3 o8 DISQUISITIONS on the 



Satisfied of the truth of this fyftem, and perfuaded, that by 

 following it out as far as pofhble, the beft foundation will be 

 laid for a jufl inveftigation of the ftructure of language, it oc- 

 curred to me, that the general principles thence afforded, might 

 be applied with advantage, as a guide for analyfing at lead one 

 clafs of connective particles in a language which appears to offer 

 peculiar facility in fuch a refearch. Should this be found to 

 fucceed in one language, it muft facilitate fimilar inveftigations 

 in others, and every fact eftablifhed in the progrefs of the inqui- 

 ry, may be regarded as both illuftrating and confirming the ge- 

 neral fyftem. 



The Greek language certainly pofTefTes many advantages for 

 fuch an analyfis. It is a language of regular ftructure ; its roots 

 formed within itfelf, in which, confequently, the original fta- 

 mina, with their fubfequent ramifications, may, by accurate in- 

 veftigation, be fatisfaetorily traced. The clafs of connectives in 

 this language upon which this experimental inveftigation is pro- 

 pofed at prefent to be made, is the Prepq/ition, a clafs of words of 

 considerable importance in the ftructure of every language, at the 

 fame time fo clofely connected with nouns, that their mutual 

 relations may be marked with lefs difficulty than is found in 

 analyfing fome of the others. 



Much, 



I wifh not to be underftcod ag aflerting that the one was borrowed from the other. 

 Similar ideas may have occurred to both without any communication. The Dutch 

 etymologifts certainly claim the priority in point of time, but the pi'aife of origi- 

 nality cannot upon that account be denied to either. Dr Beddoks, in a long note 

 appended to his Obfervations on the Nature of Demonjirative Evidence, has taken 

 great pains to prove the originality of Horne Tooke. This point need not be 

 difputed ; but if it was to be made a fubjecl: of ccntroverfy, it was fnrely unnecef- 

 fary, in difcufling it, to throw out, as the Doclor has done, a number of contemp- 

 tuous, and by no means well-founded farcafms, in depredation of the labours of 

 the Dutch etymologifts, and difparagement of clafhcal literature in general. Ob- 

 fervations of that nature are as little adapted to add force to an argument, as to do 

 credit to the author. 



