ficiently and easily learned from the excellent Introduction of Doctor Lowth: or from the first (as well as the beft) * English grammar, given by Ben Johnson.

H.

True, Sir. And that was my first flight answer to our friend's instance. But his inquiry is of a much larger compass than you at present seem to imagine. He asks after the caufes or reasons of Grammar: and for fatisfaction in them I know not where to fend him; for I affure you, he has a troublesome, inquifitive, fcrupulous mind of his own that will not take mere words in current payment.

B.

I fhould think that difficulty eafily removed. Dr. Lowth in his preface has done it ready to your hands. "Thofe,”

* Duplex Grammatica: alia CIVILIS, alia PHILOSOPHICA.

CIVILIS, peritia eft, non fcientia: conftat enim ex au&toritate ufuque clarorum Scriptorum.

PHILOSOPHICA vero, ratione conftat; & hæc fcientiam olet.

Grammatica CIVILIS habet ætatem, in qua viget, & illam amplectuntur Grammatici, dicunt enim fub Cicerone & Cafare adultam linguam, &c. At PHILOSOPHICA non agnofcit ætatem lingua, fed rationalitatem; amplectiturque vocabula bona omnium temporum.

6

CAMPANELLA.

he

he fays, "who would enter more deeply into this subject, "will find it fully and accurately handled with the greatest "acuteness of investigation, perfpicuity of explication, and "elegance of method, in a treatise intitled Hermes, by "James Harris, Efq. the most beautiful and perfect ex❝ample of Analysis that has been exhibited fince the days "of Ariftotle."

T.

The recommendation no doubt is full, and the authority great; but I cannot say that I have found the performance to correfpond: nor can I boast of any acquifition from its perufal, 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 "fe charge de termes douteux & envelopés, à toujours "paru fufpect; & non feulement frauduleux, mais encore Jus "abfolument faux: parcequ'il marque un embarras que, ❝la verité ne connoit point *.”

B.

And you, Sir ?

*BOSSUET des variations des Eglifes Proteftantes.

H.

I am really in the fame fituation.

B.

Have

fubject?

you tried any other of our English authors on the

I believe all of them, for they are not numerous *; but none with fatisfaction.

B. You

The authors who have written profeffedly on this fubject, in any language, are not numerous. Caramuel, in the beginning of his Grammatica Audax, fays,-" Solus, ut puto, Scorus, & poft eum SCALIGER & CAMPANELLA

(alios enim non vidi) Grammaticam fpeculativam evulgarunt; vias tamen « omnino diverfas ingreffi. Multa mihi in Scaligero, & plura in Campanella "difplicuerunt; & pauciora in Scoto, qui vix alibi fubtilius fcripfit quam cum "de Grammaticis modis fignificandi."

The reader of Caramuel (who, together with Campanella, may be found in the Bodleian Library) will not be difappointed in him; but most egregioufly by him, if the smallest expectations of information are excited by the character which is here given of Scotus: whofe De Modis Significandi, fhould be intitled, not Grammatica Speculativa, but-an Exemplar of the fubtle art of faving appearances, and of difcourfing deeply and learnedly on a subject with which we are totally unacquainted. Quid enim fubtilius vel magis tenue, quam quod nihil eft.

Wilkins, Part 3. Chap. 1. of his Effay towards a Real Character, fays, after Caramuel,—" The first of these (i. e. philosophical, rational, universal Grammar) hath been treated of but by few; which makes our learned

"Verulam

B.

You must then give up one at least of your pofitions. For if, as you make it out, Grammar is fo difficult that a

"Verulam put it among bis Defiderata. I do not know any more that have purpofely written of it, but Scotus in his Grammatica Speculativa, and "Caramuel in bis Grammatica Audax, and Campanella in bis Grammatica Philofophica. (As for Scioppius bis Grammar of this title, that doth wholly concern the Latin tongue.) Befides which fomething bath been occa_ fionally spoken of it by Scaliger in his book De Caufis Linguæ Latinæ ; and by Voffius in his Ariftarchus." So far Wilkins: who, for what reason I know not, has omitted the Minerva of San&tius; though well deferving his notice; and the declared foundation of Scioppius. But he who should confine himfelt to thefe authors, and to thofe who, with Wilkins, have fince that time written profeffedly on this fubject, would fall very short of the affiftance he might have, and the leading hints and foundations of reafoning which he might obtain, by reading even all the authors who have confined themselves to particular languages.

The great BACON put this fubject amongst his Defiderata, not, as Wilkins fays, because "few had treated of it;" but because none had given a fatisfactory account of it. At the fame time Bacon, though evidently wide of the mark himself, yet conjectured beft how this knowledge might most probably be attained; and pointed out the most proper materials for reflection to work upon. "Illa demum (fays he) ut arbitramur, foret nobiliffima Grammaticæ fpecies, fi quis in linguis plurimis, tam eruditis quam vulgaribus eximiè doctus, de variis linguarum proprietatibus tractaret; in quibus quæque excellat, in quibus deficiat oftendens. Ita enim & linguæ "mutuo commercio locupletari poffint; & fiet ex iis quæ in fingulis linguis pulchra funt (tanquam Venus Apellis) orationis ipfius quædam formofiffima imago, & exemplar quoddam infigne, ad fenfus animi ritè exprimendos." De augment. Scient. Lib. 6. Cap. 1.

Сс

knowledge of it cannot be obtained by a man of fense 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 faying of Roger Afcham; that" Even as a hawke fleeth not hie with "one wing, even fo 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 philofophical Grammar (to which only my fufpected compliment was intended) to be a most neceffary step towards wisdom and true knowledge. From the innumerable and inveterate mistakes which have been made concerning it by the wisest philofophers and most diligent inquirers of all ages, and from the thick darknefs in which they have hitherto left it, I imagine it to be one of the most difficult fpeculations. Yet, I fuppofe, a man of plain common fenfe 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 furface; though buried indeed at prefent under mountains of

9

learned