Q. What is the best way to come to a certainty in our Belief of the Scripture Authority, and then of the right fenfe and meaning of what we find there written? Q. What are the belt Grammars for the Latin, Greek, Hebrew and French Tongues, as to plainnefs method, fulness, and exact Pronoun siation? Q. What are the very best things that have been writ for the ready anaining a found Knowledge in the Hebrew of the Old, and the Greek of the New Teftament? ty? dren perceive,longbefore they can either fpeak themselves, or underftand others? How will they as foon as they can begin to speak, often revolve things in their little Minds, and try to grafp 'em by their imperfect Reasons? Which fhows there must be a Principle at the Bottom, and fome Notifons, at leaft implanted within, as the Foundation of all the reft, which Senfe, Experience andReafon afterwards build upon them. -But to come Closer, there is no Word, which has diftinct Notion, or Idea affix'd to it, but connotes a Thing, which Thing may be defin'd, or defcrib'd,fome Q. Which is the beft Body or Syftem of Philofopby, especially for Logick, Metaphyficks and Ethicks, and which the beft Body of Divini-way or other-Suppofe for Example, we endeavour'd to de4. Thefe are Queftions indeed, fcribe that glorious bleffed Being, and we with the World were but who made and governs the World, wife enough to let us employ our we fhou'd fay, He's [a Mind inTime in answering none but fuch; du'd with all poffible Perfection] but 'twon't do; Mr. Dunton fays or fomething to that Senfe. Now he can't afford to print at that to fee all the Words (Nouns and rate, for he cou'd ne'er find Verbs) in this Description, be Caftomers to take 'em off his further refolv'd into others, we Hands: However, now and then, muft defcribe a Mind or Spirit, and not to make a Cuftom on't, as well as we can, by a reasonable, we entreat Mr.Gentle Reader, that unbody'd Subftance, and thofe he'd give us leave to talk Senfe, ftill further on by others; and at leaft to give those who do fo a therefore we think there are no Civil Anfwer; tho' for fear of fur-fuch Words, as ferve, to define ofeiting him, he fhall have but one thers, without being themleves or two at once of these Grave capable of a Definition ; for: Queftionswhatever Word implies a Thing, To the firft Queftion, What are it is fo fabricated as to convey the the first Words we receive a Notion Notion of that thing; now whatof, and that cannot be defin'd, but ever I have a diftinct Notion ferve for the defining others? And of, I can fo far define or defcribe how do we get those words affix'd to it again to others, notwithstandbeir Ideas in the first Language weling all the pretended unaccounta learn? ble Sensation, which are often A The ingenious Querift has tentimes a cover either for Knanot here we,think, fo properly ex-very or Folly. It's plain from preft himself; for our firft Noti. Senfe that we learn Words, when ons feem rather to be of Things Children, Promifcuously Accidenthen Words; how elfe do Chil-tally; but 'ris as plain, that those who who have no Words,Born Deaf and and Speaking very contemptou Dumb, have yet clear Notions him; it being cited both by as any, and can exprefs 'em, by ftant and Popish Writers; b writing and other Signs, a ftrange of the first as endeavouring t inftance of which we have seen. A an ill idea of the Popes, rela Gentleman in that Condition,who as a Mark of their Ambition on the writing down of feveral thofe of the laft that wou'd ef Names in a Company, Ten or a the power of the Pope over the Dozen, feveral of which its cer-perors, bring this as a Prefider tain he ne'er faw write before, A. We have a Relation cou'd after a little Paufe, Point much after this manner from to every particular Perfon whofe ny Authors, and 'tis very Names were exprefs'd in the Pa-bable there was fome groun per, tho' fome of 'em he ne'er the Story, tho' we meet faw but once or twice before in one that contradicts in, his Life.An unaccountable Thing, bnt facredly true, and the Gentlemon is ftill living, and the Expec riment to be repeated by thofe who will take the Pains to do it. Q. What do you believe was the chief Caufe of the deftruction of the Empire of Conftantinople? reafons we'll here give, and others to judge whether they are fufficient to deftroy Teftimony of thofr that affei 'tis M. Leti,who affirms Alex was too wise a Man, by fo lent an action to hazard his b ill treated by Frederick, and med by all the World: But w the Pope have ventured it Emperour was not patient en to endure fuch a treatment, the Republick of Venice fo im dent as to fuffer the Pope to mit fo great a breach againft Sacred Rights of Princes. A. Moft Hiftorians conclude the principle Causes to be the Divifions of the Chriftians, and the Prefidies and Cruelties that were exercised by many of them, to make 'emselves Mafters of the Empire: For they were lo divided, that inftead of think how they might unite against