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Page 3
As it is abundantly copious, and rich, having been refind, and improv'd for
more then 3000 years by an infinite variety of nations, with whose spoyls
it is now invested, so it may have a very great number of resemblances,
under which with little difficultie it will admit of a reference to all the
rest. For in conclusion, to reduce all to the most refin'd, and polite
Language, is not what I pretend to; the Barbarous stile of the ancient
Romans will do me as much service, as the quaintnesse, and elegance of
Cicero; the Latin of the declining Empire, since the irruptions of the
Northern Nations, may be admitted into this designe to as good purpose, as
the language of Augustus his time; any sense is the same of that of the
_Sciences_, which makes one almost altogether distinct from what is common
and vulgar; the proper names of Philosophy, naturall History, and Divinity,
those of Physick, and the Mathematicks, of Arts, Law, and Commerce; the
names of illustrious persons, people and places, of which History
furnisheth us with a plausible account, will afford me no lesse assistance
on this occasion, then the names of things that are most common.
After having made choice of a Language in order to the design, I am in the
next place to determine my self to a _certain number of them_, the reunion
of which may be justly thought a modest and reasonable attempt; for as
there are some, the knowledge of which will be of very little use; so I am
obliged to prescribe some bounds to a designe that would lead me to
something indetermin'd, and infinite, and withall I suspect the inlargement
both of mind, and memory to compasse all; especially considering the
consequence of some to be indifferent, neither that of Biscany, nor the
lower Brettaigne should in my opinion much afflict any mans braine, nor do
I believe that there are many more in the world interest for them, then
there are for the dialect of Finland or Frizland, or the Barbarous jangling
of the Negroes and Savages. In the choise that I was to make I could not
but give the preference to those of the greatest credit and repute, _took
some Prince_ (excuse the allusion) _who having laid his design to reunite
all the Kingdomes of the world, began his conquest upon those Nations that
were most formidable and renown'd, from an apprehension that the rest in a
little time would be less able to make any opposition._
As I am not of an humour to attempt any thing without an incouragement from
reason; or to give my selfe any trouble through a kind of caprice, purely
to gratifie my curiositie; _Religion_, _State_, and the _Sciences_ are the
_three grand rules_ from which I make a judgement what Languages are really
the most important and noble; I have only therefore selected such as
_Europe_ may use to the best advantage, either for the defence of the
Church, the good of the State, the advancement of the Sciences, or the
perfection of the most laudable Arts. It is for this end that I have
entertained in my designe all the Languages that concerne Religion, and
make a particular mention of such as furnish us with originall texts, and
the most authentick translations of the Bible, being of no mean consequence
towards the faithfull interpretation of our sacred Records, and the
confirmation of the Articles of our Creed.
I am in the next place obliged to find a place for such as concern and
relate to State affaires, the most renowned Empires, Kingdomes, and warlike
Nations, which may afford a suitable entertainment for all sorts of people,
and withall very much conduce to the succesful management of forraigne
businesse, the most important negotiations, Embassies, the transactions of
war or peace, as well as the most hopefull designes of travellers. But
above all I find myself concern'd for those that give us the most refin'd
and polite discoveries of wit and Science, and have been cherisht and nurst
up to our hands by the most knowing and ingenious of all Nations.
I can hardly believe I shall meet with any inclinable to quarrell me for
the number of 24. that I have thought on for my designe, since I presume it
no easie matter for the most nicely curious to find a just occasion; and
although there are none of them that are not unquestionably deriv'd from
the same originall, it being no great difficulty to convince any well
settled head, that in the propriety of speech there is but one mother
Language: Yet to avoid confusion I distribute them all into 7. different
orders, as they seem to carry an immediate reference to the Languages,
which are the commonly suppos'd originals: such are in the opinion of the
Learned the _Roman_, and the _Greec_, the _Teutonic_ and _Sclavonic_, the
_Hebrew_, _Scythian_, and the _Persian_.
The Roman Idioms are the _Italian_, _Spanish_ and _French_, which cannot
now be unknowne to any but such as are shamefully ignorant; I may adde
likewise the _Portuguese_, which although not very different from the
_Castilian_, yet is not wanting in its owne particular beauties, and hath
receiv'd no mean accession of use and honour from the conquests of its
Kings in the most remote parts of the world.
To the Greec I shall reduce its 3. principall relations, _viz_ the Literall
Greec, such as we meet with in our old Classic Authors, the vulgar as it is
commonly used since the declining age of the Empire at Constantinople, and
the Coptique or �gyptian, which is but a remainder of the famous government
of the Ptolomies in �gypt: for although in its idiome there be something
yet remaining of an originall stamp, either in that its words seem to touch
upon the auntient Language of the Pharaohs, or that its inflection no way
resembles the Greec, yet the Empire of Alexander and his successors induc'd
such a confusion, that the Greec hath almost got the better, and involv'd
all the lesser remains of Antiquity.
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