View source for An Essay towards a Real Character

'''''An Essay Towards a Real Character, and a Philosophical Language''''' (London, 1668) is the best-remembered of the numerous works of [[John Wilkins]], in which he expounds a new [[universal language]], meant primarily to facilitate international communication among scholars, but envisioned for use by diplomats, travelers, and merchants as well.  Unlike many universal language schemes of the period, it was meant merely as an [[International auxiliary language|auxiliary]] to—not a replacement of—existing natural languages.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}
<!-- for future use: "So that if men should generally consent upon the same way or manner of Expression, as they do agree in the same Notion, we should then be freed from that Curse in the Confusion of Tongues, with all that unhappy consequences of it.<p>"Now this can only be done, either by 'enjoyning'' some one Language and Character to be universally learnt and practised, (which is not to be expected, till some person attain to the ''Universal Monarchy'', and perhaps it would not be done then) or else by ''proposing some such way as, by its facility and usefulness, (without the imposition of Authority) might ''invite'' and ingage men to the learning of it; which is the thing here attempted." (''Essay'', p.20) -->
[[File:Wilkins An Essay towards a real.jpg|thumb|300px|The first edition cover page]]