ribing Progeny of Dialects, viz. the Chaldee, the Syriac, the Arabic, the Samaritan, and the Ethiopic. The two firft differ chiefly in the Charafters, there being a near Affinity in the Form of the Words, and Texture of the Tongues themfelves. The Arabic is a moft copious Tongue, having a thoufand different Words for a Sword, five hundred for a Lion, and two hundred for a Serpent. The chief Properties of thefe Oriental The Properties Tongues are, (1.) The Primitive Words, or the of the Eaftern Themes of their Verbs, in general, confift of but Tongues. three Letters, and fome few of four. (2.) That thefe Letters are all Confonants, as PKD, BRZL, &c. (3.) That the Vowels are mostly Points placed under the faid Confonants in the Theme, as PKD, that is, PAKAD, he visited; BRZL, - ::: that is, BARZEL, Iron. (4.) That they diftinguish the Mafculine and Feminine Genders in Verbs as well as Nouns, by different Terminations. (5.) That the Orientals write and read from the Right Hand to the Left, contrary to the Euro peans. Dialects. THE Greek Language is the next Mother of the Greek Tongue, and in the Texture of its Words is as Language and Compound, as the Hebrew is Simple; on which its feveral Account it obtains a wonderful Variety and Cofioufness of Words, beyond any other Language. The principal Dialects of this Tongue are, (1.) The Attic, which was spoken at Athens, and the Country round, between Achaia and Macedonia. (2.) The Ionic, used in Ionia, a Country in Leffer Afia, between Caria and Eolis, inhabited by a Greek Colony in former times. (3.) Doric, spoken by the Dorians, a People inhabiting a Part of Achaia. (4.) Eolic, ufed by the Eolians who lived in that Part of Afia between Ionia and Troas, near the Hellefpont. K 4 THE Dialects. Of the Latin THE Latin is that Mother Tongue, which of Tongue, and its all others can boast the Nobleft Progeny of Living and Polite Dialects; for fhe gave Birth to the Italian, the French, the Spanish, the Portugueze, and a good part of the English, and is herself still in Being; and more univerfally embraced than any other ever was, or, perhaps, An Inftance of ever will be. To give one Inftance of the diftheir Diffe- ferent Utterance between this great Parent and her feveral Daughters, take that of Royal Dignity, which by the Mother Tongue herself (the Latin) was call'd Majeftas; but by the Italian, Maeftà; by the Spanish, Mageftad; by the French, Majefté; and by the English, Majesty. rence. Of the Gothic, and its Dialects. Of the Scla Diales. FROM the antient Gothic Tongue, proceeded the two great Branches, the Teutonic and Saxon Languages; from whence all the Northern Tongues, as fo many Grand-children, had their Being; as the Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, High and Low Dutch, Flemish, Scots, and English. Every one knows that the Bulk of our Language is derived from the two great Sources of the Teutonic and Saxon. Thus the Saxons faid, Feder, Suna, Hus, Bifceop-ric, Weorth-fcype, Godleas, Godlicneffe, &c. from whence the English fay, Father, Son, Houfe, Bishoprick, Worship, Godless, Godliness. To thefe may be added the Sclavonic, another vonic, and its very confiderable Mother Tongue, as being of great Antiquity, and very large Extent in the North-eaftern Parts of Europe; the Tongues of Ruffia, Poland, Hungary, &c. are Dialects of it. The Old British or Welch, and the Irish, which alfo the Highland Scots fpeak, are reckon'd among the Mother Tongues; but have nothing in them worth Notice. And thus much for the Languages in general: I fhall now treat of our own Language in particular; and first of its Compofition. THE THE antient Speech of this Inland was the Abort AcGaulic, or old French, as being (in all pro- count of the English Lanbability) first peopled from Gallia, or antient guage from its France. But, a little before our Saviour's Time, firft to its preJulius Cæfar having invaded and fubdued the fent State. Britons; and in Claudius's Time, and foon after, Britain cona Roman Colony being planted here, Britain be- quer'd by came a Roman Province; and the Latin Language, which the Romans then spoke, was introduced and mixt with the British; tho' it never Cæfar. could fuppress it. Afterwards, the Roman Le- Invaded by the gions being call'd home, the Scots and Pits (the Picts and Inbabitants of North-Britain) took the Oppor- Scots. tunity to attack and harrafs the Northern Parts of England; upon which King Vortigern, about and Horfa. the Year 440, call'd to his Afiftance the Saxons, The Saxons, a great and powerful People in the North Parts &c. arrive of Germany, who with their Neighbours the under Hengift Angles, Teutones, &c. came over, under the Conduct of Hengist and