the Common Enemy, they chiefly ewply'd themselves in endeavouring to becoming great, tho' to the Injury of each other, and thus in violating the Laws of Chriftianity they acted against true Policy, which happens much oft-now peak the worst? And whe ner than Man are aware of. does this Corruption and Ch chiefly confift? Q. How came the Greek To to be fo Corrupted as now it is at least as I am informed it is being very different from what anciently spoke? What is the fon that at Athens where they merly spoke the most correctly, A. When the Greek Ton was the moft Polite, the a mon fort of People spake v different from the Learned relpect to many barbarous Wo and Phrafes. It was likewife Q. Is that general Account true that we have, how Alexander the third treated the Emperor Frederick, making him wait at bis Gate for Admittance, and when receiv'd 'twas bus in a feurvey manner, Alex ander fening bis Foot on his Neck,fame in Rome, where accord o the Obfervation of Quintilian, 'Twas after this manner that the he whole Theater fometimes Tongue of the Copii became a nade Exclamations in barbarous Mixture of the Antient Egpptian, Terms. And we have to this Greek and Arabick. But the RoDay a Book written in Cafar's mans having fucceeded the Maceime,by an Officer who expreffed denians, corrrupted the Greek imlelf like the common Souldi- Tongue, yet more, in ftill interers in the Army, 'tis Journal mixing words and manners of of the Wars with Spain; we meet (peaking according to the ruling there with many Popular Ex-Nation. Salmatius believes preflions that are not to be found 'twas at that time the Antiellewhere, or at leaft very rarely ent Dialects were left, and that in other Authors; whereas they every one spoke after the fame are very frequent in this Journal. manner, which was more Con This Obfervation, has made fome formable to the Attick Dialect believe that the Modern Greek than to the reft. And indeed we might be the fame with that have had no Writer fince which which the People formerly spoke ; has writ in the Ionick Tongue, as but it appears by the Exclamati-Herodotus formerly did, nor in the ons upon their Theaters, as may Doric, as Theocritus Mofcus, and be feen ia the Byzantine Hiftori-Rion did. But the greatest deans, and by the Speeches made in pravation of the Greek Tongue the Councils, where we may fee happened when Conftantine eftafome Remains to the vulgar Lan- blifh'd his Seat at Conftantinople, guage of that time, that it was whither he brought a great Numnot near fo corrupted at the mo-ber of confiderable Persons from dern Greek is. The Reasons of Rome, and as they spoke Latin in this Change is apparently their the Court and Council of the Emmixing themfelves with the other peror, it was neceffarily that the Nations, and other Nations in- Greeks that had any Business at habiting with them. The Greek Court, fhou'd fpeak that Tongue Tongue was formerly fpread alfo, and that the Romans fhou'd thro' the greateft parts of Europe, learn Greek, to make 'emselves and into divers Provinces of Afia be understood by the People; and Africa, it was common in Sy- from whence it happened, their ria, and even beyond the Euphra- defign being only to be undertes carried thither by fome Greek ftood, that the Greeks did not Colonies that were established learn the Latin well, nor the Rothere. And in Egypt it was fo mans the Greek, but each ftrange. well received, that it took the ly corrupted their own Language. place of the Antient Egyptian After the time of Fuftinian the Tongue, which by little and lit Greek was fo corrupted that it tle was loft,as the Greek Tongue was not only filled with more again was when another People barbarous terms than before, but became Mafters of Egypt; the the Rules of Grammar were loft Greek was afterwards fpread foalfo; this Corruption feems to far, that Seneca fays, Quid tibi vo-be introduced into the Greek funt in mediis barbarorum regioni-Tongue by the great Numbers bus Græca Civitates? Quid inter In- of Officers and Soldiers of the dos perfafque Macedonicus Sermo? barbarous Vol. II. barbarous Northern Nations and Correct in her Language,now which were entertained in the fpeaks the worft, the Reason of Emperors Service in Conftantino-which is because it was long inhaple: These Men, whereof the bited by a Succeffion of divers NaCourt and Armies were' full, not tions. being able to learn any Tongue with exactness, fpoke Greek af ter a very barbarous manner, and This depravation further con even corrupted the Greeks them-fifts in the changes, additions, refelves, who were little inclined trenchment of Letters, and diffeto Study in these almoft perpetual rent terminations, in refpect to Troubles of the Empire. The Names. For inftance the Greeks fame likewife happened to the at this time put the r for the a Latin Tongue, because of the for, the E for the I, as multitude of Strangers which ξυλέν for ξυλινὸς ; the Z for came to Rome, and became even a double