CAP. III. Of the Division of that which the Schooles call Humane Learning, and first of Tongues or Languages.

THAT which he Proposes in the Third Chapter is to speake

• 1. Of the division of humane Learning, made by
  • The Schooles.
  • Himselfe.
• 2. Of Languages, where he proposes,
  • 1. Their uselessenesse.
  • 2. A Dispute about the way of Attainement, Whether that by Grammar be the best.
  • 3. Errors of Grammar.
  • 4. Advancements, by
    • Hieroglyphicks.
    • Symbolismes.
    • Steganography.
    • Universall Character.
    • Language of Nature.

The first part of his undertaking, I shall not stand much upon, because the good man ha's hinted at some others worthy of more consideration, the good man (for I feare I offend when I call him Master Webster, because of pag. 11.) is offended that knowledge should be divided into Speculative and Practicall: Naturall Philoso∣phy hath for its object, Corpus Naturale mobile, and the end is not Speculati∣on, and so its practicall. Mathematicks hath taught men to build houses, &c. therefore that is Practicall, and the Schooles would have them Speculative. A sad thing, and worthy the Animadversion of this great Re∣former.

Now if the Schooles should answer, that the end of these Sci∣ences may be practised, and yet they may be speculative, I know not what he would reply. I am much given to observe the course of his ratiocination, which alwaies ends in Mystery. See then Page  15 how he proceeds for Naturall Philosophy: This cannot be Spe∣culative, for the end of it is more sublime then to rest in Specula∣tion. Well, whats the end? to behold the eternall power and God∣head, that's, speculation: but farther, to be drawne to worship him, thats indeed practise; But lastly, to worship him, that we may come to the vision of him, that's Speculation; the end therefore of it may be Speculation, and so the Schooles escape a whip∣ping.

For what he saies concerning the Mathematicks, as you know S^r it cannot choose but move mee, they have bin sōetime accounted my Mistresse, and Jealousy must work when I find another courting her, and that so passionately that he falls into an Extasy: (O sub∣lime, transcendent,* beautifull, and most Noble Mistresse (quoth he) who would not be enamoured on thy Seraphick pulchritude &c.) But making my approach to him, I find him at his distance, praying (like some moping Friar to the Lady of Lauretto, or like) the Ne∣phew of the Queene of Faery, and uttering a speech to her, made by Iohn Dee in his Preface, enough to satisfy mee, that she is yet pure and untouched by him, and hath not entertained him into any familiarity.

Seriously Sir, had he read the Book as well as the Preface, nay had he understood but the two first Propositions, he would have perceived, how Theorems doe serve in order to Problemes, and practise may be the end of contemplation, and so againe the Schooles might have escaped him.

Well! but see him divide now the Arts and Sciences, behold him coming to it with his cleaver, or rather with his Her∣culean beetle endeavouring to split them in three peeces.

1. The first are those that though they seeme to conferre some knowledge, yet they doe it in order to a farther end, and so are instrumentall.

And this part, according to this Author, ought to comprehend all Arts and Sciences, and so the block of Sciences, hath escaped the wedge, though it hath felt the Beetle-head.

2. Those which conferre knowledge of themselves, and are not instrumen∣tall to others, as Naturall Philosophy, &c.

Here the Beetle rebounds, and gives himselfe a blow, for can the science of Naturall things, whose subject is Corpus Naturale mobile, p. 18. chuse but be subordinate and instrumentall to the discovery of God, and the preservation of health? p. 18.19.

3. The third sort are those, which though they conferre some knowledge, and have some peculiar uses, so they seeme necessary as ornamentall.

Page  16We see the blow the Beetle gave him, hath wholly bereft him of his sence, a sad example upon a man, that not contented with the old, would set himselfe to make amongst us new divisions.

Well may he loose his senses, but he will never loose his met∣tle, he no sooner awakes out of his trance, but biting his tongue by chance, upon that occasion he falls upon the thought of Tongues and Languages. Wherefore woe be to them.

1. The Knowledge of tongues beareth a great noise in the world (and is it not strange that tongues should keep such a noise?) and yet there is not much profit by them.

The profit that is by tongues is only

• 1. To understand one another.
• 2. To make forreigne negotiations and to traffick

The Argument is somewhat mysticall, I shall endeavour a little to unfold the mystery; All good things relate only to the body or mind, and the lives of men are divided into these foure kinds

• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

Riches or pleasure carry the greatest sway, and those are carry∣ed on in the world by Negotiations and Traffick, these administer to every Nation whatever is the peculiar advantage of any one, & furnishes them all with Gold & Silver, &c. which men have a∣greed to make the common measure of riches, and with all things conducing to health and pleasure. Now there is no traffick without the use of Languages, therefore there is not much profit in them. Well these are commonly counted good things, but our Zeletique or Sceptick may be in that a Stoick, these are commoda not bona, things that are good and profitable are the goods of the mind, and those are at∣tained by making use of the Discourse and writings of men of all Ages and Nations, and that is not to be done without skill in Lan∣guages, So that againe there is but little profit by them.

