an autobiography-第104章

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t　will　be　found　that　it　went　from　the　Cuneiform　into　the　Greek；　then　into　the　Roman；　and　lastly　into　our　own　letter；　thus　presenting　a　remarkable　instance　of　the　survival　of　a　form　from　remote　antiquity　down　to　the　present　day。

＇Image＇　　Fig　9。

The　letters　A　K　H　I　K　M　N　Y　X　have　the　distinct　remains　of　their　Babylonian　origin　in　the　top　and　bottom　stroke；　which　is　nothing　more　nor　less　than　a　corruption　of　the　original　or　primitive　arrow…headed　impression　of　the　stylus　in　the　moist　clay；　begun　thousands　of　years　ago。

In　a　lecture　which　I　gave　at　the　Royal　Institution　in　London；　in　1839；　and　in　another　at　the　British　Association　at　Cheltenham；　in　1856；　I　referred　to　this　presence　of　the　cuneiform　element　in　the　Greek　letters；　illustrating　the　subject　by　actual　casts　from　the　inscriptions　themselves。　　At　Cheltenham　the　question　gave　rise　to　a　most　animated　and　interesting　discussion；　in　which　Dr。　Whewell　and　Sir　Thomas　Phillips　（the　great　antiquarian）　took　a　prominent　part。　　I　understood　that　Sir　Thomas　Phillips　assigned　that　the　intermixture　of　cuneiform　with　the　Greek　alphabet　proceeded　from　the　Samaritans；　who　were　originally　an　Assyrian　colony。　　I　find　that　many　Greek　inscriptions　exhibit　the　cuneiform　element　in　nearly　all　the　letters　composing　them。　This　is　a　subject　well　worthy　of　the　attention　of　our　antiquarian　Greek　scholars；　as　pointing　to　an　intimate　intercourse　with　the　Assyrians　at　some　remote　age。　　The　distinctive　character　of　the　cuneiform　in　the　Greek　inscriptional　letters　could　not　have　arisen　from　chance。　Some　intercommunication　with　the　Assyrians　must　have　taken　place。

This　subject　is　all　the　more　interesting；　as　the　cuneiform　element　appears　to　have　passed　from　the　Greek　inscriptional　letters　into　those　of　the　Romans；　and　from　thence　into　our　own　capital　letters。　This　affords　a　very　remarkable　instance　of　the　〃survival〃　of　a　form；　which；　however　naturally　due　to　the　plastic　material　in　connection　with　which　it　originated；　nevertheless　led　to　its　use　for　ages　after　the　circumstances　which　led　to　its　adoption　had　passed　away。　　This　tendency　in　mankind　to　cling　to　shapes　and　forms　through　mere　traditional　influences　is　widely　observable；　especially　in　connection　with　architectural　forms；　arrangements；　and　decorative　details。　　It　offers　a　subject　of　great　interest　to　those　who　have　a　natural　aptitude　to　investigate　what　I　may　term　the　etymology　of　form；　a　subject　of　the　most　attractive　nature；　especially　to　those　who　enjoy　thinking　and　reflecting　upon　what　they　have　specially　observed。

＇Image＇　　Assyrian　roller…seal。

Before　concluding　this　subject　I　may　mention　that　the　Assyrians　employed　a　cylindrical　roller…seal　in　order　to　produce　impressions　in　a　wholesale　way。　　This　is　exemplified　in　the　above　engraving。　The　mechanical　principles　inherent　in　this　beautifully　simple　form　of　roller…seal；　indicate　a　high　order　of　ingenuity；　well　worthy　of　the　originators　of　the　arrow…headed　character。　　In　fact　it　is　the　prototype　not　only　of　the　modern　system　of　calico…printing　but　of　the　Waiter　Printing　Press；　by　which　the　Times　and　many　other　newspapers　are　now　printeda　remarkable　instance　of　the　survival　or　restoration　of　a　very　old　method　of　impression。

＇Image＇　　His　Autograph　and　Thumb　Mark。




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