Page:AnEssayTowardsARealCharacterAndAPhilosophicalLanguage.pdf/407

 Chap. XIII. els; as hȣel, hȣer, hȣen, which will in pronunciation be of the very ame ound and power, wherein thee words are now ued, and therefore is more natural and proper than the common way of writing.

According to this etablihment, the imple Letters will be thirty four, whereof eight are Vowels, and twenty ix Cononants, beides twenty four Dipthongs.

The Greek Letters are aid to have been at firt only 16; namely, Α, Β, Γ, Δ, Ε, Ι, Κ, Λ, Μ, Ν, Ο, Π, Ρ, Σ, Τ, Υ. To which Palamedes is aid to have added the three Apirates Θ, Φ, Χ. Epicharmus the Sicilian the double Letters Ζ, ξ, Ψ. Simonides the two long Vowels η and ω. Notwithtanding which, that Alphabet is till in everal repects defective.

What Theodorus Bibliander uggets in his Tract de ratione communi omnium Linguarum, that all ounds both articulate, and inarticulate, may ufficiently be expreed by 13 Letters, and an Apiration, viz. the five ordinary Vowels, & B, G, D, L, M, N, R, S, is o very irrational, that I cannot think it needs any particular confutation.

As for thoe other new Alphabets that are propoed by Sir Thomas Smith, Bullokar, ''Alex. Gill'', they do none of them give a jut enumeration of the imple Elements of peech, but what by the mixture of long and hort Vowels, which do not differ pecifically, together with the inertion of double Letters, they do too much increae the number of them. Beides that ome other Letters are left out and omitted.

According to this etablihment of Letters, if the Lords Prayer or Creed were to be written according to our preent pronunciation of it, they hould be each of them thus Lettered.

Ỿȣr fadher hȣith art in héven, halloëd bi dhỿi nàm, dhỿi cíngdỿm cỿm, dhỿi ȣill bi dỿn, in erth az it iz in héven, giv ỿs dhis dai ỿȣr daili bred, and fɑrgív ỿs ỿȣr trepaez az ȣi fɑrgív dhem dhat trepa againt ỿs, and lèd ỿs nɑt intȣ temptaiɑn, bỿt delíver ỿs frɑm ivil, fɑr dhỿn iz dhe cingdɩm, dhe pỿȣër and dhe glɑri, fɑr ever and ever, Amen.

Ỿɩ bɩlìv ɩn Gɑd dhe fàdher ɑlmỿɩtɩ màker ɑf héven and erth, and in Dzheỿs Crỿɩt hɩz onlɩ ỿn ỿȣr Lɑrd, hȣȣ ȣaz cɑnsèved bỿɩ dhe holɩ Got, bɑrn ɑf dhe Vɩrgin Màrɩ, ỿffered ỿnder Pɑniỿs Pỿɩlat, ȣaz crɩȣifiëd ded and bỿriëd. Hɩ deended intȣ hel, dhe thỿrd daɩ hɩ rò agaɩn frɑm dhe ded. Hɩ aended intȣ héven, hȣèr hɩ ɩtteth at dhe rỿɩt hand ɑf Gɑd dhe fàdher, frɑm hȣèn hi hɑl cỿm tȣ dzhỿdzh dhe cȣic and dhe ded. Ỿɩ bɩlìv ɩn dhe holɩ Got, the holɩ catholɩc tshỿrth, dhe cɑmmɩɑnɩɑn ɑf Saints, dhe fɑrgɩvnes ɑf ɩnz, de reỿrrecion ɑf dhe bady, and lỿif everlating. Amen.

Thus much may uffice, concerning the Forms, Eßences, or Powers of the everal Letters. Rh