Mr. Pickering on the present state of the English language. 531 
Tights are bo¢¢omed upon it, [i. ¢. the Roman Law.”] Brit. Crit. vol. xxi. 
p- 17. 
To Conriacrare. Ex.“ With the exception of conflagrating the Navy-yard.” 
On this and some other words of the same kind an English friend remarks 
—<they are so obviously uncouth and ridiculous, that I think they will do 
little injury, and must be considered as peculiar to the quaintness or igno- 
rance of the single writer that we first observe them in.” I never met with 
the word conflagrate except in this instance. 
Counreracrion. (See Vocad.) Ihave lately met with this word inan En- 
glish review: “ All the eloquence and fire of Demosthenes could not 
rouse the Athenian people to a timely dread or steady counteraction of the 
formidable plans of Philip,” &c. Brit. Crit. vol. i. p. 51. 
Decipeptr. (See Vocab.) 1 have remarked on this word, that I think it is 
used by some English writers. This expression is more guarded than it 
ought to be: the word is unquestionably in common use in all parts of 
Great Britain. See, among other instances, the British Critic, vol. xxi. 
PP- 109, 306, 368, 375, 397, &c. and the Edinburgh Review, vol. i. pp. 
233, 378, 492, ke. 
Decker, Ex, Inadegree ; that is, extremely. An observing friend, who has 
resided i in the Southern States, informs me, that this expression is very 
common in South Carolina; but it is not much, if at all, used by. people 
of education. I have never heard it itin ew England, 
DeEMoRALIzArion. & The destruction of morality.’ Webst. This noun om 
well as the verb demoralize) is sometimes used by American writers. Itis 
also to be found in the writings of some English authors, but it is not ac- 
» ‘nowledged by the critics of Great Britain as a legitimate word. The Ed- 
inburgh Reviewers, in their remarks on the style of a work of Miss H. M. 
Williams, thus speak of it: “ Throughout all these comments we have the 
same contempt of 4ngliciem as in the translation. We have imperturbability 
in, and demoralization.” sancti Rev. vol. iii. 2 2 
has subjoined to the Preface of the second folio edition of his Dictionary, 
under the description of “ Words in some Modern Authors,” which did not 
eccur to him till the Dictionary was entirely printed. It is, however, omit- 
