Monboddo, who, in his Origin and Progress of Language, gave some general views of the philosophy of grammar. Like Plato and Aristotle, to whose doctrines, especially those of the latter, he looked with the profound veneration of a disciple, he divided language into two parts, Noun and Verb, and endeavoured to bring all the other parts of speech under these general denominations. But ..while he adopts this division of words in one part

of his work, he retracts it in others, and admits principles wholly inconsistent with the general doctrine. So that, though he must be acknowledged to have given some learned and ingenious views of language, yet the praise of having formed an original, consistent, and satisfactory system of philosophical grammar must be wholly denied him.

In 1786* this perplexing and mysterious subject, which had so long eluded the researches of philosophers, was unfolded by an English philologist of great acuteness and erudition, in a manner which the ablest grammarians have generally and justly praised. In that year was published the celebrated ЕПЕА ПTEPOENTA, or Diversions of Purley †, by Mr. John Horne Tooke, a work in which,

* As early as 1778 Mr. Tooke, in his letter to Mr. Dunning, laid before the public the substance of the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters of the Diversions of Purley, printed eight years afterwards.

The Greek scholar will immediately perceive that the first part of this whimsical title signifies winged words, and refers to the author's doctrine of derivations. The second part alludes to the celebrated seat of president Bradshaw, near Croydon, at which he amused himself with the composition of the work.

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as good judges have asserted, by a single flash of light" he has done more to explain the whole theory of language than any, or than all his predecessors. He seems at length, indeed, to have terminated the dispute, and to have dispelled the darkness which for so many ages had rested on the subject.

The leading doctrine of Mr. Tooke is, that there are only two necessary parts of speech, viz. the Noun and the Verb, and that all other words, whether adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, &c. are to be considered as corruptions or abbreviations of these two; and, of course, that the latter classes of words, instead of being in themselves, as both Mr. Harris and lord Monboddo had taught, mere unmeaning sounds, might be traced to a distinct and sensible signification. In dividing all words into two grand classes Mr. Tooke agrees with the plan which lord Monboddo adopted from Plato and Aristotle; but with respect to the remaining details of his system he is original, and presents a much more consistent and philosophical view of the subject than any preceding writer. In a few small particulars also, the doctrines of the Diversions of Purley had been anticipated by the learned Dutch etymologists before-mentioned; but the points of coincidence between them are so few and unimportant as to take away nothing material from Mr. Tooke of the honour of originality *.

* The author of Επεα Πτερόενία lately published the first volume of a new and enlarged edition of this work, intended to consist of three vols.. 4to. This volume is a republication of the former edition in octavo, with additional examples and illustrations. But the two remaining volumes (the second is now in the VOL. 11. Y 8

The general doctrine of Mr. Tooke, especially so far as it applies to the English language, has been pronounced by the best judges to be fully established; and the probability is strong that it applies with equal exactness and felicity to all other languages. So far as they have been investigated the result is decidedly in favour of such an opinion. The inquiries of the great etymologists of Leyden, before-mentioned, though they differ from Mr. Tooke in many respects, furnish, at the same time, strong confirmation of his doctrine. But it is plain that the absolute proof of the universal truth of this doctrine would require an extent of acquaintance with languages which can never be acquired by any individual, and which, to be collected by a number of individuals, will require a long course of patient labour. It is to be regret'ted that so few philologists have pursued the path marked out by Mr. Tooke, and that none have been found to extend the inquiries which he commenced, into regions which he was unable to explore. Even some of the latest writers on the continent of Europe, who have undertaken to philosophise on the subject of language, proceed chiefly upon old and exploded principles; and appear either not to be acquainted with, or not to em

press, and will be published in November, 1805) must necessarily exhibit new matter, and we understand relate to topics not touched upon in the former part. Such disquisitions from the pen of a writer, who may be said to have formed a system, as new as it is important, on the subject of language, must afford a most interesting accession of knowledge, to all who are curious respecting the operations of the human mind, or desirous to carry forward and consummate the commendable refinements of man in a state of society.

brace the discoveries of the sagacious Briton, whose work forms so important an æra in the history of philosophical grammar.

Beside the great theorists above-mentioned, the philosophy of language has been treated with great learning and ingenuity during the period under consideration, by Drs. Campbell* and Beattie, of Edinburgh; and by president de Brosses, M. Beauzees, the abbé Girard, the abbé Condillac, and M. Court de Gebelin¶, of France. The opinions taught by the celebrated Scottish professors are too generally known to render at detailed view of them here either requisite or proper; while, with respect to the doctrines of the learned French philologists, the author has too little information to attempt even a general sketch.

These inquiries into the philosophy of grammar have had, it is believed, a useful effect on many modern writings, and, with respect to their probable influence hereafter, may be regarded as of great value. Every investigation which has for its object the structure, the analysis, and the real improvement of language, doubtless tends, in proportion to its success, to advance the interests of education, to promote every department of science, especially the science of the human mind, and, in general, to increase the happiness of man.

* Philosophy of Rhetoric, 2 vols, 8vo.

+ Theory of Language, published in his Dissertations, 2 vols, 8vo, 1783.

Formation Mécanique des Langues.

§ Grammaire Générale, 2 tom. 8vo, 1767.

|| See the first volume of his Cours d'Etude, in 16 vols. Paris, 1775.

Hist. de la Parole, and Grammaire Universale.

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CHAPTER XVII.

HISTORY.

THE historic muse, during the eighteenth century, had many votaries. From the time of Tacitus to the commencement of this period, she had been supplicated by multitudes, but with little success. After the revival of letters, the first histo rical productions of respectable character were composed in Italy; but with these the author is too little acquainted to compare them with subsequent works of the same class. It may be asserted, however, that previous to the age under review no historians had arisen, for many centuries, who might be compared with the illustrious models of Greece and Rome, without incurring a sort of literary profanity. But early in the century which forms the period of this work the prospect brightened. Specimens of history began to appear so much superior to the uncouth and meagre compilations of preceding ages, as to inspire a just hope that a more auspicious æra was at hand.

There are several circumstances belonging to the historical productions of the eighteenth century which are peculiar to this period, and which distinguish it from all preceding times. An attempt will be made to take notice of some of the more obvious and important of these circumstances in the following pages.

The number of historical works produced in the course of the age is the first circumstance of a pe