136 



orations, addrefled to the reprefentatives of diftant fovereigns and ftates 

 perifti as originals with the breath that gives them utterance, to live 

 in inadequate tranflation. The familiar ufe of letters firft fixes founds, 

 by introducing the eloquence of the pen : how then can I exhibit ex- 

 amples of Indian fpeech ? I can form fome opinion of the elements of 

 which this favourite language is compofed, for I have collefted fome 

 thoufands of their words ; but I know the diiBcuIties of their dialefts, 

 and the peculiarity of their idiom too well, to exhibit any thing of my 

 own as a fpedmen. Indeed the attainment of any degree of accuracy 

 or facility much lefs eloquence, in marflialling the words of an unwrit- 

 ten language, mufl: be a work of induftry long applied, joined to a pe- 

 culiar talent for the acquifition of languages. I know enough of the 

 general psinciples of this language, to fay that it is artificial, governed 

 by eftabliflied rules and analogies, ambitious of elegancies, and admitting 

 them. It derives naturally, it compounds forcibly, it forms diminu- 

 tives, and pofleffes the power of verbalizing not only nouns and ad- 

 verbs, but even fentences, by the addition of one or two letters. Mif- 

 fi-niiffi, every ivhere, mijji-mijfite, he is every where ; ka-mijji-viifite, that 

 •which is every -where, (the being which fills all fpace.') In the laft of 

 which combinations, it is obvious that the ka occupies the place of the 

 to of the Greeks. I have feveral examples of their verbs, which are 

 regularly inflefted by prefixed fyllables and varied terminations, without 

 the aid of auxiliaries. Baron La Hontan has given one example in his 

 travels, not complete in all the modes, but the only one I have feen 

 in print. He has alfo given a fliort vocabulary of words, well feleft- 

 cd, molt of which are flill in ufe, though his book was printed much 



above 



tirft fyllable, the power i;f echo fecms to be exemplified. AW 13, pe-pezigoganzl, pe- 

 xigoganzi is one of the names for a horfe. Pe-pezigi/ganzi, the firit fyllable re- 

 peated, (ignifies a horfe in aftion ; and by the very found feems to indicate his movements. 

 To thefe very imperfefl remarks I Ihall only here add, that this language has a dual 

 voice, and two ftyles or modes of fpeech ; one vulgar, ufcd in ordinary difcourfe, 

 the other ufed in 'council, and fokmn narration, each diflinguillied by its particular 

 ■.vords and phrafes. 



