THE

ECLECTIC REVIEW,

For APRIL, 1806.

Art. I. ENEA ПTEPOENTA. Or, The Diversions of Purley. By John Horne Tooke. 2 Vols. 4tc. Part 1. Second Edition, pp. 540. price 11. 11s. 6d. Johnson, 1798. Part II. pp. 560. price 11. 11s. 6d. 1805.

THE

HE first page of this work betrays the eccentricity of its Author. In applying a Greek title to a work on the derivation of English words, and annexing to it an English one, which is wholly irrelevant to the subject, he has twice stumbled at the threshold. To some of our readers, it may not be unacceptable information, that the second title refers to a villa near Croydon, where the subjects of the former part are supposed to have been discussed in conversation; and that the Greek terms, here adopted (literally, 'winged words') were used, by Homer, as descriptive of a rapid elocution. Our author chooses to apply them to abbreviations of language, which have been introduced for the sake of convenient dispatch. These, by familiar use, have, in many instances, survived the terms for which they were originally substituted; or have lost all obvious connexion with their primitives, if they remain. To trace these. vagrant streams to their recondite sources, was the proper object of Mr. H. T.'s work; but he has introduced so much heterogeneous matter, and treated the whole in so desultory and incoherent a manner, that he has already filled two volumes in quarto, without having completed, and even without having clearly defined the plan of his publication. This seems to us to have been originally complex: first, to ascertain the genuine signification of English words, which preceding grammarians had either declined, or failed, to illustrate; and secondly, on this ground, to rectify mistakes, to which consequently they were exposed, in the distribution of speech into its various parts. The reduction of abbreviated words to their primitive state, he compares to stripping Mercury of his wings; an operation, which is represented in a very elegant frontispiece to the former volume. We have to regret that his feet appear to have been totally deprived of their speed; while his helmet retains all its volatile powers. Had the reverse been effected, our author would probably have fallen into fewer vagaries; and might, therefore, have made better progress, in the course which he ought to have pursued.

VOL. II.

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Those

Those parts of the work which keep its proper objects in view, might, nevertheless, have been rendered essentially useful to the science of grammar. For common use, indeed, it is, sufficient to know the customary application of terms; but to ascertain, with precision, the signification of words, which have been supposed to depend on their connexion chiefly for their sense, would gratify every intelligent mind, and must be of importance to the professed grammarian. The attempt, also, is peculiarly arduous, in à language like ours, which has derived. its copiousness from numerous and remote supplies. The British islands not only resemble the more northern and southern countries of Europe, in the ground work of their general speech, but are distinguished from them, by comprehending almost the whole remains of a language radically different from any which is commonly spoken on the continent. It is, we believe, universally agreed, that either the Welsh, or the Irish, (who are well known to use different dialects of the same original language) were the earliest inhabitants of Britain; and that, they once occupied nearly its whole extent. That these were succeeded at an age now too distant to be traced, by colonies both from Scandinavia and Germany (probably by the way of Gaul), is evident to any person who considers, either the general orthography, or the varied pronunciation, of the dialects of our language, which are used in England and in Scotland. We still retain many words, and more sounds, that exactly correspond with German and Swedish terms, and considerably differ from those of the Anglo Saxon dialect. The Romans, who conquered most of these mingled tribes, laboured to diffuse their own language and customs among them: and they did so, with permanent success; but with less general effect, than that which attended the subsequent deluge of Jutes and Angles, from the borders of Denmark. Even the Danes, who interrupted, for a short time, the Saxon dominion, have left in our language some peculiar traces of their transient possession of England: much more the Normans; whose speech had become surprisingly assimilated to that of France, during their residence in its coasts. A knowledge, therefore, and that not superficial, of at least two distinct original languages, and the various dialects of these which have affected the English tongue, is necessary, to ascertain the geuine sources of abbreviations that have been perpetuated by familiar use, while the words from which they sprung have become obsolete.

Our author, in an early part of his work, suggests the necessity of an acquaintance with several of these languages, in order to form a proper judgement of the meaning of English

terms.

'I flatter

"I flatter myself, says he,' that one of the consequences of my present inquiry will be, to facilitate and abridge the tedious and mistaken method of instruction which has too long continued in our seminaries : the time which is at present allotted to Latin and Greek, being amply sufficient for the acquirement also of French, Italian, Anglo Saxon, Dutch, German, Danish and Swedish. Which will not seem at all extraordinary, when it is considered that the five last mentioned (together with the English) are little more than different dialects of one and the same language. Part I. pp. 99, 100."

Of the languages which Mr. H. T. here enumerates, the French is the only one, beside the Latin and Greek, that is commonly taught among us: and this is itself so much latinised, as to differ far more than our own, from the northern Teutonic dialects. The same character, in a still higher degree, belongs to the Italian ; which is, therefore, of scarcely any use to a radical knowledge of the English tongue. With these exceptions, and a substitution of the Maso-Gothic, we partly concur in our author's wish; though we are not equally sanguine in our expectations from his work. If, however, his readers should fulfil these hopes, it may not wholly redound to his personal credit: as they will soon discover that his own knowledge of the Northern dialects was inadequate to the task which he has attempted. Of. the German, especially, which for its copiousness and uniformity, for its affinity to the English, and for the many excellent works which have been composed in it, would most abundantly compensate whatever study it might require, he seems almost entirely ignorant. Yet for the sake even of this valuable language, or of the more venerable Scandinavian dialects, which are likewise highly important, we do not, with Mr. H. T. wish to exclude the Latin, or the Greek, from our system of liberal education. The latter supply finer models of eloquence, taste, and sentiment, and (we venture to add) better systems of morals, than those which are usually to be found in modern compositions. In the last respect, we, of course, except such as are grounded on the genuine principles of the Gospel: but these, unhappily, too often exhibit truth in a garb ill adapted to display her native loveliness.

