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I wish to inform your Correfpondent J. C.

(p. 144,) that it was not my intention to fay

that in all cafes river-water will leave no

earthy fediment at the bottom of the teakettle on the contrary, I know that it fometimes will. But we have many rivu. lets, and fome rivers, in Westmoreland, which will leave no particles of earth at the bottom; and I doubt not there are many others of a like nature in different parts of England. What feems remarkable is, that rivers, or rivulets, which rife in moffy or

boggy places, leave the feweft fediments of earthy particles; whilft thofe whofe waters and fprings are cleareft, leave the moft.What difference there may be between iron and copper kettles in attracting the earthy particles, I know not; but in the cafes alluded to in my letter, the kettles were made of copper.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

WAVING occafionally feen in your

child, though hereafter to be unlearnt and ridiculed by the man. Confequently, Sir, an attempt to better the condition of this ancient fyftem of grammar may not be without its ufe. My fecond preliminary obfervation is, that thofe who have undertaken to write English Grammars, have contented themfelves with applying the rules of the Latin tongue to the Englifh tongue, as far as they were wanted; but have not very clofely inveftigated the peculiarities of the English language; nor, where thofe peculiarities exifted, invented any fresh rules to notify or enforce them. I make this laft obfervation for the purpofe of directing the attention of thofe gentlemen more minutely to their own language; not doubting but they may find other examples of this incorrec nefs than that which is the immediate obreaders of Homer will recollect the expresject of my present animadverfions. The fion, margida yaiav, country land, wherein, of two fubitantives coming together in the fame cafe, and not in appofition, one acts the part of an a jective. This is one of the commoneft modes of fpeech in Englith; yet I know no grammarian that has noticed it. When we talk of a gold watch, houfe lamb, county politics, party fpirit, family pride, the Miffillippi scheme, Ruffia firs, the Grenville Party, have we not in each phrafe two fubftantives coming together in the fame cafe, and not in appofition, of which the first in pofition (as the adjective is always placed before the fubftantive in English,) acts the part, and fupplies the place, of an adjetive ?— Are they not all exactly fimilar expreffions to the margıda yalav of Hɔmer ?—It will be found, I believe, Sir, that all proper names, which have no adjectives formed from them by an alteration of the ter

HMagazine fomething like philological mination, are used, when occafion re

or philogrammatical difcuffion, I venture to fubmit to your confideration a few obfervations that have occurred to me on one or two idioms of English grammar, which I have never feen noticed by any of our grammarians. Before I advance further on my fubject, I could wish to premife, first, that although Mr. Horne Tooke, in his Diverfions of Purley, feems to have fhewn, or to have it in in his power to fhew, that the old divifion of fpeech, into eight parts, as noun, pronoun, &c. &c. is erroneous and ridiculous; yet I conceive it is an eafy method of teaching, or fimplifying the learn ing of, language; and, as fuch, not likely to be rejected by the pedagogues, nor, perhaps, unworthy.to be learnt by the

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quires, as adjectives. If you speak of an inhabitant of Cornwall, you fay, "he is a Cornish man ;" or of the mines in that county, "Cornish miner." But Devonfhire, of which there is no adjective, is itfelf ufed as an adjective, or is, if you like it, both an adjective and a substantive as, "he is a Devonshire man ;" "thofe are the Devonfhire hills." It is needless to produce any more inftances; but I will further advance, that the English tongue admits of whole fentences being used as adjectives. To begin with "High Church politics," "the New York Advertiser;" where High Church and New York are both ufed as adjectives. I will proceed to "Church of England difcipline," "Hudfon's Bay Company," the gentleman who

