Of the Origin and Progress of Language, Vol. 2 To Which Are Annexed, Three Dissertation, Viz, 1. Of the Formation of the Greek Language, 2. Of the Sound of the Greek Language, 3. Of the Composition of the Antients; And Particularly of That of Demosthenes

Excerpt from Of the Origin and Progress of Language, Vol. 2: To Which Are Annexed, Three Dissertation, Viz, 1. Of the Formation of the Greek Language, 2. Of the Sound of the Greek Language, 3. Of the Composition of the Antients; And Particularly of That of Demosthenes

I have endeavoured to Ihew, both a rational and political animal and alfo ha ve acquired that great infirument of the rational and political life, the facul ty of fpeech. The fubjec't of this art is both the body and mind of man. The fir? furniihes what I call the material part of language; for of the breath, modified by the organs of the mouth, is produced articulation; and the mind furniihes the ideas, which make the form of language. We have, in the preceding part of this work, endeavoured to ibew how men he came firit pofi'efi'ed of this faculty of fpeech, which, for being common, is not the lefa wonderful in the eyes of the philofopher. We have alfo fhewn, not only from theory, but from faa, how imperfeét this firfi lan guage mufi have been, both in found and ex preflion. We are now to explain how, from chofe rude cfiays, which may be called ra ther attempts towards fpeaking than fpeech, an art of language was at laf't formed. And what I chie?y propofe, in this part of the work, is to lbew wherein this art confifis, and how great the difficulty mull-have been, even from the rude materials furnilhed by.

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