48o PHILOLOGICAL INQUIRIES. 



Boheniian, which are the principal branches of the Sclavo- 

 nian, are near relatives : they have a greater affinity with 

 I he Celtic, and ftill more with the Teutonic clafles, than 

 has been luppofed : they are ancient, and of great local 

 extent.* — The Hungarian differs enough from the Scla- 

 vonic, not to be claffed with them : it agrees lefs with the 

 Finnic and Lapponic than is believed, and more with the 

 Teutonic, particularly Swedifh, than has yet been obfer- 

 ved : it has various and old Afiatic relations, with other 

 mixtures ; and is in the whole very interefting.-f- — The 

 languages of the Finnic clafs are very ancient, and fpread 

 over a vaft though not populous country : their relations 

 with the Sclavonic, Teutonic, Celtic, Oriental, Tartaric, 

 &c. are various ; and what proper ftock they may have, 

 is not afcertained.i — Thofe European languages which 



are 



Biitilli perhaps attain the 6th : a few fcraps of die Dards may nevertlielefs be 

 imich older. Want of dates is a great lols in all tliefe northern monuments. 



* The authors of the Linguarum tot'iiis orb'is vocahiilana comparativa, which 

 began by order of the late Ruffian emprefs, affert that the Ruffian language is 

 fpoken throughout this vaft empire, with few exceptions. 1. W. Pohl author 

 of a good Bohemian grammar in German, publifhed 1783, and dedicated to 

 the late emperor Jofeph, fays in tlie preface of it " The Bohemian language, 

 which is improved to greateft perfeflion and purity in Bohemia, prevails not 

 only there, and in the countries incorporated with it, Silefia .ind Moravia, but 

 extends alfo through Hungary, Poland, Sclavonia, Croatia, Dalmatia, Ser- 

 'via, Bofnia, Bulgaria, Moldavia, Ukraine, Mofcow, and little Tartary, Na- 

 tnlia, unto Arnienia and Perfia." Strabo mentions Roxolani, which was no 

 doubt a part of the future Ruflian nation. The Bohemians were refpefta- 

 ble enemies of the Roman empire already in the time of Auguftus : See Veil. 

 Paterculus, lib. ii. c. 8. — The Ruffiian Bible tranflated from the Greek is reput- 

 ed by fome near 800 years old. Of the Polilh a few fpecimens are found in 

 the hiftory of Kadlubec, written in tire tenth century, and fabulous. 



f The Hungarians come from more than three fources, as is generally 

 fuppofed. 



i The greater portion of their materi.als are probably contained in that 

 of Swediih Finland ; a country nearly equal to England and Wales, with a 

 million of people. This language is alio beft known by the tranflation of 

 the bible, the Swedifh laws and other books : both this and the Lapponic 

 have been illuftrated by learned Swedes, among w^iom are bifhop S. Juflenius 

 and Mr. orling, rcfpeftive authors of a Finnic and Lapponic Diftionary. 



