1000000030

87'3

Ihe Greek!; which no doubt contribnted its lime to

DtlMJlbm~J

feem! not more natural tO the

~enillS

of the.

promote that general

cI~gance

and harmonyof proponion Ianguage; than the more flow,ry charms of Plato's calm

which prevaileel in all their am. The original fOllnds and harmonious cadences, or the unadorned r.mplicity of

aod fundamental tones of that language are the moll har- Xenophon; nor docs the majeOic pornp of Homer feem

moniou!, and the moO agreable to the car, of any that to be more naturallyadapted to the genius of the language,

bare hitheno been invented; infomuch, that from this thanIhe more humble ilrains ofTheocritus, or the laugh–

principie alone Ihe found of their language is agreeable iDgfenivity of Anacrcon: Equally adaptcd

alJ purpofe¡ ,

to every nation \\'ho have beard it, even when the mean- when we perufe any of thefe aUlhors, we would ima–

ing of tbe words are not underOood; whereas almoil all g.ioe the langllage

w",

moil happily adapted for his par–

other languages, tilllhey are undertlood, appear,

an ucular tlyle alone.. The fame powers it likewife in a

ear whieh has not been accuilomed to them, jarring and great meafure polf,O"J for cooverfatioo" and tbe dia .

difcordant. This is the fund amental exeellenee of that logue feems not more natural for the dignity of Sophocles

jullly admired I.nguage; nor have the people f.iled to or Euripidcs, thanfor the more eafy tendernefs ofMeaan–

Improve this to tbe utmotl of their power, by many aids der, or bulfoonery of AriOophanes.-With all thefe ad.

of their owo inventicn.- The Greek

I~nguage

is of the vantages, however, it'mur! be acknowledged, that il did

tra.fpojitive

kind: but a peoplo fo lively, fo aeute, and not po(fefs that unexceptior.able clearoefs of meanin.,

loquacio~s,

could ill bear the ceremonious reOraint whieh fome analogous languages enjoy, or that

eharaéle~.

whieh that modeof language oaturally fubjeéled thtmto; iOic force which the aceent has power to give il, were

~nd

have therefore,. by various methods, freed it in a not thefe defeéls eounterbalanced

other caufes whieh

great meafure from the ililfnefs \Vhieh that produccd.

\Ve

!hall afterwards point out.

In io8eéling their nouns and verbs, they fometimes pre·

The Romans, a people of fierce and warlike difpor.-

6x a fyllable, and fometimes add one ; which, befides tions, for many ages during the infaney of tbeir republic,

lhe variety that JI gives to the founels of the

langua~e,

more imeot on purfuing conquens and military glory,

adds greatly to the diflinélnefs,. and admits of a more na- Iban in making improvements in literature or the fioe

tural arrangement of the words than in lhe Latin, aod arts, beilowed linle attention to their language. Of a

of eonfequeace rendcrs it much finer fo·r the

eaGnefs.of

difpofition lefs' focial and

m~re

pblegmalic than Ihe

priweconverfation: and indeed, the genius of the peo- Greeks, they gave themfelves no trouble about render–

pie fo far prevailed over the

Miom

of the language, as tO ing their language fit for converfation; aDd il remained

render itNn the age of its greatcil perfeélioo, capable of ilroog and nen'ous, but, like their ideas, was limited

almoil as much eafe, and requiring almoil as little traDf- and coofiocd. More difpofed to commaod refpeél by the

pofition of words, as thofe languag<s which have been power of their arms thao by tse force of perfuafion, they

called analogou!. But as thofe nation! who fpoke Ihis defpifed tbe more e[ eminate powm óf fpeech: fo that,

Ianguage were all gomned by popular a(femblies, and as before Ihe Punie wars, their language was perhaps

no authority eould be .0btaiDed among them but by ,¡ more referved and uncourtly than aoy otber at that

/kili

rhetoric and the powers of

perfuar.oo

; it beeame time known.-But after their rival Carthage was de–

ncce(fary for every gne, who wilhed to acquire power or ilroyed, and they had no longer Ihal powerful curb upoo

coofideratioo in the ilm, to improve himfelf iD tbe their ambition; when. riches flowed in upon them by

knowledgeof thallanguage, in the ufe of which alone be Ihe multiplicilY of that conqueOs ;-Iuxury began to

could expeél honours or reputation. Henee it happened, prevail, the fiero auilerity of tbeir mannen 10 relax,

Ihat while Ihe viracity of tbe people rendered it eafy, and felfi!h ambition to takeplace of that dir.ntereiled

lo~e

Ibe great men iludiouOy improved e.ery excellence tha! for tbeir country fo eminently eonfpicuous among al! or–

it could reap from its powm as a

tranfpojitive

!aoguage; den of men before Ihat period.-Popularity began then

fo that, wheo brought 10 its utmoil perfetlion by Ihe a- to be courted: al)lbitious men, finding themrdmnol pof.

muiag genius of the greal DemoOheDes, il attained a fe(fed of that merit which infured them fucce(s with Ihe

power altogelher unknown tO any otber Janguage.-Thus virtuous feaate, amufed tbe mob with artful and fedi–

happily eircumilanced, the Greek language arrived at uous harangues; and by making them believe that they

that envied pre-eminence which il IliJI juOly retaiDs. were po(f<lfed of all power, and had Iheir facred righu

From me progrefs of arts and feiences; from the gaiety encroachcd upon by the fenate, led Ihem about at their

and in,entive genius of the people ; from the number of pleafure, and got tbemfclves exahed to honours and riches

freeilates into whichGreecewasdivided, eaehofwhichin- by thefe iofidious am. Jt was Ihen [he Romans firl!

Yented words of its owo, all of which contributed tO the began to perceive the ufeto which a command of language

generaltlock ; and (romthe natural commutation whieh could be put.-Ambitious men then iludied it \Vith care,

[ook place between thefe ilates, whicb exeited in the ilrong- to be able to accompli!h their (nds; while the more viro

til degrec the talents o( Ihe people; it acquired a copiouf- tuous \Vere obliged tO aequire a Ikill in this, that they

cefsunknown 10 any ancientlanguage, and exeelled by few might be able tO repel Ihe attacks of their adve, faries.

of the moderns.- Inpoint o( harmooy of numbers, it is al- - Thus it happeoed, that in a !hort time that people,

logetherunrivalled; and on account of Ihe eafe as wcll as from having entirely negleéled, began to fiudy thcir laD–

dignity which it admitted o( from Ihe caufes alligned aboye, guage with Ihe greateil alliduity; and as Greece hap.

it admits of perfcétion in a greater number of particular pened to be fubj elled 10 theRoman

y~kea~out

that time,

kinds of compor.tion thaD any other langu' geever known. and a friendly intereourfe was eOabl,fllCd bClween thefe

-The irrer.Uible force and overwhelming

impctuor.ty

of t\VO countries, tI,i, erc.uly confl'ircd to nouriOI in the

VOL.

11.

No.

6).

9 L

minds