1822.] 
now call anomalics were with the 
Saxons, in the earliest times, perfectly 
regular. They had— 
Bez | bet-en, or ee | bet-epza, or eps 
Well} —_ better, best. 
Most of the irregularities in the Eng- 
lish, would be satisfactorily explained 
by referring to theAnglo-Saxon original. 
Those who wish to pursue this en- 
guiry, and to know the real use of 
Anglo-Saxon literature, are referred to 
Hi. Tocke’s “‘Egwex wrepoevsa,” to Mr. 
S. Turner’s valuable History of the 
Anglo-Saxons, and Mr. Ingram’s Lee- 
ture on “the Utility of Anglo-Saxon 
Literature.” 
In answer to J.’s question, it may be 
observed, that the best Anglo-Saxon 
Grammar is Hicke’s 'Thesaurus, 3 vols. 
fol. which sells from ten to eighteen gui- 
neas; and the best Dictionary is Lye’s, 
2 vols. folio, from six to nine guineas: 
Gibson’s Saxon Chronicle, from one to 
three guineas ; or Thwaites’ Hepta- 
tench, from twenty to thirty shillings, 
might serve for reading. 
If the student cannot well afford 
these books, he may procure Thwaites’ 
Saxon Grammar. ‘Though compiled 
by Mr. Thwaites, his name does not 
appear. .in the title, which runs— 
“-Grammatica Anglo-Saxonica ex 
Hickesiano linguarum_ Septentrion. 
Thes, Excerpta, Oxonia, 1711.” It is 
only forty-eight pages, in 8vo. but con- 
tains all that is absolutely necessary in 
a Grammar; it sclls at from fourteen to 
twenty-four shillings. Somner’s Saxon 
Dictionary, 1 vol. folio, from five to 
seven guineas, is very valuable, as 
containing many English derivatives ; 
or Benson’s Vocabulary, from twenty 
to thirty shillings, might answer the 
purpose. 
The preceding are all in Latin; 
should the student be ignorant of that 
language, he may procure Mrs. Elstob’s 
“ Rudiments of the English-Saxon 
Grammar,” from ten to twenty sbil- 
lings, and read with it the Saxon ex- 
tracts, interlined with English, in 
Henshall’s “Saxon and English Lan- 
guages illustrative of each other,” from 
five to seven shillings. 
There is, however, no proper and 
easy introduction to the language ; but, 
as Saxon literature has becn revived 
by the unwearied exertions of Mr, 
Turner, the learned historian, we may 
soon expect some introductory works 
on the Jangnage, In the Gentleman’s 
megane for September or October, 
ONTHLY Maa, No. 367, ; 
On the Saxon Language. 
813 
I saw a prospectus of a Saxon Gram- 
mar in English, by the Rev. J. Bos- 
worth, vicar of Little Horwood, Bucks, 
This work is to have a praxis on the 
language, and critical notes from 
Tooke, Turner, &c. on the formation 
of the Saxon and English Languages, 
It appears also, from the prospectus, 
that the same gentleman is preparing a 
Saxon and English Dictionary. The 
Rey.J.Ingram, rectorof'Grey’s, Henley- 
on-Thames, and author of “Lectures on 
the Utility of Anglo-Saxon Literature,” 
has announced an English translation 
of the Saxon Chronicle. ‘The publica- 
tion of these works is expected every 
month. I am also informed that the 
Rev. J. J. Conybear, of Bath Easton, 
near Bath, has in the press Anglo- 
Saxon Poems; and T. W. Kaye, esq. 
barrister-at-law, Middle Temple, is 
also preparing an English translation 
of the Anglo-Saxon Laws. These 
works, being in English, will very much 
facilitate the acquisition of the Saxon 
language, as it has so great a similarity 
to the English, while it has scarcely 
any resemblance to the Latin language, 
through the medium of which it has 
hitherto been acquired. 
PHILO-SAXONIcUS, 
—a— 
NEWS FROM PARNASSUS. 
NO. XVII. 
SPECIMENS of the AMERICAN POETS. 
pe E poetical attempts of the Ame- 
ricans have hitherto been known 
to us only by their failure, and by the 
severity with which our critics have 
attacked them, and, it must be allowed, 
not without reason, whenever they 
found a sufficient opportunity.. Under 
all this weight of discouragement, that 
great nation has been as active in im- 
proving her talents and refining her 
taste, as im advancing her political 
prosperity ; and she may now boast of 
possessing bards, whom she may pre- 
sent with pride and confidence to their 
rivals on this side the Atlantic. We 
are enabled to take a general view of 
their merits by the publication of an 
interesting volume, which has just 
issued from the press, under the title 
of “ Specimens of the American Poets.” 
From a work of this nature, comprising, 
as it must do, only the most select por- 
tions of different authors, we cannot, it 
is true, decide upon the mass of na- 
tional literature from which it has been 
drawn; We are presented with beauties 
which have, perhaps, been laboriously 
2h sought 
