WITH
A Definition of all the Parts of the English, Welsh,Greek, and Latin Languages;
Some Physical, Metaphysical, and Moral cursory Remarks onthe Nature, Properties, and Rights of Men and Things.
And Rules and Specimens for composing an Hieroglyfic Vocabularyof the Signs or Figures, as well as the Sounds of Things,upon rational and philosophical Principles, and the primitiveMeaning of Names.
By ROW. JONES.
LONDON:
Printed by John Hughs, near Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields;
And sold by Messrs. Dodsley, in Pall-Mall; Davis, in Piccadilly;Shropshire, in Bond-Street; Elmsley, late Vaillant,in the Strand; Owen, at Temple-Bar; and Crowder,in Pater-Noster-Row. Of whom may be had, the Originof Language and Nations, by the same Author; Price 5s.and his Postscript 1s. in Sheets. 1768.
The subject of this inquiry, tho’ of that importanceas to demand the care and attention of the ablestwriters, is perhaps the least understood of anybranch of science. This being in a great measure owing tothe present corrupt state of languages, and the wrong courseand direction of lexicographers in the investigation of them,the Writer of this essay, therefore, without presuming toinstruct his readers in any common track of literature, onlysubmits to their perusal some discoveries, which perhaps maybe of service towards the restoration of language and primitiveknowledge, and excite the curiosity of those of greater learningand penetration, and engage them, if possible, in a researchworthy of their contemplation, the restoration of the firstuniversal language of mankind. For although the ground-work,which chiefly depends on the author’s own discoveries,may be sketched out by himself, without the parts and learningof an Aristotle, yet it must be confessed that the finishingstrokes in any new abstruse branches of literature deserve amore masterly hand. However, since we are here indiscriminatelypermitted a decent exercise of our faculties uponthe most serious subjects, it is to be hoped no unpardonableoffence has been committed, in submitting the followingsheets to the judgment and decision of men of candor andlearning. If they should in any degree approve of the writer’slabours, he will then be justified this intrusion into theprovince of the literati, with all his defects and inaccuracies.But should the contrary happen after an impartial and candidexamination, he must then acquiesce with the common fateof his fellow-labourers, and impute his errors or mistakes tothe intensity of his