28 HISTORY OF LANGUAGE 



" I am persuaded no constitution was ever before so well calculated as 

 ours foi extensive empire and self-government." 



The linguistic science of the second century will build upon the 

 plateau leveled by the varied toils and experiences of the first. More 

 than ever those who are to read the lessons of human speech will gain 

 their power through intimate sympathetic acquaintance with the 

 historically conceived material of the individual language. But 

 though the wide rangings of the comparative method have for the 

 time abated somewhat of their interest and their yield, it will remain 

 that he who would have largest vision must gain perspective by 

 frequent resort to the extra-mural lookouts. Language is an offprint 

 of human life, and to the student of human speech nothing linguistic 

 can be ever foreign. 



