1000000030

A N

L A N

bove not the fmlllen doubr, but Ihe Ian&uage of

BacM

ainl, in melod'y more fmooth and Oowine, foflens the

SJd'!lJ

would

arpr~r

more harmonio\ls lhan rlm of foul ro harmony and peaee :-lhe

pl~inrive

moan of Ham–

R.hutftn

Huml

-This is indeed Ihe fundamenral mond calls fonh rhe lender rtar and fymp.lherie figh ;

ddeé! of our lanellage, and loudly ca!!! for reformalion. while G"y's more foolhine melaneholy fixcs Ihe fober

But nOI.,ilhOanuing Ihis gml and ndieal dcreé! in ou r mind la

fil~nl

eontemplarion:-more lender Ililllhan Ihefe,

language wilh rcgard la pleaGngnefs of founds, whieh lhe amiable Shcnnon cemes; and from his Dorie reed;

mull be fa flrongly pereeived by emy ooe who is unae- niJl free from eounly alreélalion, flou a flrain fa pure,

quainteu Wilh lhe meaning of our words; yet

Ihofe fo fimple, and of fueh tender harmony, as even Areadiao

",ho onderlland Ihe Iaoguage, rhe exeeeding eopioufners Ihepherds would be proud 10 own. BUl far before the

whitb il allows in

Ih~ehoiee

of words proper for Ihe oc· rell, lhe daring Shakefpear neps fonh eonfpieuous,

eaGoo, and Ihe nervous force ..hich il derives from the ae- c101hed in native dignilY; and, prdling forward lVilh un–

e:at, wilh Ihe perfpieuilyand graeeful eleganee Iheempha- remining ardour, boldly lays c1aim to bOlh dramatie

lisbeUows upon. it, makes this defeé! be tOlally overlooked; erowns. held OUI 10 him by Thalia and Melpomene:–

and we eould produce fueh numerous \Vorks of profe his rivals, far behind, look up, and envy him for Ihefe

whieh excd in ,Imon every di¡ferenl Uyle of eompofilion unfading glories; and lhe allooilhed nalions round, wiib

as would be lirefome 10 ennmeme ; aod every reader of diflanl alVe, behold and tremble al his darine flighl.-–

taUe and difeernemenl will be ahle 10 reeolleé! a fu/lieieO[ Thus Ihe

I~nguage,

equally obedient 10 all, bends with

number of wrilings whieh exerl in poinl of ftyle, belween eafe under lheir hands, whalever form lhey w.ould hne

the graceful and becoOling gravily fo confpiruous in all it a(fume; and, like lhe yielding wax, readily reeeives,

Ihe works of lhe author of lhe

Whol,

DulJ

/JIlnn,

and and failbfully tranfmils 10 poUerily, Ibofe impreflions

Ibe animaled and nervous diélion of Robenfoo in his llif- whieh lhey have lfamped upon il.

tory of Charles lhe fiflh,-tlte more fiowery Uyle of

Such are lhe principal outlinesof Ihe language ofGreat

Shaflrbury, ortheAlliefimplieilyandeleganeeofAddifon. Brilain, (ueh are ilS beauties, and fueh

liS

mofl eapilal

BUI ahhough we can equal, if not furpafs, el'ery modero defeéls; a language more peculiarly eireumUaneed thall

Jangoage in works of profe, il is in its poelieal powm any thal has ever yel appeared.--It is lhe language of

that our language Ihioes fonh Wilh lhe grealeU luUre.- a great and pOll'erful narion, whofe Heets furround the

TIe brevilY to wh:eh we mufl here neeefl'arily confine globe, and IIhofe merehanu are in every pon; a pea–

ourfelvel, prevents us from entering inlo a minule exa- pie admired, or revered by all the world ;-and yel il il

mioatioo of Ihe poelie¡) powm of our OlVn, eompared lefs koowo io every foreign counuy, lhan any o:her lan–

wilh olher I.nguages ; olherwife. it \Vould be eafy to guage in Europe.-Jn it are wrillen more perfeé! mali–

fue .., Ihat every olher modero

langu~ge

Jabours uoder fes 00 every an and fcience, than are to be fouod io aoy.

