'Hudson has written a succinct and careful monograph, which is easy to use, full of information and a pleasure to read … it is to be hoped that his study becomes widely read both as a useful reference point for scholars from a multitude of disciplines and a fascinating story in its own right.' English

• Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Sacred and occult scripts in the Renaissance tradition; 2. The demystification of writing in the seventeenth century; 3. 'The uniform voice of nature': conjectural history in the early eighteenth century; 4. Conservative reaction: the study of writing after Warburton; 5. Writing and speech: the debate in Britain; 6. Rousseau's Essai sur l'origine des langues and its context; 7. The new mediation: perceptions of writing in the Romantic era; Conclusions: a continuing legacy of debate; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

'Hudson has written a succinct and careful monograph, which is easy to use, full of information and a pleasure to read … it is to be hoped that his study becomes widely read both as a useful reference point for scholars from a multitude of disciplines and a fascinating story in its own right.' English

• Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Sacred and occult scripts in the Renaissance tradition; 2. The demystification of writing in the seventeenth century; 3. 'The uniform voice of nature': conjectural history in the early eighteenth century; 4. Conservative reaction: the study of writing after Warburton; 5. Writing and speech: the debate in Britain; 6. Rousseau's Essai sur l'origine des langues and its context; 7. The new mediation: perceptions of writing in the Romantic era; Conclusions: a continuing legacy of debate; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

'Hudson has written a succinct and careful monograph, which is easy to use, full of information and a pleasure to read … it is to be hoped that his study becomes widely read both as a useful reference point for scholars from a multitude of disciplines and a fascinating story in its own right.' English

• Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Sacred and occult scripts in the Renaissance tradition; 2. The demystification of writing in the seventeenth century; 3. 'The uniform voice of nature': conjectural history in the early eighteenth century; 4. Conservative reaction: the study of writing after Warburton; 5. Writing and speech: the debate in Britain; 6. Rousseau's Essai sur l'origine des langues and its context; 7. The new mediation: perceptions of writing in the Romantic era; Conclusions: a continuing legacy of debate; Notes; Bibliography; Index.