126 Philosophy of Language. 



The Dutch etymologists were followed by Lord 

 Monboddo, who, in his Origin and Progress of 

 Language, gave some general views of the philoso- 

 phy of grammar. Like Plato and Aristotle, 

 to whose doctrines, especially those of the latter, 

 he looked with the profound veneration of a dis- 

 ciple, he divided language into two parts, Noun 

 and Verb, and endeavoured to bring all the other 

 parts of speech under these general denominations. 

 But while he adopts this division of words, in one 

 part of his work, he retracts it in others, and ad- 

 mits principles wholly inconsistent with the gene-, 

 ral doctrine. So that, though he must be acknow- 

 ledged to have given some learned and ingenious 

 views of language, yet the praise of having formed 

 an original, consistent, and satisfactory system of 

 philosophical grammar must be wholly denied 

 him. 



In 1786 y this perplexing and mysterious sub- 

 ject, which had so long eluded the researches of 

 philosophers, was unfolded by an English philolo- 

 gist of great acuteness and erudition, in a manner 

 which the ablest grammarians have generally and 

 justly praised. In that year was published the ce- 

 lebrated £nEx\ riTEPOENTA, or Diversions of Parley^ 

 by Mr. John Horne Tooke, a work in which, as 

 good judges have asserted, " by a single flash of 



writings of Dr. Eeddoes without discovering marks of a vigorous, origi- 

 nal, and active mind. But are the precipitancy and decision with which 

 he pronounces on some of the most important and difficult questions which 

 occur to the human mind, and the satyrical, contemptuous severity which 

 he indulge; towards some of the greatest benefactors to science, consistent 

 with the cautious and candid spirit of philosophy? 



j As early as 1778, Mr. Tooke, in his letter to Mr. Dunning, laid be- 

 fore the public the substance of the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters 

 •f the Diversions of Purley, printed eight years afterwards. 



k The Greek scholar will immediately perceive, that the first part of 

 this whimsical title signifies winged ivords, and refers to the author's doc- 

 trine of derivation. The second part alludes to the celebrated seat of Pre- 

 sident Buadshaw, at which he amused himself with the composition of 

 the work. 



