between the    
,eastern1 and ,western ,languages2 as to
 the first alone it owes its birth and  
life1 so the others do to it4  ,it seems
 then no more difficult to attain the   
one1 by streaming it up to the fountain1
 then to gain all the rest by making a  

like descent1 by way of resemblance to  
what we observe in nature when we       
discern1 as well the effect by the      
cause1 as the cause by the effect4 ,in  
one word1 to make up all the differences
 that may arise about the supremacie of 
the ,languages1 ,i consider the ,latin  
under three different regards1 as the   
daughter of the ,languages of the ,east1
 as the ,mother of those in the ,west1  
and as the ,sister of the more          
,northerne4  ,as it is abundantly       
copious1 and rich1 having been refind1  
and improv'd for more then #cjjj years  
by an infinite variety of nations1 with 
whose spoyls it is now invested1 so it  
may have a very great number of         
resemblances1 under which with little   
difficultie it will admit of a reference
 to all the rest4 ,for in conclusion1 to
 reduce all to the most refin'd1 and    
polite ,language1 is not what ,i pretend
 to2 the ,barbarous stile of the ancient
 ,romans will do me as much service1 as 
the quaintnesse1 and elegance of        

,cicero2 the ,latin of the declining    
,empire1 since the irruptions of the    
,northern ,nations1 may be admitted into
 this designe to as good purpose1 as the
 language of ,augustus his time2 any    
sense is the same of that of the        
,sciences1 which makes one almost       
altogether distinct from what is common 
and vulgar2 the proper names of         
,philosophy1 naturall ,history1 and     
,divinity1 those of ,physick1 and the   
,mathematicks1 of ,arts1 ,law1 and      
,commerce2 the names of illustrious     
persons1 people and places1 of which    
,history furnisheth us with a plausible 
account1 will afford me no lesse        
assistance on this occasion1 then the   
names of things that are most common4   
,after having made choice of a ,language
 in order to the design1 ,i am in the   
next place to determine my self to a    
certain number of them1 the reunion of  
which may be justly thought a modest and
 reasonable attempt2 for as there are   
some1 the knowledge of which will be of 

very little use2 so ,i am obliged to    
prescribe some bounds to a designe that 
would lead me to something indetermin'd1
 and infinite1 and withall ,i suspect   
the inlargement both of mind1 and memory
 to compasse all2 especially considering
 the consequence of some to be          
indifferent1 neither that of ,biscany1  
nor the lower ,brettaigne should in my  
opinion much afflict any mans braine1   
nor do ,i believe that there are many   
more in the world interest for them1    
then there are for the dialect of       
,finland or ,frizland1 or the ,barbarous
 jangling of the ,negroes and ,savages4 
,in the choise that ,i was to make ,i   
could not but give the preference to    
those of the greatest credit and repute1
 took some ,prince 7excuse the allusion7
 who having laid his design to reunite  
all the ,kingdomes of the world1 began  
his conquest upon those ,nations that   
were most formidable and renown'd1 from 
an apprehension that the rest in a      
little time would be less able to make  

any opposition4  ,as ,i am not of an    
humour to attempt any thing without an  
incouragement from reason2 or to give my
 selfe any trouble through a kind of    
caprice1 purely to gratifie my          
curiositie2 ,religion1 ,state1 and the  
,sciences are the three grand rules from
 which ,i make a judgement what         
,languages are really the most important
 and noble2 ,i have only therefore      
selected such as ,europe may use to the 
best advantage1 either for the defence  
of the ,church1 the good of the ,state1 
the advancement of the ,sciences1 or the
 perfection of the most laudable ,arts4 
,it is for this end that ,i have        
entertained in my designe all the       
,languages that concerne ,religion1 and 
make a particular mention of such as    
furnish us with originall texts1 and the
 most authentick translations of the    
,bible1 being of no mean consequence    
towards the faithfull interpretation of 
our sacred ,records1 and the            
confirmation of the ,articles of our    

,creed4  ,i am in the next place obliged
 to find a place for such as concern and
 relate to ,state affaires1 the most    
renowned ,empires1 ,kingdomes1 and      
warlike ,nations1 which may afford a    
suitable entertainment for all sorts of 
people1 and withall very much conduce to
 the succesful management of forraigne  
businesse1 the most important           
negotiations1 ,embassies1 the           
transactions of war or peace1 as well as
 the most hopefull designes of          
travellers4 ,but above all ,i find      
myself concern'd for those that give us 
the most refin'd and polite discoveries 
of wit and ,science1 and have been      
cherisht and nurst up to our hands by   
the most knowing and ingenious of all   
,nations4  ,i can hardly believe ,i     
shall meet with any inclinable to       
quarrell me for the number of #bd4 that 
,i have thought on for my designe1 since
 ,i presume it no easie matter for the  
most nicely curious to find a just      
occasion2 and although there are none of

 them that are not unquestionably       
deriv'd from the same originall1 it     
being no great difficulty to convince   
any well settled head1 that in the      
propriety of speech there is but one    
mother ,language3 ,yet to avoid         
confusion ,i distribute them all into   
#g4 different orders1 as they seem to   
carry an immediate reference to the     
,languages1 which are the commonly      
suppos'd originals3 such are in the     
opinion of the ,learned the ,roman1 and 
the ,greec1 the ,teutonic and           
,sclavonic1 the ,hebrew1 ,scythian1 and 
the ,persian4  ,the ,roman ,idioms are  
the ,italian1 ,spanish and ,french1     
which cannot now be unknowne to any but 
such as are shamefully ignorant2 ,i may 
adde likewise the ,portuguese1 which    
although not very different from the    
,castilian1 yet is not wanting in its   
owne particular beauties1 and hath      
receiv'd no mean accession of use and   
honour from the conquests of its ,kings 
in the most remote parts of the world4  

