444, Mr. Pickering om the present state of the English language 
passage—‘* The national Janguage should be sedulously cultivated; 
“ and this is to be accomplished by means of schools. ‘This circum- 
“ stance demands particular attention, for the language of conversation 
““ ig becoming incorrect ; and even in America authors are to be found, 
‘* who make use of mew or obsolete words, which no good writer in 
“this country would employ.” Monthly Rev. May 1808. 
The Edinburgh Review for October 1804 (which is the last I shall 
cite) has the following general observations on this subject :— 
*¢ If the men of birth and education in that other England which 
“ they are building up in the West, will not diligently study the great 
** authors, who purified and fixed the language of our common: forela- 
of our 
“thers, we must soon lose the only badge, that is still worn, 
“ consanguinity.” 
The same Reviewers, in their remarks on Marshall's and Rae 
W: ys - 
vo 
say’s Lives 0 , say— 
“< In these volumes we have found a great many wwordeand phrase 
“which English criticism refuses to acknowledge. _ America bas 
“ thrown off the yoke of the British nation, but she would do well for 
“ some time, to take the laws of composition from the Addisons, we 
‘“* Swifts and the Robertsons of her ancient sovercigns++++ Phes® 
“remarks, however, are not dictated by any paltry feelings of jealousy 
“or pride. We glory in the diffusion of our language over 4 new 
“world, where we hope it is yet destined to collect new triumphs 
* and in the brilliant pesepintive of American greatness, we aol 
“pleasing images of associatec pamepesitp sande giory of the land 
* which we live.” 
_ Such is the strong language of the British literati on this sje 
And shall we at once, without examination, ascribe it wholly to prejil 
dice? Should we not by such a hasty decision expose ourselves 1° 
the like imputation ? On the contrary, should not the opinions of such 
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