Such appears to have been the history of hieroglyphic writing. The nature of it has been already explained. The symbols made use of in it were formed by assem blages of various objects, plants, animals, parts of the hu man body, heavenly objects, terrestrial appearances ; all these combined in groups, which being first probably together upon fancied resemblances, could hardly be de ciphered, after the secret of their composition was lost. Some learned men have supposed that the Egyptian hiero glyphics contained much secret knowledge ; probably they contained but little, and to employ pains in deciphering them, would only be a waste of labour.
Hieroglyphics abound on the ancient monuments of Egypt ; the great obelisk brought from Egypt to Rome, is full of such figures ; and on almost all the obelisks now existing they are met with. Many curious hieroglyphic figures were engraved on what was termed the Isiack Table, a large black table, long preserved at Rome, and at the sacking of that city, in 1525, found by a poor trades man, and afterwards removed to Mantua, where it disap peared at the capture of the place. It had been previously engraved, and a plate of it is given in Montfaucon's tiquities. Many Egyptian hieroglyphics were also en graved on gems, and small figures, which are still to be met with in cabinets. Hieroglyphics, properly'so called, seem to be almost peculiar to Egyptian antiquities ; the uncouth and distorted figures of some of the Hindoo gods have been conjectured to constitute significant emblems, somewhat of the nature of hieroglyphics ; but it appears to have been in Egypt alone that they were extensively employed ; a circumstance that may easily be account ed for upon the principles already explained.
Sir John Marsham supposes hieroglyphics to have been the origin of the worship of animals ; the figure and the thing signified being, as he supposes, so connected, that both began to be held equally sacred. This is by no
means improbable, though no direct proof of it is to be had. It seems certain, however, that hieroglyphics were often engraved on gems, as a kind of magical spell ; these gems were termed AnnAxiis ; they were exhibited by certain corrupted Christians, natives of Egypt, who had mixed a great deal of Paganism with their Christianity : many of them are still to be met with in the cabinets of the curious. These abraxas were superseded among the superstitious by talismans.
The subject of hieroglyphics has been frequently treated of. Among the ancients, Horus Apollo, or Hora. polo, wrote a treatise expressly on the subject. In modern times, one of the most laborious writers on hieroglyphics was the learned Jesuit KIRCHER. His Oedipus "Egyptia cus contains a great collection of curious particulars ; but his explanations are fanciful, and indicate little judgment. In the second hook of Montfaucon's Antiquities is given a general account of hieroglyphics, illustrated with accurate engravings. By far the most ingenious and philosophical account, both of the history and nature of hieroglyphics, is given by Warburton in the 4th book of the Divine Lega tion. The Bishop has not, however, been careful to dis tinguish between emblems in general, and hieroglyphics properly so called. Dr E. D. Clarke, in his Travels lately published, maintains, but by no means upon certain grounds, that the hieroglyphic characters were the letters of an ancient alphabet, and the more compound forms pro bably a series of monograms. (V`)