because they point out the general signification of the substantive to which they are annexed. The article an is used before vowels, and before words beginning with h mute; the article a before consonants, and before the part of speech one, the letter u, when open, as in the words use, union, university, and before the aspirate h, unless the accent of the word be on the second syllable, as an heroic action, an historical account.

Our article the points out and determines how far the signification of the noun or substantive to which it is annexed extends, and is, therefore, called definite. This article closely resembles the demonstrative pronoun that: the principal differences in these two parts of speech appear to be these: the pronoun that has usually an accent, the article the has not: that, therefore, may be used without a noun or substantive, the cannot. Horne Tooke considers that as the past participle, and the as the imperative mood of the verb thean, to get, to take, to assume: but independently of etymological analysis, the and that may be reduced to adjectives by opposing them to a. "I said the hard ball, not a hard ball; I said that red ball, not a red ball."

In the use of the article, the English is superior to the Roman language: which is exemplified in the following instances. "The friend of a king-the friend of the king-a friend of the king." Each of these phrases, says Dr. Blair, has a separate meaning, too obvious to

be misunderstood. In Latin, amicus regis, is entirely undetermined: it of the three senses which

may bear

any

have been mentioned: and requires other words to ascertain its meaning.* The Greek, 4, 4, rò, corresponds

1

Dr. Blair's Lesturos.

with our definite article; the absence of it in Greek, signifies, that a noun or substantive is to be of general application. In this respect, the English is superior to the Greek; but the Greek article, as a prefix to the infinitive mood, as a sign to signify its noun-state, is a refinement, which does not occur in our language.

The former five examples of primary sensations may now be altered and restricted thus:

That harsh sound offends greatly the ear.

"The ear:" in this instance, the article has peculiarly a restrictive power; it means, I conceive, the or every ear which is perfectly susceptible; or it may mean the ear of the person speaking.

The red ball strikes gently the green ball.

This delicious peach diffuses powerfully the flavour.
The hard ball strikes forcibly the hand.

This damask rose scatters agreeably the odour.

Words are the transcripts of ideas: the more strictly these transcriptions adhere to the analogy of thought, the more adequately will the growth of idea be represented. But as the mind, that grand and noble spring of action, is capable of considerable advancement, she is desirous, through the medium of her powers over the body and its organs, to exercise her god-like functions of reason; she is not satisfied with the mere impressive sensation of single objects, with the mere utterance of individual propositions; but, by a certain consciousness of sensation in her faculty, she is desirous of extending them to the use and comfort of her outward frame; and by affording balmy consolations of future emancipation, she suggests the necessity of a dignified deportment.

When we proceed to reason on the simple proposition, the analogous order of words is in some measure broken;

and supernumerary particles of speech are then adopted, to connect and unite words into another form of phraseology; in which, not only all the operations of the art of reasoning are brought into action; but, likewise, all the flowers and ornaments of mild and soft persuasion are employed, to delight and amuse the imagination. Though the meaning be complex, the unity of the sentence must be perfect. A simple or known object (after the sensation of it has been made upon the mind through the medium of the appropriate outward organ) has, for expression or communication, its one type or single figure in written characters, called a word: but a complex, strange, or undefined object, has its many types, figures, or words, drawn by the mind from likeness, from comparison, and example.

"As in the works of nature, no man can properly call a river deep, or a mountain high, without the knowledge of many mountains and many rivers; so in the productions of genius, nothing can be styled excellent, till it has been compared with other works of the same kind."

In communicating this form of idea, the English language is furnished with smaller particles of speech, which stand for relatives, auxiliaries, connectives, conjunctives, and disjunctives, with definers or markers; these are gathered about the nouns, the verbs, and their attributes, to render them analogous to the perception, and easy and familiar to the understanding. It appears to be the general opinion, that almost all the derivations of Horne Tooke are established: with the following affirmation of his theory respecting pronouns, conjunctions, and prepo sitions, I shall pass over the subject of etymology, recommending to those who are partial to philological study,

and have not hitherto read the work, a careful perusal of the "Diversions of Purley." "All those words which are usually termed pronouns, conjunctions, and prepositions, are the corruptions of nouns or verbs, and are still employed with a sense referrible to that which they bore when in the acknowledged form of nouns and verbs." To this I shall merely add, that although pronouns are generally used to avoid the repetition of nouns, they sometimes stand as nouns, i. e. not to avoid the repetition of nouns: and, in this case, they have a peculiar restrictive power: for example-" He who cannot persuade himself," &c. he is accentuated, and has the force of a noun preceded by a definite article, i. e. the man who cannot, &c.

To render the communication of an idea easy and familiar to the understanding, words must be properly chosen; and words distributed in suitable order are essential to the beauty and elegance of compound sentences. This seems to be deduced from a general principle of nature; the eye and the ear are fond of uniting such objects and sounds, as shall bear the closest resemblance to each other, and also of placing others at a measured distance, that comparison may be formed, and the value of contradistinction and variety be duly appreciated. Notwithstanding this, our colloquial sentences do not always exemplify this order; and yet we are understood. To account for this circumstance belongs to the topics connected with the Theory of Elocution,* and is perfectly foreign to the object of the present Treatise.

Vide the Philosophy of Elocution, page 121-the circumstance is there explained.

CHAP. VIII.

Question, whether or not the English grammar should be formed on the Latin plan-opinions of grammarians respecting the six cases~-~ objections answered--the authors of the Eton Latin Grammar have proceeded upon the supposition that the Latin can be taught in connexion with the English grammar-Latin neuter nouns, &c.—elucidations of the English genitive-accentuation and the union of the parts of speech which stand for the English of Latin nouns-Latin prepositions-tenses of the verb.

IT may be safely affirmed, that the best writers of English, are those scholars who have derived their knowledge of grammar from a study of the dead languages.* In our public schools, and, excepting a very few instances, in our private classical schools, the English grammar is not taught. The pupils of each seminary become gradually acquainted with grammar and the use of their native tongue, from the study of Greek and Latin, and the reading of the best classical English authors. This, however, has not prevented grammarians of talent and celebrity from arranging institutes for the exclusive use of English students; and their motive, every one must allow, is honourable to their feelings, as Englishmen. Nevertheless, we cannot help regretting, that those institutes are not adapted, as much as the genius of our language will admit, to the government and discipline of the Latin tongue. It may be said, that, to a very great extent, the thing is impossible; because the idioms of the

"The habit of strict and careful analysis, which is formed by the process of judicious instruction in the Greek and Latin languages, is itself a most valuable acquisition, and is an excellent preparative for the exertion of the mental powers, in all other inquiries." ***A correct English style and true delicacy of composition, are hardly ever acquired but by the medium of classical literature.”—Systematie Edu

cution.