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all who have travelled, and who have had an opportunity of observing it, that agriculture, commerce, and manufactures, flourish most in Protestant countries. Even where there are different sects of the Christian religion in the same country, arts, manufactures, and commerce, appear to have flourished most amongst the Protestants.' p. 264.

'The Roman Catholic faith was clogged. in the early days of the church, with a great number, both of dogmatical and practical errors, that tend not only to terrify the mind, but actually embarrass the business of human life.' pp. 65, 66.

These, undoubtedly, are circumstances of a favourable aspect; but we hope that our countrymen will not rely, for exemption from impending dangers, upon any external advantages or upon any false presumption of superior holiness; but derive their confidence from those more legitimate sources, which true religion opens to their view.

The charts, by which Mr. P. endeavours to represent, the general fluctuations in the commercial prosperity of ancient and modern nations; the extent, population, and revenue of existing European kingdoms; the progress of British commerce during the Fast century; and the comparative state of the finances of England and France, for two centuries past, are ingeniously constructed. Those who are acquainted with Dr. Priestley's charts and Mr. P.'s Atlas, will not be at a loss to comprehend the principle upon which they are founded. That of universal commercial history, as far as relates to ancient commerce, must be founded upon hypothetical grounds, as no data exist to enable the author to estimate its actual amount. We are inclined to think that he has, generally, over-rated the trade of the nations of antiquity. There is an error in the engraving of a date, in the title of the 3d. chart which has escaped Mr. P's notice.

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Upon the whole, the Inquiry' of Mr. P. is a very interesting and valuable performance. It offers to the Politician and the Philosopher, important subjects of reflection. To the former, it presents the vast field of experience, from which he may gather maxims applicable to the present state of his country; and this seems to be the object, which the author has kept chiefly in view. The latter, if he prosecutes his investigations upon principles accordant with divine revelation, will feel that Mr. P. has not brought into the discussion those just views of the moral condition of man, which the Scriptures afford, and which stand so intimately connected with his subject. Hence, he will infer that he has not discovered the radical cause of the evils which he points out; and, consequently, that the most efficacious remedy which they admit of, has equally been overlooked. Legislative acts are proper, as they tend to counteract visible irregularities; but they cannot reach their latent spring,

It

It may appear paradoxical to some of our readers, when we mention religion as the cure of political disorders. But we are not afraid of avowing our conviction, that, as all the evils incident to humanity have one common origin, they require one common remedy. The "Gospel of the grace of God" is that antidote which divine wisdom hath prepared, and is the instrument destined to effect a more important and benign change upon the human race, than any that the world hath yet seen. By its influence that order of men is produced, of whom he, who never uttered a sentence without a weighty meaning, said, “Ye are the salt of the earth." That man is, therefore, the best patriot, and most efficaciously resists the "permanent causes of the decline and fall" of his country, who most zealously diffuses around him the knowledge of that Gospel, the fruits of which are righteousness and peace.

Art. V. A Restoration of the Ancient Modes of bestowing Names on the Rivers, Hills, Vallies, Plains, and Settlements of Britain; recorded in no Author. By G. Dyer. 8vo. pp. 314. price 7s. boards. Johnson, Longman, &c. 1805.

THE island which we inhabit, has been successively occupied by so many different nations, that our antiquaries have been not a little perplexed amidst the variety of sources that were presented to their choice, for derivations of names assigned to the natural features of the country, the districts, or the towns, which they have had to describe. So far as the origin of these might assist in dispersing the obscurity which envelopes the ancient history of Great Britain, to ascertain it would evidently be desirable. We give credit, therefore, to Mr. Dyer, for the design of his volume; and proceed impartially to consider the plan that he has adopted, and the manner in which he has applied it to the purpose that he had in view.

"It is evident," says he, "that the names of rivers and settlements on streams must be very ancient. In a country first discovered there was presented to its primitive explorer, land, water, or rivers: perhaps the waters, or the streams, conveyed the same idea. He had heard no particular names for these, nor had he observed the qualities belonging to them: they were therefore, called simply waters, rivers, streams, &c.; and the term by which he denoted his own stream, became the perpetuated name of his dwelling.