went

went by the name of Single-speech Hamil-
ton; in which feveral fentences I opine, that
High Church, New York, Church of
England, Hudson's Bay, Single-speech,
are actually and efficiently adjectives.-
And here I may make one or two obfer-
vations upon the ufe of the hyphen,
which I have feen incorrectly employed.
The ear will always tell you when to
employ the hyphen. If, in pronouncing
a fentence, two or more words of that
fentence are pronounced as one word,
then the hyphen should be inferted to con-
nect those two words as one. In my af-
fertion, that it is frequent in English to
ufe fubftantives as adjectives, I fhould be
forry to be understood as maintaining,
that whenever two fubftantives come toge-
ther in the fame cafe, and not in appofi-
tion, the first of them is used as an adjec-
tive. I know it is frequent in English
orthography to part words, that is, com-
pound words, and thus leave them, in ap-
pearance, two words; though, accord-
to all rules of grammar, and even to our
pronunciation of them, they are but one
compound-word. I illuftrate this by the
examples of fox-bunter, legacy-bunter,
and a variety of words needless here to
enumerate; but of which I have here re-
marked, that (generally, if not always,)
the last word in the compound word has
fome fort of government over its preced-
ing affociate. In addition to this remark,
I have to repeat, that the pronunciation of
two fuch words (written incorrectly as
two words, but in fact one,) is decidedly
as if they were one word. The accent is
not both upon légacy and búnter, as it
would be were they two words, but upon
the first fyllable of legacy (or rather of
légacybunter,) only. And I maintain,
that, if our countrymen do not choose, as
would be more correct, to write thefe two
parts of one word as one word, they ought
at least to infert the hyphen between them
to fhew their connection. Wherever two
more words are used as one, I would em-
ploy the hyphen, whether thefe two or
more words are in fact only one word,
(unless in that cafe, as would be more ju-
dicious, they are written clofe united, as
one word,) or are several words used toge-
ther as one member of a sentence. The
latter cafe is that of High Church, in
"High-Church Politics Church of
England, in "Church-of-England difci-
pline;" and a thousand inftances, which
it is unneceffary to trouble your readers
with enumerating. I am, &c.

BARENSIS.

For the Monthly Magazine.

CANTABRIGIANA.

CLXIX. AN APOLOGY.

LATIN, it is well known, has been confidered, from the earliest ages, as the academical language. Our exercises in colleges, and in the public fchools, the conciones ad clerum in the university churches, the public business in the fenatehouse and theatre, are delivered, for the greater part, in Latin; the proceedings, likewife, at the time of taking degrees, whether in arts, law, phyfic, or divinity, are all conducted in Latin. Even a candidate for a mufical degree, though not obliged to fet the formula to mufic, muft be introduced by the professor with Prafento tibi hunc virum.

Foreign univerfities also have adopted, as their own, the Latin tongue; partly indeed from fuperftitious motives, and partly from admiration of the ancient claffics. All have affected it in their imitations of the Roman poets, and all made it the vehicle of the arts and fciences through Europe.

It is to be prefumed, then, that an imperfect work, like the present, will obtain a little indulgence, and not be denounced as pedantic, for endeavouring to pronouce the fhibboleth (if so it must be proclaimed), of its party. Quotations from a learned language, judiciously introduced, may fometimes givé fplendour and dignity to a difcourfe; but a profufion of them, we acknowledge, throws no glory over eloquence, and, confeffedly, adds neither brilliancy nor authority to fentiment. A broad tinfel-glare affords proof neither of tafte, nor of opulence, nor of truth; and, inftead of being demonstrative of invention, is often its fubftitute. Genius, which finds fources in its own powers, fcorns to be always borrowing of neighbours. Truth, whofe eagle-eye pierces into the heaven of heavens, may be even oppreffed by a weight of teftimonies; and their own genuine beauties are more ftriking to an intelligent beholder, than an everlasting display of heterogenous ornaments.

But a farrago trifling as this, a work which, indeed, fometimes, in defiance of a well-known maxim, even labours after trifles, and which aspires not to the character of a regular differtation, may be allowed to recede fomewhat from the establifhed laws of polite writing. It may be permitted to follow a favourite propenfity; to indulge an innocent predilection; to humour an univerfity prejudice; to con

cilliate

ciliate literary men, whofe exercitations prevent their confidering an ambition to gratify an inveterate fondness, as an artifice of pedantry, a manoeuvre of vanity, or the laft expedient of an impoverished mind. An academic, as mankind in general, looks back with pleasure, even to old age, on the fun which gilded the morning of life; and recognizes with enthusiasm even the outlines of his former ftudies. To fpeak plainly, Cantabrigiana is spread before Cambridge guetts, a humble banquet, which, if not overflowing with dainties, is yet anxious of fupplying fome appropriate fare-a kind of lanx fatura, into which (more academico) we occafionally throw a little feafoning of Roman and Grecian elo. quence; for,

Graiis ingenium, Graiis dedit ore rotundo
Mufa loqui-
Hor.