,to the ,greec ,i shall reduce its #c4  
principall relations1 viz the ,literall 
,greec1 such as we meet with in our old 
,classic ,authors1 the vulgar as it is  
commonly used since the declining age of
 the ,empire at ,constantinople1 and the
 ,coptique or gyptian1 which is but a   
remainder of the famous government of   
the ,ptolomies in gypt3 for although in 
its idiome there be something yet       
remaining of an originall stamp1 either 
in that its words seem to touch upon the
 auntient ,language of the ,pharaohs1 or
 that its inflection no way resembles   
the ,greec1 yet the ,empire of          
,alexander and his successors induc'd   
such a confusion1 that the ,greec hath  
almost got the better1 and involv'd all 
the lesser remains of ,antiquity4       
,under the ,teutonic ,i comprehend the  
,almain or high ,german1 the ,flemmish  
or low ,dutch1 the ,english and the     
,danish1 which is to this day           
entertain_/'d in the most ,northerne    
regions1 and may give us some           

intimations of a clearer light then any 
besides1 as having yet carefully secured
 some footsteps of the ancient          
,language4  ,the ,sclavonic is          
accompani'd with #c4 more considerable  
dialects the true ,sclavonic1 the       
,polish1 and ,muscovitish1 to which the 
valour of the ,nations that speak them  
have brought more reputation then any   
other ingenious performances4  ,the     
,hebrew hath no less then seven in its  
retinue1 the pure ,hebrew1 such as we   
meet with in our ,bible1 the ,language  
of the ,rabbins and ,talmudists1 the    
,chaldee1 the ,syriaque1 the thiopick or
 ,abyssin1 the ,samaritan1 and the      
,arabique1 which in our age hath so     
inlarg'd its dominion1 that its either  
spoke or understood in the three parts  
of the ,old ,world ,asia1 ,africa and   
,europe2 and hath alone produc't such a 
prodigious number of books1 that one    
would scarce believe how a ,nation so   
famous for its exploits in warr should  
have so much leasure to attend to the   

improvement of learning4  ,the ,scythian
 hath two very illustrious dialects in  
its traine1 the ,turkish and lesser     
,tartarian1 both which may serve in some
 measure to acquaint us what ,languages 
are used in the ,north of ,asia4  ,the  
last is the ,persian1 which is not only 
universally priz'd in the ,empire of the
 ,sophy1 but a common entertainment in  
the ,court of the grand ,seigneur1 as   
well as in that of the ,mogull1 where it
 is hugely valued and esteem'd4  ,as    
this reference of the ,languages to one 
another would be to litle purpose1 if   
the less qualifi'd and accomplisht were 
not capable of judging of it1 since tis 
for them principally ,i am most         
concern'd1 ,i believ'd therefore it     
would be necessary intirely to retrench 
all that strange variety of characters1 
whose od and fantasticall figures do    
strangely divert the imaginations of    
those1 who are not well qualifi'd to    
conceive them4 ,neither do ,i intend to 
humour my selfe in that vaine kind of   

ostentation that some affect1 to make   
this kind of writing one of that most   
mysterious parts of their learning1 but 
have found out a method of expressing   
the sounds of all the distinguishing    
characters of each ,language onely by   
the ,roman1 and that in a manner as     
easie and disingag'd as it is accurate  
and new2 insomuch that the resemblances 
of words1 which altogether disappear'd  
under those uncouth figures 7which like 
a veile intercepted them from the less  
clarify'd eye7 presently face the light1
 there being nothing left to interpose  
between them1 and a closer              
consideration1 which notwithstanding    
shall not acquit me from my designe of  
discovering an expedient to decypher    
with ease all those severall kinds of   
writing1 and of fixing them upon the    
imagination in such a manner as without 
difficulty can admit of no confusion4   
,after having remov'd this first        
obstruction1 which hath so long imbroild
 and retarded the knowledge of the      

,languages1 that ,i may with less       
trouble reduce them to their first      
principle1 ,i shall run near the same   
course1 that hath been successively     
taken in their removall1 so farr as any 
history can informe us1 upon which ,i   
principally lay the stresse and basis of
 my designe by producing such arguments 
from it1 the force of which cannot      
plausibly be eluded4 ,for ,i do not     
believe that any of the more curious    
will find fault with me for fastning the
 origine1 and alliance of the ,language 
upon the same bottome with the begining 
and first society of mankind1 who are   
observed never to shift their ,country1 
without having their ,language to bear  
their ,arms and ,customes company4 ,as  
,i never thought fit to dispute it with 
the ,learned1 why they did not make use 
of the affinity of the ,languages1 which
 sometimes are of clearer notice to them
 to discover the the first rise of a    
people more remote1 and with which they 
are lesse acquainted2 ,so ,i hope ,i may

 be permitted to make what advantage ,i 
can of the first combinations and       
colonies to give a clearer light to the 
beginnings and connexion of the severall
 ,tongues1 there being something near   
the same1 or a like proportion between  
both3 as for instance1 ,to make good the
 opinion of ,dionysius ,halicarnasseus1 
and ,quintilian1 who both pretend that  
the ,latin tongue is no more then a     
,dialect of the ,antient ,greek1 is but 
in plain and easie words to give an     
account of all the little settlements1  
and ,plantations in ,italy1 which for   
some continuance of time was only       
inhabited by colonies from ,greece4     
,upon what other terms ,i hardly        
understand this new project should be   
surprizing to any1 it being not the meer
 effect of imagination1 or an humorous  
,idea1 neither will it much ingage any  
sort of people1 but only such as can    
easily dislodge their prejudices when   
their owne lights shall assist in their 
conviction1 and that from such          

