360 
the mast, cried, “ And the king’s son,’ 
what is become of him?” ‘ He has 
not re-appeared,—-nor his brother, nor 
any of their companions.”—“ Woe is 
me!” exclaimed Fitz-Etienne, and he 
dashed again into the waves. This 
December night was miserably cold, 
and the weaker of the two survivors 
lost his strength and courage,—let go 
the mast, and sank to the bottom of the 
sea, recommending his companion to 
heaven. Berauld, the very poorest of 
the company, in his waistcoat of sheep- 
skin,* still supported himself; he alone 
saw the break of day. He was taken 
up by some fishermen, in an almost 
drowned condition. He survived; and 
it is from him that we have the parti- 
culars of this catastrophe. 
The English historians, who relate 
an event so dreadful to their foreign 
masters, seem to have little sympathy 
for the families of the Norman sul- 
ferers: they call their misfortune an 
act of divine vengeance, and delight to 
discover a supernatural hand,+ pre- 
paring the shipwreck in calm weather, 
and on a tranquil sea.{ They recall 
the threats of the young prince, and 
his hatred towards the English. ‘‘ Tho 
proud one thought of his future reign ; 
but God has said, ‘Not so, impious 
one! not so.’§ His brow has been 
adorned by no crown: it has been 
dashed against the rocks of the ocean. 
God would not that the son of the 
Norman should re-visit England.”|| 
They accuse’ this young man, and 
those who accompanied him, of vices 
unknown in England till the arrival of 
the Normans.{ Their invectives and 
accusations are without bounds, — 
though in the midst there is a mingling 
of flattery and obsequiousness,—for 
they trembled while they hated. 
“Thou hast seen, (says one of them, 
in a letter meant to be secret,) thou 
hast seen Robert de Belleme, the man 
to whom murder was the sweetest re- 
creation of his sonl. Thou hast seen 
Henry count of Warwick, and his son 
Roger, of ignoble spirit ;**—thou hast 
seen King Henry, the murderer of so 
* Ord. Vit. 868. 
+ Ger, Con. 1539. 
+ Matt. West. 240. 
§ Non sic, impie, non sic! (Hen. Hunt. 
in Anglia sacreé ii.) 
{| Brompton, 1013. 
¥ Infandum et enorme Normaniorum 
crimen. (Angl. Sae. ii. 1067.) 
** Animam ignobilem. (Hen. Hunt.) 
Dr. Shaw on some Poculiarities of English Nouns. 
[Nov. 14 
many citizens, the violator of his oaths, 
the jailor of his brother, the slave of 
his avarice ; but perhaps thou wilt ask 
why I have praised the said Henry in 
my history, whom [ here so violently 
attack; I have but recorded that he 
was distinguished for prudence, for 
courage, and for his immense wealth. 
Unfortunately, this will not cancel the 
truths which I have just uttered. In 
fine, these kings,—who seem unto us 
like gods, before whom the very stars 
of heaven appear to bow, and whom 
we are compelled to serve by oaths 
aud vows,—have seldom in their king- 
doms a being as wicked as them- 
selves;* for it is said, and it is well 
said, that royalty is a crime.”+ 
— a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
LLOW we to submit to the sern- 
tiny of your correspondents, the 
annexed observations on some .pecu- 
liarities of English nouns. By the 
word noun, I mean the name of an ob- 
ject of thought or sensation. Nouns 
in the English language seem to me to 
possess two peculiarities in reference 
to distinction,—signification, and appli- 
cation or usage. 
Their distinction by signification is 
into SUBSTANTIVES, the names of sub- 
stances, objects recognised by the 
senses ; that prodigious number of be- 
ings, which cover the earth, or are 
hidden in its bosom,—whiech fill the 
waters, and move in the air, the moun- 
tains, rivers, rocks, woods, stars, 
dwellings, fields, fruits, &e. Gebelin ; 
and into INTELLECTIVES, the names of 
subjects, contemplated soiely by the 
mind, unconnected with and devoid 
of effect on the sensitive faculties; as 
of mental emotions, affections, and 
qualities, not regarded with sub- 
stances, — as regard, piety, virtue, 
pleasure, satisfaction, kindness, wis- 
dom, &c. Grammarians have called 
them abstract nouns. Remembering 
that the ancients, Aristotle, Theo- 
dectes, Varro, &c. classed all words 
as nouns and verbs; yet, not being 
able to arrange these words among 
verbs, because of their elliptical em- 
ployment, and convinced that they 
were not (names of substances) sub- 
stantives, the grammarians seem to 
have 
* Nemo in regno eorum par els scele- 
ribus. (Hen. Hunt.) 
+ Regia res scelus est. (Ib.) 