And fuch is our apology to-
CLXX.-STERNE, the AUTHOR of

TRISTRAM SHANDY.

Sterne, fo celebrated as the author of Triftram Shandy and the Sentimental Journey, was of Cambridge University; no ftrict prieft, but, as a clergyman, not likely to hear with indifference his whole fraternity treated contemptuously. Being one day in a coffee houfe, he obferved a fpruce powdered young fellow by the firefide, who was fpeaking of the clergy, in the mafs, as a body of difciplined impof. tors and fyftematic hypocrites. Sterne got up while the young man was haranguing, and approached towards the fire, patting and coaxing all the way a favourite little dog. Coming at length towards the gentleman, he took up the dog, ftill continuing to pat him, and addreffed the young fellow : "Sir, this would be the prettiest little animal in the world, had he not one diforder!" "What diforder is that?" replied the young fellow. "Why, Sir, (faid Sterne) one that always makes him bark when he fees a gentleman in black.' "That is a fingular diforder (rejoined the young fellow); pray, how long has he had it ?" "Sir, (replied Sterne, looking at him with affected gentlenefs) ever fince he was a puppy!"

CLXXI.-A STUTTERING WAG. A person once knocked at the door of a college-fellow, to inquire the apart ments of a particular gentleman. When the Fellow made his appearance, Sir, (faid the inquirer) will you be for obliging as to direct me to the rooms of Mr. "The Fellow had the misfortune to MONTHLY MAG, No. 114.

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In the former number the reader was prefented with a few lines by Mrs. Lenoir. It fhould have been added, that they were a verfion from the French; and, as the words are original,-they have appeared, at least, only in Mrs. Lenoir's Village Anecdotes,-it may be proper to fubjoin them.

Vous changer en etoille, a parler fans detours, N'eft point un compliment, mais bien uve meprife,

On vous fait a la nuit prefider, belle Elife, Tandis, que cette a vous a faire les beaux jours.

D'apres l'ordre etablis dans les celeftes voutes, Je ne vois pas pour vous de place au firma

ment;

Un aftre y peut briller douze heures feulment, Et vous durez pretendre a les embellir toutes.* CLXXIII. LINES addreffed to a LADY, on her rallying the Author, who infcribed a Letter, addreffedto her, without any Title but her Chriftian and Sirnames, as though be was for fetting afide old Customs and Manners; by a Perfon formerly of Emanuel College.

The reader will pleafe to take notice, that these lines cannot affect degrees; of which, more perhaps hereafter. Degrees are, in fact, marks of literary honour; and, like profeffional and official titles, quite diftinct things from thofe titles to which allufion is here made. As to de

grees,

Hinc Lucem et Pocula facra ; Often indeed given away very lightly, and

*The infertion of this article in a Canta

brigiana is certainly flying in the face of a ftatute, ladies not being admitted to fhare literary honours in English univerfities, as in fome abroad. We are betrayed into this unacademical trick through Mrs. Lenoir's politeness in communicating two little poetical pieces of her father's, which have been already inferted; and as an acknowledgment for much pleafure received from her novel, lately pubfished, Village Anecdotes; in which, different from most other writers, novelifts, and poets, the fair writer fatirizes village manners: and fhe does her work well, like one who has accurately ftudied the characters and manners which the defcribes.

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But you like old things, because they are old; The Church fo believes, and fo you believe; Then I vow by the Church, that my faith you should hold;

For mine is ancient as Adam and Eve. But Adam, like Nick, is too old; then, dear friend,

Pray take up your bible, and read it right on; And what can you find from beginning to end, But Abram and Sarah, Ruth, Mary, and John?

