Maitland Club > Works of Sir Thomas Urquhart

LOGOPANDECTEISION. 313
of an evill spirit, because of his being reputed of more experience then man, hath been
required thereto, when in the mean while, perhaps, the performance of it by secondary
means of an ordinary working, is obvious to any that have the dexterity to open his
eyes to see the truth.
50. For which cause they are much to blame, that think it impossible for any man
naturally to frame a language of greater perfection then Greek, Hebrew, or Latine.
51. For who, instead of affording the true cause of a thing, unnecessarily runs to
miracles, tacitely acknowledged that God naturally cannot do it ; wherein he com-
mitteth blasphemie, as that souldier may be accounted guilty of contumacie and dis-
obedience, who, rejecting the orders wherewith an inferiour officer is authorized to
command him, absolutely refuseth compearance, unless the General himself come in
person to require it of him.
52. As there is a possibility such a language may be, so doe I think it very requisite
such a language were, both for affording conciseness and abundance of expression.
53. Such as extoll those languages most, are enforced sometimes to say, that Labo-
rant penuria verborum ; and thereunto immediately subjoyn this reason, Quia pkires
sunt res quam verba.
54. That is soon said, and, ad pauca respicientes facile enuntiant. But here I ask
them how they come to know that there are more things then words, taking things,
as in this sense they ought to be taken, for things universal ; because there is no word
spoken, which to the conceit of man is not able to represent more individuals then one,
be it sun, moon, Phoenix, or what you will, even amongst verbs, and syncategorema-
tical signes, which do onely suppone for the modalities of things ; therefore is each
word the sign of an universal thing, Peter signifying either this Peter, or that Peter,
and any whatever name, surname, or title, being communicable to one and many.
55. Thus though both words and thoughts, as they are signs, be universal, yet do
I believe that those who did attribute less universality to words then things, knew not
definitely the full number of words, taking words for any articulate pronunciation.
56. Nay, I will go further : there is no alphabet in the world, be the calculator
never so well skill'd in arithmetick, by vertue whereof the exact number of words may
be known, because that number must comprehend all the combinations that letters can
have with one another, and this cannot be done if any letter be wanting ; and conse-
quently, by no alphabet as yet framed, wherein, as I have already said in the twelfth
article, there is a deficiency of many letters.
57. The universal alphabet therefore must be first conceived, before the exactness
of that computation can be attained unto.
58. Then is it, when, having couched an alphabet materiative of all the words the
mouth of man, with its whole implements, is able to pronounce, and bringing all these
words within the systeme of a language, which, by reason of its logopandochie, may
deservedly be intituled The Universal Tongue, that nothing will better merit the
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