on the Englifh Alphabet. ° 147 
- 
~ 
that they would have fome curiofity about an 
*‘ art fo exceedingly ufeful, by which the bufi- 
‘““'nefs of human life is carried on; by which 
“arts and fciences have been conveyed from man 
“** to man, and from nation to nation, and from 
** the earlieft to the lateft ages; and-without which 
‘* they could not have been inftrudted in the know- 
‘* ledge they value fo much: for ~how elfe could 
‘“* they profit by the moft accurate account of 
** infects, which Reaumur has given in fix volumes 
‘* in quarto, containing the hiftory of flies with two 
‘* wings, and flies with four wings, with a fupple- 
‘* ment to the hiftory of flies with two wings; but- 
‘‘ which he very modeftly intitles not.a_hiftory, 
‘* but only Memoires pour fervir a ['Hiftoire des infeétes.*” 
In 
_* Advertifement prefixed to the third volume of the 
Hiftory of the Origin and progrefs of Language, ‘a 
a Friend, who was prefent at the reading this paper, has 
fince obliged me with the following tranfcript, as ftrongly 
pointing againft thofe who are too confident in their 
inftin@ive knowledge and perfeétion, to imagine, that dif- 
quifitions upon fuch diminutive parts of Grammar can be 
of any importance : 
‘I remember to have met with a paflage in a certain 
* Writer, which is not at all favourable to the Grammarians ; 
Ewot mpog DiroadQes ggi Didar xpoc pev Tos coisas 4 
Yoapmpelicuc ¥ rose yévos Elepoy dvOpdrwy nano eI OvaY, 
gle yov égt Didia, pyle Ucepdy mole yévolio. 
“* My friendfhip I beftow upon philofophers: As to 
‘* Sophifts, little grammarians, and fuch fort of fcoundrels, 
te and 
