hieroglyphic, and accordingly, as we find by Porphyry, diftinguifhed them into two kinds, bieroglyphical and fymbolical, yet confounding their original, in fuppofing both invented out of choice, have not accurately distinguished either their different natures or uses: they took it for granted that the hieroglyphic, as well as fymbol, was a mysterious representation; and, what was worse, a reprefentation of fpeculative notions in philofophy and theology; whereas it was used only in public and open writings, to regifter their civil policy and hiftory: These mistakes involved the whole hiftory of hieroglyphic writing in infinite confufion. But it is now time to fpeak of an alteration, which this change of the fubject and manner of expreffion made in the DELINEATION of hieroglyphic figures. Hitherto the animal or thing reprefenting was drawn out graphically; but when the ftudy of philofophy (which had occafioned fymbolic writing) had inclined their learned to write much, and variously; that exact manner of delineation would be as well too tedious as too voluminous by degrees therefore, they perfected another character, which we may call the running band of hieroglyphics, refembling the chinese writing, which being at firft formed only by the outlines of each figure", became at length a kind of marks. One natural effect which this runninghand would, in time, produce, we must not omit m A very curious fpecimen of this hafty delineation of the outlines of the figures (which gave birth to the running hand character we are here fpeaking of) the reader will find in Kircher, A 350. of his Oidip. Egypt. tom. iii. where he has given the characters on the florentine obelifk, which, though dignified by that name, is only a late mimic in miniature of the fu perb monuments fo intitled. See plate VIII. to mention; it was, that the use would take off the attention from the symbol, and fix it on the thing signified; by which means the study of fymbolic writing would be much abbreviated, the reader or decypherer having then little to do, but to remember the power of the symbolic mark; whereas before, the properties of the thing or ani. mal employed as a symbol, were to be learnt: in a word, this, together with their other marks. by institution, to design mental ideas, would reduce the characters to the present state of the Chinese. And these were properly what the ancients call HIEROGRAPHICAL."; used, afterwards on subjects 1 'The account which a missionary jesuit gives us of the feveral sorts of writing amongst the Chinese will illustrate this matter : Parmi ces caracteres il y en a de plufieurs fortes. Les premiers ne font presque plus d'usage, & on ne les conserve que pour fuire honneur à l'antiquité. Les seconds beaucoup moins anciens n'ont place que dans les inscriptions publiques : quand on en a besoin, on consulte les livres, & à la faveur des di&tionnaires il est facile de les dechifer. Les troisiemes, beaucoup plus reguliers & plus beaux, servent dans l'impression & même dans l'ecriture ordinaire. Neanmoins comme les traits, en font bien formez, il faut un temps considerable pour les écrire ; c'est pour cela qu'on a trouvé une quatrieme espece d'ecriture, dont les traits pluz liez & moins die ftinguez les uns des autres, donnent la facilité d'ecrire plus viste - ces trois derniers caracteres ont entre eux beaucoup de ressemblance, & refpondent afez à nos lettres capitales, aux lettres d'impresion, & à l'ecriture ordinaire. Nouveaux Memoires sur l'etat present de la Chine, far le P. L. le Comte, tom. i. Amfi. 1698, p. 258--9. And here let me just take notice of a ridiculous mistake into which the equivocation of the word Note (a term signifying as well fort hund characters, as hieroglyphical) drew a certain learned grammarian : who in a letter to his friend [Glof. Ant. Rom. p. 414. ed. 1731.) undertaking to give the original of short hand characters, rejects the account of the ancicnts (which makes them a Roman invention) to fetch them from the Barbarians; and will have them to be indeed the same as the Ignorabiles Literæ of the Egyptians (mentioned by Apuleius) and the present chinese characters; that is, real hieroglyphics. But had he considered, that the notes of foort hand were marks for a a a |