Introduction.

...to mutually communicate all the thoughts of their minds (in everyday matters) no less intelligibly, whether by writing or by speaking, than in their own native tongues original Latin: "omnia Animi sua sensa (in Rebus Familiaribus) non minus intelligibiliter, sive scribendo sive loquendo, mutuo communicare, quam Linguis propriis Vernaculis.". Furthermore, from this, young people will be able to absorb the principles of philosophy and the true practice of logic original Latin: "Philosophiae Principia et veram Logicae Praxin" much more quickly and easily than from the common writings of philosophers. This work, published in London in 1661, was especially promoted by Wilkins. Dalgarno allowed only 17 classes of concepts and used Latin letters and two Greek ones, η eta and ν nu, as characteristic signs. In the copy of Dalgarno’s writing that belonged to Leibniz and is still present in the Royal Library in Hannover, he noted the following critique, which deserves a place here as it is further noteworthy because of its content:

This invention was pursued and brought to completion by John Wilkins, Bishop of Chester, a distinguished philosopher, mathematician, and theologian, who can be considered among the founders of the English Royal Society original Latin: "Iohannes Wilkinsius, Episcopus Chrestrensis philosophus mathematicus et theologus insignis...". See the excellent work on the Philosophical Character Referring to Wilkins's An Essay Towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language which appeared in folio in London.

But just as I indicated in person to Robert Boyle A foundational figure in modern chemistry and a member of the Royal Society. and Henry Oldenburg The first secretary of the Royal Society and a frequent correspondent of Leibniz., it seems these excellent men have not sufficiently grasped the magnitude of the matter and its true use. For their language or writing only achieves this: that convenient communication can be established between those separated by language; but a true Real Characteristic, as I conceive it, should be considered among the most suitable instruments of the human mind, possessing an invincible power for discovery, for memory, and for judgment original Latin: "ad inveniendum et ad retinendum et ad dijudicandum". For it achieves in every subject what arithmetic and algebraic characters do in mathematics: the power and wonderful use of which are known to those skilled in the art.

But concerning these matters, at the request of the most illustrious men of the Royal Society, I am working on a special dissertation.

Dalgarno saw something through a mist original Latin: "per nebulam" on page 33, but [overcome] by the difficulty...