The subject of this inquiry, tho’ of that importance as to demand the care and attention of the ablest writers, is perhaps the least understood of any branch of science. This being in a great measure owing to the present corrupt state of languages, and the wrong course and direction of lexicographers in the investigation of them, the Writer of this essay, therefore, without presuming to instruct his readers in any common track of literature, only submits to their perusal some discoveries, which perhaps may be of service towards the restoration of language and primitive knowledge, and excite the curiosity of those of greater learning and penetration, and engage them, if possible, in a research worthy of their contemplation, the restoration of the first universal language of mankind. For although the ground-work, which chiefly depends on the author’s own discoveries, may be sketched out by himself, without the parts and learning of an Aristotle, yet it must be confessed that the finishing strokes in any new abstruse branches of literature deserve a more masterly hand. However, since we are here indiscriminately permitted a decent exercise of our faculties upon the most serious subjects, it is to be hoped no unpardonable offence has been committed, in submitting the following sheets to the judgment and decision of men of candor and learning. If they should in any degree approve of the writer’s labours, he will then be justified this intrusion into the province of the literati, with all his defects and inaccuracies. But should the contrary happen after an impartial and candid examination, he must then acquiesce with the common fate of his fellow-labourers, and impute his errors or mistakes to the intensity of his zeal for the service of mankind, more particularly Britons of all denominations. But to be condemned unheard, in a country that boasts so much of its liberties, especially those of the press, must be without a precedent. However customary it has been for writers to take notice of the performances of former authors upon the like subjects, in order to shew the necessity or utility of their own; yet, as no person ever treated this subject upon the present plan, and the author is not so vain as to imagine that any thing he could have advanced might have been sufficient to attract those that have been long accustomed to the clod-cutting traces, and the voice of prejudice or mere sounds, and he presumes not to teach any particular language or doctrine, it shall be declined as useless in the present case; and we shall proceed here to what seems to be more proper and necessary for the illustration of the subject in hand, namely, to transcribe some notes taken in the course of these inquiries, introductory to a rational grammar. And first of the nature and state of man.