assurances as shall be most free from   
suspicion1 being faithfull deductions   
from the histories of the ,colonies4    
,but as it is impossible that the       
,languages should not be liable to      
severall alterations and mixtures from  
the different associations of people in 
severall removes1 so neither is it to be
 believ'd that this was done all on a   
sudden2 there seems to be a resemblance 
between the words that make up the      
,language and ,travellers1 who do not   
put off their accustom'd usages and     
manners so soon as they arrive at a new 
,country1 neither are they naturaliz'd1 
but with time and by degrees become     
masters of the ,air1 humors1 and        
qualities of the persons with whom they 
converse4  ,since then this corruption  
is but of a graduall and intensible     
growth1 there is a necessitie1 for its  
more certain discovery1 of an orderly   
reflection upon the very first          
beginnings of the differences1 being in 
the interim very sollicitous to prevent 

a false retreat that might either ingage
 me too farr1 or else in some unluckie  
circumstances1 from which it would be no
 little difficulty to retire4 ,and this 
seems to be the only way that ,i could  
find out to scatter a certain ,air and  
appearance of truth upon all that regard
 the present subject1 which hath no     
farther a probability then what is given
 it from such a carefull mannagement1   
that shall suffer no pass from one      
extreame to the other without touching  
upon that mean which is as it were the  
time of communication between both1 for 
it is from this chain of words and      
sequel of alterations that all the      
suitablenesse1 and likelyhood of this   
present method principally depends4     
,although in reality there is no reason 
to doubt but that the ,french is a      
corruption of the ,latine1 ,i could not 
however very easily perswade my selfe   
that the word dechoir should derive its 
selfe from cadere of the ,latines1 if ,i
 did not perceive all its severall and  

distinct conveiances through the        
,alembic4 ,they that first corrupted the
 ,language of the ,romans instead of    
cadere made use of cader1 as the        
,italians do to this day1 who commonly  
cut off the final vowels where they     
obseve them to follow ,liquids4 ,they   
that came after proceeded yet farther in
 their retrenchment1 and from cader     
form'd caer1 as the ,spaniards now use  
it1 by taking away the letter d         
according to their ordinary custome1    
when it is seated in the middle of      
words4 ,there are another sort of people
 yet more sturdy and blunt in their     
formes of speech1 who would say ,car or 
,ker by a contraction of the two ,vowels
 into one1 as is observable among the   
,peasants of ,france1 and those of      
,picardy1 who retain very much of       
,antiquity1 which seems to be agreeable 
with the manner of speech among the     
,ancient ,french1 who delighted to      
shorten and contract their words as much
 as possible1 that they might make up a 

,language altogether as free as their   
humour1 some of the most remote of these
 would instead of ,ker pronounce ,cher  
by a change of that firm and surly      
letter into one more easy and soft as we
 yet find it ,customary in the remains  
of some of the ,ancient ,romans1 and    
then after all by the turn of a ,vowel  
into a ,dipthong1 from ,cher is form'd  
,choir1 which now begins to be out of   
date altho its ,composit dechoir be     
still of plausible and commendable use4 
,thus 'tis that ,cadere1 ,cader1 ,caer1 
,car1 ,ker1 ,cher1 ,choir1 and ,dechoir 
make up but one intire chain and        
connexion1 yet all to very little       
purpose if any one of the degrees by    
chance should have been wanting4  ,for  
this reason altho ,i consider every     
,language in its greatest perfection1   
yet for clearing its originall in       
rendring this sequel of words more open 
and palpable ,i have been oblidg'd to   
make numerous reflections upon the older
 forms of speech as well as             

,orthographie1 by which a better        
discovery may be made of all the        
varieties that occure in pronunciation1 
as also of the severall medlies and     
,gibrish of the ,provinces of ,each     
,empire that speak the same ,language1  
but most of them in a singular fashion4 
,so that it is most certain that that   
,language which is most quaint and      
polite is very often the lesse pure and 
most debaucht1 if we make an quall      
judgment from its originall which is the
 most unquestionable rule3 ,upon which  
account the dialects of ,province1      
,gascogne1 ,languedoc1 and that which is
 known by the name of the ,antient      
,gauls is infinitely lesse alter'd and  
distanc't from its original1 then the   
,languages of the ,court and ,nobility1 
who take a pleasure in receding from the
 ,latin3 ,those of ,lombardy and ,naples
 are for the most part lesse corrupt    
than these of ,siena and ,florence2     
,altho the ,spaniards have a saying     
among them1 that the ,catalonian and    

that of ,arragon is commonly more pure  
then the ,castilian that is more        
,pompous4 ,and not to spare the ,french 
more then the ,spaniard1 if they have   
reason to boast their ,language to be   
the most refin'd and ,polite of the     
world1 yet their ,neighbours might      
justly returne upon them1 that of all   
the ,dialects of the ,latin1 there is   
none more degenerate than theirs1       
forasmuch as its quaintness ariseth from
 its sweetnesse1 so that it is not      
attainable without a strange descent    
from its principle4 ,thus le ,capo of   
the ,italians1 le ,cabo1 of the         
,spaniards1 le ,cap1 of the old ,french 
and le ,kef of ,picardy are all         
variously alterd from ,caput of the     
,latins1 but none so much as le ,chef of
 the ,french1 which notwithstanding     
claims the same ,originall4  ,but this  
is not all2 as the resemblance and      
connexion of the ,languages is not      
alwaies the same but depends more or    
lesse upon the communication of the     

