Tradition or Deliverie

There remayneth the fourth kinde of Rationall Knowledge, which is transitive, concerning the expressing or transferring our Knowledg to others, which I will tearme by the generall name of Tradition Or Deliverie. Tradition hath three parres: the first concerning the Organe Of Tradition: the second, concerning the Methode Of Tradition: And the thirde, concerning the Illustration Of Tradition.

For the Organe Of Tradition, it is either Speech Or Writing: for Aristotle sayth well: Wordes are the Images of Cogitations, and Letters are the Images of Wordes: But yet is not of necessitie, that Cogitations bee expressed by the Medium of Wordes. For whatsoever is capable of sufficient differences, and those perceptible by the sense; is in Nature competent to expresse Cogitations: And therefore we see in the Commerce of barbarous People, that understand not one anothers language, & in the practise of divers that ar dumb & deafe that mens minds are expressed in gestures, though not exactly, yet to serve the turne. And we understand further, that it is the use of Chyna, and the Kingdomes of the High Levant, to write in Characters reall, which expresse neither Letters, nor words in grosse, but Things or Notions: in so much as Countreys and Provinces, which understand not one anothers language, can neverthelesse read one anothers Writings, because the Characters are accepted more generally, than the Languages doe extend; and and therefore they have a vast multitude of Characters, as many (I suppose, as Radicall words.

These Notes of Cogitations are of twoo sortes; The one when the Note hath some Similitude, or Congruitie with the Notion; The other Ad Placitum, having force onely by Contract or Acceptation. Of the former sort are Hierogliphickes, and Gestures. For as to Hierogliphickes, (things of Ancient use, and embraced chiefely by the Ægyptians, one of the most ancient Nations) they are but as continued Impreases and Emblemes. And as for Gestures, they are as Transitorie Hierogliphickes, and are to Hierogliphickes, as Words spoken are to Wordes written, in that they abide not; but they have evermore as well, as the other an affinitie with the thinges signified: as Periander beeing consulted with how to preserve a tyrannie newly usurped, bid the Messenger attend, and report what hee sawe him doe, and went into his Garden, and topped all the highest flowers: signifying that it consisted in the cutting off, and keeping low of the Nobilitie and Grandes; Ad Placitum, are the Characters reall before mentioned, and Words: although some have ben willing by Curious Enquirie, or rather by apt fayning, to have derived imposition of Names, from Reason and Intendment: a speculation elegant, and by reason it searcheth into Antiquitie reverent: but sparingly mixt with truth, and of small fruite. This portion of knowledge, touching the Notes of thinges,11De Notis Rerum. and Cogitations in generall, I finde not enquired, but deficient. And although it may seeme of no great use, considering that Words, and Writings by letters, doe far excell all the other wayes: yet because this part concerneth, as it were the Mint of knowledge (for wordes, are the tokens currant and accepted for conceits, as Moneys are for values and that it is fit men be not ignorant, that Moneys may bee of another kind, than gold and silver) I thought good to propound it to better Enquirie.

Concerning Speech and Wordes, the Consideration of them hath produced the Science of Grammar: for Man still striveth to reintegrate himselfe in those benedictions, from which by his fault hee hath been deprived; And as hee hath striven against the first generall Curse, by the Invention of all other Artes: So hath hee sought to come foorth of the seconde generall Curse, (which was the confusion of Tongues) by the Art of Grammar; whereof the use in another tongue is small: in a forreine tongue more: but most in such Forraine Tongues, as have ceased to be Vulgar Tongues, and are turned onely to learned tongues. The duetie of it is of twoo Natures: The one Popular, which is for the speedie, and perfect attayning Languages, as well for intercourse of Speech, as for understanding of Authors: The other Philosophicall, examining the power and Nature of Wordes, as they are the foot-steppes and prints of Reason: which kinde of Analogie betweene Wordes, and Reason is handled Sparsim, brokenly, though not entirely: and therefore I cannot report it deficient, though I thinke it verie worthy to be reduced into a Science by it selfe.

Unto Grammar also belongeth, as an Appendix, the consideration of the Accidents of Wordes, which are Measure, sound, and Elevation, or Accent, and the sweetenesse and harshnesse of them: whence hath yssued some curious observations in Rhetoricke, but chiefely Poesie, as wee consider it, in respect of the verse, and not of the Argument: wherein though men in learned Tongues, doe tye themselves to the Ancient Measures, yet in moderne Languages, it seemeth to me, as free to make newe Measures of Verses, as of Daunces: For a Daunce is a measured pace, as a Verse is a measured Speech. In these thinges the Sence is better Judge, than the Art.

And of the servile expressing Antiquitie in an unlike and an unfit Subject, it is well sayd, Quod tempore antiquum videtur, id incongruitate est maxime novum.

For Cyphars; they are commonly in Letters or Alphabets, but may bee in Wordes. The kindes of Cyphars, (besides the Simple Cyphars with Changes, and intermixtures of Nulles, and Nonsignificants) are many, according to the Nature or Rule of the infoulding: Wheelecyphars, Kay-Cyphars, Doubles, &c. But the vertues of them, whereby they are to be preferred, are three; that they be not laborious to write and reade; that they bee impossible to discypher; and in some cases, that they bee without suspition. The highest Degree whereof, is to write Omnia Per Omnia; which is undoubtedly possible, with a proportion Quintuple at most, of the writing infoulding, to the writing infoulded, and no other restrainte whatsoever. This Arte of Cypheringe, hath for Relative, an Art of Discypheringe; by supposition unprofitable; but, as things are, of great use. For suppose that Cyphars were well mannaged, there bee Multitudes of them which exclude the Discypherer. But in regarde of the rawnesse and unskilfulnesse of the handes, through which they passe, the greatest Matters, are many times carryed in the weakest Cyphars.

In the Enumeration of these private and retyred Artes, it may bee thought I seeke to make a greate Muster-Rowle of Sciences; naminge them for shewe and ostentation, and to little other purpose. But lette those which are skilfull in them judge, whether I bring them in onely for apparance, or whether in that which I speake of them (though in fewe Markes) there be not some seede of proficience. And this must bee remembred, that as there bee many of great account in their Countreys and Provinces, which when they come up to the Seate of the Estate, are but of meane Ranke and scarcely regarded: So these Arts being heere placed with the principall, and supreame Sciences, seeme petty thinges: yet to such as have chosen them to spende their labours studies in them, they seeme great Matters.