"For waters or streams of other settlements, distinguishing names or synonymes must have been adopted; but at every colony the terms water, river, lake, brook, &c. were anciently, as at this day, sufficient.

"In time new adventurers arrive, the territory is enlarged, the former being insufficient, additional synonymes must be received from the common stock of the known languages.

"It was necessary also when men had formed a regular state, and when every part was to be subjected to general regulations, that they should take different names for their dwellings. They had been accustomed to a few general terms for water, stream, hill, &c. but when these were required to be multiplied or varied, every new village was distinctly denominated, and often by an addition to, or an alteration of the initial, belonging to the original name, Thus different denominations, though synonymes, were given to each township on the same river; and altho' one stream had sometimes two or more names, from running through different territories, or by several towns, in general the chief village, or residence, gave perhaps distinction to the whole river.

"Society being originally formed of clans or families, and each living within its own bounds, or on its own stream, the same names sometimes occurred in each township; and hence the reason that so many rivers and villages received nearly the same appellations." pp. 10, 11.

This hypothesis is reasonable, and agreeable to known facts: but before we accompany the author farther on his road, it is necessary to turn back, in order first to examine the point from which he took his departure, and the authority on which the direction of his course was decided.

"To explore the etymologies of a few rivers and towns in the vicinity of Exeter, the author of this treatise had recourse to books of customary reference; and after repeated disappointments he discovered, that to the Gaelic alone were we indebted for the names of all our rivers, hills, and old settlements." p. 4.

Here we meet with some causes of hesitation. It appears, at the first view, very improbable, that the names of all our rivers, hills, and old settlements, should have been conferred by the same nation. It is utterly uncertain, moreover, that the Irish ever possessed the whole of Britain; and, indeed, it is incompatible with the most ancient traditions, both of the Irish and the Welsh nations. But, supposing these difficulties obviated, it is well known, that many of our old settlements, (or towns) are of later date than any that can be assigned to the general use of the Gaelic (or Irish) language in Britain: and were it otherwise, the nature of that language, at least as it is represented by our author, is extremely ill-adapted to etymological certainty, in such an inquiry.

Of this last remark, a better illustration, or a stronger confirmation, can hardly be desired, than that which presents itself át the commencement of Mr. D.'s investigation.

"The following words in the Gaelic language denote water or stream, (to wit.) AN, AD, Амн, or Av, EAsc, or Esc, &c. OICHE, written Oc and OCK; and these, with their synonymes as in the following tables, I consider as the ROOTS OF WORDS, signifying water or stream.

They

They are varied as underneath :

I. An Water, On in the Oney, Un in the Unes, In in the Inny, En in the Enian.

. Ad, At, or As, Water, Ed, Et, or Es, in the Eden in Eton, Id, It, or Is, in the Idel, Ituna, &c. Od, Ot, Os, in the Odel, the Otter, &c. Ud, Ut, Us, in the Usway, &c.

III. Amh, or Av, synonymes Ab, Af, Ap. Ev, at Ev-erton, Iv, in the Ivel, Ov, in the Ov-er, &c. &c.

IV. Au Water, synonymes Ar, Al, Alf, Af, &c. Eu in the Eu-el, or Ewel, Or in the Öre, Il in the lien, Ar in the Arrow.

V. Easc, or Esc, or Ex, Water, Asc, or Ax, at Axmouth, Osc, or Or, at Oxon, Usc, on the Usk, was Isc, in Isca Damnoniorum, now Esc, or Ex.

VI. Oiche, otherwise Oc, Och, or Og, Water, Ock, in Ock-ington, Ec, in the Ecclesbourne, &c.

Ean, which is the same as An, Water, may be varied as follows; and it will be found in names of places that many of these variations have been adopted:

Ean, Een, Ein, Eon, Eun, Ian, Ien, Iin, Ion, Iun, Oan, Oen, Oin, Oon, Oun, Uan, Uen, Uin, Uon, Uûn, Aan, Aen, Ain, Aon, Aun.

