nion; for these Descriptions had been entirely useless, and against the rules of native fimplicity (which the Holy Ghoft always obferves in fuch accounts,) except thofe very identical Branches had not then barely existed, but been likewife well known. Nay the Euphrates is so called at this day: And though the others may, long fince, have changed their original Names, yet that is of no validity against my opinion. Pray, did not Solomon build a City in the Wilderness, calling it Tadmor? Did not the Greeks afterwards call it Palmyra? Did not the Emperor Adrian, who was deservedly called the Wall Flower, from the many ftately Edifices which he erected, rebuild it out of Ruins, naming it Adrianople? And has it not now recovered its pristine Title Tadmor, which indeed it never totally loft among the Syrians and Arabs? Dear Sir, Though I raise this Objection, against your Patron, Dr. Woodward's Theory of the Earth; yet, if you are able to folve it well, I am always ready to own my mistake; For no Author can lay claim to Infallibility. And for fuch uncharitable People as believe, when I mention things they are entirely unacquainted with, that I must of course make too free with, what they (with a fneer) call, a Traveller's Priviledge; I fmile at their unjust Cenfure, and pity their Prejudice. I shall not imitate that inconfiderate Gentleman, who sent over to the Weft-Indies for a whole Cabbage-tree, on purpose to prove its existence, to fome idle-headed Folks, who disbelieved him. There is not the leaft fhadow of reafon for fo doing: No; we are to reft very well fatisfied with fuch Proofs, as the nature of the affair will admit of; in fhort, it is impoffible for fo many thousands who never faw each other, to agree in a falfhood, purely to impofe upon fuch of their Neighbours, as ftrangely imagine, that they must have seen every thing in the World, tho' perhaps they never travelled above fifty miles from their own Fire-fides: I do not think, that I am bound to find Judgment and Faith, as well as Truth. I am, Your fincere Friend, W. S. E Poftfcript. Simple Nature is a fine Study, and unbiaffed Reason, with the affiftance of Humility, is the best Judge of it: Grant, kind Heaven, that I may experience the latter part. LET LETTER X. Dear Sir, WHE 253 HEN I wrote Notes upon Falconer's Cryptomenifis Patefacta, my intent was to republish that Book, which had many years ago become fo rare, that (excepting in one particular Friend's hand) I could never meet with it, though I confulted with Mr. Daniel Brown, without Temple-Bar, for whom it was published, and who believed it was almost no where to be met with, but in great Libraries. Though I had long fince laid afide my design, and destroyed them; yet I have at the defire of fome Friends here, communicated a summary and plain Introduction to common Decyphering, without the least intention of advancing into difficult cramp Decyphering, because all my former, and more extenfive Notes, were a long while ago committed to the flames, as intimated at the conclufion of my fixth Letter. In fhort; this Summary and plain Introduction to common Decyphering, contains no other than my first off-hand Thoughts, at prefent, upon the Subject, and is I hope, eafy enough to be understood by all Perfons who are willing and fit to be inftructed in it. 2. Now, 2. Now, that a Reader of tolerable capacity, may apprehend my fentiments aright, I here present him with a Catalogue of Words, which he should have recourse to, viz. Words confisting of one fingle Letter are, a, i, o; the first of which is discovered, in a cyphered Writing, by its greater frequency, that is to fay, by its being generally the highest of them in the Numerical Table, as well as by comparing it with the third Cypher of a Word, which I imagine, ftands for the Word that. All the Words confifting of two Letters, are as follows, viz. ab, ha, am, an, as, at, in, is, it, of, ob, ho, on, no, or, do, go, lo, fo, to. I take notice here, that, to, is the only two-lettered Word which begins with the Letter ; and that the Words, on and no, difcover themfelves by confifting of the self-fame two Letters, differently placed. Three-lettered Words are in number three hundred seventy and three. Fourlettered Words are almost numberlefs. The Words. I pitch upon to begin Decyphering with, are, o no, to, at, it, did, the, that, have, and, are, which, they, these, their, them, where, all, fhall, with, those, Words that afterwards help, by comparing them carefully with cyphered ones in a Writing, viz. good, what, day, tell, fell, bell, well, will, indeed, fee, eye, 'ere, too, foon, thought, therefore, people eftate, nevertheless, beaven, excufe, examine, exercife, church, execute, excellent, experience, noon, follow follow, goodness, forrow, borrow, morrow, expatiate, extravagance, remember, redeemer, defires, Serve, fenfes, evermore, pleafe, bleffed, George. 8 13 7 9 to II 12 69bq zn&609b75 qx qos b7 1m 90 no2n7&b91 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 601&60 80 907 z&762×nb 81××5 ×m qoǝ 21 22 23 24 25 26 7579& bx0,07&62mn11ǝ 1××3 nzx□ q07 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 b907 905 99 q02b q207 bx 4n257 905 35 36 37 38 39 4xn7&☐ 907 0205b xm qoǝ b7&n9qb qo7 40 4I 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 82boxzb 905 z9bqx&b xm qoǝ mix63 909q 61 62 0937 60×267 68 69 70 63 64 65 66 67 xm m2q z7&bxb qx b7&n7 20 q07 b96&75 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 0202bq&ǝ xm qoǝ 60n&60 905 q× qoxb7 |