not where to send him; for, I assure you, he has a troublesome, inquisitive, scrupulous mind of his own, that will not take mere words in current payment.

Dr.

B.—I should think that difficulty easily removed. Lowth, in his Preface, has done it ready to your hands. "Those," he says, "who would enter more deeply into this subject, will find it fully and accurately handled with the greatest acuteness of investigation, perspicuity of explication, and elegance of method, in a treatise intitled Hermes, by James Harris, esq. the most beautiful and perfect example of Analysis that has been exhibited since the days of Aristotle."

T.-The recommendation no doubt is full, and the authority great; but I cannot say that I have found the performance to correspond nor can I boast of any acquisition from its perusal, except indeed of hard words and frivolous or unintelligible distinctions. And I have learned from a most excellent authority, that tout ce qui varie, tout ce qui se charge de termes douteux et envelopés, a toujours paru suspect; et non seulement frauduleux, mais encore absolument faux: parcequ'il marque un embarras que la vérité ne connoit point'.'

B. And you, Sir?

H.-I am really in the same situation.

B.-Have you tried any other of our English authors on the subject?

H.-I believe all of them, for they are not numerous; but none with satisfaction.

tur Grammatici, dicunt enim sub Cicerone et Cæsare adultam linguam, &c. At philosophica non agnoscit ætatem linguæ, sed rationalitatem ; amplectiturque vocabula bona omnium temporum."-Campanella.

1 Bossuet des Variations des Eglises Protestantes.

2 The authors who have written professedly on this subject, in any language, are not numerous. Caramuel, in the beginning of his Grammatica Audax, says,-" Solus, ut puto, Scotus, et post eum Scaliger et Campanella (alios enim non vidi) Grammaticam speculativam evulgarunt; vias tamen omnino diversas ingressi. Multa mihi in Scaligero, et plura in Campanella displicuerunt; et pauciora in Scoto, qui vix alibi subtilius scripsit quam cum de Grammaticis Modis Significandi."

The reader of Caramuel (who, together with Campanella, may be found in the Bodleian Library) will not be disappointed in him; but most egregiously by him, if the smallest expectations of information are excited by the character which is here given of Scotus-whose De Modis Significandi should be intitled, not Grammatica Speculativa, but-an

B. You must then give up one at least of your positions. For if, as you make it out, Grammar is so difficult that a knowledge of it cannot be obtained by a man of sense from any authors in his own language, you must send him to what is commonly called Learning, to the Greek and Latin authors, for the attainment of it. So true, in this science at least, if not in all others, is that saying of Roger Ascham, that—" Even as a hawke fleeth not hie with one wing, even so a man reacheth not to excellency with one tongue."

H.-On the contrary, I am rather confirmed by this instance in my first position. I acknowledge philosophical Grammar

Exemplar of the subtle art of saving apppearances, and of discoursing deeply and learnedly on a subject with which we are totally unacquainted. Quid enim subtilius vel magis tenue, quam quod nihil est ?

Wilkins, part 3. chap. 1. of his Essay towards a Real Character, says, after Caramuel,-" The first of these (i. e. philosophical, rational, universal Grammar) hath been treated of but by few; which makes our learned Verulam put it among his Desiderata. I do not know any more that have purposely written of it, but Scotus in his Grammatica Speculativa, and Caramuel in his Grammatica Audax, and Campanella in his Grammatica Philosophica. (As for Scioppius his Grammar of this title, that doth wholly concern the Latin tongue.) Besides which, something hath been occasionally spoken of it by Scaliger in his book De Causis Linguæ Latine, and by Vossius in his Aristarchus." So far Wilkins: who, for what reason I know not, has omitted the Minerva of Sanctius; though well deserving his notice, and the declared foundation of Scioppius. But he who should confine himself to these authors, and to those who, with Wilkins, have since that time written professedly on this subject, would fall very short of the assistance he might have, and the leading hints and foundations of reasoning which he might obtain, by reading even all the authors who have confined themselves to particular languages.

The great Bacon put this subject amongst his Desiderata, not, as Wilkins says, because "few had treated of it;" but because none had given a satisfactory account of it. At the same time, Bacon, though evidently wide of the mark himself, yet conjectured best how this knowledge might most probably be attained; and pointed out the most proper materials for reflection to work upon. "Illa demum (says he), ut arbitramur, foret nobilissima Grammaticæ species, si quis in linguis plurimis, tam eruditis quam vulgaribus, eximie doctus, de variis linguarum proprietatibus tractaret; in quibus quæque excellat, in quibus deficiat ostendens. Ita enim et linguæ mutuo commercio locupletari possint; et fiet ex iis quæ in singulis linguis pulchra sunt (tanquam Venus Apellis) orationis ipsius quædam formosissima imago, et exemplar quoddam insigne, ad sensus animi rite exprimendos."-De Augment. Scient, lib. 6. cap. 1.