,nations that speak them1 ,so it's not  
necessary that this method should be    
invariable1 it must admitt of alteration
 with its subjects1 and accomodate it   
selfe to the diversity of ,tongues4     
,there is much more of ,art requir'd to 
reduce those which only carry a         
resemblance in their words1 and         
abundantly lesse for those which withall
 admitt of an analogie in inflexion1    
,and ,since the same words which allow  
of this accord may have it in severall  
distinct manners they are not all 7if ,i
 may be permitted to say so7 neither of 
,kin1 nor alliance in the same degree2  
their relation is sometimes nearer1     
,sometimes at a greater distance1 for we
 may by way of analogie discours at the 
same rate of the genealogie of words as 
we do of the degrees of consanguinity2  
for if the one sort be rang'd under the 
same ,line either direct or             
,collaterall1 the others admitt of a    
little deflection and do not exactly    
corespond2 some are allied in the first1

 some in the #b;d degree1 some in       
advancing from the branches to the      
stock1 others in a descent from that to 
the branches1 in a word this accord is  
neither always immediate nor at all     
directly opposite4  ,i add besides that 
as there are1 some allied two or three  
ways and that since the first division  
have contracted new and closer          
relations1 so ,i confesse there are     
others that content themselves with     
their ,originall reference1 and that    
have scarce any other agreement among   
them than what depends upon the common  
tie and union that they have with their 
first principle1 which in reallity is no
 more then this famous ,mother ,tongue  
of which some make a mystery without    
well understanding what they say3 ,for  
altho it hath subsisted in its selfe    
before the first confusion1 yet we must 
not think of discoursing of it at the   
same rate1 nor put our minds upon the   
harasse of receiving it4  ',tis no more 
now as some fondly imagaine a particular

 and distinct ,language from others1 so 
that there is but one way to regain it  
and reestablish it at least so far as is
 necessary for a compleat execution of  
my designe1 and that is to make a       
judicious choice of all that is         
primitive and most simple among the     
,remains of the antient ,language either
 by considering the first combinations  
of sounds or by a regard to the earnest 
ideas of the mind1 that were apply'd to 
these sounds2 to the end that we may    
referr thither by a sequel1 all the     
essentiall and fundamentall words of    
each ,language as to their fountaine2   
which admiting of divisions1 runnes now 
in lesser streams which assume the names
 of ,originalls2 because they have their
 rise from that grand ,source where the 
first inhabitants of the world ingrost  
all4 ,so that it may be truly said of   
this ,mother ,tongue that it is in no   
sense a part as being really every where
 either in sums of its divisions or in  
its effects and dependances something   

like your vertues of the elements and   
the originall seeds of things1 that     
,subsist not of themselves but in the   
mixtures that compose them4  ,i shall   
possibly be wonderd at1 that being able 
to accomplish all by this single method1
 ,i have not in the interim recours to  
it1 when all other ways prove           
unserviceable2 ,but after all1 tho this 
method be perhaps more ingenuous and of 
a more profound speculation1 it is not  
however the most naturall and           
compendious1 be it never so refind'd or 
accomodate to my designe1 and ,i hardly 
understand the reason why any man should
 affect a crooked and uncouth road to   
active at his purpose when the streight 
lyes before him4  ,the second part of   
the desine4  ,comparison alone is not   
7in the opinion of some7 sufficient to  
accomplish the present intention1       
however accurate it be2 if it want the  
supports of reason1 it may rationally be
 suspected for being more airy then     
solid1 and without injustice the same   

character may be given to some of those 
unusuall ,chances that sometimes produce
 the most surprizing effects4 ,besides  
altho the vivacity and force of         
imagination be easily admitted into the 
relations of the ,languages1 and leaves 
there forcible impressions1 yet it      
neither warrants certitude1 nor         
dislodgeth confusion2 'tis reason alone 
that establisheth the mind in its       
cognizances1 and credits all its        
conceptions with order1 tis that alone  
which perfects the combination of all   
their relations and agreements according
 to the naturall connexion which they   
have with the same principles on which  
they depend in ,common4  ,that which    
seems to be of greatest moment is that  
the principles be plausible and         
rationall and such as man may lay a     
stress on without suspicion or fear1 and
 this is that which in a singular manner
 the principles of this ,art challenge  
to themselves1 being in my opinion      
infinitely more sensible then those     

which ,philosophy proposeth under the   
characters of uncontroleable truths2 ,i 
have therefore taken them all from the  
very natures of the subject of which ,i 
am treating viz3 from the deflections   
and different regards under which the   
consideration of words may be manag'd2  
wch may last of all serve for an        
assurance1 that chance hath not all that
 ,empire and authority1 that is given it
 over the ,languages2 and that it would 
be no great difficulty to make it       
appear1 that in the ,languages          
themselves there are well fram'd and    
solid reasons1 for every thing that     
appears otherwise1 and hath been        
hitherto suppos'd to be the bare effect 
of ,caprice4  ,it may be perceiv'd by   
the very effects themselves that it will
 make up a science fully demonstrative1 
and back't with such consequences1 as   
may very well passe for compleat models 
in this kind3 ,and above all the scope  
of its principles infinitely shortens   
the way without being at all oblig'd to 

make a descent to a thousand tdious and 
wearisome differences2 which appear much
 better1 and in a more elegant manner in
 their principles then in themselves1   
which is an incouragement for me to hope
 that a ,language for the acquest of    
which we have formerly by a close       
application numbred severall years1 will
 by this means be made the divertisement
 of some hours1 or at most but some few 
days4  ,words being in the opinion of   
all men but significant sounds1 they may
 be taken either as they are ,natural   
sounds1 or arbitrary signs1 ,i would    
say1 either as they are the proper      
effect of the motion of our organs1 or  
as the lively representation of the     
thought of our minds4 ,and since they   
make their passes from one ,language to 
another they cannot well admit of any   
alteration in this their transit but in 
three respects2 for whatsoever change be
 suppos'd it will necessarily fall out1 
either in the sounds themselves that    
compose the words1 or in their          

significations1 or in their different   
modifications1 and its from these three 
distinct regards that the generall      
principles have their rise1 upon which  
,i have fastn'd this new ,systime of the
 ,philosophie of the ,languages4  ,that 
,i may make my procedure more           
justificable and artificiall1 ,i examine
 with all exactnesse the different      
organs of the voice1 the various motions
 of the muscles belonging to these      
organs1 and the admirable concent and   
accord of those motions2 and these ,i   
make use of to demonstratively explaine 
the precise number of all the simple    
sounds1 that enter into the composition 
of the ,languages1 to discover the      
nature and proper pronunciation of these
 sounds1 and by consequence to disclose 
their nearnesse and affinity1 the       
resemblances of some1 and the           
disproportion of others1 their accord   
and opposition1 their ,sympathy and     
,antipathy1 in a word1 all their        
combinations and mixtures1 their        

