l']^t- grammatical disquisitions. 243 



from their derivatives, by certain inflections and 

 particular combinations, it will be very apparent 

 that an attempt to convey, precisely, similar sensa- 

 tions, in a different language, must be altogether im- 

 pofsible ; and, as it is these delicate submeanings, 

 which excite the ecstatic pleasure that a feeling mind 

 alone can know, and which constitutes the efsence 

 of what is called a fine taste ; we hence perceive the 

 reason why it has ever been deemed impofsible to 

 convey a just idea of the beauties of a poem into 

 another language. Though in mere philosophical 

 enquiries it is a much lefs difficult tafk. 



To return to nouns. The bulk of grammarians 

 have afserted that nouns admit of a threefold varia- 

 tion, viz. that which respects ist. number, 2d. gen- 

 der, and 3d. CASE. The propriety of this distinc- 

 tion may be disputed. 



By a variation of the noun, these grammarians 

 mean a change of the word itself that constitutes the 

 name of any object, by an addition or change of some 

 letters. 



The distinction respecting number, is natural, and 

 probably may be found more or lefs complete in all 

 languages. There are few objects in nature that 

 are single of their kind. In most cases there are 

 great numbers of the same clafs of objects ; but as 

 one or more of them may be the object of discufsion, 

 a variation of the name has been in general adopted 

 to denote p/uralitj>. Thus, a'/;/^ denotes one object ; 

 Kings, denote any number of the same objects more 

 than one. In the same manner prince, princes, -man, 

 men, and so on. Every language we know of has 



