Blair Collection > Celtic researches, on the origin, traditions & language, of the ancient Britons

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writing. IVere the early ages acquainted tiith αη, alphabet?
Xhis has been a great que:>tiua. Aiuongst some ancient and
modern nations, we find pidure writing, liieroglyphical re-
presentations, or else arbitrary signs of ideas, emplo3ed as
the general means of preserving men?orials. But whether any
of these are the remains of a primitive art, or the resources of
those societies which had forgotten the accomplishments of
their forefathers, is anothçr question. Our louver order of me-
chanics and labourers, who have never been taught to v,TÌte,
use a variety of marks and figures, to record their little trans-
actions: And if one of these families werç removed to a se-
questered island, and excluded from other society, this would
become their established mode of writing, though they Λverc
descended from a people who had the use of an alphabet.
The sacred volume has given us no express information,
yeladve to the antiquity of an alphabet. It has been the opi-
nion of some eminent men, that this important expedient was
Plvinely communicated to Moses, when he received the tables
of the law upon Mount Sinai. But it is clear from the
testimony of Moses himself, that this opinion is erroneous.
Of this, the following proofs have been urged ; and, ibr my
own part, I cannot but regard them as incontrovertible.* We
are infoaned (Ex. xvii.) that Amalek came and fought with
Israel in Rephidun, and was there overcome. And the Lord
said unto Moses, " λ^'^ιΐϋε this for a memorial in a book, and
reheaisc it in the ears of Joshua, for I will utterly put out the
remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." As this record
jrclaLcd exclusively to Amalek, it might be concluded that the
command zi:rite this was given in Kephidim, immediately arter
the war, and betoie Israel had come near to Mount Sinai.
« ' II ■■ < ■■■ I ■ . ■. . ■ ■ '"
* foi several of these oboervaiicr.s, I am indebted to Astie, on ojittin^:-^
Put 1 quote from memory.
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