ifjgi. on Portugal. 5y 



tj to search the public archives. This Ahade is 



a great friend of H s, I make no doubt but you 



must have seen him at Lifbon. I cannot say hovf 

 equal he may be to the undertaking, but from your 



account of Mr , I think he would make 



more of the matter, with the liberty of a Britiflt 

 pen. 



ACCOUNT 



or THE 



PUPCEEDINGS OF THE SIVEDISH ACADEMT, 

 Instituted for the purpose of perfecting the Swedijh language, 

 It has been often .remarked, that an attention ta 

 language is the surest proof of the progrefs that 

 any state has made in civilization; yet, if wev/erc 

 to adopt this r«le as a criterion, and to judge from 

 the public national institutions only, Britain would 

 seem to be among the most uncivilized nations ia 

 Europe : For, while the sovereigns of other states 

 have instituted academies to purify and reform 

 their respective languages, that of Great Britain 

 has been left without any sort of protection to the 

 .caprice of individuals. This is perhaps a conse- 

 (juence of that spirit of freedom we pofsefs, and 

 may pofsibly be accounted a striking feature of 

 tliat national character we display in such an 

 eminent degree in several other respects. Yet, it 

 is to be regretted, that so few attempts fliould 

 'have been made, to perfect a language whicli pos-' 

 scfses a force and energy, that, with a little attention 

 M\A polilh, might perlinps be made, for all the p.ur- 

 VOL. vii, H tI 