'Tis true no sort of men can well be without thē, as they cannot be without the Sun, (his heat to nourish, his light to guide them) therefore the use of them is little, this is his Logick, but I am apt to forget my selfe as oft as I shall fall into his Mysteries.

2. But if Languages were worth the while to learne, yet the way of teach∣ing them (by Grammar &c.) is not the best. Either the way must be by Grammar, or by Exercise in Colloquy, if the latter it must Page  17 be gained by cōversation either

• at home
• or abroad.

First for the Learned languages, Latin, Greeke, Hebrew and the rest of that ranke, whether shall a man travell to converse with such as will speake to him in those tongues: as for other tongues, as French, Italian, Spanish &c. his advice will be to travell into those Nations. But if any man make it his businesse to compre∣hend them all, he must either hire men of all sorts to be with him as Conversers, or must apply himselfe to all, (travelling till he meet with them) so that the result will be that instead of some daies in his study, a man spends many years in travell or conver∣sation, and all for saving the expence of time and charges.

The way of Conversation, makes men ready and confident, but that alone will never make them accurate, an instance whereof we have, in that none that have no skill in Grammar, can ever a∣mongst us (though they speake excellently) attaine the true wri∣ting of our English Tongue, and though many have come to be knowing men, as to the substance, and vastly read, yet I never knew an accurate man, fit to write or speake in any learned Lan∣guage, who neglected the Grammar of it.

This I thought proper enough for an Academicall man to take notice of: as for his exceptions to the Grammar, as being void of Evidentiall perspicuity, and not coapted to the tender capacities of young years &c. I leave them to the Schooles of the lower forme to answer. The man supposes that Universities, like to the Scholae Illustres of the Jesuites, teach the Latine Grammar, and to goe through even the lowest elements of learning: but you know Sir, that it is neither usuall nor lawfull to teach the Latine Grammar in the Universities.* If this man have ever seene any Universities, they have been the Romish Schooles and Academies, to whose ele∣vation, the Learning which he discovers, and the reformation he proposes, are (to use his excellent phrase) coapted.

But in truth I am extreamly ravished at the defects he finds in Grammar, and his proposalls for its advancement, how sweetly and congruously hath he drawn in to the reliefe and advance∣ment of Grammar and Language, those things which mortall men intended to set in opposition to them. It is reported of Friar Bacon, that time was when by the strength of Alchymy he made a Brazen head to speake Time is &c. but how farre hath our Friar exceeded him, who taking of Hieroglyphicks, Emblemes, Symbols, and Page  18 Cryptography, and according to his capacity, hath extracted out of silence, an advance of Eloquence, and from dumb signes a Gram∣mar. Sir, I doe not deny that the consideration of these things may very well accompany the consideration of Grammar, and the defects in these kinds may be spoken of very methodically, to∣gether w•th the defects of Grammar, they being all conversant (though in waies as absolutely different as the eare is from the ey) about signification, and generally referring to it: but to make them all one, or parts of each other, amounts to no lesse then a great want of consideration.

It is a thing to be acknowledged by all considering men, that knowledge is conveighed by signification of our notions to one another, that signes may be made (by institution of men) in any way which doth admit of a sufficient variety, and that knowledge may be communicated, as well by the eye as by the eare, but to say that by introducing that way, either Grammar or Languages should be advanced, it were as mysticall as to affirme, that the day light is advanced by the coming of the night, or that he would kill a man for his preservation.

To discourse concerning Hieroglyphicall (or Emblematicall) and Cryptographicall Learning, is as needlesse, to men that know any thing, as uselesse to M Webster, who out of the abundance of his ingenui∣ty, confesses the Cryptographicall Bookes of Porta, Agrippa, Trit•hemi∣us, &c. to be written to his wonder and amazement; what was the designe of them, and to whether Pallas they referre, he troubles not himselfe to know, it is enough for him, that Orthography and Cryptography have the same end, and he hath heard that the first is a part of Grammar: and why may not Emblems be a part of Grammar, as well as Etymology, they begin both with a letter, the word sounds as well, and Emblematicall is a neater word, and suits perhaps better with his mouth then Etymologicall. Besides.