Ead seems also to have been written for Ad, and may be varied as the last-Aid, Ait, or Ais, as d, t, and s were commutable letters, would be also synonymes, from whence Bais, Cais, &c. Water or Stream are derived, as will be shewn in the following pages." pp. 18. 20.

With such a mutability, both of vowels and consonants, it would evidently be easy to find some Gaelic term for water, not only in the name of every river or town in Britain, but equally in any other part of the world. Neither is it of importance what consonants may be connected with these syllables; for our author shews, that mutes, liquids, aspirates, and sibilants, may indiscriminately be prefixed to them. From postfires, also, as little difficulty is to be apprehended: for, of these (either augmentative, or diminutive) our author enumerates the following: mor, er, ar, or, ur, ou, oll, ou, un, an, all, od, al, os, &c.; i, in, min, fin, fion, en, el, is, it, et, ex, eog, ig, ic, &c. (p. 20.) These, with the help of two et ceteras, must doubtless supply an ample variety for every possible occasion.

As towns are, for obvious reasons, usually situated near water, and as hills generally furnish the sources of streams, few instances can be supposed, to which the preceding rules would not apply: but even such cases are, with equal ease, provided for; as Mr. D. assures us, that most of the syllables enumerated above, are as applicable to hills, vallies, and plains, as they are to brooks, rivers, lakes, and seas. Granting, therefore, his premises, there can be no danger of his failure, on any name that he chooses to analyse. There is, however, no small risk, in so extensive an application of his principles, of accounting for names in a manner

totally

totally different from that which is well-known, by persons who are conversant with the languages that are, or certainly have been, used on the spot, to be their real derivation. For instance, the term Aber, which in Wales is used for a conflux of water, formed by the junction of a river either with the sea, or with another river, is thus interpreted by our author.

"Ab is water or stream, and is derived from av; and err or earr is the end, conclusion, tail, limit, boundary. Hence many small, as well as large, boundary rivers, may have the adjunct err, earr, or the contraction er, in their names." p. 167.

The word Tale, or Tal, (in the latter of which forms it is as com monly used in Welsh, as the word end is in English, and with precisely the same meaning) is thus explained:

"Tau means stream; u was commonly changed to l: hence Tal or Tale implies stream." p. 69.

Having rescued Tal from this liquefying process, we must extend our aid to the familiar name of Trent. It is a noun regularly formed from the Welsh adjective tren, signifying rapid, impetuous: but Mr. D. says, that Tr is a prefix to en, a synonime of An, water, and therefore Tren would mean stream.” On this mistake also, he grounds many others: speaking of the initials D, and T,

p. 33.

"I conceive," says he, " they were at all times naturally subjoined to strengthen the sound of the syllable.-The derivation of the Trent was unknown.-From what has been shewn may be deduced this GENERAL

RULE:

"If Tr or any other mute and liquid be a prefix to Av, water, it will also be a prefix to any other synonymes of water, en, ad, am, au, ar, Esc, Och, Ean, &c." p. 34.

In our judgement, only one of Mr. D.'s elementary words strictly signifies water, in any of the dialects that are usually denominated Celtic. The other terms are properly attributes of water, or of any other substance that possesses motion or fluidity.

As we cannot congratulate Mr. D. on his success by water, that impartiality, which it is our constant study to preserve, requires us to afford him a trial of strength on dry land.

Hacombe, he says, is from a, which "implies an hili. __ This place therefore also means the Hill Combe." p. 134. But as Combe is well known to signify a valley, ravine, or defilé, which can only be formed by hills, this derivation is redundant and tautologous. Accordingly, among great numbers of Combes in Wales, not one is joined with any term signifying a Hill. In

Commonly as this word occurs in compound names of places in Wales and Scotland, we believe that it is never met with in Ireland.

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