divisions and distinctions1 their orders
 and severall degrees4 ,from whence ,i  
conclude that all the astonishing and   
surprizing depravations and ,corruptions
 that are met withall in the words that 
one ,language borrows from another1 in  
changing or in transposing1 in adding or
 retrenching1 have their basis in       
nature2 which never attempts any thing  
but to the purpose1 and with a          
sollicitous care1 when to us it appears 
to have acted with an open and          
observable neglect4  ,we may ,study     
,nature upon the ,latine it selfe which 
may serve as well for a model as it doth
 for a principle2 ,it will in the first 
place acquaint us that the ,vowels are  
almost accounted for nothing1 for altho 
there are some of them that admitt of   
easie changes among themselves according
 as they are more open or reserv'd1 we  
know neverthelesse that there are none  
of them but what may be absolutely      
shifted into the place of another of    
what kind soever1 either immediately1 or

 by succession and degrees4 ,for a      
finall confirmation of this we have no  
more to doe but to make an easie        
comparison of the different derivative  
of the same word1 the reference of these
 three ,cepa2 incipio and occupo1 to the
 ,verb ,capio may serve for an instance1
 if we shall but grant the truth of this
 principle which the orientalists have  
always suppos'd1 who form the greatest  
part of their words from the sole change
 of their ,vowels4  ,the same is not    
altogether allowable in relation to the 
,consonants1 where we must not admitt   
indifferently all sorts of changes2 the 
sole affinity of the ,organs is that    
which must regulate almost all their    
varieties3 the ,labiall letters easily  
supplant one another but the ,dentall or
 ,linguall with more difficulty succeed 
them as being not of the same order2    
,for as these consonants1 ,m4 ,b4 ,p4   
,v4 ,f4 make neer the same sound1 which 
is modified by the divers force of the  
,air opening the lips after severall    

forms4 ,so the ,letters ,d4 ,t4 ,z4 ,s4 
ought to make an order by themselves1   
having a particular relation to the     
point of the tongue1 which only by      
touching upon the teeth in various      
manners frames their pronunciation4     
,but it is not a single and easie       
reflexion1 that can absolutely determine
 whether two letters have resemblance   
and proportion1 because there are some  
of them that being made up of the       
movements of severall organs1 maybe     
differently alter'd according to their  
various resemblances1 so the letter ,h4 
carrys not only the resemblance of a    
gutturall as it is pronounc'd by the    
assistance of the muscles of the throat1
 but also as an ,aspiration besides the 
regard it hath to the whispers of the   
tongue1 and the #f4 ,aspirates of the   
,lips1 ,teeth1 and ,palate4 ,however if 
the precipitance or forwardnesse of any1
 hath by chance brought into use1 other 
methods of altering sounds1 as they have
 not so certain a foundation in reason1 

so neither can they be receiv'd within  
the ,compas of this ,art1 at least being
 not establisht by a regular and        
constant analogie4  ,from the sound of  
words1 ,i passe to their signification1 
which in the same dialect may be call'd 
the soul of a word1 as the sound is its 
body2 to expresse it in other terms1    
then what seem to rellish the dry and   
unpleasant humour of the ,pedant or     
,grammarian2 ,i suppose that words being
 the expressions of our thoughts1 and   
our thoughts the representations of     
objects1 the different significations   
that are given to words1 principally    
depend upon the various conceptions1    
that every ,nation frames of the same   
objects1 agreeable to what seems most   
neerly to concern it4  ,this ingageth me
 to explaine the intire sequel1 and     
naturall dependances of our ,ideas1 and 
the manner of their forming2 of which   
the world hath yet receiv'd a very      
imperfect account4 ,in order to this1   
you may understand what those objects   

are1 of which we have proper ,ideas1 and
 what those are which we conceive by    
forreigne images1 and that we do not    
name but in figurative terms2 whence    
ariseth that alliance and resemblance of
 our ,ideas1 and why the greatest share 
of our words if refer'd to their first  
originall1 are but metaphors which      
represent objects to us in such terms as
 are proper to another1 with which it   
hath some agreement1 or neere relation1 
and withall what are the grand          
principles of metaphors2 either of      
,attribution or ,proportion1 that do not
 only make op the beauty1 but almost the
 intire body of the ,language4  ,our    
,ancestors that gave no names to things1
 but by a directing prudence1 purposing 
to distinguish the works of ,nature and 
,art1 had an especiall regard to the    
naturall resemblance they had with any  
thing that was most known to them1 and  
that was already distinguisht by its    
character1 or to any one of their most  
prevailing properties1 or to the        

principall action that distinguisht them
 from other beings4 ,they made use of   
almost the same artifice1 to impose     
names upon things more expressive of    
their properties1 by considering them   
only with reference to their operations1
 of which they were the immediate       
principles4 ,as for the operations1     
themselves being not qually knowne1 nor 
qually obvious to sense they plac't the 
same subordination in the terms they    
made use of to represent them1 that     
,nature hath establisht in our          
apprehensions and cognisances4  ,there  
being therefore nothing in the world of 
which they could have fram'd a more     
distinct ,idea1 then of the motion of   
bodies2 which is obvious to all the     
senses1 we must not wonder if           
considering ,locall motion as the first 
and principall object of their          
knowledge1 they afterwards gave no names
 to the ,operations of each being1 but  
such as seem'd to express some relation 
either to motion in generall1 or to its 

