h, to which the valour of the Nations
that speak them have brought more reputation then any other ingenious
performances.

The Hebrew hath no less then seven in its retinue, the pure Hebrew, such as
we meet with in our Bible, the Language of the Rabbins and Talmudists, the
Chaldee, the Syriaque, the AEthiopick or Abyssin, the Samaritan, and the
Arabique, which in our age hath so inlarg'd its dominion, that its either
spoke or understood in the three parts of the Old World Asia, Africa and
Europe; and hath alone produc't such a prodigious number of books, that one
would scarce believe how a Nation so famous for its exploits in warr should
have so much leasure to attend to the improvement of learning.

The Scythian hath two very illustrious dialects in its traine, the Turkish
and lesser Tartarian, both which may serve in some measure to acquaint us
what Languages are used in the North of Asia.

The last is the Persian, which is not only universally priz'd in the Empire
of the Sophy, but a common entertainment in the Court of the grand
Seigneur, as well as in that of the Mogull, where it is hugely valued and
esteem'd.

As this reference of the Languages to one another would be to litle
purpose, if the less qualifi'd and accomplisht were not capable of judging
of it, since tis for them principally I am most concern'd, I believ'd
therefore it would be necessary intirely to retrench all that strange
variety of characters, whose od and fantasticall figures do strangely
divert the imaginations of those, who are not well qualifi'd to conceive
them. Neither do I intend to humour my selfe in that vaine kind of
ostentation that some affect, to make this kind of writing one of that most
mysterious parts of their learning, but have found out a method of
expressing the sounds of all the distinguishing characters of each Language
onely by the Roman, and that in a manner as easie and disingag'd as it is
accurate and new; insomuch that the resemblances of words, which altogether
disappear'd under those uncouth figures (which like a veile intercepted
them from the less clarify'd eye) presently face the light, there being
nothing left to interpose between them, and a closer consideration, which
notwithstanding shall not acquit me from my designe of discovering an
expedient to decypher with ease all those severall kinds of writing, and of
fixing them upon the imagination in such a manner as without difficulty can
admit of no confusion.