146 Notices respecting New Books. 



pable of Dr. Clarke's sort of reasoning, from cause to effect (the 

 priori argument, as it is called), but only from effect to cause 

 (the cpo5^e?v'ori argument). However, religion, which consists 

 in the veneration of the incomprehensible Being, God, that 

 made us, and is more a matter of feehng than of mathematical 

 reasoning, or metaphysical distinction (as made in the schools), 

 is little concerned in the dispute. 



" A word or two on grammar. But as we have had occasion 

 to speak of a philosophical logic, higher than the mere vulgar 

 art of scholastics, so here, in contradistinction to the grammar 

 of the schools, I must be understood to mean Philosophical 

 Grammar. Nor will the reader be surprised to hear it spoken 

 of in a history of university literature, if he recollects, that not 

 only in oin- ancient monasteries, and colleges derived from them, 

 there were regular grammar schools"*"', but that as late as the 

 time of archbishop Parker, students graduated in grammar di- 

 stinct from artsf, as well as in theology, or canon and civil law. 



•" There has been an attempt at Philosophical Grammar, 

 written by one duly related to our Alma Mater, and it is in im- 

 mediate reference to our own language : the attempt has suc- 

 ceeded. The object of the Diversions of Purley (as the book is 

 entitled) is explained by the author himself in a few words : 

 speaking of his abbreviations, or winged words, he says, " I 

 imagine it is in some measure with this vehicle of our thoughts, 

 as with the vehicles of our bodies. Necessity produced both. 

 Abbreviations are the vehicles of language, the Avings of Mer- 

 cury." In contradistinction, therefore, to the eight parts of 

 speech, as taught in our ordinary grammars, Mr. Tooke main- 

 tains, that, strictly and philosophically speaking, there are only 

 two, the noun and verb : the remaining parts of speech he con- 

 siders merely as abbreviations of these. 



" The author of The Diversions of Purley lays claim to the 

 notice of his Alma Mater, by the following singular address, 

 prefixed to his book — " To the University of Cambridge, one of 

 her grateful sons, who always considers acts of voluntary justice 

 towards himself as favours, dedicates this humble offering^." 



" It is true — The Divei-sions of Purley is not a lecture-book, 

 any more tlian many other works already mentioned. Being, 

 however, recommended by a plea of such filial feelings, and 

 heing itself a powerful performance, a characteristic work, it 

 claims a place in a History of Cambridge literature. 



" Wc have thus traced our Alma Mater through her different 

 fctage.s of literary progress ; through her dark or obscure age, her 

 scholastic age, her intermediate, or, as it is called in the Ap- 



* Monusliaa;*, lib. 1. f Acad. Hist. Cant. p. 47. 



t. E.r.» nr;j5ivra, Or The Diversions of PurK y, 2d vol. 1798. 

 ' pendix 