Hierogliphicks and Cryptography, were invented for concealement of things, and used either in mysteries of Religion which were infan∣da, or in the exigences af Warre, or in occa•ions of the deepest secresy, (such as those of Love, which is not to be owned, or of the great Elix•r, and the like) and Grammar is one of those Arts and Language one of those helps, which serve for explication of our minds and notions: How incongruous then is it, that the Art of Concealement, should not be made a part of the Art of Illustration; surely it would make much to the advancement of Children while they are learning the Elements of Grammar, to be put upon the Page  19 speculation of the Mensa Isiacae, the Canopi, and Obeliskes, the The∣saurus Hieroglyphicus, or Grosschedel's Magicall Calendar; This would certainly effect, even in Children, what Porta & Agrippa have done to M. Webster, bring them to Wonder and Amazement.

But he hath extreamely disobliged whosoever have been Au∣thors of the Symbolicall way, either in Mathematicks, Philosophy, or Oratory, to bring them under the ferula, and make those who have exempted themselves from the encombrances of words to be brought post liminio, into the Grammar Schoole, it was little thought by Vieta, M. Oughtred, or Herrigon, that their designation of quantities by Species, or of the severall waies of managing them by Symbols (whereby we are enabled to behold, as it were, with our eyes, that long continued series of mixt and intricate Ratiocination, which would confound the strongest fancy to su∣staine it, and are with ease let in to the Abstruseft, and most per∣plexed depths, wherein the contemplation of quantity is concer∣ned) should ever have met so slight a considerer of them, as should bring them under Grammar. It is very well known to the youth of the University, that the avoiding of confusion or perturbatiō of the fancy made by words, or preventing the los of sight of the ge∣nerall reason of things, by the disguise of particular nūbers, having passed through severall formes of operation, was the end and motive of inventing Mathematicall Symbols, so that it was a de∣signe perfectly intended against Language and its servant Gram∣mar, and that carried on so farre, as to oppose the use of numbers themselves, which by the Learned, are stiled Lingua Mathematicorum, with whom 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and numero inexplicabile are equipollent: But Mr W. makes me wild to follow him in his mysteries.

The use of Symbols is not confined to the Mathematicks only; but hath been applied to the nature of things, by the Pythagorean Philosophers, and diverse of the Cabalists, and to the Art of Speak∣ing, by diverse both Jewes and others: and this Symbolicall art is that Ars Combinatoria, frō which Picus Mirandula & others, make such large undertakings. The Pythagoreans did make Symbols of numbers, designing (ex Arbitrio) the parts of nature (as the su∣preme mind, the first matter &c.) by them, an instance whereof is Platos, Timeus; the Combinatorian Jews (viz. the Author of Iezi∣rah and others) and from them I. Picus: Schalichius Lully, and o∣thers, have made Symbols of the Letters of the Alphabet, so that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies with them God: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Angelicall Nature &c. The use of this way with all Symbolicall writers old or new, (Numeralls, Li∣teralls, Page  20 Algebraicalls (for there want not such as have designed things by the notes of Cossic powers) is to discourse (that is to com∣pare subjects and subjects, subjects and Predicates, and to deduce con∣clusions) freely without the trouble of words, upon which while the mind of man is intended, it neither sees the consequence so cleerely, nor can so swiftly make comparison as when it is acquit∣ted of those obstacles, an instance whereof every man hath in ca∣sting an account by Sarracenicall Ziphers, which is much more cer∣taine and speedy, then if the numbers were designed either in words at length, or in the letters of any Alphabet; if ever there be a speedy way made to the attainement of Knowledge, it must be by making a shorter, and clearer cutt to the understanding (by the way of signification) then that which is travailed now by words; which advancement of Learning and Knowledge, will bring (not an advance, as this man innocently supposes, but) an elevation and uselessenesse upon Language and Grammar.

For this effect is that which is pretended to by the Vniversall Character, about which he smatters so deliciously viz. To take a∣way from every Nation the necessity of Learning any other be∣side their mother tongue (which no Nation is taught by the rules of Grammar) by designing all things & notions by certaine common signes which may be intelligible by all alike though diversly ex∣pressible (as our numerall notes, the notes of the 12 Signes &c.) You see Sir how methodicall the man is by bringing this under Grammar, however I shall take this hint to speake a little freely concerning this Argument.