So you fee that I bere at least fquare with the Church;

A Church, old enough too, not wanton in youth;

Nor think that he'll leave an old friend in the lurch,

Who flicks to his oldest and best friend-
Dame Truth.

N.B. In the next month's Magazine will probably appear fome lines, in favour of titles, by the fame perfon.

CLXXIV. DR. THORNTON'S SEXUAL SYSTEM OF LINNUS.

Occafion was taken, fome months fince, of introducing an account of an extraordinar ly magnificent work preserved at Cambridge. This was a Treatise on natural history and the occult fciences, diftinguished by many exquifite paintings, and in the highest prefervation, though feveral centuries old. The volume is exhibited as a kind of fhew-book at the public library. Works of this defcription may be reckoned by many, more coftly than fcientific; more fhewy than ufeful; dazzling to the eye, but repulfive to the touch; like the fenfitive plant, tremblingly alive through every pore; or, like what is remarked by a pleasant writer of a lovely woman, very delicately fair, and finely fhaped. He compares her to a let of beautiful china, which yet is fo liable to receive injury, that he fhould be afraid to touch, left he should break it.

On the other hand, it may be obferved in favour of fuch undertakings, that they encourage the fine arts; that the arts and fciences, having a kind of relationhip, and being connected, as Cicero expreffes it, by a chain, explain and mutually affift each other; and further, that

* See the poetry in the last month's Magazine.

fuch productions are monuments of the ftate of the arts in a country at a given period.

These remarks are occafioned by the perufal of a fplendid work, now publishing, defigned to illuftrate botany by the aid of fculpture, poetry, and painting. The author is Dr. Thornton, a gentleman formerly of Cambridge University, and now a public lecturer on Botany. As a work of art, this attempt to illuftrate the Linnæan fyftem may be expected to rival, if not to ecliple, any fimilar work in other countries; being adorned with plants and flowers, and my. thological defigns by our firft masters, Bartol zzi, Opie, Beechy, Ruffel; and enlivened by many poetical fketches, illuftrative of the paintings. Expenfive performances like this can recommend themfelves only to perfons, who, with a tafte for the polite arts, poflefs alfo the means of indulging it; and to public libraries, the archives of what is curious in a country.

Dr. Darwin, our fine botanical poet, was alfo of Cambridge. His poetry is frequently made to illuftrate these pages. Probably, therefore, we may take the liberty of introducing into the Cantabrigiana, on fome opportunity, a few lines intended for this work, in reference to Dr. Darwin's Loves of the Plants, and illuftrative of a defign in Dr. Thornton's work.

CLXXV. SIR WILLIAM JONES.

Sir William Jones was a ftudent of University-college, Oxford, but took his Mafter of Arts degree at Cambridge; a name that both universities are proud to

own.

His writings, as were his talents, are various. His Specimen Poelews Aliatice, though a juvenile work, and founded, indeed, on Bishop Lowth's book, de Sacra Poef Hebreorum, is certainly an elegant and useful work; an extraordinary performance for fo young a man as he was when he compofed it. Its merit on the fore of poetry is at leaft equal to its pretenfions in criticism.

Subjoined to this volume is his Limon, feu, Mifcellaneorum Liber, which confifts of Greek and Latin verfions of fome admired pages of English poetry. Having formerly given an English verfion of an original Greek epigram of Joshua Barnes's, we hall, by way of variety, here take the liberty of presenting the reader with a Greek verfion of an exquifite little morfel of English poetry by Sir William Jones, though not original; for it is in his Limon. The English is that admired piece,

Little, curious, thirsty, fly,
Drink with me, and drink as I, &c.
The

The Greek, which is a pleafing fpecimen of the Greek epigram, in the Anthologia, differing from the English, is as follows:

Ad Mufcam.

