37© APPENDIX.— On GREEK ANALOGT. 



of the language, as in pointing out its real foundation in the na- 

 tural progrefs of the human intellect, and the gradual formation 

 of the figns of thought. They contented themfelves with mere- 

 ly giving the general outlines, and taking the facts as they found 

 them occur in the actual ftate of the language. Lord Monbod- 

 do, credulous in all things, and anxious to raife our admiration 

 of the Greeks, maintained the ftrange conceit, that the Greek 

 language was entirely a language of art, invented by men of pro- 

 found fcience, who, in order to conftruct it, firft formed certain 

 words as the roots from which the whole was to branch out ; and 

 then, by certain nicely regulated adjuncts of letters or fyllables, 

 fabricated new words themfelves, and enabled others to form 

 them as they were wanted. Hence, faid he, a complete and re- 

 gular fyftem of analogy could not fail to take place, every part 

 of the language being fo exactly adapted by thefe men of fcience 

 to the whole and to every other part. Unfortunately, his Lord- 

 ihip neglected either to inform us where and when thofe fcien- 

 tific architects of the language appeared, or to point out the rules 

 of their procedure in this regular fabrication of words : he went 

 no farther than to ftate the fuppofed primitive radicals they had 

 formed, leaving to future inquirers to find out, as they beft 

 could, their fubfequent ramifications. The ingenious author of 

 the appendix to Dawes' Mifcellanea Critica, appears to have had 

 a jufter idea of the manner in which fuch an inquiry ought to 

 be conducted. In that appendix, he has given a general ftate- 

 ment of the Greek radicals, announcing, at the fame time, a far- 

 ther defign of an entire work, on the origin, progrefs, and con- 

 nection- of ideas, as difcoverable in the formation and ftructure 

 of the Greek tongue. A few fpecimens of this projected analy- 

 fis are likewife fubjoined. This promifed work, it is to be re- 

 gretted, has not yet appeared. There cannot be a doubt that it 

 will contain many curious and valuable obfervations ; though, 

 from the fpecimens given in the above appendix, I mult own, 



that 



