396 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
of language we have to look to significance and euphony rather 
than arbitrary usage, as the main causes which determined the 
place of the accent. In compound words it was natural that the 
qualifying or contrasting element should he emphasised, as in the 
proper Scotch pronunciation of Balfour (Coldtown), where the 
accent lies on that element of the word which distinguishes it from 
other Bals or towns. As to euphony, those languages are least 
euphonious which, like English and Gaelic, have a preference for 
the ante-penultimate accent, while those are most euphonious 
which, like Latin, Greek, and Italian, abound in penultimate or 
ultimate accented syllables. In respect of euphony, as well as 
variety, the Greek language was superior to the Latin, in that it 
allowed the accent on any of the three last places, while Latin 
allowed it only on the penult and ante-penult. The attempt to 
make out a special and exceptional case for Greek accents were 
vain. It is perfectly clear from the statements of the ancient 
Greek grammarians, that the Greek acute accent consisted not 
only in the raising of the voice on the syllable, as Professor Munro 
imagines, but in a greater emphasis or stress. The prejudice which 
has so long existed against the use of Greek accents arose partly 
from mere carelessness, partly from a notion that the observance of 
the accent would interfere with the proper quantity of the vowels, 
and destroy the beauty of classical verse. But this notion is alto- 
gether unfounded, as classical verse, originally an inseparable part 
of musical science, was not governed in any respect by the spoken 
accent, but guided entirely by the rhythmical ictus or time-beat. 
Practically, there was no difficulty in reading Greek prose by the 
accent, and Greek poetry by the quantity. In the /re'Aos, or purely 
musical part of the drama, the spoken accent naturally fell away. 
In recitation a sort of compromise probably took place, which is 
perfectly easy of execution. The paper included a history or review 
of the doctrines of learned men and great scholars on the subject of 
Greek accentuation, from Erasmus down to Chandler, Munro, 
Clark, and Geldart. It was astonishing that such confusion and 
beating the air about imaginary difficulties should have so long pre- 
vailed on a matter comparatively so simple ; but there was not the 
slightest doubt that the moment our classical teachers should recur 
to living nature, instead of being governed by dead tradition in this 