66 a

To disparage classical literature, seems to have become fashionable, even among persons who are not destitute of its endowments. Mr. H. T. regards philosophical grammar, as most necessary step toward wisdom and true knowledge:" and he supposes, that' a man of plain common sense may obtain it, if he will dig for it; but cannot think that what is commonly called learning, is the mine in which it will be found.' Part. I. p. 10. Yet, he presumes his readers to be acquainted with French, Latin, Italian and Greek:' and certainly, persons who are ignorant of these languages, will not be likely to obtain

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much wisdom and knowledge from his book; as he constantly quotes from them, without translating. It seems, also, to have been by no other aid, that he first founded the system which he maintains; for he acknowledges, that 'his notions of language were formed, before he could account 'etymologically for any one of the words in question' (p. 122); and that he was then entirely ignorant even of the Anglo-Saxon and Gothic characters: p. 132. It was general reasoning,' says he, (p. 130.) à priori, that led me to the particular instances; not particular instances to the general reasoning. Etymology did not occur to me, till many years after my system was settled.' He lays no slight stress on this circumstance, for the support of his argument: but we confess, that it operates very differently on our minds. We are in no case fond of reasoning à priori. A man who has settled his system,' long before he examines whether there are facts to countenance it, is likely to admit of very dubious evidence, in favour of the hypothesis which he has already adopted; and to reject, or evade, those data which he cannot reconcile to its truth.

An instance occurs, at the commencement of our author's recent volume, which seems to us to corroborate the preceding observations. The word RIGHT, he says, is no other than RECT-um, the past participle of the Latin verb Regere.' p. 7. We can assure the author, that it is no such thing: and we are not a little astonished, that he should derive a word, that is spelt, and by the Scots and Germans is accordingly pronounced, with an aspirated guttural, from the LATIN tongue; which excluded all such sounds, even from the Greek words that it adopted. The term is purely German; only that we have substituted the Anglo-Saxon i, for the German e, while we have retained the German guttural, instead of the Saxon aspirate h. Why, then, did our author prefer the Latin? Not, because he imagined, that either Germans, or Anglo-Saxons, derived the word from the Romans. On the contrary, he asserts the vastly superior antiquity of the Teutonic language over that of the Latin. But he must either, 1st. have been ignorant of the German word; or, 2d. have rejected it for the Latin, because this better suited his system, which required him to derive abstract nouns from the participles of verbs.

The word THAT, occupies much of his attention in both parts of his work.

THAT, says he, (in Anglo-Saxon Dhat. i. e. Dhead, Dheat) means Taken, Assumed; being merely the past participle of the Anglo-Saxon verb Dhean, Dhegan, Dhion, THIHAN (Meso Gothic) Dhicgan, Dhigian; sumere, assumere, accipere: to THE, to Get, to Take, to Assume. Part II. p. 59.

This is information, which, whether false or true, would doubtless have surprised, both the Moso-Goths, and our Saxon ancestors, as much as it can surprise us, at a distance of ten or fifteen centuries after them. Alfred concurs with Ulphilas, in using the word, (dhat, THATA) uniformly as the neuter, nominative and accusative singular, of the definitive article. But it did not seem necessary, to a man who had settled his system long before he investigated facts, to examine such antiquated authorities. He found it more convenient, to take up with writers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; the most unsettled age, perhaps, of the English language. He found them use the word THAT indiscriminately, both as to gender and number; therefore he claps it down among his list of participles. It has long been restored among us, very nearly, to its original and proper use: the elegant writers, who reformed and fixed the English language, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, having rejected this, among other gross errors, which had been introduced under the preceding dark and turbulent reigns.

Every one who is conversant with our old authors, knows, that, during the interval between the age of Gower and Chaucer, and that of Shakespear and Spenser, our language underwent an incomparably greater revolution, than it has since experienced. in an equal lapse of time; or than it is ever likely to suffer, except (which God forbid !) the convulsions by which Europe is now agitated, should reduce us to a state of equal barbarism, with that of our ancestors at the period in question. Yet it is from writers of that date, in the infancy of printing and the twilight of literature, when our language was neither Saxon nor English, that Mr. H. T. deduces the chief support of his hypothesis. His black letter reading, of this sort, has certainly been extensive and laborious; but we regret, that he did not apply the time thus occupied, to the attainment of a more intimate acquaintance with correlative dialects of the Teutonic language. It would not only have saved himself, and his readers, much useless trouble; but it might also have prevented the contamination of his work by obscene and filthy extracts, characteristic of the grossness of manners, which prevailed at the revival of letters among us. We are sorry, however, to observe, that the author seems to be most in his element, when he can wallow in nastiness of any kind. His frequent licentiousness," and perpetual scurrility, disqualify his work for a satisfactory perusal by persons who have embraced virtuous principles, or even who are familiarised to habits of decency. Otherwise, since many of his etymologies are probable, and several of them (we think) solidly established, his performance, with all its defects, might have been useful in a much wider sphere, than thatein which it is now likely to be received.

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