Sir when I first fell from that verbose way of tradition of the Mathematicks, used by the Ancients, and of late by almost all (such as Clavius and the like) who have written huge Volumes of par∣ticular subjects; into the Symbolicall way, invented by Vieta, ad∣vanced by Harriot, perfected by Mr Oughtred, and Des Cartes: I was presently extreamly taken with it, finding by this meanes, that not only the substance of those vast Volumes might be brought into the compasse of a sheet or two, but that the things thus reduced were more comprehensible and mannageable; the labour of the braine much taken off, and a way layd open (by the various com∣parisons and applications of quantities) for invention and demon∣stration of infinite propositions with more ease then before we could vnderstand those which others had invented for us. And I was put upon an eranest desire, that the same course might be ta∣ken in other things (the affections of quantity, the object of univer∣sall Page  21 Mathematicks, seeming to be an Argument too slender to en∣grosse this benefit.) My first proposall was to find whether other things might not as well be designed by Symbols, and herein I was presently resolved that Symboles might be found for every thing and notion, (I having found the variety of many millons of signes in a square of a quarter of an Inch.) So that an Universall Character might easily be made wherein all Nations might com∣municate together, just as they do in numbers and in species. And to effect this, is indeed the designe of such as hitherto have done any thing concerning an Universall Character. And the thing thus proposed is feasible, but the number of severall Characters will be almost infinite (at left as great as the number of primi∣tive words in the most copious tongues and the learning of them either impossible or very difficult. Of this kind I have seen severall Essayes, one in Print, another in Manuscript shewed to K. Charles (containing the first Book of Homers Iliads done into Characters,) but in truth such as would never be received, or if they should, would give us no other benefit, besides a communication without language (which is that which is spoken of the China Cha∣racters.)

So that the tradition of Learning, or faciliation of it would be but little advanced by this meanes. But it did pesently occurre to me, that by the helpe of Logick and Mathematiticks this might soone receive a mighty advantage, for all Discourses being resol∣ved in sentences, those into words, words signifying either simple notions or being resolvible into simple notions, it is manifest, that if all the sorts of simple notions be found out, and have Symboles assigned to them, those will be extreamly few in respect of the o∣ther, (which are indeed Characters of words, such as Tullius Tiro's) the reason of their composition easily known, and the most com∣pounded ones at once will be comprehended, and yet will repre∣sent to the very eye all the elements of their composition, & so de∣liver the natures of things: and exact discources may be made de∣monstratively without any other paines then is used in the opera∣tions of specious Analytics.

And to such a character as this, there is but one thing more desire∣able, which is to make it effable, because it is a dul thing to discourse by pointing & indication: and as to this there is thus much obvi∣ous, that if the first & most simple things & notions are so few as is the nūber of consonants, & the modall variations so few as may be expressed by Vowels and Diphthongs, this also may be done with Page  22 great ease and clearenesse, otherwise not without admitting Ho∣monymies and Synonimies into that language. And here also, a successe hath been found much beyond expectation, viz. that the characters before described may be utterable, and the names be made up of the definitions of things, or a complexion of all those notions, whereof a Complexe is compounded, every simple noti∣on being expressed by one syllable, and the most complexe notion, consisting of as many syllables, as it doth of simple elementall no∣tions. This designe if perfected, would be of very great concerne∣ment to the advancement of Learning, and I know one in this U∣niversity, who hath attempted some thing this way, & undertaks as farre as the tradition of reall Learning, by which I understand the Mathematicks, and Naturall Philosophy, and the grounds of Physick.

However M. Webster will be brought by this, to acknowledge that these things are considered in the Universities, and that they only are not dry, whilest he and his friends are madid.

Such a Language as this (where every word were a definition and contain'd the nature of the thing) might not unjustly be termed a naturall Language, and would afford that which the Ca∣balists and Rosycrucians have vainely sought for in the Hebrew, And in the names of things assigned by Adam, which M. Webster, passing the bounds of sence and reason, would bring under the Laws and regulation of Donatus, although as he concludes most Grammatically, C. ult. it be not Acquisitive but Dative.

Sir, familiarity with M. Webster makes me bold with him, and that hath encouraged me, to deny that ever there was any such Language of Nature, and to offer him this Demonstration.

The Paradisicall Protoplast, being Characteristically bound to the Ideal Matrix of Magicall contrition, by the Symphoniacall in∣speaking of Aleph tenebrosum, and limited by Shem hamphorash to the centrall Idees, in-blowne by the ten numerations of Belimah, which are ten and not nine, ten and not eleaven; and consequently being altogether absorpt in decyphering the signatures of Ensoph, beyond the sagacity of either a Peritrochiall, or an Isoperime∣trall expansion. The lynges of the faetiferous elocution, being disposed only to introversion, was destitute at that time of all Peristalticall effluxion, which silenced the Otacousticall tone of of the outflying word, and suppressed it in singultient irructations. But where the formes are thus enveloped in a reluctancy to Pam∣phoniacall Symbols, and the Phantasmaticall effluviums checked by the tergiversation of the Epiglottis, from its due subserviency to that Page  23 concord and harmony which ought to have been betwixt lapsed man and his fellow strings, each diatesseron being failed of its diapente necessary to make up a Diapason no perfect tone could follow. And consequently this Language of nature must needs be impossible.

I am apt to suspect that this demonstration may to some seeme somewhat obscure, but I am very sure that if Mr Webster doth under∣stand what he hath transcribed upon this subject it must have to him (to use his own phrase) an evidentiall perspicuity.

Thus having demonstrated what I undertooke, I make an end of this Chapter, and proceed to comment upon your text, concer∣ning that which followes.