It remains only to be stated, that we are greatly indebted to Dr. Fry, for the liberal use he has given us of several ancient alphabets engraved for his admirable and learned work, entitled Pantographia.

Ancient languages may be classed in the following order, which has been adopted from the plan followed in the Dictionnaire des Sciences, contained in the article on "Caracteres et Alphabets de Langues Mortes et Vivantes." The Hebrew, Samaritan, and the Chinese tongues, have each laid claim to originality, but the latter may be considered rather as a figure or emblematical writing, than a regular system of letters and words. Of the other two, it is generally supposed, that they, together with the Assyrian and Chaldaic, are the same in effect, but differing in the forms of the characters, (vide the page of Samaritan and Hebrew which will appear in this chapter, in the order of succession). These alphabets, it is stated, were used before the Flood, and to some of them is attributed an age equivalent with the time of Adam. This, however, must in a great degree be regarded as traditionary, but, at the same time, as a powerful evidence in favour of their superior antiquity; and, therefore, the Hebrew may be considered as the first great source whence the other tongues of the earth have been derived. The immediate descendants of the Hebrew were the Samaritan, the Chaldaic, the Arabic, the Syriac, the Egyptian, the Ethiopian, and the Syro-Galilean; and its collateral issue were the Phoenician, and the Palmyrenian. From the Phoenicians the Greeks acknowledged to have received their letters; and from them the discovery was communicated to the Romans. Thence it spread to all the European nations, excepting Turkey,

where it was carried by the Arabs, to whom the Hebrew tongue was brought by Kahtan, an ancient King of Arabia, and a descendant of Ishmael. Table of the Descent, and general Connection of the Ancient Alphabets used in the following Series:--

Hebrew, supposed to have been the primitive language of the world.

German.

Sazon.

English. Anglo-Saxon, or Domesday."

Taking, therefore, the Antediluvian Hebrew as our foundation, we shall first shew the alphabets it gave immediate rise to; then proceed with the next language in the order of time, and so continue until the whole series of ancient characters shall be completed.

HEBREW.

Or the modern Chaldaic tongue, generally denominated the Hebrew, we have already given a particular description; (vide page 260) and, therefore, what is here introduced relates to the ancient alphabets only. "Theseus Ambrosius," says Duret, (in his Histoire de l'Origine des Langues de cest Univers,) "in his Appendix of many and various letters and tongues, attributes to King Salomon the two following alphabets, but by what authority the author does not say; if they be not from certain treatises falsely attributed to him, written in the same, of which, it is supposed that Apollonius Thianeus was the interpreter and commentator."

The above are to be read from right to left, and are of

the same powers as the modern Chaldee.

In the following alphabet, we find the original figures of the letters used at the present time by the Hebrew nation. "These were invented," says Duret, "when the ten tribes revolted, and rent the crown of Judah from Rehoboam, the son of Solomon." Their invention is attributed to Esdras,

which treats more particularly upon "the reading of the stars, and whatever else is seen in the air," he first assumes from Isaiah xxxiv. 4, where it is said, "the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll;" and from several similar passages of Scripture, that the skies are to be considered as a volume, and in it there must of consequence be letters, words, and sentences, for the perusal of man. It would seem, that between this "Writing of the Angels," as it was anciently called, and the science of Astrology, there is a near connection; because the nature and influences of the stars themselves, are to be taken into consideration, when the letters of heaven are read. But if the subject be viewed closer, it will appear to be of a more literary nature, since the stars were formerly distinguished by the letters of the ancient Hebrew alphabet; and when that was concluded, then two letters were used, and sometimes a third was added to express the disposition of the star, as the former were meant to denote its situation. Most of the Eastern nations supposed the constellations to represent various figures significative of seasons, &c. but the Hebrews considered them as words, formed not only by those distinguishing characters which they had attached to them, but also made up by the starry courses bringing different letters in contact; and thus forming different words. The author of the work already mentioned, gives five rules for reading this celestial language, which are as follow; firstly, it is to be observed how the stars are placed, whether close together, or spread abroad: secondly, it must be remembered that the fixed stars may, in the Course of years, by diverse aspects of the planets, form various words: thirdly, particular attention must be paid to the appearance of new stars; since, by their situations, they materially alter the sense of the ordinary ones, as an additional letter will in common writing: fourthly, the vertical stars should be well considered, because their declaration influences the countries immediately beneath them: and, fifthly, the reader of these magnificent characters, must be able readily to distinguish the four cardinal points of Hea ven, and the stars peculiar to them; for by this rule, good or evil fortune is to be ascertained; the former being read vertically, or from West to East, and the latter from the North to the West. Throughout the whole system of this starry writing, a close coincidence with the Hebrew language may be observed; the sentences formed by it are short and abbreviated, and sometimes only the most prominent word is presented to the eye. Thus, a short time before the Babylonish captivity, five stars exactly above Jerusalem, formed the Hebrew word Nataq, which signifies, to drive out, break, and cast down. The numbers of the letters as they rank in the Hebrew series, are also to be taken to dis cover the time when their prophecies shall be accomplish