(to which only my suspected compliment was intended) to be a most necessary step towards wisdom and true knowledge. From the innumerable and inveterate mistakes which have been made concerning it by the wisest philosophers and most diligent inquirers of all ages, and from the thick darkness in which they have hitherto left it, I imagine it to be one of the most difficult speculations. Yet, I suppose, a man of plain common sense may obtain it, if he will dig for it; but I cannot think that what is commonly called Learning, is the mine in which it will be found. Truth, in my opinion, has been improperly imagined at the bottom of a well: it lies much nearer to the surface though buried indeed at present under mountains of learned rubbish; in which there is nothing to admire but the amazing strength of those vast giants of literature who have been able thus to heap Pelion upon Ossa. This at present is only my opinion, which perhaps I have entertained too lightly. Since therefore the question has been started, I am pleased at this occasion of being confirmed or corrected by you; whose application, opportunities, extensive reading, acknowledged abilities, and universal learning, enable you to inform us of all that the ancients have left or the moderns have written on the subject.

B.-Oh! Sir, your humble servant! compliments, I perceive, are banished from Purley. But I shall not be at all in. ticed by them to take upon my shoulders a burthen which you seem desirous to shift off upon me. Besides, Sir, with all your caution, you have said too much now to expect it from me. It is too late to recall what has passed your lips: and if Mr. T. is of my sentiments, you shall not be permitted to explain yourself away. The satisfaction which he seeks after, you say is to be had; and you tell us the mine where you think it is not to be found. Now I shall not easily be persuaded that you are so rash, and take up your opinions so lightly, as to advance or even to imagine this; unless you had first searched that mine yourself, and formed a conjecture at least concerning the place where you suppose this knowledge is to be found. Instead therefore of making me display to Mr. T. my reading, which you have already declared insufficient for the purpose, is it not much more reasonable that you should communicate to us the result of your reflection?

H. With all my heart, if you chuse it should be so, and think you shall have patience to hear me through. I own I prefer instruction to correction, and had rather have been informed without the hazard of exposing myself; but if you make the one a condition of the other, I think it still worth my acceptance; and will not lose this opportunity of your judgment for a little shame. I acknowledge then that the subject is not intirely new to my thoughts: for, though languages themselves may be and usually are acquired without any regard to their principles; I very early found it, or thought I found it, impossible to make many steps in the search after truth and the nature of human understanding, of good and evil, of right and wrong, without well considering the nature of language, which appeared to me to be inseparably connected with them. I own therefore I long since formed to myself a kind of system, which seemed to me of singular use in the very small extent of my younger studies to keep my mind from confusion and the imposition of words. After too long an interval of idleness and pleasure, it was my chance to have occasion to apply to some of the modern languages; and, not being acquainted with any other more satisfactory, I tried my system with these, and tried it with success. I afterwards found it equally useful to me with some of the dead languages. Whilst I was thus amusing myself, the political struggle commenced; for my share in which you so far justly banter me, as I do acknowledge that, both in the outset and the progress of it, I was guilty of two most egregious blunders; by attributing a much greater portion of virtue to individuals, and of understanding to the generality, than any experience of mankind can justify. After another interval therefore (not of idleness and pleasure) I was again called by the questions of our friend Mr. T. (for yesterday is not the first time by many that he has mentioned it) to the consideration of this subject. I have hitherto declined attempting to give him the satisfaction he required: for, though the notion I had of language had satisfied my own mind and answered my own purposes, I could not venture to detail to him my crude conceptions without having ever made the least inquiry into the opinions of others. Besides, I did not at all suspect that my notions, if just, could be peculiar to myself: and I hoped to find some author who might give him a clearer,

fuller, and more methodical account than I could, free from those errors and omissions to which I must be liable. Having therefore some small intervals of leisure, and a great desire to give him the best information; I confess I have employed some part of that leisure in reading every thing I could easily and readily procure that has been suggested by others.

I am afraid I have already spoken with too much presumption: But when I tell you that I differ from all those who with such infinite labour and erudition have gone before me on this subject; what apology

B.-Oh! make none. When men think modestly, they may be allowed to speak freely. Come-Where will you begin?-Alpha-Go on.

H.-Not with the organical part of language, I assure you. For, though in many respects it has been and is to this moment grossly mistaken, (and the mistakes might, with the help of some of the first principles of natural philosophy and anatomy, be easily corrected,) yet it is an inquiry more of curiosity than immediate usefulness.

B. You will begin then either with things or ideas for it is impossible we should ever thoroughly understand the nature of the signs, unless we first properly consider and arrange the things signified. Whose system of philosophy will upon?

you build H.-What you say is true. And yet I shall not begin there. Hermes, you know, put out the eyes of Argus: and I suspect that he has likewise blinded philosophy: and if I had not imagined so, I should never have cast away a thought upon this subject. If therefore Philosophy herself has been misled by Language, how shall she teach us to detect his tricks?

B.-Begin then as you please. Only begin.