have only supposed to be poffible, namely, that language was invented by men, not revealed from heaven *.

When I began this work, I thought the fubject was new and untouched by any author before me; but, in going on with it, I recollected, that I had read, in Mr Rouffeau's treatife of the Inequality of mankind, fomething upon the fubject. Having, therefore, looked again into that work, I found that this ingenious author had indeed ftarted the inquiry, but had not prosecuted it far, having stuck at this difficulty, Whether language was more neceffary for the inftitution of fociety, or fociety for the invention of language. In that treatise Mr Rouffeau mentions a work of the Abbe de Condillac, member of the Royal Academy of Berlin, entitled An Effay on the Origin of Human Knowledge.' This work I have not feen; but I have read an extract from it, in the fecond volume of the Critical Review, by which I perceive, that he proceeds, as I do, upon the fuppofition that language was invented, of which he feems to have no doubt. He agrees

d

* Book II. Cap. vii. p. 375. et feq.

with me likewise, that, before men used lan-. guage, they converfed together by figns and inarticulate cries: That, from these laft, language was formed: And that the first languages had a great deal of profody, or musical tones, which he seems to think as natural to man as articulation. Thus far, therefore, I have the pleasure to find, that I agree with this author, who appears to be an ingenious man. But, as his book is chiefly upon the operations of the mind, fo that a small part of it only is employed upon language, I do not think it could have been of great use to me. The fubject, therefore, may ftill be confidered as new; and fo I find it appears, even to the most learned of my acquaintance, and whose studies have been employed particularly upon language. The reader muft not, therefore, expect to find any thing perfect upon a subject fo new, and of fuch variety and extent, even in this fecond edition, fo much inlarged, and, I hope, likewise amended, by the many useful hints I have got from several, who have done me the favour to correfpond with me upon occafion of the publication of the first edition. Among these, there

was one, by whofe correfpondence I was both instructed and honoured; whose observations on my work, which he was pleafed to give me at fome length, I valued the more, that he was himself an author of the first class, and an excellent judge of writing. He is fince dead, lamented by all the lovers of virtue and learning. From this description, the reader will easily guess that I mean the late Lord Lyttelton.

OF THE

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS

O F

LANGUAGE.

INTRODUCTION.

A

S the ufe of fpeech is fuppofed to be that which chiefly diftinguish

es us from the brute creation; and is truly fo, if by Speech we underftand, not only the mere words or founds of a language, but the conceptions of the mind that are fignified by those founds; ; it is a matter of curious inquiry, from whence we have derived this distinguishing prerogative of our nature; how it first began; and by what degrees it arrived to that ftate of perfection to which it has been brought, if not among us, at least in other ages and nations of the world. This VOL. I.

A