15. As the alphabets are imperfect, some having but 19 letters, others 22 and some 24 (few exceeding that number) so do the words composed of those letters in the several languages come far short of the number of things which, to have the reputation of a perfect tongue, ought to be expressed by them.
16. For supply of this deficiencie each language borrows from another; nor is the perfectest amongst them, without being beholden to another, in all things enuncible, bastant to afford instruction. Many astronomical and medicinal terms have the Greeks borrowed from the Arabians, for which they by exchange have from the Grecians received payment of many words naturalized in their physical, logical and metaphysical treatises. As for the Latin, it oweth all its scientifick dictions to the Greek and Arabick; yet did the Roman Conquest give adoption to many Latin words in both these languages, especially in matters of military discipline and prudential law.
17. And as for all other languages as yet spoke, though to some of them be ascribed the title of original tongues, I may safely avouch there is none of them which, of it self alone, is able to afford the smattring of an elocution fit for indoctrinating of us in the precepts and meximes of moral and intellectual vertues.
18. But, which is more, and that which most of all evinceth the sterility of all the languages that since the deluge have been spoke, though all of them quintescenced in one capable of the perfections of each, yet that one so befitted and accommodated for compendiousness and variety of phrase should bot be able, proper and convenient representation of a thing, yea of many thousands of things whereof each should be expressed with one single word alone.
. . .
56. [T]here 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 is any letter be wanting, and consequently by no alphabet as yet framed wherein, as I have already said in the twefth article, there is a deficiencie 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 logopandocie may deservedly be intituled 'The Universal Tongue', that nothing will better merit the labour of a grammatical arithmetician then, after due enumeration, hinc inde, to appariate the words of the universal language with the things of the universe.
59. The analogie therein 'twixt the signe and thing signified holding the more exactly, that as, according to Aristotle, there can be no more worlds but one, because all the matter whereof worlds can be composed is in this; so can there be no universal language but this I am about to divulge unto the world because all the words enuncible are in it contained.
60. If any officious critick will run to the omnipotencie of God for framing more worlds, according to the common saying, 'Nothing is impossible to God that implies not a contradiction', so he must have recourse to the same omnipotent power for furnishing of man with other speech-tools then his tongue, throat, roof of the mouth, lips and teeth before the contexture of another universal language can be warped.
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