thors *; but I begin to suspect that they were not guilty of any false concord in this application of the word. When treating formerly of the Conjunctions, I remember, you left THAT unexplained. I thought it not very fair at the time; and you gave but a poor reason for the omission. Will you oblige me now, by informing me whether you think the etymology and meaning of THAT will justify this antient use of the word?

H.

In my mind, perfectly. For THAT (in the Anglo-Saxon Ðæt, i. e. Ɖead, Ɖeat) means Taken, Assumed; being merely the past participle of the Anglo-Saxon verb DƉean, Ɖezan, Ɖion, IhAN, Ɖiczan, Ɖigian; sumere, assumere, accipere; to THE, to Get, to Take, to Assume.

"Ill mote he THE

That caused me

To make myselfe a frere."

Sir T. More's Workes, pag. 4.

["Wyse men alway affyrme and say That best is for a man diligently for to apply the business that he can, and in no wyse to

*[For a similar use of THAT, see Fabian: "of THAT partyes," page iiii. 69, 98. "at THAT dayes," xi. xxiiii. xxxiii. xxxix. xli. xlvi. 248, 374. "by THAT costes," xci. "THAT artycles," 60. "in THAT countres," 232. "THAT disguysers," 363.

"Of the ferther maner THIS examples or questyons be.”—The thre bookes of Tullyes Offyces lately translated by Roberte Whytinton, poete laureate. Fyrst booke. By Wynkyn de Worde, 1534.

"Man that hath the use of reason wherby he seeth THAT thynges that folowe."-Id. Fyrst booke.

"Of THIS four places wherin we haue deuyded the nature and the vertue of honesty."-Id. Fyrst booke.

"For THIS consyderacions, &c." Id. Fyrst booke (pag. 68).]

enterpryse an other faculte; for he that wyll and can no skyll, is neuer lyke to THE."-Sir T. More's Workes, pag. 1.

"Well mote yee THÉE, as well can wish your thought." Faerie Queene, book 2. cant. 1. st. 33.

"Fayre mote he THEE, the prowest and most gent, That ever brandished bright steele on hye.

Ibid. book 2. cant. 11. st. 17.]

IT and THAT always refer to some thing or things, person or persons, Taken, Assumed, or Spoken of before; such only being the meaning of those two words. They may therefore well supply each other's place: as we say indifferently, and with the same meaning, of any action mentioned in discourse; either-" IT is a good action;" or, THAT is a good action." i. e. The Said (action) is a good action; or, The Assumed (action) is a good action; or, The action, Received in discourse, is a good action.

THE (our Article, as it is called) is the Imperative of the same verb Dean: which may very well supply the place of the correspondent Anglo-Saxon article re, which is the Imperative of reon, videre: for it answers the same purpose in discourse, to say-See man, or, Take man. For instance;

"THE man THAT hath not musicke in himselfe

Is fit for treasons," &c. Or,

"THAT man is fit for treasons," &c.

TAKE man (or SEE man); TAKEN man hath not musicke, &c. SAID man, or TAKEN man is fit for treasons, &c.

This analysed method of speech must, I know, seem strange and aukward to you at first mention; but try it repeatedly, as I have done for years; apply this meaning frequently on every occasion where THE and THAT are

used in the language; and I fear not your conviction. But if the experiment should fail, and leave you in the smallest doubt, we will then enter further into the subject for we must hereafter return to it.

F.

All this may be as you have represented it; and the Bishop perhaps may not be displeased at the intelligence. But you have lost sight of my original question. What say you to this monstrous alteration of unsalted for Whinid'st?

say,

H.

I that a man must either have no ears, or very long ears, not to perceive that this was never Shakspeare's language. Metre is not confined to Verse: there is a tune in all good prose; and Shakspeare's was a sweet one. If unsalted is to be adopted instead of Whinid; to keep his tune, you must omit one of the two monosyllables, either then or thou.

In behalf of the word Whinid, Mr. Steevens has well noted that, Francis Beaumont in his letter to Speght, on his edition of Chaucer's works, 1602, says-" Many of Chaucer's words are become, as it were, vinew'd and hoarie with over long lying."

And Mr. Justice Blackstone, on the same side, has observed that " In the preface to James the first's bible, the translators speak of Fenowed (i. e. Vinew'd or mouldy) traditions."

And Mr. Malone himself acknowledges that-“ In Dorsetshire they at this day call cheese, that is become mouldy, Vinny cheese."

F.

But why it is called Whinid, or Vinew'd, or Fenowed, or Vinny, does not any how appear: and its meaning is only to be conjectured from the context, where the word is found. Now I wish to know, whether Whinid is also a participle: and, if a participle, of what verb.

H.

is a past

WHINID- Vinew'd, Fenowed, Vinny, or finie, participle: and of the verb Fynizean, to corrupt, to decay, to wither, to fade, to pass away, to spoil in any manner. Finie hlaf, in Anglo-Saxon is a corrupted or spoiled loaf, whether by mould or any other means. Spær da Ja Labanircean gamenlice pæddon. And mid geaplicɲe fare fendon to Iorue. Namon him ealde gercy*. and unoɲnlic serud. and finie hlafar." Joshua, chap. 9. (verses 3, 4, 5).

F.

It seems probable enough and it is not at all surprising that this Anglo-Saxon verb, fýnizean, should have been overlooked; since it has left behind it no other traces of its former existence, but barely this solitary expression.

H.

I beg your pardon: It has left a numerous issue. No European etymologist can do without it. Whither else can he turn, without exposing himself, for the French Faner, Se fener, Evanouir, and Fange; for the Italian

* [Ealde zercy. Old shoes.-Shoe is the past participle of rcyan -ze-rcyan, sub-ponere. Shoe, is, suppositum.]

Affanno, Affannare, and Fango; for the Latin Vanus, and Vanesco; for the German Pfinnig; and for the English FAINT, and FEN; and many other words *, with which I forbear at this time to pester you?

F.

And yet they have done very well without it.

H.

They have done, it is true: How well, yourself shall judge. Junius says-" FAINT, languidus, pusillanimus, ignavus, periculo cedens, est a Gallico Feindre, non audere, subducere se discrimini: solent nempe timidi atque imbelles formidinem suam pluribus vanissimorum obtentuum figmentis tegere."

Minshew-"FAINT, a Gallico Faner, a Lat. Vanescere." Skinner-" FAINT, a Fr. G. Faner, Fener; deficere, deflorescere, flaccescere, emori."

Menage, Orig. Franc.-" FANER, comme ce mot vient de Fænum, quand on le dit dans le sens propre, en parlant d'une prairie que l'on Fane; je crois qu'il en vient pareillement quand il signifie se fletrir, se secher: car comme le foin, quand on le fane, se fletrit et devient pâle; de même on dit, dans le sens figuré, Se Faner, de tout ce qui perd sa premiere couleur, sa beauté, son air vif."

Menage, Orig. Ital.-" AFFANNARE, AFFANNO, Da Afa, che vale quell' affanno cagionato da gravezza d'aria,

*

["Per essa il re Agrican quasi VANEGGIA

E la sua vita non stima un danaio.

Orlando Innamorato (da Berni), lib. 1. cant. 10. st. 18.]