185. "I have frequently desired their company, but have always hitherto been disappointed of that pleasure."

I have not yet had the pleasure of their company, for which I have so often wished.

Many ridiculous practices have been fashionable. R. 13. 187. "It is my request, that he will be particular in speaking on the following points." K. p. 71.

I request that he will be particular in speaking on the following points. R. 13.

188. "

The Saxons reduced the greater part of Britain under their power."

The Saxons conquered the greater part of Britain. R. 13. 189. "His deportment was adapted to conciliate regard." His conduct was conciliatory.

190. "The politeness of the world has the same resemblance to benevolence that the shadow has to the substance." K. p. 72.

Politeness resembles benevolence as a shadow does a sub

stance.

What politeness is not of the world?

191. "When we have had a true taste of the pleasures of virtue, we can have no relish for those of vice."

Those who like virtuous pleasures, cannot relish vice. R. 12 and 13.

192. "How happy is it to know how to live at times with one's-self, to leave one's-self with regret, to find one's-self again with pleasure! The world is then less necessary to us."

How happy are they who can occasionally live in solitude, leave it with regret, and return to it with pleasure. They are more independent of the world than others. R. 12 and 13. The three repetitions of one's-self are inelegant, and disagreeable.

193. "

Civility makes its way with every kind of persons." Civility is the safest guide in society.

194.To be moderate in our views, and to proceed tem

perately in pursuit of them is the best way to ensure success.' K. p. 73.

"

The best way to ensure success is to pursue it temperately and prudently. R. 12 and 13.

195. "It is difficult for him to speak three sentences successively." K. p. 84.

He finds a difficulty in speaking three successive sentences. R. 12.

196. "By this expression I do not mean what some persons annex to it." K. p.

I do not use this expression in the same sense that some do. 197. "The refreshment came in seasonably before they had lain down to rest."

The refreshments were fortunately sent before they lay down to rest. R. 13. Did the refreshment come?

198. "It is six months since I paid a visit to my relations." I have not visited my relations these six months. R. 13. 199. "If I were to give a reason for their looking so well, it would be, that they rise early."

They look well because they rise early.

200. "I hope this is the last time of my acting so imprudently."

I hope this is my last imprudence. R. 12.

The reader will see by the references to the pages in the Key to Lindley Murray's Exercises, that we have taken 194 of the preceding sentences from 36 pages only. At this rate, how many sentences may be corrected in the entire Key?

As numerous violations of grammar can be found in every English book, no precedent can be received as a test of the correctness of a sentence. What proof have we, that the precedent, if received, is not one of these errors?

The present English law, and the English law two hundred, a hundred, or even fifty years ago, differ, consequently, the legality of any act, condemnation, or acquittal, or the justness of any claim or defence, can only be legally tested by the law that now exists, and not by that which did exist. Much less can it be tested by the laws of any other country.

Horne Tooke observes, page 121, Vol. I: "I must, however, do Mr. Harris and Dr. Lowth the justice to acknowledge, that the Hermes of the former has been received with universal approbation, both at home and abroad; and has been quoted as undeniable authority on the subject, by the learned of all countries. For which, however, I can easily account; not by supposing that its doctrine gave any more satisfaction to their minds who quoted it than to mine; but because, as judges shelter their knavery by precedents, so do scholars their ignorance by authority; and when they cannot reason, it is safer and less disgraceful to repeat that nonsense at second hand, which they would be ashamed to give originally as their own."

How ridiculous must the English grammatical author appear, who is so silly as to imagine that by quoting precedents, or the laws of other languages, he proves the truth of his own grammatical views?

The following sentences show the grammatical fallibility of English writers, as well as the imprudence of receiving precedents as authority. I shall first test the preceding sentence from Horne Tooke; namely, "I must, however, do Mr. Harris and Doctor Lowth the justice to acknowledge, that the Hermes of the former," etc.

