from others, did purposely disturb the order of the Alphabet; to which he might have added the Æthiopic and Armenian.
§. III.There are two general things to be observed concerning these derived Letters. 1. That they are not of so great Antiquity. 2. That they are not so numerous as Languages are.
1. They are not so ancient, many Nations remaining a long while before they grew so far civilized as to understand the use of Letters, which to this day are not known amongst many of the American Nations, nor the Inhabitants of Lapland: and after the have been known, and of some public use, it hath been yet considerable pace, before persons have written any Discourse in their own Language. Enquiries, chap. 5.'Tis obferved by Tschudas of the German, and by Genebrard of the French Tongue, (saith Mr. Brerewood) that ’tis not much above 400 years, since Books began to be written in those Languages.
2. And because the use of Letters in particular Countries is not sо ancient as Language, therefore are they not of so numerous kinds, several Nations taking up the use of Letters from their neighbours, and adapting them to their own Tongue. Thus the Spanish, French, Italian, German, British, English, Irish, &c. do all use the same Latine Character, it being probable that they had none of their own, before they learnt this of the Romans. The Coptic or Egyptian Character, ever since Egypt came under the Dominion of Macedon, hath been the Greek, excepting only seven Letters proper to their Tongue, which the Greek Alphabet did not sufficiently express, The Muscovites likewise and the Russians the Georgians and Jacobins, do use the Greek Character, the Persians and Turks use the Arabick: though the Letters of any Tongue do not always remain the same, but are subject to the like fate and mutability, to which Languages are exposed.
§. IV.Besides this common way of Writing by the ordinary Letters, the Ancients have sometimes used to communicate by other Notes, which were either for Secrecy, or Brevity.
1. For Secrecy: such were the Egyptian Hieroglyphicks (as they are commonly esteemed) being the representation of certain living Creatures, and other Bodies, whereby they were wont to conceal from the vulgar the Mysteries of their Religion. But there is reason to doubt whether there be anything in these worth the enquiry, the discoveries that have been hitherto made out of them being but very few and insignificant. They seem to be but a flight, imperfect invention, sutable to those first and ruder Ages; Vid. Purchas book 5. chap.7 sect. 1.much of the same nature with that Mexican way of writing by Picture, which was a mere shift they were put to for want of the knowledge of Letters. And it seems to me questionable, whether the Egyptions did not at first use their Hieroglyphicks upon the same account, namely, for the want of Letters.
Those waies of writing treated of by the Abbot Trithemius, were likewise for occult or secret communication: And though some Learned men have suspected and accused him to have thereby delivered the Art of Magic, or Conjuring; yet he is sufficiently cleared and vindicated from any such prejudice in that veru learned and ingenious Discourse de Cryptographia, under the feigned name of Gustavus Selenus,