different species1 or to some one of its
 dependances such as are place1 figure1 
situation1 extention1 ,union and        
seperation1 in a word to all the        
resemblances and agreements that in any 
way or kind relye upon motion4 ,for if  
,modern ,philosophy that ,studies       
,nature by a closer application then    
formerly1 pretend to a clear and evident
 explication of ,naturall effects in the
 referring them all to the ,sole        
movement of matter as their true cause2 
there is much more reason that in order 
to the giveing an account of all that is
 to this day past among the ,languages1 
we should have recours to such terms as 
are expressive of motion1 since it is   
not to be doubted but that all others   
that are reducible1 may be referr'd     
hither as to the first principle of     
their signfication4  ,besides motion is 
allow'd a far greater ,scope and extent 
among the ,languages then in ,nature for
 'tis to that we referr our most refin'd
 and spirituall conceptions ,i mean such

 as we frame of the operations of our   
souls and the propensions of our wills1 
,so when we say that the mind or        
understanding applyes it self to think1 
to conceive1 to discours1 to explaine1  
to disimbroile1 to disingage a          
businesse1 to discover a truth2 when we 
talke of troubles1 aversions1 of hurries
 and consternations of the soul1 to     
expresse such actions as are most remote
 from sense1 we make use of such ,images
 as are corporeall in their first       
originall1 although for the most part   
they have lost their proper significance
 to assume another that is purely       
figurative4  ',tis by their ,principles 
,i reduce to naturall reason all        
imaginable ways by which words alter    
their primitive signification to imbrace
 another1 either more inlarg'd or       
reserv'd1 or never so little diversifi'd
 either in ,proportion or ,alliance2 for
 tis no easie matter for words to       
travell from one ,country to another    
without meeting with the same           

casualties1 that use to befall forreign 
,plants which1 are seldome remov'd into 
a new soile1 but degenerate and either  
lose some of their ,native virtue1 or   
acquire some new4 ,but most people      
having met wich this generally          
proposall1 to expresse at first         
appearance1 what they think with as     
little trouble as is possible1 it thence
 falls out that to ingrosse a great deal
 of sense in a few words1 they scarce   
allow enough precisely to marke out the 
simple ideas of their minds1 fitted out 
to all their severall resemblances1 they
 that are most simple in themselves1 are
 commonly compounds in their            
significations1 neither is there any one
 of the least considerable1 but what is 
diversify'd in each ,language by a      
thousand different modifications4  ,from
 thence proceed all the methods of      
inflexion1 derivation1 and composition  
that give being to the most subtle kind 
of ,sophistry2 all the species and forms
 of ,nouns1 ,verbs1 and particles that  

make up the oeconomy of a ,language1    
together withall diversity of ,numbers1 
,genders1 ,cases1 tenses1 ,modes1 and   
,persons which have more of ,art than at
 first sight is imagin'd1 for the       
,custome of ,nations hath not only      
authoriz'd these inventions to vary the 
,cadence of words1 but with an admirable
 facility to expresse all the           
deflexions1 by which an ,idea of the    
same object may be represented to our   
conceptions according as it admitts of a
 mixture of resemblances1 which it may  
have either to its effects or ,causes1  
or as it is related to the severall     
estates1 wherein it subsists1 to the    
differences of time or place1 and to all
 the circumstances that may accompany   
it1 either within or without us4 ,as the
 more sensible differences of the       
,languages principally consist in all   
these modifications2 so one of the      
greatest secrets of this ,art is to know
 how choisly to select and distinguish1 
both in our ideas and in the words that 

expresse them1 that which is principall 
and essentiall from what is purely      
accessory1 subtly to difference the     
first ideas from the second1 the second 
from the third1 the simple from the     
,compound1 the primitive and ,originall 
signification from its dependences and  
references1 its modifications and divers
 restrictions1 in one word 7if ,i may so
 expresse it7 not to confound the habit 
with the person4 ,for in a manner these 
modifications are the same words1 that  
the habit is to the body2 this new      
dresse that is given to forreign words  
to fitt them up alamode to the ,country1
 for the most part time so disfigures   
them and renders them so obscure1 that  
they impose as well upon our eyes as    
ears1 and passe for origalls and        
,natives of the ,country1 although in   
reality they are borrow'd from our      
,neighbourhood1 and sometime from beyond
 the seas4  ,to make a secure judgement 
therefore of the originall1 there       
remains nothing but to consider them    

all1 naked and intirely disspoil'd of   
all that trompery that disguis'd them2  
and that this may be done with more     
safety we must follow them step by step 
in their travels1 and espie out the     
different ranges they have taken and the
 habits they have shifted1 to come thus 
vizarded and masqued to us4  ,these are 
the most inlarg'd principles and        
infallible ways by which ,i discover    
this secret and misterious accord of the
 ,languages which without doubt will    
appear so much the more admirable1 as   
haveing been never to this hour been    
believ'd that they had any such close   
tie or relation3 ,but these principles  
may be apply'd severall ways1 and       
therefore least they should continue    
undermin'd1 ,i make it appear by the    
sequel1 what in particular must be done 
in each ,language in conformity to its  
genius and proper ,character4 ,this is  
that which obligeth me to make an exact 
inquirie into the nature of those       
,languages ,i pretend to reduce1 ,i do  

not content my selfe infallibly to take 
my draught either in the generall       
consent of nations1 which are as often  
cheated in their ,ideas they have of the
 ,language of each ,nation as they are  
commonly in its manners1 or from the    
particular sentiments of the more       
knowing or ,learned1 who without any    
preoccupation of mind have studied their
 own ,native ,language with more then   
ordinary care4 ,but to make all yet more
 certain1 ,i principally form my        
examinations from the very history of   
the ,languages1 which is the most quall 
rule we can take our measures from1 in  
relation to the present designe4  ,in   
order to this1 'tis necessary that we   
make reflexions upon the first          
beginnings of each ,nation1 and that    
from other memoires then such with which
 we are for the most part furnish't by  
the ,criticks1 and seriously to examine 
the continuall comerce it hath had with 
the most considerable of its neighbours1
 the wars1 feuds and ,leagues of its    

