3o8 DISQUISITIONS on the 



Satisfied of the truth of this fyftem, and perfuaded, that by 

 following it out as far as poflible, the beft foundation will be 

 laid for a jufl inveftigation of the ftrufture of language, it oc- 

 curred to me, that the general principles thence afforded, might 

 be applied with advantage, as a guide for analyfing at leaft one 

 clafs of connedive particles in a language which appears to offer 

 peculiar facility in fuch a refearch. Should this be found to 

 iucceed in one language, it muft facilitate fimilar inveftigatlons 

 ?n others, and every fadl eftablifhed in the progrefs of the inqui- 

 ry, may be regarded as both illuflrating and confirming the ge- 

 neral fyftem. 



The Greek language certainly pofTefFes many advantages for 



fuch an analyfis. It is a language of regular ftrudture ; its roots 



formed within itfelf, in which, confequently, the original fta- 



mina, with their fubfequent ramifications, may, by accurate in- 



vefligation, be fatisfadlorily traced. The clafs of connedlives ia 



this language upon which this experimental inveftigation is pro- 



pofed at prefent to be made, is the Prepofitlon, a clafs of words of 



confiderablc importance in the ftru(fture of every language, at the 



fame time fo clofely connedled with nouns, that their mutual 



relations may be marked with lefs difficulty than is found in 



analyfing fonie of the others. 



Much, 



I wifh not to be underftootl as afferting that the one was borrowed from the other.- 

 Similar ideas may have occurred to both without any communication. The Dutch- 

 etymologifts certainly claim the priority in point of time, but the praife of origi- 

 nality cannot upon that account be denied to either. Dr Beddoes, in a long note 

 appended to his Obfer'vatioiis on the Nature of Demonjirative Evidence, has taken 

 great pains to prove the originality of Horne Tooke. This poiat need not be 

 difputed ; but if it was to be made a fubjeft of controverfy, it was furely unnecef- 

 fary, in difcufling it, to throw out, as the Doctor has done, a number of contemp- 

 tuous, and by no means well-founded farcafms, in dcpretiation of the labours of 

 the Dutch etymologifts, and difparagement of claflical literattire in general. Ob- 

 fervations of that nature are as little adapted to add force to aa argument, as to do 

 credit to the authoi-. 



