122 
fesses todeny. But, as I am aware 
that J have already extended this 
article beyond the length usually 
afforded by the Monthly Magazine to 
subjects of this description, I adjourn 
it to another occasion; and will com- 
municate it in the next Number, if the 
present critique should be deemed 
acceptable from 
An Honorary Member of the 
Squad of Reviewers. 
—e 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
ORE than a year has elapsed 
since a letter from Philo-Saxo- 
nicus appeared in your Magazine. I 
was much interested in his commu- 
nication, as it not only pointed out the 
real advantage of studying the con- 
cise and nervous language of our 
hardy and independent ancestors, but 
assured us that several works were 
preparing, by which the acquisition of 
the Anglo-Saxon would be much faci- 
litated. Only two of these have yet 
appeared: ‘‘the Elements ofthe Saxon 
Grammar,” by the Rev. Mr. Bosworth, 
and a collated edition of the Saxon 
Chronicle, by the Rev. Mr. Ingram. 
Of the latter work, I have at present 
nothing to say, only that, in my opi- 
nion, it is the work of a scholar, and 
does not deserve those supercilious re- 
marks that have been made upon it in 
a contemporary periodical.* Upon 
the latter, however, I would make a 
few observations; and, though I can- 
not, in all points, agree with the learn- 
ed author of the Saxon Elements, [ 
am persuaded he will not be displeased 
with me, as in his preface he has 
stated, in the most candid manner, 
that “he invites liberal criticism, be- 
ing assured that by the collision of 
opposite opinions, new light, if not 
truth, is often elicited; and, should 
this be the case, he will have cause 
to rejoice, whether it be produced by 
himself, or by a more successful en- 
quirer.” After this candid declaration 
who can be severe? 
The indefatigable author modestly 
considers his work as a key to the tem- 
ple. of knowledge and independence, 
erected by the Saxons ; but, for varied 
and extensive information, may it not 
be deemed a shrine of knowledge her- 
self? The text contains a comprehen- 
sive Saxon Grammar ; and the copious 
notes, illustrating the structure of the 
“* The Gentleman’s Magazine for July 
1823, 
On the Anglo-Saxon Language. . 
[Sept. |, 
Saxon, and the formation of the Eng- 
lish, language, display induditable 
traces of laborious research, and a 
critical knowledge of the subject. In- 
deed it appears quite impossible to 
obtain a thorough acquaintance with 
the English tongue without a know- 
ledge of the Saxon. The compositive 
power and philosophical structure of 
the Anglo-Saxon may be seen in the 
few following examples :— 
Ac, an oak, con, corn; acopin, the 
corn of the oak, an acorn. 
Ceap, cattle, business, man, man; 
ceapman, chapman, a dealer. 
Boc, a book, cnept, craft; boc- 
cnet, bookcraft, learning. 
1d, the midst, deel, a part ; middzl, 
the mid-part or middle. 
Biyceop, a bishop, pic, a kingdom ; 
bipceoppic, a bishop’s dominion, or 
bishoprick. 
Cild, a child, hade, sex, order, office ; 
cilohade, childhood. 
Cniht, a knight, hade, sex, order, 
office; cnihthade, knighthood. 
Pneoyt, a priest, rcyne, a shire, 
share ; pneoptyeye, a parish. 
Sang, a song, ep, ene, from pen, a 
man ; yangene, a song-man ora singer , 
as we now say farm, farmer. 
Deel, a part, an, 1an, Zan, to give or 
add; delan, to give a part, to deal or 
divide. All Anglo-Saxon verbs have 
the infinitive mood ending in an, 
which is the termination that is con- 
stantly added to a noun, to express 
the action of the verb. 
Can, care, leary, lost ; canleay, care- 
lost, careless. 
From these examples, we see that 
those terminations which are con- 
tinually used in English, without any 
explanation, can alone be satisfactorily 
explained ‘by examining the Saxon 
fountain from which they flow. 
Many important grammatical re- 
marks are deduced from the analogy 
of other languages. The following 
observations, on the formation of the 
plural number, are very satisfactory : 
—‘Itis probable that the plural of 
all nouns was originally formed by 
annexing to the singular a word which 
signified multitude, &c. This is the 
case in Hebrew; for () (1m) signifies 
a multitude, and is derived from DT 
(em), Wort (eme), or PVT (Emun): 
thus 1-719) or DiT- gémel-emiin 
or -em), a@ camel multitude, became 
1°91) (géméliin), cwmels. We know, 
also, that the Bengalese (a branch of 
the Sanscrit,) forms the plural of gar: 
y 
_ 