,governours with other ,princes1 the    
irruptions and invasions of ,conquering 
,nations1 that have corrupted its       
,language as they ingrost its spoils1   
the frequent ,colonies that ,conquerors 
have sent thither besides its voyages at
 ,sea1 and its traffick1 with the most  
remote plantations1 ,these are the more 
immediate causes of this confusion and  
mixture4  ,it may perhaps withall be no 
mean pleasure to see the basis of each  
,language distinguisht from the changes 
and accessions of time or revolutions of
 ,state1 what every ,nation hath        
contributed of its owne to inrich it1   
what ,religion1 the ,government and what
 ,sciences have communicated to it1 what
 it retains of ,antiquity and what new  
acquests it hath made to retrieve its   
losses with advantage4  ,afterall1 this 
is yet but the sceleton1 or at most but 
the body of a ,language1 ,its necessary 
that this rude1 and indigested masse    
made up of so many different dialects   
should be animated by some secret spirit

 that should expand it selfe through all
 its parts and severall members1 and    
reduce them to unity by communicating   
the same air to them1 and that this     
,spirit or ,soul should be the          
individuall principle of all the        
effects1 and sensible changes1 which    
make us easily distinguish one ,language
 from another3 ,the ,temper1 ,humour1   
and ,nature of a people1 the            
dispositions of their minds1 their      
genius and particular gusts1 their more 
generall and forcible inclinations1     
their ordinary passions1 and such       
singular qualities1 by which one ,nation
 is remarq'd and distinguisht from      
another1 are the most evident signs to  
discover the true genius of a ,language1
 because they are in reality the        
immediate causes and the very originalls
 after which ,i have copied all my      
draughts to compleat the present piece1 
which in my opinion is not wanting in   
something that is very ,naturall1       
,besides this1 the very manners and     

customes of ,nations1 their ,laws and   
policy1 and their publick transactions1 
both of peace and ,war1 are things so   
universally known1 that there is no need
 of any farther search1 how to be able  
to judge by proportion of the genius1   
and characters of the ,languages so     
securely1 as by that of the people that 
speak them4  ,but as the care of a      
,nation to improve and advance the ,arts
 and ,sciences and other kinds of good  
,learning1 is that which contributes    
most to the perfection of its ,language1
 ,so tis upon the manner in which its   
receiv'd1 and the characters of its     
,authors1 that ,i cheifly depend to     
determine1 whether it be modest or      
imperious1 whether it rellish more of a 
softnesse1 sweetnesse1 and delicacy1    
than of a certain ,noble brisque and    
generous air1 whether it incline more to
 the simplicity of ,nature1 or the      
subtile refinements of ,art1 whether it 
be polite to affectation1 or betray a   
certain negligence which hath its graces

 too1 as well as its measures of ,art1  
and last of all whether it be not a     
little crampt in attempting to be too   
exact1 or else better accomodate it     
selfe by its freedome from all          
restraint4  ,having discoverd the genius
 and proper character of each ,language1
 ,i have fram'd the most perfect ,idea  
that is possible1 by way of analogie    
with the principles of the ,platonists1 
with whose method ,i was always as much 
taken as ,i am dissatisfy'd with their  
doctrine4  ,this ,idea being unmasqued  
serves me in the sequell for a generall 
rule1 to establish the true and proper  
reasons of all that passe for singular  
and remarqueable in each ,language1     
either in relation to the choice1 the   
mixture1 and union of sounds1 the force 
and significations of words1 or the ,air
 and manner of expression2 ,for tis most
 certain that all these things are      
alter'd according to the genius of a    
people3 ,so the ,spaniards would        
distinguish themselves from other       

,nations by their haughtinesse1 and     
affected gravity1 and their words are   
easily understood by a certain pompous  
,air1 that seems to border upon grandeur
 and ,majesty3 ,on the ,contrary the    
,italians are the ,nation of the world  
that seems to be most fond of its       
pleasure1 and its naturall1 that this   
softnesse should be communicated to     
their ,language1 and that all their     
words should breath nothing1 but what is
 sweet1 polite1 and the most exact      
harmony2 their compositions admitt of no
 sounds but such1 as can flatter the    
,ear1 they suffer not the concours of   
consonants1 whose rudenesse may never so
 little offend the ,organ1 but they are 
extreamly in ,love with ,vowels1 and    
often allow their sequences to make     
their pronunciation more sweet and      
delicate4 ,for their signification1 that
 they might mixe an accord with their   
energie1 they have hardly any but what  
are more or lesse figurative1 from a    
persuasion1 that a ,metaphor represents 

objects to the mind1 in that most       
curious and diverting manner1 and       
withall they are carefull to make choise
 of none1 but such as represent the     
fairest images3 ,they are no lesse      
sollicitous to diversifie their words by
 agreeable modifications1 their         
inflexion hath very little uneasie in   
it1 it is all of it qually facile and   
gay2 their diminutives are exceedingly  
rellishing1 because there is something  
more than ordinarily pretty in them1    
they are rich in derivatives1 and       
compounds1 not only because their       
pronunciation is more harmonious1 but   
also because they expresse themselves in
 a more naturall manner1 ,in one word   
they banish every thing that may appear 
ingratefull1 and are passionately in    
quest of all that may conduce to the    
,sweetnesse of their ,language4  ,my    
sense is much the same of other         
,languages1 but because reason it selfe 
may be suspected by some1 especially if 
at any time it appear too just or       

