A Philosophicall Essay for the Reunion of the Languages | Page 3

themselves. But it was
not long before I began to consider, that this would directly crosse the
first principles of my intended method, and appear a kind of indeavour
to teach an unknown Language, by another, of which we have the most
imperfect, and slender information of all. The kindnesse, and
inclination I ought to have for my own Country, had almost perswaded
me to rest my self there, and to make my native tongue the basis of this
universall reduction but then the rest of the Europæan world (which I
have no reason to slur or contemne) would have as ill resented the
project, as we did it in the Germans, who would long agoe have
challenged this honour to themselves. I had in the end no other course
to take, but to throw myselfe upon the Latine, in which I luckily met
with all the necessary conditions that did easily, and plausibly conduce
to my design'd attempt.
To say the truth Aristotle himselfe, a man of a judgement in such things
the most exact that ever was to take a measure from, demanded but
three qualifications, viz. Universality, Certainty, and Proportion; that it
should be generally known to all those that are to make use of it in the
quality of a measure, that it should be fixt, and determin'd in its selfe,
and then that it should be proportion'd to all those things, to which it
prescribes their bounds, all which characters do with advantage
combine in the Latine, and that with such propriety that they cannot be
attributed to any other without some sort of injustice; for the greatest
part of the other Languages they are determind to the extent of a
particular Kingdom or Country, the Latine hath no such disadvantage
upon it. It is to speak properly the Language of Europe: Religion, and
the Sciences have more enlarg'd its dominions, then all the conquests of
the Romans; tis almost the common Idiom of the North, and universally
knowne to persons of birth and education, who alone are presum'd to
stand in need of the assistance of forraigne Languages.
It disownes the common imperfection of others, which by nature being
subject to change, cannot by consequence, serve for a certain

determinate rule in all ages; and if it now survive through the large
extent of its entertainment, it hath much the advantage of others, that
are in a manner deceas'd to this that is fixt, and retaind by a well assur'd
custome and if its being universally known allows all persons to share
its uses, so its being steddy, and unalterable, secures it from all the
uneven changes of time.
As to its proportion, it in a manner keeps a mean between the Ancient
and Modern Languages, it is neither altogether so pure as the one, nor
so corrupt as the other, and so with the same ease is applicable to both;
and in earnest is infinitely the most compendious, it being farre less
trouble to passe from the mean to an extream, or from the extream to
the mean, then to trace it from one extream to another. However this
would seem incommodious beyond all redresse, to attempt to reduce all
the Languages, either to the most ancient, or else to any one of the most
modern, because in reality, the former have no more relation to the later,
then these have with others of the same age, which have been as so
many channels to derive Antiquity to us.
Besides the Latin makes a friendly meeting between the Eastern, and
Western Languages; as to the first alone it owes its birth and life, so the
others do to it.
It seems then no more difficult to attain the one, by streaming it up to
the fountain, then to gain all the rest by making a like descent, by way
of resemblance to what we observe in nature when we discern, as well
the effect by the cause, as the cause by the effect. In one word, to make
up all the differences that may arise about the supremacie of the
Languages, I consider the Latin under three different regards, as the
daughter of the Languages of the East, as the Mother of those in the
West, and as the Sister of the more Northerne.
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