[Footnote 7: The Abbe de l'Epee did not master the Spanish alphabet, and, attaching but little importance to manual spelling, he was unsparing in his criticism of _Messieurs the dactylologists_, but by "the irony of fate" this alphabet occupies a face of the pedestal of one statue to his memory, and in another statue the good Abbe is represented either as receiving this alphabet from the skies or as devoutly using it.] The first alphabet which appears to have been devised expressly for use in teaching the deaf is that of George Dalgarno, of Aberdeen (1626-1687), given in his remarkable philosophical treatise, _Didascalocophus, or the Deaf and Dumb Man's Tutor_, Oxford, 1680. A facsimile of this alphabet is given in the _Annals_, vol. ix., page 19. Words are spelled by touching with your finger the positions indicated, either upon your hand or upon the hand of your interlocutor. An alphabet of the same character, however, was not unknown at an earlier date. For Bulwer, in 1648, says: "A pregnant example of the officious nature of the Touch in supplying the defect or temporall incapacity of the other senses we have in one Master _Babington_ of _Burntwood_ in the County of _Essex_, an ingenious gentleman, who through some sicknesse becoming _deaf_, doth notwithstanding feele words, and as if he had an eye in his finger, sees signes in the darke; whose Wife discourseth very perfectly with him by a strange way of Arthrologie or Alphabet contrived on the joynts of his Fingers; who taking him by the hand in the night, can so discourse with him very exactly; for he feeling the joynts which she toucheth for letters, by them collected into words, very readily conceives what shee would suggest unto him. By which examples [referring to this case and to that of an abbot who became _deaf, dumb_, and _blind_, who understood writing traced upon his naked arm] you may see how ready upon any invitation of Art, the _Tact_ is, to supply the defect, and to officiate for any or all of the other senses, as being the most faithfull sense to man, being both the _Founder_, and _Vicar generall_ to all the rest."[8] [Footnote 8: _Philocophus_: or, THE DEAFE and Dumbe Mans Friend. By I.B. [John Bulwer] sirnamed the _Chorosopher_. London, 1648. Pp. 106,107.]