CAP. XXXV. Of the Arabian Language.

THis is the most copious of the Hebrew Dialects, and a tongue that may brag with the most of tongues from fluencie, and continu∣ance of familiaritie. This tongue is frequent in Scripture, especially in Iob, a man of that country: How o∣ther parts of the Bible vse it, I thinke may be iudged by the neerenesse of Iudaea and Arabia, and of the two lan∣guages. In this one thing it differs from its fellow-Dialects and its mo∣ther tongue, that it varieth terminati∣ons in declining of nownes, as the Greeke and Latine do, and that it re∣ceiueth duall numbers, in forming Page  127 verbs, as doth the Greeke. Of the largenesse of the Alphabet, and diffe∣rence from other Alphabets, and quiddits of the tongue, or indeed any thing of the tongue, I cannot say, which I haue not receiued of the most industrious and thrice learned (both in this and other the noble tongues) Master William Bedwell, whom I cannot name without a great deale of thankfulnesse and honour: To whom I will rather be a scholler, then take on me to teach others. This tongue was Mahomads Alcoran written in, and is still read in the same Idiome vn∣der paine of death, not to mistake a letter, which is as easily done in this tongue as in any.