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Over all languages, the ancient Greek is entitled to the superiority. This assertion will be supported by those who are best acquainted with such matters, and thereby best qualified to make just and extensive comparisons. In the various modes of expression, we find precision without obscurity, and copiousness without redundance: the former property, the Greek owes to the numerous and diversified inflections of its words, and the latter, to the great number of its derivatives: in its general structure and formation, regard is paid to the ear, as well as to the understanding; for its harmony is not less noticeable than its energy: the grammatical system is in every part, exact and complete, at the same time that the rules are no restraint upon its expressions.

Whoever considers attentively the genius of the Greek tongue, will be ready to allow, that it merits to be proposed as a perfect model of expression, and that it fully authorises the praise of those critics and scholars who have celebrated its excellence, in proportion as they were able to relish its beauties, deriving taste, improvement, and pleasure, from the perusal of its incomparable writers.

Among the numerous beauties of the Greek tongue, its sweetness is deservedly celebrated, as well as its variety of sounds, even in our very imperfect mode of pronunciation. By transposing, altering, adding, and taking away letters, the Greek was rendered more soft and pleasing to the ear: the diphthongs, as well as the open vowels, swell and elevate the tones, in a manner superior to modern languages. The various declensions of the nouns, the conjugations of the verbs, the changes of dialects, and the several poetic licenses, furnish a vast variety of terminations: many words end in vowels, and but very few in mute consonants, as is the case in the Oriental, Gothic, and Celtic tongues.

The works of the best Greek authors are admirable, for the skilful arrangement of words, and the beauties of the

compositon.

composition. The accurate distinction of genders, and cases in nouns, and of persons in verbs, allowed the writers to choose the most proper place for their words, without affecting the perspicuity of the sentence. But in this respect, modern languages are very defcetive, in which the nouns and verbs being in general indeclinable, they must be closely connected in the sentence to their respective articles, and auxiliary verbs: whence, an uniform arrangement and position is requisite, in which no change can be made, without injuring the sense, or rendering it equivocal, or unintelligible. Greek authors, on the contrary, could indulge in grand and lofty sentences, composed of members of various extent, and terminated in whatever part of speech might seem most proper. Hence, the ear is gratified with an endless variety of pauses, and a harmonious flow of periods; an emphatic word, like the principal figure in a picture, being placed where it produces the best effect. Unable as we moderns are, to form a competent notion of these beauties, still, from the testimony of ancient critics, whose perfect knowledge and delicacy of taste, qualified them to form a better judgment on the subject, we must yield our assent to the justice of the praises, which in every age, have been bestowed on the Greek language. In one point, however, the English scholar may appreciate the excellence of this language, in as far as his own possesses a similar property, although in an inferior degree: and that is the compounding of words. The prolific power of the Greek was unbounded: verbs were the trees, from which sprung innumerable branches, in endless variety and abundance. These verbs are at one time compounded together, at another time with substantives; nouns are formed from them, and even from different parts of the same verb: but the power of combination with prepositions, was of a much more extraordinary extent with any one of the Greek prepositions, any verb,

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verb, unless its meaning made it naturally unfit for such an alliance, could be united. Instances of these combinations are common, and even of verbs and nouns joined with double and treble prepositions. As such compound words possess an unrivalled strength, richness, and significant brevity, they show the creative powers of a language, containing inexhaustible resourses for composition. In poetry, their effect is most particularly felt, supplying it with one of its most striking and beautiful ornaments. To this power of compounding words, so extensive, and indeed indefinite, no resemblance can be traced in the works of art, excepting in the unlimited combination of letters forming words, and the multiplication of numbers in arithmetic.

From the whole of these observations on the English, Latin and Greek languages, may be formed some notion of the characteristics of each, and of their respective merits. To the Greek we must allow the praise of harmony, copiousness, and an amazing ductility, by which it can express in original, derivative, and compound words, every discovery in science, or invention in art: the Latin is recommended by its majesty, precision, and vigour; and the classic writers in both these languages, are to be considered as the best models of learning and taste. But in these acknowledgements of superior excellence, let us not shut our eyes to the many admirable properties of our own tongue : the English language, drawing its stock of words from various sources, and very imperfectly understood, without the help of Greek and Latin, is energetic, rich, and copious and perhaps, if we were restricted to the use of one modern tongue, to the exclusion of all others, none could be found better calculated for every purpose of social intercourse, more capable of expressing the general sentiments of the mind, or more deserving the study and cultivation of men in every situation.

ENGLISH

GRAMMAR.

GRAMMAR is the Art of rightly expressing our thoughts

by words.

Grammar in general, or Universal Grammar, explains the principles which are common to all languages.

The Grammar of any particular Language, as the English Grammar, applies these common principles to that particular language, according to the established usage and custom of it.

Grammar treats of Sentences; and of the several parts of which they are compounded.

Sentences consist of Words; Words, of one or more Syllables; Syllables, of one or more Letters.

So that Letters, Syllables, Words, and Sentences, make up the whole subject of Grammar.

LETTERS.

A LETTER is the first Principle, or least part, of a Word.

An Articulate Sound is the sound of the human voice, formed by the organs of speech.

A Vowel is a simple articulate sound, formed by the impulse of the voice, and by the opening only of the mouth in a particular manner.

A Consonant cannot be perfectly sounded by itself, but joined with a vowel, forms a compound articulate sound, by a particular motion or contact of the parts of the mouth.

A Diphthong, or compound vowel, is the union of two or more vowels pronounced by a single impulse of the voice.

In the English there are twenty-six Letters : A, a; B, b; C, c; D, d; E, e; F, f; G, g; H, h; I, i; J, j; K, k; L, 1; M, m; N, n; O, o; P, p; Q, q; R, r; S, s; T, t; U, u; V, v; W, w; X, x; Y, y; Z, z.

J, j; and V, v; are consonants; the former having the sound of the soft g, and the latter that of a coarser f; they are therefore entirely different from the vowels i and u, and distinct letters of themselves; they ought also to be distinguished from them, each by a peculiar name; the former may be called ja, and the latter vee.

The names, then, of the twenty-six letters will be as follow; a, bee, cee, de, e, f, gec, aitch, i, ja, ka, el, m, en, o, pec, cue, ar, ess, tee, u, v, double u, ex, y, zad.

Six of the letters are vowels, and may be sounded by themselves; a, è, i, o, u, y.

E is generally silent at the end of a word; but it has its effect in lengthening the preceding vowels, as bid, bide: and sometimes likewise in the middle of a word; as, ungrate ful, retirement. Sometimes it has no other effect, than that of softening a preceding g; as lodge, judge, judgement; for which purpose it is quite necessary in these and the like words.

Y is in the sound wholly the same with i; and is written instead of it, at the end of words; or before i; as, flying, denying it is retained likewise in some words derived from the Greek; and it is always a vowel.

W is either a vowel, or a diphthong; its proper sound is the same as the Italian u, the French ou, or the English 00: it is sometimes not sounded at all; sometimes like

a single u.

The rest of the letters are consonants; which cannot be sounded alone: some not at all, and these are called Mutes: b, c, d, g, k, p, q, t: others very imperfectly, making a kind of obscure sound; and these are called

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