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The Italian and the Frenchman-Language confounded at the building of Babel-At first, languages were spoken only, and afterwards written-The Chinese language has no alphabet-The English language made up of old Saxon and Norman, or French, with a sprinkling of Latin and other languages-The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek.

"Now, uncle," said Edmund, after he had done looking over some pictures, along with his cousins," I want to ask you a question."

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Very well, Edmund: I am always ready to explain to you anything that I know."

"Yes, you are, dear uncle; and I will now tell you what my question is. You said, that in learning to converse I ought to have good knowledge, and I shall never get that without asking a great many questions. Please to tell

me, then, why people in different countries speak different languages."

"You shall have my answer; but first tell me what has led you to ask such a question."

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Why, about an hour ago, I met two oddlooking men with caps on, and they were talking very fast; but what it was all about I do not know, for not one word could I understand."

"I dare say not. I met the two men myself, and spoke to them; one was an Italian, and the other a Frenchman."

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Yes; then they were talking French or Italian together; but as I could not make out what they said, it seemed to me a pity that all people did not speak the same language. How is it that there are so many languages in the world? A man is a man, and a house is a house; why, then, should not the French call them by these names as well as the English?"

A Frenchman, if he were here, might just as well ask you why you do not call them by the same names as he does; and hardly do I know what answer you would give him."

"Nor do I; unless I told him that I had been taught to call them the English way."

"Exactly so; and he would then tell you that he had been taught the French way.

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But now for my answer to your question. If you and I were to go into a foreign country uninhabited, and then divide-one going to a part far removed from the other; if we met with strange animals, birds, insects, fruit, and flowers, the names of which we did not know, you would hardly be likely to call them by the same names that I should; and any new employment in which we occupied ourselves, or new machines, or implements that we made for our use, would all be described by us in different ways; and the longer we lived apart, the greater would be the difference in our manner of expressing ourselves."

"I suppose it would be so; the more new words we used, the more different would our language become."

"Well, this is the very thing which has taken place among mankind. Noah and his family spoke the same language; for the word of God says, that the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech,' Gen. xi. 1. At the building of the tower at Babel, however, it pleased God to confound the language of men, and thereby to put a stop to their proud and foolish plan. How easily can our heavenly Father bring to an end the purposes of sinful men! Also when mankind were spread over the earth, by dividing from each other, meeting with fresh objects and following fresh plans, their language by degrees

The

would become more and more unlike. Holy Scriptures say, 'And from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth,' Gen. xi. 9. From that day to this the people of the world have continued, as they have increased in number and possessions, to spread out further and further."

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I begin to understand now the reason why languages differ from one another."

"At first, languages were only spoken, but afterwards they were written; and this made a great change, for the people of different countries adopted different alphabets to express sounds: the Chinese language has no alphabet at all. Printing has had much to do in altering languages. The earliest languages with which we are acquainted are somewhat like each other; but languages now spoken are made up of many others."

"Of what languages is the English made up?"

"The language spoken in England before the Romans invaded the country was the Celtic. From this language has sprung the present Welsh language, as well as the Gaelic and the Erse, yet spoken in parts of Scotland and Ireland. The Romans spoke Latin, and while they bore rule in England the Latin was mingled with the Celtic.'

"Then English is Celtic and Latin."

"Not exactly so; for the Romans quitted this country, and then England was invaded

by Saxons from Germany; by Danes from Denmark; and by Normans, or Northmen, from Normandy, in France. As most of the Britons were killed, so their language was only kept up by a few people. The present English is made up mostly of old Saxon and Norman, or French, with a sprinkling of Latin and other languages. If you can remember what I have said, you will be able to make some of your younger playmates wiser than they are.

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Yes, that I shall."

"Do you remember in what language the Holy Scriptures were written?"

"Oh, they were written in English."

"It is true that we have them now in English; but at first the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, the language of the Jews, and the New Testament was written in Greek. We cannot be too thankful for having them in our native tongue, that we may plainly understand them. The simplest child, who has been taught for a short time at a Sundayschool, may now read how Jesus Christ offered up himself on the cross, as a ransom for sinners, and how all who truly believe in him will be pardoned and saved."

"I shall remember that God's word was first written in Hebrew and Greek."

"To show you that some words are a great deal alike in many languages, let me tell you that the word 'father' is patrě in Sanscrit,