First-As that cannot be universal, to which there is any exception, Horne Tooke misapplied the word, universal, in the preceding sentence; because Horne Tooke himself was a learned man who did not receive Hermes with approbation; as appears from several parts of the Diversions of Purley," of which we shall only quote two instances.

66

Page 265. "I say that a little more reflection and a great deal less reading, a little more attention to common sense, and less blind prejudice for his Greek comment, would have made Mr. Harris a much better grammarian, if not, perhaps, a philosopher."

Page 275. "Mr. Harris logical ignorance most happily deprived him of a sense of his misfortunes. And so little, good man, did he dream of the danger of his situation, that whilst all others were acknowledging their successless, though

indefatigable labours, and lamenting their insuperable difficulties, he prefaces his doctrine of the connectives, with this singularly confident introduction :-What remains of our work is a matter of less difficulty; it being the same here as in some historical picture: when the principal figures are once formed, it is an easy labour to design the rest."

The approbation with which Horne Tooke received Hermes, may easily and positively be gleaned from these two quotations, and from many others, which may be cited from the "Diversions of Purley." The first quotation, which we have given from his "Diversions of Purley," was an insult to the learned of all countries. He affirmed that they received Harris's Hermes with universal approbation; that they quoted it as undeniable authority: and yet that its doctrine gave no more satisfaction to their minds, than to his own. Lest the two preceding quotations do not sufficiently show his satisfaction, we shall cite a third. In page 6, vol. I, he gives Dr. Lowth's opinion of Hermes; namely, "Those who would enter more deeply into this subject, will find it fully and accurately handled with the greatest acuteness of investigation, perspicuity of explication, and elegance of method, in a treatise entitled Hermes, by James Harris, Esq., the most beautiful and perfect example of Analysis that has been exhibited since the days of Aristotle."

Horne Tooke, in allusion to Lowth's recommendation, said, see page 7: "The recommendation no doubt is full, and the uthority great; but I cannot say that I have found the performance to correspond: nor can I boast of any acquisition from its perusal, except, indeed, hard words and frivolous, or unintelligible distinctions. And I have learned from a most excellent authority, that Tout ce qui varie, tout ce qui se charge de termes douteux et enveloppés, a toujours paru suspect; et non-seulement frauduleux, mais encore absolument faux parce qu'il marque un embarras que la vérité ne connaît point." "

1st. If what Horne Tooke asserted in the preceding extracts was true, what were the learned of all countries then? If false, what was Horne Tooke himself? If true, Horne Tooke was

the only learned, candid, honest man in the world; all the others were contemptible knaves, who sheltered their pretended learning by Harris's hard words, and frivolous, unintelligible distinctions. If false, he richly deserved the contempt of every learned man then living.

2ndly. What justice was it to Doctor Lowth that Hermes was received with universal approbation?

3rdly. How could that be received with universal approbation which gave no satisfaction?

4thly. The clause, at home and abroad, is superfluous, in consequence of the word universal.

5thly. By the learned of all countries, is superfluous for the same reason.

6thly. The manner in which Horne Tooke accounts why Harris's Hermes was received with universal approbation and quoted as undeniable authority by the rest of the learned world, will never satisfy any honourable mind.

He attributes their acts to the most unworthy motives, and only justifies himself by an absurd and insulting supposition. 7thly. The colon after the word authority, ought to be a period.

8thly. And, after the word authority, is unnecessary.

9thly. When they cannot reason, ought to commence by a capital.

10thly. At second hand, ought to be, as second hand.

Finally, we pay more respect to common sense, and the economy of words, by writing it thus.

I must do Mr. Harris the justice to acknowledge, that his "Hermes" has been received with universal approbation, and quoted as undeniable authority by the learned. His doctrine has given no more satisfaction to them than to me; but when they cannot reason, to quote the nonsense of others, is safer and less disgraceful than to assert their own. Authority screens a scholar's ignorance, as precedents do a judge's knavery.

In this extract from Horne Tooke, there are 550 letters, and in our version of it only 340; consequently, we have economised 210 letters, or more than four lines in 13, which in writing and printing, is considerable.