gre'l reUrainls in lhis refpeé! whieb ours is freed from;- other laoguage ;-yel it is lefs foughl afler or eflecmed

that ourlanguage admilS ofagreater varielyofpoetie move· by the lilerari ío any pan of lhe globe. Ihan almoU aoy

meal!, and diverfilY of cadénce, than aoy of lhe admi· of Ihefe. Il! fuperior powers for evely purpofe of lan–

red langoages of anliquily .-Ihal it diUinguilhcs with lhe guage are ru/lieiently obvious from the models of perfee–

greatefi aceuraey belween aeeent and quanlily, and is pofl'ef- lioo, in almoU every particular, which can be produeed

red of every other poelie exeellence "hieh lheir languages in it ;-yet il is negleéled, defpired. and vilified by Ihe

were eapable of: fo lhat we are pofl'e(fed of all Ihe fourees people who ufe il ; and many of Iltofe aUlhor¡ \VAo owe

of hannony whieh Ihey eould boafi; and, befides all almoll Ihe whole of lheir fame 10 Ihe exeellence of tite

Ihefe, have one fuperadded, wltich is the caufe of Janguage in whieh lhey wrOle, look upon lha! very lao.

grmer varielv

an~

more foreible exprellioo in numbers guage Wilh lhe highefl eonlempt.-Negleéled and defpifed,

Ihao

.11

Ihe reU; lhal is, lhe unlimiled power given 10 il ha, been uodden under fOOIas a lhing allogelher unwor–

the

emph~fis

over quanlity and eadenee; by means thy of eultivarion or anention. Yet in fpile of alllhefe

wh(reof, a necefl'ary unioo belween found and fenfe, inconveo:ences, in fpile of lhe many wounds it has IhuI

numbm and

mea~ing,

in verfifieation, uoknown 10 the reeeived, it Udl holds up ilS head, aod prderves evident

ancienu, has been broughl aboul, which gives our Ian- marks of lhar eomelinefs and vigour which are ils eharatle–

guage in this refpetl a fuperiorilY over all lhofe jufily riflieal diflinélion. Like ahealthy oak

pl~ntedin

arieh and

admired Ianguages.-But as we eaonol herefunher PUl- ferrih: foil, il has fprung up Wilh vigollr : antl allhough neo

fue Ihis fubjeé!, we Ihall only obferve, lhac lhefe greal gleéled, .nd fulrered 10 be over·run wilh wceds; ahhough

and difiinguilhing

ex~eJlencies

far more Iban eounlerba· expafed 10cvery blail, and unproleéled from every violenee;

Jance Ihe ineoovenicneies lhat we have already menlion· il i1ill bearelh cpunder alllhefe ineonvenienees, and IhOOIS

ed ; and although, in mere pleafantnefs of founds, or 11p Wilh a

rob~n he~hhinefs

and wild luxuri.nee of growlh.

harmonious Oow of fyJlablcl, our

Jangu~ge

may be in· Shmdd lhis

pl~nt,

fo found and vigorous, be nolV e1emd

ferior to lhe Greek, lhe Latin, Italiao, Rnd Spanilh; from lhofe wetds Wilh \\ hieh il has beeo fo mueh enel1m–

yel in point of manly dignilY, graeeful variety, intuilive bClCd ó-lhoul.J cvery obnaele which now burics il under

diUinélnefs, nenous energy of exprcllion, uneonfl,.incd thiek Otades. and hirles il from lhe view of every

p~fI'en

freedom and harmony of poelie numbers, il will yield lhe ger. be r1earcd aY/ay ;-Ihould Ihe foil be cullivalcd Wilh

-pal:n 10 none.-Oor imntonal Mihon, flowly rifine, in eare, "nd a (lrong fenee be placcd around il, la prevent

gmcful m.jdly fland. up as rqual, if nOl f"perior in lhe id le or lhe wieked from Lrcaking or dinoning ilS

thde rcfpc(ls 10 any poct. in

~ny

olher language, lhal branehes ;-lVho can telJ Wilh whal

addilion~1

vigollr it

cver yCl er.ifi,d ;-while ThoOlron, wilb mure hurnble \\'ould flcurilh, or what amazinz

m3g~il\lde

and perfee-

¡jOJl