T, or a double, E, as TERoman Citizens, either becaufe eÝCHY TREÝTTHY THOTOSY, &c. they were born in Roman Colonies, they add, when they lay unve or by fome other way, and who for unveUSIV, segtuary for st were often rais'd to the Chief pety, &c. they retrench in faying Offices of State, which made Fu.Batua inftead of Bréμua, adia venal say, Sat. ¡II. for dia. They terminate the Masculine A in H&, and the antient Adjectives which ended in Fampridem Syrus in Tiberim de- AHE in EPO, &c. they like fluxit Orontes, wife confound the Vowels, which have the fame found as the O and Et Linguat & Mores, &c. fecum, the}, and put indifferent I, H, &c. vexit. I, EI, 01; and many other the like Changes are flipt in amongst them. Q. Whether Light be a Body? Those who at this Day live under the Turk, have mixt feve ral of the words of the Mahometan with their own Language, and thofe which are under the Re- A. We think 'tis a Body, from publick of Venice, corrupt theirs Scripture and Reason. 'Twas creawith the Italian Tongue: And ted by a particular Act of Alamongst all the Greeks, the Dia- mighty Power, which nothing lect of Conftantinople comes near-feems to have been befides Body eft to the Antient Greek, be- and Spirit; whilft all Accidents, or caufe this City being the Seat of meer Modes of Being, were eithe Empire, there were more ther concreated with one of those Learned Men and Perfons of kinds of Beings, or resulting from Quality there,than elsewhere, who them. Again from Experience have preferved it more from and Realon. It acts upon Body, thole Barbarities than others have therefore must be Body, if that done. 'Tis alio reported, that Action be immediate, as it seems Athens, formerly the moft Learned to be; The Sun-Beans appear nothing nothing but a Body of strange Light; thefe are united, reflected, and refracted, and as really and certainly varied and wrought upon, as a Ball, or bundle of Rods, or whatever other parts of Matter. Nations in Europe? This abuse I question whether it be poffible to Re form in our own Tongue, either in Reading or Writing. But as to the Latin, is there not a Remedy? If there be, you'd do well to prefcribe it, and Directions how to come to mean as to Converfe with them, viva voce, because they can neither understand us, nor we them, unless with great difficulty? Q. What City is efteemed the the true Pronunciation of that moft populous in the World? Tongue, without which 'tis of no ufe A. Sir William Petyt has under-to. the English among strangers, 1 taken to demonftrate that London is confiderably the moft populous City in the whole World. This he does in his Effay to Political Arithmetick, the fame way that Anfw. 'Tis not so easy to fix Foreigners have taken to find the what is the true Pronounciation Numbers in Paris, and other Me-of a Language, especially when diums. Mr. Azout himself, in 'tis Dead, as in the prefent cafe; his Letter from Rome agrees, that different Dialects being little more London, Weftminster, and South-than different ways of Pronunciawark, may have as many Peopletion, which are varied more or lefs as Paris with its Suburbs; but Sir william afferts it has as many as Paris and Rouen put together, in all Languages, according to the Countreys where thofe live who make ufe on't; there being, it's not improbable, fomething in the Q. Whether the English Pronun- Nature of the Soil or Climate, as ciatlon of the Latin Tongue be true to the Moiftnefs or otherwife, and genuine, because they differ in which makes the difference; or it in from the French, Spaniards, and may be owing to a groffer or neater Italians, who deriving their Tongues formation of the Organs, as one from the Latin, must in all proba-Hound has (if you please) a sharper, bility come nearer the true Pronoun- deeper or broader Dialed than ciation than the English, whoje another. The old Italian or Latin, Tongue is a Dialect of the German.all allow to have been a Dialect of And befides, they don't only differ the Greek, tho deriving from one from the French, Spanith, and Ita- of the deepeft and broadeft lians,but from the Germans,Dutch, Dialects of the Language, whence and others, who pronounce the Latin their Fama, forum, and an Tongue as the French, &c. and jet hundred other Inftances; and we in the Pronounciation they give are apt to believe they formerly the Vowels the fame found which writ their Language from right they have in their own, which would to left, as all the Antients, the induce one to believe that the English firft Greeks among the reft, as doing the fame, that is, reading La-in the Laws of Solon; and what tin as they do English, bave per- if there fhou'd be fome Footsteps of verted the use of the Vowels in gene- this ufage ftill left, tho' form'd inval; for how is it that an A (& fic to fettled words by the miftakos de cæt.) do's not found with the of after ages? We'll affirm noEnglish, as it do's with all other thing in fo nice a point, only give the |