PREFACE of the TRANSLATORS. ix. 



The fecond difficulty was, whether fome of thefe 

 compound words fhouid be ulea as adje^ives or zs p ar- 

 ticiples pf^Jjive ', as in fome of them the fignification 

 differs with this difference of their conftrucftion ; thus 

 a thread-jorm flowerftem is one every where of equal 

 thicknels hke a thread, i")Ut a thread-jormed^h^^x^^m 

 would mean one formed of thread ; (o axe Jonn means 

 of the form of an axe, but axc-Jormed v/ould mean 

 formed by an axe ; a threejold gii ment means a tripple 

 garment, but a three-jolded garment would mean 

 thrice folded ; a threejoot rule is one of the length of 

 three feet, but a three-footed ftool is one having three 

 feet. After much deliberation, and by the advice of 

 our ino-enious friends we at length refolved to ufe thefe 

 words, and. a few others adj .^ctively ; becaufe their 

 precife fignification was thus better afcertained, and 

 they became more euphonious from their being 

 lefs loaded with conlonants, and our language affords 

 many inftances of compound words of fimilar conftruc- 

 tion. Thus a grit-done wall, a hair-breadth fcape, a 

 broad-cloth coat, foot-path way, fmall-tooth comb, 

 one-horfe cha'r, tvvo-man beetle, three-f ot rule, 

 four-mile flone, five-card loo, fix-penny loaf, ten- 

 pound weight, twenty-fhiliing bill, fifty-gun (hip; 

 to thefe may be added the words uniform, multiform, 

 two-fold, manifold, blindfold ; and the words com- 

 pounded with like, wife, full, and fome; as ca(lle-like, 

 crofs-wife, fpoonful, burthen fome ; all which are 

 -ufedas adjed:ives either in familiar con verfation, or by 

 refpedable writers. 



By this aptnefs of our language in compounding 

 variety of words, we flatter ourfelves that v/e have 

 been able to exprefs in fome inftances the meaning 

 of our author, as explained and defined by himfelf or 



by 



