French, together with such new and foreign words as commerce and learning have, in progress of time, gradually introduced."

"The history of the English language can, in this manner, be clearly traced. The language spoken in the low countries of Scotland, is now, and has been for many centuries, no other than a dialect of the English. From what has been said, it appears that the Teutonic dialect is the basis of our present speech. It has been imported among us in three different forms; the Saxon, the Danish, and the Norman, all which have mingled together in our language. A very great number of our words, too, are plainly derived from the Latin. These, we had not directly from the Latin, but most of them, it is probable, entered into our tongue through the channel of that Norman French which William the conqueror introduced. For, as the Romans had long been in full possession of Gaul, the language spoken in that country, when it was invaded by the Franks and Normans, was a sort of corrupted Latin, mingled with Celtic, to which was given the name of Romanshe: and as the Franks and Normans did not, like the Saxons in England, expel the inhabitants, but, after their victories, mingled with them, the language of the country became a compound of the Teutonic dialect imported by those conquerors, and of the former corrupted Latin. Hence the French language

has always continued to have a considerable affinity with the Latin; and hence a great number of words of Latin origin, which were in use among the Normans in France, were introduced into our tongue at the conquest; to which, indeed, many have, since, been added directly from the Latin, in consequence of the great diffusion of Roman literature, throughout all Europe.

"From the influx of so many streams, from the junction of so many dissimilar parts, it naturally follows that the English, like every compounded language, must needs be somewhat irregular. Hence, it has but small remains of conjugation or declension, and its Syntax is narrow; as there are few marks in the words themselves, that can show their relation to one another, or, in the grammatical style, point out either their concordance, or their government in the sentence. But these disadvantages, if they be such, of a compound language, are balanced by other advantages that attend it; particularly by the number and variety of words, with which such a language is likely to be enriched. Few languages are, in fact, more copious than the English. In all grave subjects especially, historical, critical, political and moral, no writer has the least reason to complain of the barrenness of our tongue. We are rich, too, in the language of poetry. Our poetical style differs widely from prose, not in point of numbers only, but in the

very words themselves, which shows what a stock of words we have it in our power to select and employ, suited to those different occasions. It is said, that we have thirty words, for denoting all the varieties of the passion of anger. For instance, anger, wrath, passion, rage, fury, outrage, fierceness, sharpness, animosity, choler, resentment, heart burning, heat. To fume, storm, inflame, be incensed; to vex, kindle, irritate, enrage, exasperate, provoke, fret; to be sullen, hasty, hot, rough, sour, peevish. The English language possesses great strength and energy. It is, indeed, naturally prolix; owing to the great number of particles and auxiliary verbs which it is obliged constantly to employ, and this prolixity must, in some degree, enfeeble it. We seldom can express so much by one word as was done by the verbs, and by the nouns in the Greek and Roman languages. Our style is less compact; our conceptions being spread out among more words, and split as it were into more parts, make a fainter impression when we utter them. Notwithstanding this defect, by our abounding in terms for expressing all the strong emotions of the mind, and by the liberty which we enjoy, in a greater degree, than most nations, of compounding words, our language be esteemed to possess considerable force of expression; comparatively at least, with the other modern tongues, though much below the

may

ancient. The style of Milton alone, both in poetry and prose, is a sufficient proof, that the English tongue is far from being destitute of nerve and energy."

BLAIR'S LECTURES.

PART III.

SYNTAX.

CHAP. I.

SYNTAX is that part of Grammar which lays down rules for the proper placing of words in a sentence, and which teaches their concord and government. For the clear and accurate expression of the thoughts, three things are requisite; the ability of selecting words and terms appropriate to the ideas intended to be conveyed by speech or writing; the proper inflection of those words with regard to concord and government; and their arrangement agreeably to nature, or established custom. The first of these can be obtained only by attentive observation of the best speakers and writers; the others may be acquired, in a great degree, by due attention to general rules, and remarks, the fruit of experience.

A sentence is a collection of words placed together in proper order, and combining to communicate perspicuously some proposition or

assertion.

When a sentence contains but one subject, and one verb to which number and person belong, it is called a simple sentence; as, “God is love."

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