The origin and progress of letters. An essay, in two parts. The first shewing when, and by whom letters were invented ; the formation of the alphabets of various nations : their manner of writing, on what materials, and with what instruments men have written in different ages to the present time wherein is considered the great utility of this art with regard to mankind The second part consists of a compendious account of the most celebrated English penmen, with the titles and characters of the books they have published. Both from the rolling and letter press interspersed with many interesting particulars by way of notes throughout the first part and the second is a new species of biography never attempted before in English the whole collected from undoubted authorities / by W. Massey.
- William Massey
- Date:
- 1763
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The origin and progress of letters. An essay, in two parts. The first shewing when, and by whom letters were invented ; the formation of the alphabets of various nations : their manner of writing, on what materials, and with what instruments men have written in different ages to the present time wherein is considered the great utility of this art with regard to mankind The second part consists of a compendious account of the most celebrated English penmen, with the titles and characters of the books they have published. Both from the rolling and letter press interspersed with many interesting particulars by way of notes throughout the first part and the second is a new species of biography never attempted before in English the whole collected from undoubted authorities / by W. Massey. Source: Wellcome Collection.
![[ *5 ] truth, or falfehood, which it reprefents to our minds ^ for meet* human conjectures, are not a fit or folid foundation, to build hiftorical faith upon. SECT. IX. That the ufe offpeech, or language, was given to Adamr, immediately upon his formation, we have no reafon to doubt; for it appears from the teflimony of Mofes5 that he not only gave * names to every living creature, to wit, to every be aft of the field, and to every fowl of the air, as they were brought to him; but alfo as foon as Eve was made, he could fay, Ehis is now bone of my bones, andftejh of my ftefh ; which is the firft fentence, that we have recorded of his uttering ; fo that he feems to have had a competent flock of words, to declare the ideas, or conceptions of his mind withal, ever after. It is alfo probable, that Eve had the fame infufed knowledge of * Becaufe there is no mention made offijhes in the text, fome have imagined that they were not named by Adam ; but I think, they may be well underflood in the terms. Every living creature, as alfo reptiles, and infefls. To the queflion, How could the fijhes of the fea be brought before Adam, in the garden of Eden, to receive their names ? I anfwer, by the fame Almighty Power that created them. It is indeed remarkable, that there are no names of particular fijhes to be found in the Hebrew Bible. This perhaps might occafion the abovementioned imagination. — See Calmeds Didlion. de la Bible, under the article Poijfons. language.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30533016_0025.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)


