The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Philosophicall Essay for the Reunion of
the Languages, by Pierre Besnier

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Title: A Philosophicall Essay for the Reunion of the Languages
Or, The Art of Knowing All by the Mastery of One

Author: Pierre Besnier

Release Date: April 18, 2005 [EBook #15649]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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A Philosophicall ESSAY for the REUNION OF THE

LANGUAGES,

OR,

the Art of Knowing all by the Mastery of one.

OXFORD Printed by HEN: HALL for JAMES GOOD. 1675.

The Printer to the

READER.

_Meeting by chance with this ingenuous offer, I thought it might not be
improper since I found it in another dresse, to make it speak another
Language too, which among the most creditable of Europe, hath not desisted
from its claim to Antiquity: There are very few Nations but have, at
sometime or other, laid in their pretences to a supremacy for their
Language, and have boasted an assistance from unsuspected reason and
Authority: But however variously the controversie hath been manag'd, the
modesty, and ingenuity of this Author hath rendred, his designe more
plausible, for having without any private regard (in such cases most usuall
to the spruce and flourishing Air of his owne Native tongue) made that
noble Language of the Romans the Basis of his project; And finding him
throughout altogether free from prejudice and partiality, I thought an
anteview of so excellent and usefull, a designe would not be unacceptable
to the more ingenious part of the world, and that I ought not to neglect so
faire an opportunity of recommending to their consideration that
illustrious dialect, which as it is certainly of all others the most
valuable, so to the shame of these modern ages, is either exceedingly
impair'd or lost in its familiar uses among those who challenge the title
of the _Beaux Esprits_ of the times. The aime therefore of this Projector
being to facilitate and expedite the Mastery of this as well as others, its
survey may possibly appear not altogether ungra