he have us understand by this? That this is conform to the Hebrew, where perhaps there might be one Name for an old Lion, and another for a young one, or, &c. Or would he have us believe, that the Old Arabians, who might confift of different Bands; and fo of three or four Dialects, before the Alcoran was writ; and all thefe Countries fubjected to it, had five Hundred Names for a Lion, and Names in fome fuch Proportion for other Things? Will this pass upon Men ? No fure; but it proves what I affert, that the Perfection of the Hebrew is that many, nay, all Things which have the fame Idea, have but one Word; that a Lion cannot have five Hundred diftinguishing Ideas in him, nor above two or three; and that one of these Words in thefe feveral Countries is varied by this Confufion five Hundred several Ways; and if there be two or three of them true Hebrew, that four Hundred and Ninety odd of them must be arbitrary Words, which fettle nothing, but confound all Knowledge of the Ideas of Things. But to put this into the best Light which Confufion can be put in, by way of Cafe; fuppofe the Number of the Roots in the Hebrew Tongue were divided by five Hundred, 'tis poffible that in five Hundred Countries

or

or Languages formed from the Corruption of it each Language, fetting the Meaning and Ufage afide, might retain one five hundredth Part of the faid Hebrew Roots, as near as 'tis poffible, if we had the Writing of them all, prior to this Jumble preferved, from all the different Powers in' cach of their Alphabets to form the Sounds: But as we have but Writing in very few of thofe Languages preferved, nor even fo much as the Characters of many of the reft, and find them all jumbled into what they call one Language, and writ in one Character, different in Names, Figures, Number, Order, and Powers, from each of those we know, and 'tis very likely from all those we know not; and fo to be a Confufion of Confufions, and to have infinitely the greatest Share of the Curfe of Babel of any, nay, infinitely greater than that upon all the Eastern Tongues, as they ftood before it fwallowed them up; and none of thefe Words thus taken in, can ever be traced back: And he might fafely fay, tho' not in his Senfe, § 5, that this Language will never be all understood by any Mortal without the Prophetick Spirit. Pretending to mark or ftrike off the fupernumerary Letters, restoring or tranfpofing

them

them to the Order of the Hebrew, and bending each one in it to the Power of the oppofite one in the Hebrew Alphabet; so making each Alphabet ferve for the other (their Pointing, perhaps excepted) a few Years ago, or now, will not give it fufficient Authority to make us receive it. If the Characters were formed, or had Powers given to answer the Ufage of the Hebrew Letters in Chaldee; and the Jews at writing the Alcoran bent the Sounds of many Arabic Words to the Sounds of theirs, and they answer theirs, they cannot anfwer those in the Hebrew. But to come

nearer the Point: I hope they will not pretend to have any Concordance of this Compofition; we are able, without further Examination, to fee that That is impoffible; fo, tho' Ravis, in his Discourse concerning the Eastern Tongues, fays of this, p. 75, And as yet there is not any Dictionary extant thereof, either upon the Bible or Alcoran, but upon the latter I expect one speedily; let us fee how it will ftand in a Lexicon; I'll abate them a great Part of what they call the Treafure, and I, the Confufion of this pretended Tongue, and reduce it to about their lowest Number of Words for one Thing, viz. one Hundred; as I faid, I hope they will not pretend

pretend that above one or two of these is antient Arabic : So let us fubftitute one Number in one Hundred to denote the Place where each of thofe Words were ufed before this Compofition, and from them to the Words as they ftand in the Lexicon. Suppofe Number 1, ftood for Babylon, and were affixed to that Word in the Hundred which was used for that Thing there; Number 2, for Algiers, and fo on. If a Stranger write in Arabic, and use the Word used for that Thing at Algiers, will they without a Lexicon underftand it at Babylon? Does every Boy at School learn one Hundred Words for one, or each Thing? I fhould be glad to know, if he were to travel, how he would know when and where to use each of them. Suppose one Word in this Hundred found pretty near one in the Hebrew Tongue, there are many Things to be confidered before I dare use it: It had its first Usage from fome Heathens, I know not who, nor for what. The Contrivers of this Forgery have by other Letters put it into that Book they call the Alcoran, or some of the Writers of that Sect have used it in their Service, or in the Tranflations they have made of foreign Books, or it is taught

in

in fome of their Academies, or fpoken; and at laft from fome, or one of these, 'tis inferted into a Lexicon, by one, who perhaps, never faw one hundredth Part of their Country, or heard an hundredth Part of their Speech, their Learning in Schools or Academies, or perufed one in a Thoufand of their Books. Does any one doubt, but a Word founded pretty near this might, after the Confufion of their Languages in that infinite Number of Languages they have swallowed up, be ufed in feveral Countries in different Senfes, or for different Things, nay, for Things as different as Good and Evil? and it may now be ufed fo: Suppofe, 'tis enough for the Purpose, but in twenty feveral Places, or writ fo in twenty different Authors. If there were Lexicons made at each Place out of all their Books, or, &c. it would differ in twenty Lexicons, and would if right in one be wrong in nineteen; Odds enough. And if you make any Ufe of that Tongue' you would foon have Lexicons and MSS enough; but this is not the worft, he fhews us we have not Men, but Devils to deal with, who have forged feveral Books purposely against us, and gives us a very friendly Caution, § 10, " I muft give this Admonition, that there is Occafion for Caution and Judgment in

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