in our own minds; so that their being more or 
less perfect in their structure and analogy, con- 
tributes to render the understandings of those who 
use them more or less clear or confused. Hence, 
we are persuaded, that languages have considerable 
influence in forming natural character, though to 
what degree can never be ascertained in any parti- 
cular instance, on account of the number of other 
causes which everywhere co-operate or obstruct. 
The peculiar and original character of that of 
Greece was extreme suppleness and flexibility, 
from which it naturally derives every other excel- 
lence that language can possess; for, by varying its 
termination to express every marked variation of 
time in action, or of mode in existence, it acquired 
at once degrees both of strength and melody, un- 
known to every other; and by the facility with which 
itjoined one word to another it continually increased 
its stock in proportion to its wants, without break- 
ing its harmony, or disturbing its regularity, by 
the adoption of uncouth or uncongenial sounds 
from other idioms. And, as the primitive words 
were struck out warm from the mind to express 
what they were meant to signify, they had in 
every instance a sound adapted to their sense, and 
were, therefore, rather characters of nature than 
signs of convention, not only giving force and 
originality to every sentence, but sustaining, with 
adequate foundation, the rich and complicated 
structure of melody which had been raised upon 
them. 
Cistus psilosepalus may be increased from cut- 
tings of the young wood. Plant in a light soil. 
Don’s Syst. Bot, 1,300. 