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Διψαλέη, φιλικώμε, τανυπτερε, τερπερ μυια,
Τεράστιο νέκταρες γευσαμένη πόματος.
Συμπιες συμπιε, μυια, και ευςεφανιο κυπελλα
Έκροφες βοτρύων τον μελίφυρτον όπον.
Δει σ' εϋφρόσυναις λαθικηδεσι θυμον καινειν
Μεκρις τα βιοτε τερ ολιγοχρόνιον.
Ωςπερ εμος βίος ωκα, τους βιος ωκα πεφευγε,
Κείσομαι αυτος όμως και συ μαραινομενος·
Και γαρ ες εξήκοντα παρελκομένον λυκάβαντας
Εν θερος ανθροπων ου πλέον, εςι βιος.
Εξηκοι' ετεων ταχέως παραμείψεται αίγλη,
Εκφεύγει δ' ήβης ανθεμον, ωσπες ένας.
CLXXVI. SYLLABUS of LECTURES on
POLITICAI. PHILOSOPHY, by MR.
INGRAM, FELLOW of QUEEN'S COL-

LEGE.

It is allowed by all that the univer fity of Cambridge is liberally fupplied with profefforfhips in the different sciences; and that the profeffors have generally been men diftinguished for talents and learning. The profefforfhips are as follows: three for the different faculties, law, phyfic, and, divinity, called King's profefforfhips; Lady Margaret's in divinity; a profefforfhip in cafuiftry; in Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek, in chemistry, botany, anatomy, experimental philofophy, and modern history. To these muft be added, Lady Sadler's profefforship for algebra, Mr. Norris's of divinity, and a profefforhip in mufic. It is, however, worthy of notice, that there is none for tariftics, or political economy, at Cambridge.

The fame defect may be noticed in the university of Paris, at leaft when Diderot and D'Alembert published their Didionnaire raisonné. In the article College there is an account of the feveral arts and fciences taught in that univerfity, as well

as of the mode of education.

The fubject is divided into five parts, but no mention is made of political philofophy, as being a branch of any one. It may, therefore, be prefumed, that for political philofophy there was no provifion at Paris; and it is worthy of obfervation, that the writer of the article College, though animadverting with fufficient feverity on other defects, leaves this altogether unnoticed.

Mr. Ingram, fellow of Queen's, perGeiving that the study of political economy was thus left without public encou

ragement at Cambridge, made a propofal to fupply the defect; and published, in 1799, a "Syllabus; or, Abstract of a System of Political Philofophy; together with a Differtation, recommending that the Study of Political economy be encouraged in the Universities, and that a Course of Public Lectures be delivered on that Sub. ject." He announced his own willing-. nefs to undertake this office, fhould he meet with proper encouragement. must be acknowledged that this Syllabus is the work of a mind penetrating and judicious, habituated to philofophic refearches, and stored with various informa tion. It does not, however, appear that the fervices of Mr. Ingram were accepted by the univerfity.

It

With all respect for the superior abilities and attainments of this gentleman, we cannot help expreffing an opinion, that pected in thefe times, and, perhaps, fuch encouragement is hardly to be exfcarcely to be wifhed. When it is recollected, that our univerfities were founded in times not favourable to fuch inquiries ; that they have fince taken fomewhat more too much to unreasonable reftrictions, it of a corporation form, and been subjected is not to be fuppofed that political science can have free course there. Why the lectures on ftatistics, while they are dif Scotch and German universities encourage couraged in the English, might be accounted for very easily.

The truth is, till our academical parliament (the fenate) fhall throw open the gates of the university, and the liberality and benevolence of fucceeding princes remove the shackles imposed by a former monarch, political fcience cannot appear in her genuine character. Forgetting her origin and true deftination, he will be overruled by authority or interest, and fcience be compelled to give way to expedience. The other fciences thrive well in our universities: Political economy flourishes beft in the world; and, like Triptolemus of old, to borrow an idea from Lucian's Dream, had better scatter

her feed over the face of the earth.

CLXXVII.-LINES by SIR WILLIAM JONES.

Sir William Joes was a Mafter of Arts of Emanuel; a man as amiable as he was learned. Notice was just fince taken of his Specimen Poefews Afiaticæ. The following delicious lines were his compofition; and the infertion of them here ie

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