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Rn gin! Maat) 
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168 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [xvi ‘ 
them hath produced the science of grammar. For man 
still striveth to reintegrate himself in those benedictions, 
from which by his fault he hath been deprived; and as 
he hath striven against the first general curse by the in- 
vention of all other arts, so hath he sought to come forth 
of the second general curse (which was the confusion of 
tongues) by the art of grammar; whereof the use in a 
. mother tongue is small, in a foreign tongue more; but 
most in such foreign tongues as have ceased to be vulgar 
tongues, and are turned only to learned tongues. The 
duty of it is of two natures : the one popular, which is for 
the speedy and perfect attaining languages, as well for 
intercourse of. speech as for understanding of authors; 
the other philosophical, examining the power and nature 
of words, as they are the footsteps and prints of reason: 
which kind of analogy between words and reason is 
handled sparsim, brokenly though not entirely; and there- 
fore I cannot report it deficient, though I think it very 
worthy to be reduced into a science by itself. 
5. Unto grammar also belongeth, as an appendix, the 
consideration of the accidents of words; which are mea- 
sure, sound, and elevation or accent, and the sweetness 
and harshness of them ; whence hath issued some curious 
observations in rhetoric, but chiefly poesy, as we consider 
it, in respect of the verse and not of the argument. 
Wherein though men in learned tongues do tie themselves 
to the ancient measures, yet in modern languages it 
seemeth to me as free to make new measures of verses 
as of dances : for a dance is a measured pace, as a verse 
is a measured speech. In these things the sense is better 
judge than the art; 
Coenz fercula nostre 
Mallem convivis quam placuisse cocis, 
