446 Mr. Pickering on the present state of the English language 
ple of the learned.and modest Campbell, who, though he had devoted 
a great part of a long life to the study of the Lnglish language, yet. 
thought it no disgrace to make an apology for his sty/e, in the following 
terms: “Sensible,” says he, “‘ of the disadvantages, in point of style, 
*‘ which my northern situation lays me under, I have availed myself of 
“ every opportunity of better information, in regard to all those terms — 
“* and phrases in the version, [of the Gospels] of which I was doubtful. 
* T feel myself under particular obligations on this account, to one gen- 
“tleman, my valuable friend and colleague, Dr. Beattie, who, though 
“‘ similarly situated with myself, has with greater success studied the ; 
“ genius and idiom of our language ; and of whom it is no more than 
“justice to add, that the acknowiedged purity of his own diction, is 
“ the least of his qualifications as an author. But if, notwithstanding 
“ all the care I have taken, I shall be found, in many places, to need 
. the indulgence of the English reader, it will not much surprise me — 
“ ,,., The apology which Irenzeus, Bishop of Lyons in Gaul, in the 
“ second century, makes for his language, in a book he published i “ 
“ defence of religion, appears to me so candid, so modest, so sensible, 
“at the same time so apposite to my own case, that I cannot avoid 
“ transcribing and adopting it:—‘* Non autem exquires a nobis, qui 
“ apud Celtas commoramur, et in barbarum sermonem plerumque 
“ avocamur, orationis artem quam non didicimus, neque vim cone 
“‘ scriptoris quam non affectavimus, neque ornamentum verborum, ne- 
“que suadelam quam nescimus’.,..”* 
Upon an impartial consideration of the subject, then, it seems im- 
possible to resist the conclusion, that although the language of the U: 
nited States has, perhaps, changed less than might have been expe 
ed, when we consider how many years have elapsed since our ances 
SSSTS Tees es eer TSE ® 
* Campbell’s Four Gospels, preface, p. 28. 
