dxxx LIFE OF WILSON. 



The principal objections which I have heard urged against 

 the Ornithology, relate to the colouring; but as the difficulties 

 to which its author was subjected, on this score, have been al- 

 ready detailed, I will merely observe, that he found them too 

 great to be surmounted. Hence a generous critic will not impute 

 to him as a fault, what, in truth, ought to be viewed in the light 

 of a misfortune. 



In his specific definitions he is loose and unsystematic. He 

 does not appear to have been convinced of the necessity of pre- 

 cision on this head; his essential and natural characters are not 

 discriminated; and, in some instances, he confounds generic and 

 specific characters, which the laws of methodical science do not 

 authorize. 



There is a peculiarity in his orthography, which it is proper 

 that I should take notice of, for the purpose of explaining his 

 motive for an anomaly, at once inelegant and injudicious. I 

 have his own authority for stating, that he adopted this mode 

 of spelling, at the particular instance of the late Joel Barlow, 

 who vainly hoped to give currency, in his heavy Epic, to an 

 innovation, which greater names than his own had been unable 

 to effect. 



" Some ingenious men," says Johnson, "have endeavoured 

 to deserve well of their country by writing honor and labor for 

 honour and labour, red for read in the preter-tense, sais for 

 says, repete for repeat, explane for explain, or declame for 

 declaim. Of these it may be said, that as they have done no 

 good, they have done little harm; both because they have inno- 

 vated little, and because few have followed them." 



The recommendation* of the learned lexicographer, above 

 cited, ought to be laid to heart by all those whose " vanity seeks 

 praise by petty reformation. " " I hope I may be allowed," says 

 he, " to recommend to those, whose thoughts have been per- 

 haps employed too anxiously on verbal singularities, not to dis- 

 turb upon narrow views, or for minute propriety, the orthogra- 

 phy of their fathers. There is in constancy and stability a gen- 



