Chap. IX. ANTIENT iMETAPHYSICS. 157 



tioned. It is the expreffion, by what is called moods^ of the difpofi- 

 tion of the fpeaker, whether he affirms the ihm^Jimply and ab/oltitc' 

 ly, or as dependent upon another thing; which affirmations arc ex- 

 prefl'ed by the indicative cxndfiibjun&ive moods; or whether he com- 

 mands it, which is exprefled by the imperative, or ijjijhei it, which 

 is the exprefhon of the optative. All thefe varieties are fo great, 

 that they make the Greek verb the glory of the grammatical art, 

 and, indeed, 1 think one of the greateft inventions of men. But, 

 after all this is done, there is one thing ftill remaining to be done, 

 and this of fucii importance, that without it all the other things I 

 have mentioned would fignify nothing. What I mean is, that the 

 words muft be fo connedled together in the fentence, as to exprefs 

 what the Ipeaker or the writer means ; for without fuch conne(flion, 

 the words, however fignificant in themfelves, would convey no 

 meaning. And this Lill part of the art, called fyntax, compleats the 

 grammatical art, as far as concerns the meaning of the words in 

 fentcnces. 



Thus, I think, I have proved, that the Greek language is a won- 

 derful work of art, much more wonderful than it is commonly 

 thought to be ; and that one part of it particularly, I mean the verb, 

 is the glory of the grammatical art. But though it be fo veiy great 

 an art, yet after men had been taught to articulate by more than 

 human art, they might learn by their own natural fagacity, though 

 not witliout much pains and trouble, of thole articulate founds to 

 make fpeech and form a language: And this, 1 think, mufl: adually 

 have been the cafe; for as the Creator is fupremely wife, as well as 

 fupreuitly good, he does every thing that is neceflary for the good, 

 of his creatures, hut nothing that is unneceflary or fuperfluous. 



To conclude this fubje£l of language — Whether we confidcr it 

 as revealed from Heaven or as invented by man, or, as I fuppofc, 



partly 



