first of ingaging for the _Hebrew_, as being (for ought we know) the
earliest, the most noble, and most naturall Language of the world and that
from which all others, in a manner, derive themselves. But it was not long
before I began to consider, that this would directly crosse the first
principles of my intended method, and appear a kind of indeavour to teach
an unknown Language, by another, of which we have the most imperfect, and
slender information of all. The kindnesse, and inclination I ought to have
for my own Country, had almost perswaded me to rest my self there, and to
make my native tongue the basis of this universall reduction but then the
rest of the Europæan world (which I have no reason to slur or contemne)
would have as ill resented the project, as we did it in the Germans, who
would long agoe have challenged this honour to themselves. I had in the end
no other course to take, but to throw myselfe upon the _Latine_, in which I
luckily met with all the necessary conditions that did easily, and
plausibly conduce to my design'd attempt.

To say the truth _Aristotle_ himselfe, a man of a judgement in such things
the most exact that ever was to take a _measure_ from, demanded but three
qualifications, viz. _Universality_, _Certainty_, and _Proportion_; that it
should be generally known to all those that are to make use of it in the
quality of a measure, that it should be fixt, and determin'd in its selfe,
and then that it should be proportion'd to all those things, to which it
prescribes their bounds, all which characters do with advantage combine in
the Latine, and that with such propriety that they cannot be attributed to
any other without some sort of injustice; for the greatest part of the
other Languages they are determind to the extent of a particular Kingdom or
Country, the Latine hath no such disadvantage upon it. It is to speak
properly the Language of Europe: Religion, and the Sciences have more
enlarg'd its dominions, then all the conquests of the Romans; tis almost
the common Idiom of the North, and universally knowne to persons of birth