A Philosophicall Essay for the Reunion of the Languages | Page 7

For this reason altho I consider every Language in its greatest

perfection, yet for clearing its originall in rendring this sequel of words
more open and palpable I have been oblidg'd to make numerous
reflections upon the older forms of speech as well as Orthographie, by
which a better discovery may be made of all the varieties that occure in
pronunciation, as also of the severall medlies and Gibrish of the
Provinces of Each Empire that speak the same Language, but most of
them in a singular fashion.
So that it is most certain that that Language which is most quaint and
polite is very often the lesse pure and most debaucht, if we make an
æquall judgment from its originall which is the most unquestionable
rule: Upon which account the dialects of Province, Gascogne,
Languedoc, and that which is known by the name of the Antient Gauls
is infinitely lesse alter'd and distanc't from its original, then the
Languages of the Court and Nobility, who take a pleasure in receding
from the Latin: Those of Lombardy and Naples are for the most part
lesse corrupt than these of Siena and Florence; Altho the Spaniards
have a saying among them, that the Catalonian and that of Arragon is
commonly more pure then the Castilian that is more Pompous. And not
to spare the French more then the Spaniard, if they have reason to boast
their Language to be the most refin'd and Polite of the world, yet their
Neighbours might justly returne upon them, that of all the Dialects of
the Latin, there is none more degenerate than theirs, forasmuch as its
quaintness ariseth from its sweetnesse, so that it is not attainable
without a strange descent from its principle. Thus le Capo of the
Italians, le Cabo, of the Spaniards, le Cap, of the old French and le Kef
of Picardy are all variously alterd from Caput of the Latins, but none so
much as le Chef of the French, which notwithstanding claims the same
Originall.
But this is not all; as the resemblance and connexion of the Languages
is not alwaies the same but depends more or lesse upon the
communication of the Nations that speak them, So it's not necessary
that this method should be invariable, it must admitt of alteration with
its subjects, and accomodate it selfe to the diversity of Tongues.
There is much more of Art requir'd to reduce those which only carry a

resemblance in their words, and abundantly lesse for those which
withall admitt of an analogie in inflexion, And Since the same words
which allow of this accord may have it in severall distinct manners they
are not all (if I may be permitted to say so) neither of Kin, nor alliance
in the same degree; their relation is sometimes nearer, Sometimes at a
greater distance, for we may by way of analogie discours at the same
rate of the genealogie of words as we do of the degrees of
consanguinity; for if the one sort be rang'd under the same Line either
direct or Collaterall, the others admitt of a little deflection and do not
exactly corespond; some are allied in the first, some in the 2d degree,
some in advancing from the branches to the stock, others in a descent
from that to the branches, in a word this accord is neither always
immediate nor at all directly opposite.
I add besides that as there are, some allied two or three ways and that
since the first division have contracted new and closer relations, so I
confesse there are others that content themselves with their Originall
reference, and that have scarce any other agreement among them than
what depends upon the common tie and union that they have with their
first principle, which in reallity is no more then this famous Mother
Tongue of which some make a mystery without well understanding
what they say: For altho it hath subsisted in its selfe before the first
confusion, yet we must not think of discoursing of it at the same rate,
nor put our minds upon the harasse of receiving it.
'Tis no more now as some fondly imagaine a particular and distinct
Language from others, so that there is but one way to regain it and
reestablish it at least so far as is necessary for a compleat execution of
my designe, and that is to make a judicious choice of all that is
primitive and most simple among the Remains of the antient Language
either by considering the first combinations of sounds or by a regard to
the earnest ideas of the mind, that were apply'd to these sounds; to the
end that we may referr thither by a sequel, all the essentiall and
fundamentall words of each Language as