plausible1 ,i was the rather concern'd  
so to order my instances1 that besides  
the induction1 ,i intended custome and  
experience should support reason1 and   
reason should confirme experience1 and  
withall the examples are so naturally   
chain'd with their principles1 and all  
of them so distributed in their proper  
places1 that without so much as making  
the least reflexion1 ,i imperceptibly   
comprize all the fundamentall and       
essentiall words of each ,language1     
being willing my selfe to draw all my   
conclusions from the principles ,i have 
mention'd1 and to make all necessary    
inductions1 without leaving any thing of
 trouble or disease to the reader1 who  
in such cases is glad to be quitt from  
paines and inconvenience1 ,i have some  
hopes1 that a competition thus          
differently made up of ,history1        
reflexions and ,criticismes supported by
 principles1 deductions and examples may
 contribute something to the            
agreeableness of the designe1 and sett  

off a subject that of itselfe is dry and
 knotty enough1 without making it more  
unacceptable by that mean and disreputed
 method1 that hath so much decry'd the  
,critiques1 and ordinarily hath given a 
disgust to a science before it hath been
 allow'd the least consideration1       
besides that didacticque way1 is by no  
means proper in the present case1 for as
 there is little pleasure in being taken
 notice of under the character of a     
,scholler1 so the only remedy is to     
contrive some way to come to the        
knowledge of things without lying under 
the suspicion of having a master4  ,thus
 you see in grosse and generall1 the    
whole designe exprest in as few words as
 the brevity of the subject would       
permitt me2 ,and ,however rationall it  
may be in it selfe yet it wants not its 
adversaryes2 ,some with a great deal of 
heat1 plead that if this method         
acquiring the ,languages1 hath any thing
 in it that is ,curious by way of       
speculation1 it is however uselesse     

enough in relation to its practice1     
since ,custome and ,conversation only   
7say they7 is the great ,master of      
,language1 and that we must intirely    
relye upon memory and the assiduity of  
constant and resolv'd industry4  ,others
 confesse that it hath in earnest its   
advantages1 but doubt much of the       
possibility of its execution1 hardly    
beleeving that the ,languages have in   
good truth such an accord and           
resemblance as ,i suppose they have1 or 
that there is a possibility for the witt
 of man now to discover it4  ,by way of 
reply to the first1 ,i confesse that one
 thing ,i wonder at1 is that persons so 
knowing and ingenuous should so highly  
declare themselves against the judgement
 in favour of the memory1 ,i have a very
 great regard to their qualitie and     
worth1 but cannot submitt my selfe to   
their opinion1 ,the only way 7as ,i     
imagine7 to ,learn the ,languages1 and  
that in what number we please1 to do it 
with ease without tdiousnesse1          

confusion1 trouble and losse of time1   
and without the common hazard1 of       
forgetting them with as much ease as we 
acquire them with difficulty1 and to be 
master of them all in such a manner1 as 
shall rellish nothing that is mean or   
not becomeing a ,rationall man1 is in   
one word1 to attribute more to the      
judging and reflecting faculty then to  
the memory2 for if the memory depend and
 relye only upon the reflexions of the  
judgement1 we have no reason to expect  
much from its single ,conduct1 for      
however plausible it may appear1 it will
 always be slow1 limited1 confus'd1 and 
faithlesse2 its action is not vigorous  
enough to take us off from those        
fatigues that distast our most likely   
enterprizes1 and its efforts to weak and
 ,languishing in a little time to       
execute a designe of so large a compasse
 as this2 being so determin'd as it is1 
it is impossible it should reduce so    
great a number of ,languages so         
distanc't in appearance one from        

another2 ,if at any time it seem        
extraordinary in an action1 its ,species
 are soon displac't by their multitude1 
and when they are rang'd in the best    
order imaginable1 they continue not so  
long without being either effact by     
those that supervene or disappearing of 
themselves1 haveing nothing that can    
fixe and retaine them1 ,so that the     
,languages being of so vast an extent1  
there is no reason that the memory alone
 should be confided to for their        
acquest1 unlesse we could be content to 
sacrifice an infinite space of time to  
the ,sole knowledge of words1 which     
being so valuable as it ought to be to  
us1 may be imployd with more discretion 
and successe1 either towards the        
cognizance of things or the management  
of businesse4  ,to satisfie others1 ,i  
have nothing more at present to say to  
them but that if the designe shall      
appear to them at first sight either    
fantasticall or temerarious1 the        
execution will soon justifie me1 and    

perhaps convince them that it is not    
always rationall positively to passe a  
judgement upon any thing before a close 
and a narrow search1 and that we ought  
not hastily to despaire of any thing2   
the gaining of which hath not been      
attempted all imaginable wayes4  ,last  
of all1 as ,i do not beleeve my selfe to
 be deceiv'd in that which make up the  
grosse and main of the designe1 so ,i do
 not expect that all that ,i shall      
advance in the sequel upon this         
connexion of the ,languages1 should be  
receiv'd by all for uncontrouleable     
truths1 of which ,i my selfe am         
sufficiently perswaded2 ,i am too well  
acquainted with the nature of truth to  
beleeve my selfe so succesfull as to    
have alwayes uncover'd that in the most 
imbroyld and the most doubtfull affaires
 of the world2 yet ,i confesse that     
notwithstanding that great respect that 
is due to it1 ,i have in some cases     
lesse regarded it when it did not appear
 to comply with the capacityes of       

ordinary men1 persuading my selfe that  
conjecture well fram'd and adjusted by a
 plausible ,air is more rellishing to   
ingenious persons1 then an obscure and  
fainting truth1 of which sort there is a
 very great number in the present       
subject4  ,i propose then to the        
,learned1 this new systeme of the       
,languages1 not as an incontestable     
,thesis in all its parts but only as an 
,hypothesis1 not altogether irrationall 
and which besides hath this particular  
advantage1 that although it should be   
the falsest thing in the world in       
speculation1 it may at least be         
allowable in the practice1 ,and ,i hope 
to receive the same favour that persons 
7that were most obstinately resolv'd    
against his ,hypothesis7 granted        
,copernicus by their confession1 that   
let it be never so false it is however  
the best accommodated to use and        
,astronomicall supputations4  ,,finis4  
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