Horfa, who, fubduing the Picts and Scots, were rewarded for their Service, firft with the Isle of Thanet, and after with the whole County of Kent, which they govern'd about 350 Years; but growing powerful, they quarrel❜d with, and by Degrees difpoffeffed the Inhabitants of all the Country on this Side the Severn, and divided it among themselves into feven King- They establish doms, call'd the Saxon Heptarchy. Thus they their Heptardestroy'd the British Tongue, together with its In- chy. habitants (excepting fome who retir'd over the Mountains of Wales, and carried with them their Language) and their own Language became the general Language of the Island, and thus con tinued till about the Year 800. Then the Danes The Danes Ininfested the North and Eaft Parts of England, and vafion and Setobtaining Footing, they at laft arrived to the fole tlement. Government of it, in about 200 Years; and fo the antient Speech became tinctur'd also with the The whole Land fubdu'd by William the Conqueror. The English Danish Language. But their Rule lafting only 26 Years, made not fo great Alteration in the Anglo-Saxon, as the next Revolution, which was by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy in France; who came over into England, vanquifh'd the Danes, and fubdued the whole Land; and as a Monument of their Conqueft, the Normans endeavour'd to make their Language as generally receiv'd as their Commands; and thus compleated the Mixture, or rather the Medley of Language in Great Britain. THE English Tongue, fuch as it is at this Tongue a Med- Day, which 1800 Years ago was the pure ley of feveral British or Welch, is now a Mixture of (1.) A others. others. little British; (2.) a great deal of Latin ; (3.) a yet far greater Part of Anglo-Saxon, and Teutonic; (4.) fome few Strictures of Danish; and (5.) an Abundance of Norman French. But fince thofe antient Times, we have, by means of Learning, Commerce, &c. received very great Improve ments from the Greek, Latin, modern French, Italian, Dutch; and many proper Names of Men, Places and Things, from the Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, and other Eastern Tongues. The English BUT notwithstanding our Language is thus a Tongue is the Mixture or Compound of fuch beterogeneous IngreQuinte fence of dients; yet it must be withal confider'd, that only the choice and valuable Parts of other Tongues have been selected and incorporated together in the Body of our own, which therefore may be look'd upon as the Quinteffence of various Tongues; and by enfranchifing and indenizening foreign Words and Terms of Arts and Sciences, it is indeed become a very copious, pithy, fignificant and learned Language; abounding with all the Flowers of Rhetoric, capable of all the Delicacy, fine Similes and Allufions of Poetry, and of fupplying both both the Pulpit and Bar with all the Force and Energy that Speech can pretend to. IN fine, though it be not fo facred as the He- The English brew, fo extenfive as the Arabic, nor quite fo Tongue comlearned as the Greek, fo neither is it fo fcanty as others, and par'd with the Hebrew, fo difficult and irregular as the Arabic, characteriz'd. fo barbarous as the Irish, fo hard and unfounding as the Welch, fo uncouth as the Dutch, nor fo effeminate as the French; yet is it as fluent as the Latin, as courteous as the Spanish, as Courtlike as the French, and as amorous and founding as the Italian; and is every way enrich'd and beautified with all the Ornaments and Decorations any Language is capable of; and fitly adapted to the mafculine, curious and noble Genius of the renowned People who use it. I proceed now to fay fomewhat of the Grammar thereof; and first of that Science in General. GRAMMAR is defined to be, The Art of Grammar deexpreffing the Relation of Things by Words in Con- fin'd. Atruction, with due Accent in Speaking and Orthography in Writing, according to the Custom of those, whofe Language we learn: Or, Grammar is the Art of Speaking and Writing truly. Of Gram- Its four Parts, mar there be four Parts. (1.) Orthography, which Orthography, Profody, treats of Letters. (2.) Profody, of Syllables, and Analogy, due Pronunciation. (3.) Etymology, or Ana- Syntax. logy, which treats of Words; and (4.) Syntaxis, of Sentences, or due Conftruction of Words. ORTHOGRAPHY is that Part of Gram- Orthography, mar which teaches the Nature, Difference, Sound, what. Writing, and Joining of Letters into Syllables and Words. Letters are the firft Elements of Speech, as being individual articulate Voices or Sounds. LETTERS are divided into Vowels and Con- Of Vowels and finants; Vowels are thofe Letters, which, of Confonants. themselves, make a full and perfect Sound, and are |