that in correctness, propriety, and purity of English ftyle be bath hardly been furpassed, or even equaled, by any of his fucceffors.

It is now about fifty years fince Doflor Swift made a public remonstrance, addressed to the Earl of Oxford, then Lord TreaJurer, of the imperfect State of our Language ; alledging in particular, that in many in

Stances it offended against every part of "Grammar." Swift must be allowed to wwve been a good judge of this matter; to which he was himself very attentive, both in his own writings, and in his remarks upon thofe of his friends: he is one of the most correct, and perhaps the best of our profe writers. Indeed the juftness of this Complaint, as far as I can find, bath never been queftioned; and yet no effectual method hath hitherto been taken to redrefs the grievance, which was the object of it.

But

But let us confider, how, and in what extent, we are to understand this charge brought against the English Language: for the Author feems not to have explained himself with fufficient clearness and precision on this head. Does it mean, that the English Language as it is spoken by the paliteft part of the nation, and as it stands in the writings of our most approved authors, often offends against every part of Grammar? Thus far, I am afraid, the charge is true. Or does it further inply, that our Language is in its nature irregular and capricious; not hitherto Jubject, nor easily reducible, to a Syftem of rules? In this respect, I am perfuaded, the charge is wholly without foundation.

The English Language is perhaps of all the prefent European Languages by much the moft fimple in its form and conftruction. Of all the ancient Languages extant that is the moft fimple, which is undoubtedly the most ancient :

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ancient: but even that Language itself does not equal the English in fimplicity.

The Words of the English Language are perhaps fubject to fewer variations from their original Form, than thofe of any other. Its Subftantives have but one variation of Case: nor have they any diftinction of Gender, befide that which nature bath made. Its Adjectives admit of no change at all, except that which expreffes the degrees of Comparison. All the poffible variations of the original form of the Verb are not above fix or seven; whereas in many Languages they amount to fome hundreds : and almost the whole bufinefs of Modes, Times, and Voices is managed with great cafe by the afiftance of eight or nine commodious little Verbs, called from their use Auxiliaries. The Conftruction of this Language is fo eafy and obvious, that our Grammarians have thought it hardly worth while to give us any thing like a regular and fyftematical Syntax. The English

English Grammar that bath been laft prefented to the public, and by the Perfon best qualified to have given us a perfect one, comprises the whole Syntax in ten lines; for this reafon; " because our Language "bas fo little inflection, that its Con"ftruction neither requires nor admits many "rules." In truth, the eafier any fubject is in its own nature, the harder is it to make it more eafy by explanation; and nothing is commonly more unneceffary, and at the fame time more difficult, than to give a Demonftration in form of a propofition almost felf-evident.

It doth not then proceed from any peculiar irregularity or difficulty of our Language, that the general practice both of Speaking and writing it is chargeable with inaccuracy. It is not the Language, but the practice, that is in fault. The Truth is, Grammar is very much neglected among

us: and it is not the difficulty of the Lan guage, but on the contrary the fimplicity and facility of it, that occafions this neglect. Were the Language less eafy and fimple, we fhould find ourselves under a neceffity of Studying it with more care and attention. But as it is, we take it for granted, that we have a competent knowledge and skill, and are able to acquit curfelves properly, in our own native tongue: a faculty folely acquired by ufe, conducted by habit, and tried by the ear, carries us on without reflexion; we meet with no rubs or difficulties in our way, or we do not perceive them; we find ourselves able to go on without rules, and we do not fo much as fufpect that we stand in need of them.

A Grammatical Study of our own Language makes no part of the ordinary method of inftruction which we pass through in our childhood; and it is very feldom that

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