Post by Admin on Oct 9, 2016 9:56:26 GMT
CHAP. 2.
Of the first Elements of Letters.
FOR who sees not, that the Arts of well speaking, that is to say, Grammar, Logick, Rhetorick, which are but the Porches and Wickets of Sciences, but not of Knowledge, are oft-times the Causes of more mis∣chief then delight? which notwithstanding have no other rule of Truth for their Establishment, than the Decrees and Statutes of their first Institutors; which e∣vidently appears in the Invention of Letters themselves, which are the Elements and Materials of all Arts. The first Letters were Caldaean, invented by Abraham, as Philo affirms, and were in use among the Galdae∣ans, Assyrians, and Phoenicians; though others say, that Radamanth was the first that fram'd Letters among the Assyrians. After this, Moses delivered certain Cha∣racters
Page 10
to the Jews, though not the same which are us'd at this day; the Author of which, Ezra is said to be, and not only so, but of all the Books of the Old Testament. Afterwards, one Linus a Calcidian is said to have brought over Letters out of Phoenicia into Greece, being the Phoenician Characters, which were there used till Cadmus the Son of Agenor made publick among them other new Letters of another sort, sixteen in Number; to which in the time of the Trojan War Palamedes added four more; and after him, Simonides the Melitian as many more. To the Aegyptians it is said that one Memnon first taught the use of Writing by the Portraitures of Beasts, as is seen in their Obelisks; but as for Letters, Mercurie is said to be the first that gave them the Knowledge thereof: that Mercurie, whom Lactantius affirmeth to be the first of that Name, to whom Vulcan the Son of Nilus succeeded in the Kingdom. But the first that taught the use of Letters among the Latines, was Ni∣costrata, sirnam'd Carmenta. Thus we see seven sorts of Letters most famous in Antiquity, the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Syriac, Caldean, Aegyptian, and Getic. Of which in a very Antient Manuscript Crinitus re∣ports that he hath read these following Verses.
First Moses Hebrew Letters did invent:
To A•tica the wise Phoenicians sent:
The Latine ones Nicostrata found out:
Syriac and Caldee, Abram without doubt:
Ipsis the Aegyptians taught, not with less Art:
To Getans, Galsela did theirs impart.
But other People and Barbarous Nations of latter times have invented new Letters. For Cordanus▪ the Bishop invented Letters for the Goths; and the An∣cient Franks, who under the Leading of Marcomirus
Page 11
and Pharamond vanquish'd the Gauls, us'd certain Characters very little different from the Greeks: which Letters Wastaldus, writing their History in their own Language, made use of. There are also other Letters extant among the Franks, whose inventor one Dora∣cus is said to be, far differing in Character from those of Wastaldus; together with others, of whom Hi∣chus the Frank was Author, who came out of Scythi• to the Mouth of the Rhyne with Marcomir. Beda al∣so produces the Characters of certain Norman Let∣ters, but without any certainty of their first Inventor. Many other Nations have appointed for their own use several new Characters of Letters; either borrowed from the Ancients, or which they did impart, change, and corrupt: Thus the Dalmatians corrupted the Gre∣cian; the Armenians the Caldean; the Lombards and Goths defac'd and alter'd the Latin Characters. Many Ancient Letters are also quite lost, as of the Ancient Hetrurians, which notwithstanding formerly were in high esteem among the Romans, as Livy and Pliny wit∣ness. Of which Letters, the Characters are to be seen in many Ancient Coyns, although their significa∣tion be altogether unknown. For the Romans here∣tofore Conquering the greatest part of the World, took from many Nations the use of their own Letters, and violently impos'd upon them their own Forms. In the like manner the Hebrew Letters were lost in the Captivity of Babylon, and their Language was cor∣rupted by the Caldeans. Thus the ancient Letters of the Germans, Spaniards, and other Nations, perish'd upon introducing the Roman Character; and their Languages were also by the same means wholly cor∣rupted. On the other side, the Letters and Language of the Romans were corrupted and chang'd by the Goths, Lombards, Franks, and other Barbarous Nations: Neither is the Latin Language now in use the same
Page 12
with that in times of yore. Concerning the Hebrew Language and Character, there is no small dissention among the Talmudists; for Rabbi Jehuda saith, That Adam the first man spake the Aramaean Language. Mar∣surra affirms, That the Law was delivered by Moses, in the Character which is said to be the Hebrew; but in the Sacred Idiome of Speech, which being afterwards chang'd into the Aramaean Idiome, and written in the Assyrian Character by Esdras; a little while after re∣taining the Assyrian Character, reassum'd the Sacred Idiome. Others say, That the Law was not Written in other Characters at first, than those at present known; but that sometimes it was changed upon their fallings away, and by and by restor'd upon their Repentance. Rabbi Simon the Son of Eleazer believes neither the Language nor Character to have at any time been chang'd: So little of certain concerning the Hebrew Letters is there among the Hebrews themselves. And indeed, such are the alterations hapning through the Vicissitude of times, that there are no Languages or Letters that are able to make good the Antiquity or Truth of their first Original.
