1Q6 MEMOIR OF THE lATE ME. JOHN JUST, OF BURY. 



In order to keep up an intimate acquaintance with the 

 various languages he had acquired, his custom was to read 

 them in rotation, devoting a certain time (it is believed a 

 week) to each ; and he said that by thus taking them in 

 succession, he managed to retain all, and found his mind 

 relieved by the change from one to another. On Sunday he 

 always read the Hebrew Bible. 



These philological studies, as might be expected, were 

 eagerly pursued, with all the avidity and perseverance of 

 his energetic character and ardent temperament. And, widely 

 different from those churlish natures by whose selfish studies 

 the world never profits, Mr. Just's rapidly extending know- 

 ledge of languages, soon began to bear fruit. 



On the 4th April, 1843, he read a paper before this Society 

 entitled "A brief history of certain Anglo-Saxon roots, nearly 

 obsolete in the English language," which was printed in the 

 Transactions, (New Series, vol. vii., p. 39.1.) 



On the 12th November, 1844, Mr. Just read to the Society 

 his " Dissertation on Anglo-Saxon Patronymics," printed in 

 their Transactions, (vol. vii., p. 440.) 



On the 16th April, 1850, he read before this Society a 

 paper (not published) "On the Self-acquirement of languages," 

 which was curious and interesting as an indication of the means 

 for such acquisition which had been so singularly successful 

 in his own study. 



His latest philological essay was contributed to a local 

 society of antiquaries, calling themselves " The Rosicrucians," 

 and was written late in August, and read at their meeting 

 on the 6th September, 1852. It consisted chiefly of brief 

 expositions of the origin and derivations of local names, 

 especially those common within the hundred of Salford. 



But his ^reat labours in philology were connected with the 

 compilation of a Dictionary or Lexicon of English words, and 

 their derivations, with similar words, of similar meaning, in 

 cognate and kindred languages. To this end he was for many 



