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Relations; much less the names of Words and Speech, as Generall, Speciall, Affirmative, Negative, Interrogative, Optative, Infinitive,
all which are usefull; and least of all, of Entity, Intentionality,
Quiddity, and other significant words of the School.
But all this language gotten, and augmented by Adam and his posterity,
was again lost at the tower of Babel, when by the hand of God, every man
was stricken for his rebellion, with an oblivion of his former language.
And being hereby forced to disperse themselves into severall parts
of the world, it must needs be, that the diversity of Tongues that
now is, proceeded by degrees from them, in such manner, as need
(the mother of all inventions) taught them; and in tract of time
grew every where more copious.
The Use Of Speech
The generall use of Speech, is to transferre our Mentall Discourse,
into Verbal; or the Trayne of our Thoughts, into a Trayne of Words;
and that for two commodities; whereof one is, the Registring of the
Consequences of our Thoughts; which being apt to slip out of our memory,
and put us to a new labour, may again be recalled, by such words
as they were marked by. So that the first use of names, is to serve
for Markes, or Notes of remembrance. Another is, when many use
the same words, to signifie (by their connexion and order,)
one to another, what they conceive, or think of each matter;
and also what they desire, feare, or have any other passion for.
and for this use they are called Signes. Speciall uses of Speech
are these; First, to Register, what by cogitation, wee find to be
the cause of any thing, present or past; and what we find things present
or past may produce, or effect: which in summe, is acquiring of Arts.
Secondly, to shew to others that knowledge which we have attained;
which is, to Counsell, and Teach one another. Thirdly, to make known
to others our wills, and purposes, that we may have the mutuall help
of one another. Fourthly, to please and delight our selves, and others,
by playing with our words, for pleasure or ornament, innocently.
Abuses Of Speech
To these Uses, there are also foure correspondent Abuses.
First, when men register their thoughts wrong, by the inconstancy
of the signification of their words; by which they register for their
conceptions, that which they never conceived; and so deceive themselves.
Secondly, when they use words metaphorically; that is, in other sense
than that they are ordained for; and thereby deceive others.
Thirdly, when by words they declare that to be their will, which is not.
Fourthly, when they use them to grieve one another: for seeing nature
hath armed living creatures, some with teeth, some with horns,
and some with hands, to grieve an enemy, it is but an abuse of Speech,
to grieve him with the tongue, unlesse it be one whom wee are obliged
to govern; and then it is not to grieve, but to correct and amend.
The manner how Speech serveth to the remembrance of the consequence
of causes and effects, consisteth in the imposing of Names,
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