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192 ANNUAL REGISTER quités du Monde: the antient world, analysed and compared with the modern; or an enquiry into the antiquities of the first ages; under the following heads. I. Of the origin of language and writing; of universal grammar; an alphabet and dictionary of the primitive language; and the relation of these with the alphabets, grammar, and languages of the present time. II. The symbolical genius of antiquity demonstrated in the hieroglyphical writing, allegorical language, mythological tables, and symbols, that have been in use among all nations; with the heraldry, heroic poetry, cosmogony, and theogony of all nations. III. Of the primitive religion; with a general key to the theology of all ancient nations. IV. Of the history, traditions, and customs of the primitive world, and how far the knowledge of them has been transmitted to us. V. Of its laws and customs, relative to agriculture, the sources of the grandeur and power of ancient empires. VI. Of its calendar and feasts, and the objects to which they related. VII. Of its principal monuments, with an explanation of them. An account of the books, which the author has read upon these subjects, and of these which he has not been able to procure. The author is aware, that the nature of his work, including discoveries, which, in general, will be thought impossible, must expose it to censure, as illusive and visionary, like the figures that are sometimes seen in clouds, which depend upon the fancy of the beholder, rarely appearing the same to any two persons, and always vanishing as they are approached. 'How,' says he, 'can things be traced to their first source, since, in proportion as science and art become perfect, their origin becomes obscure; as the light of a taper totally disappears in that of the sun?' This objection he removes, by observing, that, if some common principles can be ascertained, all things may be traced into their source without much assistance from history: and that, if the learned have failed in the attempt, it is because they have taken the tree by its branches, and not by its trunk: they have been bewildered by their multiplicity and convolutions, and, not having been able to comprehend them all, have never discovered where they unite in a common stock. 'I,' says he, 'have endeavoured to trace the branches from the trunk, and not the trunk from the branches. As man was placed upon this earth to enjoy and cultivate it, all his knowledge must originally be produced by imitation: to trace all his inventions, therefore, to their source, it is necessary to consider the objects with which the first men were surrounded, the sensations which struck them, the ideas which were necessarily excited, the organs with which they were furnished to communicate their thoughts, the signs and expressions which would naturally result, the manner in which abstracted and metaphysical ideas were derived from an acquaintance with natural or physical objects, from the mutual wants and relations which united families, and from For the YEAR 1772. 193 the natural progress of the human mind towards perfection." The work will be divided into two parts; one relative to words, and the other to things. The first part, among many other curious particulars, contains a dictionary of the Hebrew language, traced into its true radicals, and both into the primitive and modern languages, by which many difficulties in its construction will be removed. A dictionary of the Latin language, traced into its true radicals, with the reason of each; so that the reader may, in a very short time, not only acquire the knowledge of all the words in that language, but assign the reason of each. An etymological dictionary of the French language. A comparative dictionary of the Celtic, the Teutonic, the Northern, the Greek, the Persian, and the Indian languages, shewing their relation to each other, and to the primitive language. An account of the origin of the Chinese language and writing, and their relation to the primitive language and alphabet. An enquiry concerning the languages of Africa and America, and a demonstration that they are derived from the primitive language. The second part contains the geography of the primitive world, its history, traditions, dogmas, laws, &c. The work will be illustrated with a great number of curious copperplates; and the first volume, intitled, "Principes fur l'origine des langues, et leur rapports," will be delivered to subscribers next Michaelmas. Each volume will contain about 5oo pages in quarto, and every volume will make a compleat VOL. XV. work of itself. The subscription for the first volume is twelve livres, half to be paid at the time of subscribing, and half on the delivery of the book. Subscriptions are taken in by Mr. Elmsly, bookseller, over against Southampton-street, in the Strand. This ingenious author, upon receiving, from Mr. Bonet, a vocabulary of words of the language spoken by the inhabitants of the South-Sea islands, assigned the meaning of several of them, by an application of his general principles; which is a demonstration that his system is not a chimera, but founded in truth, and capable of being reduced into practice. State of Smithfield Market for forty Years. SIR, IN September laft I communicated my sentiments to the publick on the dearness of provisions, and endeavoured to prove that a real scarcity, arising from the unnecessary breed of horses, was the principal cause of so heavy a misfortune. To support the truth of my assertion beyond the possibility of question, I shall now take a comparitive view for forty years back of all the black cattle and sheep brought to Smithfield-market; from which the reader will fee at one glance, that, however the buildings in the metropolis, and the inhabitants, have increased, no material increase has taken place in the consumption Of butcher's meat. In justice to a gentleman equally known to the world for his integrity and his benevolence, I must acknowledge that the following table it not my own ; but I have a pride in [O]