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the Converts burned their own Books.) When the Mabometans conquered, they made the People burn all their Books of Phyficks, and about the Heathen Religion, left they should difparage their new Religion, and compelled them all to use the Arabic Character. I might add many Examples of this Kind, and great Lamentations for the Lofs of the Libraries burnt or deftroy'd, and particularly for Ptolemy's, at Alexandria in Egypt, by Caliph Omar, Anno. Hegira 20. Dr. Prideaux, in his Connect. Vol. 2. p. 16. gives Omar's Reasons, and fays, it was Anna Dom. 642. tho' it cannot be fhewed, that there could be any Thing worth preferving

in them.

As thofe who deferted and went to new Colonies, were many of them fuch as did not understand the Names of uncommon Things, when they came to think of Sciences, &c. and fo came to have Occafion to fpeak of them, they must give them Names, fo new Names, and without proper Ideas.

I need only mention how much Trafficking by Land or Water contributes to a Mixture of Languages, which was, in a great Meafure, forbidden among the Jews,

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I am next to fhew, that Writing and Tongues, among the Heathens, made their Entry and Progrefs gradually together. As Writing was revealed to the Ifraelites, and as their infpired Writings give us the Accounts of thefe Things, I fhall include them. The first writing with Letters, was by the Aleim, mentioned Exod. xxiv. 12. And Jehovah faid unto Mofes, come up to me into the Mount, and be there, and I will give thee Tables of Stone, and a Law and Commandments which I have written, that thou mayst teach them. Tho' Mofes's Writing, after he had been in the Mount, and had proposed the Words to the People, and they had agreed to them, be first mentioned, at v. 4 and v. 7. it was but a Copy of the Tables which he writ; they were not to have the Originals, the Tables, till they had confirmed the Covenant; which they did, upon hearing the Copy read v. 7, by Blood: v. 8, and the Aleim, by their Appearance, and fome Act which is negatively expreffed, that it was with Mofes and the Priesthood, but not with the Elders. That the firft Tables were writ by the Aleim, is confirmed, ibid. xxxi. 18. xxxii. 16, 32. Deut. iv. 13.

v. 22. ix. 1o. The next two Tables, tho God only fays, Exod. xxxiv. I, I will write, he fays, Deut. x. 4, that he did write them. It appears, Exod. xxxiv. 27, 28, that he ordered Mofes to write, and he writ a Copy of them. The next Writing was, xxxix. 30, upon the Plate of the Crown; after that, Numb. xvii. 3, upon the Rods; and during that Time, Mofes, in his Books. After Writing had prevailed among the Ifraelites, they kept up fome of the old Cuftoms; one confirmed, Deut. xxv. 7, 8, 9, where the Brother's Widow was to pull off the Shoe, and fpit in the Face of his next Brother, when he refused to marry her; which paffed the Estate and her to the next. So Ruth iv. 7, Now this was the Manner in former Time in Ifrael, concerning Redeeming, and concerning Changing; for to confirm all Things, a Man plucked off bis Shoe, and gave it to his Neighbour, and this was a Teftimony in Ifrael. The next Writing was by of. viii. 2, upon Stones. Deut. xi. 20, upon the Pofts and Gates of their Houses. Ibid. xxiv. 1, their Bills of Divorcement. I need not recite the Books which are preserved. Fo x. 13. 2 Sam. i. 18. The Book of Father. Judg. v. 14, Zebulon produced Writers. Ibid. viii. 14. A young Man gave an

Account,

Account, which feems to have been in Writing, to Gideon. 1 Sam. x. 25, Samuel wrote a Book to direct Kings in their Administration. It appears, 1 Chron. xxvii. 24, that King David kept written Records, Chronicles, or Memorials of the Tranfactions in his Kingdom; and v. 32. and 2 Sam. viii. 17, that he kept an Officer, diftinguished for his Wifdom, &c. called a Scribe. And 2 Sam. xi. 14, that David fent a Letter to Joab. 2 Chron. ii. 11, when Solomon fent Hiram King of Tyre, about building the Temple, Hiram answered in Writing, fent a Letter to Solomon. Ibid. xii. 15. xiii. 22, we have Reference to a Book writ by Shemaiah the Prophet, and Iddo the Seer, about Genealogies. 2 Chron. xvii. 9, Jehoshaphat fent the Princes and Levites, with the Book of the Law, thro' all the Cities of Judah, to read and inftruct them. I Kings xxi. 8, Jezebel gave a royal Order in Writing. 2 Chron. xxi. 12, Elijah fent a written Prophecy to Jehoram. 2 Kings x, Jebu fent Letters to Samaria. Ifa. viii. 1, was to record Things in a Roll. 2. Kings xvii. 5, the King of Affyria carried away the Ifraelites, and they carried the Knowledge and Ufage of their Letters with them to Affyria; and no doubt, if

they

they were fuffered, ufed them where they were placed, perhaps to reftock the Ground from whence the Cuthians, &c. were carried. So at the general Captivity the fewifh Letters might be in Ufe in Affyria. And as the King of Affyria fent the Cuthians, &c. Natives of his Kingdom, to inhabit the Lands of the Ifraelites; and they brought their Language, as then fpoken, and no doubt the Letters which they used; and there could be no Law to hinder the Ufe of them there, and perhaps are those which have fince been called the Samaritan Letters, and by the Help of the Prieft sent to instruct them, or from others, by Degrees, procured Copies of, and formed their Pentateuch and Worfhip, as near as they could, to that of the Jews. Indeed this Copy, which has come down to us, appears to have been made or altered later. I pafs over the many Inftances fince thofe already cited, where Strangers, fome from the utmost of the then inhabited Parts of the Earth (or Borders of diftant Seas) conferred freely with the Ifraelites, and no Difficulty appeared, because every one may obferve them, till this firft Mention of fome not understanding the Language of others. When the Affyrian Army lay before Jerufalem,

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