Of the first Elements of Letters.
FOR who sees not, that the Arts of well speaking, that is to say, Grammar, Logick, Rhetorick, which are but the Porches and Wickets of Sciences, but not of Knowledge, are oft-times the Causes of more mis∣chief then delight? which notwithstanding have no other rule of Truth for their Establishment, than the Decrees and Statutes of their first Institutors; which e∣vidently appears in the Invention of Letters themselves, which are the Elements and Materials of all Arts. The first Letters were Caldaean, invented by Abraham, as Philo affirms, and were in use among the Galdae∣ans, Assyrians, and Phoenicians; though others say, that Radamanth was the first that fram'd Letters among the Assyrians. After this, Moses delivered certain Cha∣racters
Page 10
to the Jews, though not the same which are us'd at this day; the Author of which, Ezra is said to be, and not only so, but of all the Books of the Old Testament. Afterwards, one Linus a Calcidian is said to have brought over Letters out of Phoenicia into Greece, being the Phoenician Characters, which were there used till Cadmus the Son of Agenor made publick among them other new Letters of another sort, sixteen in Number; to which in the time of the Trojan War Palamedes added four more; and after him, Simonides the Melitian as many more. To the Aegyptians it is said that one Memnon first taught the use of Writing by the Portraitures of Beasts, as is seen in their Obelisks; but as for Letters, Mercurie is said to be the first that gave them the Knowledge thereof: that Mercurie, whom Lactantius affirmeth to be the first of that Name, to whom Vulcan the Son of Nilus succeeded in the Kingdom. But the first that taught the use of Letters among the Latines, was Ni∣costrata, sirnam'd Carmenta. Thus we see seven sorts of Letters most famous in Antiquity, the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Syriac, Caldean, Aegyptian, and Getic. Of which in a very Antient Manuscript Crinitus re∣ports that he hath read these following Verses.
First Moses Hebrew Letters did invent:
To A•tica the wise Phoenicians sent:
The Latine ones Nicostrata found out:
Syriac and Caldee, Abram without doubt:
Ipsis the Aegyptians taught, not with less Art:
To Getans, Galsela did theirs impart.
But other People and Barbarous Nations of latter times have invented new Letters. For Cordanus▪ the Bishop invented Letters for the Goths; and the An∣cient Franks, who under the Leading of Marcomirus
Page 11
and Pharamond vanquish'd the Gauls, us'd certain Characters very little different from the Greeks: which Letters Wastaldus, writing their History in their own Language, made use of. There are also other Letters extant among the Franks, whose inventor one Dora∣cus is said to be, far differing in Character from those of Wastaldus; together with others, of whom Hi∣chus the Frank was Author, who came out of Scythi• to the Mouth of the Rhyne with Marcomir. Beda al∣so produces the Characters of certain Norman Let∣ters, but without any certainty of their first Inventor. Many other Nations have appointed for their own use several new Characters of Letters; either borrowed from the Ancients, or which they did impart, change, and corrupt: Thus the Dalmatians corrupted the Gre∣cian; the Armenians the Caldean; the Lombards and Goths defac'd and alter'd the Latin Characters. Many Ancient Letters are also quite lost, as of the Ancient Hetrurians, which notwithstanding formerly were in high esteem among the Romans, as Livy and Pliny wit∣ness. Of which Letters, the Characters are to be seen in many Ancient Coyns, although their significa∣tion be altogether unknown. For the Romans here∣tofore Conquering the greatest part of the World, took from many Nations the use of their own Letters, and violently impos'd upon them their own Forms. In the like manner the Hebrew Letters were lost in the Captivity of Babylon, and their Language was cor∣rupted by the Caldeans. Thus the ancient Letters of the Germans, Spaniards, and other Nations, perish'd upon introducing the Roman Character; and their Languages were also by the same means wholly cor∣rupted. On the other side, the Letters and Language of the Romans were corrupted and chang'd by the Goths, Lombards, Franks, and other Barbarous Nations: Neither is the Latin Language now in use the same
Page 12
with that in times of yore. Concerning the Hebrew Language and Character, there is no small dissention among the Talmudists; for Rabbi Jehuda saith, That Adam the first man spake the Aramaean Language. Mar∣surra affirms, That the Law was delivered by Moses, in the Character which is said to be the Hebrew; but in the Sacred Idiome of Speech, which being afterwards chang'd into the Aramaean Idiome, and written in the Assyrian Character by Esdras; a little while after re∣taining the Assyrian Character, reassum'd the Sacred Idiome. Others say, That the Law was not Written in other Characters at first, than those at present known; but that sometimes it was changed upon their fallings away, and by and by restor'd upon their Repentance. Rabbi Simon the Son of Eleazer believes neither the Language nor Character to have at any time been chang'd: So little of certain concerning the Hebrew Letters is there among the Hebrews themselves. And indeed, such are the alterations hapning through the Vicissitude of times, that there are no Languages or Letters that are able to make good the Antiquity or Truth of their first Original.