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 Chap. II. Before the flourihing of the Roman Empire, there were everal native Languages ued in Italy, France, Spain. In Italy we read of the Meapian, the Hetrucan, the Sabine, the Ocan, the Hetrurian or Tucan Languages; which are now thought by Learned men to be utterly lot, and nowhere to be found in the World.

‘Tis probable that there was not onely one Language in o vat a Territory as France, but that everal Provinces pake everal Languages: But what thoe Languages were, or whether yet extant, is uncertain. As for the Celta, who, inbabiting the inner part of the Country, were les ubject to forein mixtures, ‘tis mot probable that their Language might be the Britih or Welh, which is yet poken in ome parts of France. Cæar reports that the Gauls were wont often to pas over into Britain, to be intructed by the Druids, amongtwhom there was then no ue of Books or Writing, and therefore they mut communicate by Dicourle. And Tacitus affirms that the Speech of the Britih and Gauls, differed but little.

It is conceived that one of the ancient Tongues of Spain was the Cantabrian, which doth now there remain in the more barren mountainous, inacceible parts, where Conquerors are les willing to purue, or deirous to plant; as our Britih dith in Wales. But 'tis probable that there might be everal other Language beides this in o great a Continent, as well as in Italy, which are now wholly lot and unknown.

3. As to the third Quere, concerning the firt Rie and occaion of new Languages, that may be ufficiently anwered by what was before uggeted, concerning thoe many particular emergencies which may contribute to the introducing a change in Languages.

Some think that the Italians, Spaniards and French, after they were totally ubdued by the Romans, and planted with their Colonies, did, after, a certain pace of time, receive the Latin Tongue as their mot vulgar Speech, and retained it; till afterwards, being everal times overrun by the Northern barbarous Nations, the Goths and Vandals, and other Tribes of the Germans, who mixed with them, and after everal Conquets reided amongt them, ometimes 20, 60, 200 years together; this afforded time enough for uch a thorough coalition betwixt them and the Natives, as could not but introduce a great change in the common Language, whilt the Nations were forced to attemper their Speech for the mutual undertanding of one another.

Others conceive that thoe Countries did not at firt perfectly receive the Latin from the Romans, but did onely make ue of mot principal radical words; neglecting the Grammatical rules of compoition and inflection, and with all varying the way of pronunciation, according to the unuualnes and difficulty of everal ounds to everal Countries: And that this was the firt and chief occaion of thofe various Medleys or everal Dialects now in ue; which were afterwards omewhat farther changed from their Originals, by thoe everal Inundations of the Barbarians

'Tis not much material to dipute, which of thee caues had the principal influence in the extraction of thee modern Tongues, o long as 'tis granted that both of them might contribute and uffice for this effect. As for our preent Englih, this eems to be a mixture of the Britih, Rh