LANGUAGE. 183 
and Latin languages will, we think, quickly be convinced 
that their charaCteriftic features are extremely different. 
The genius of the former feems eafy and natural; whereas 
that of the latter, notwithllanding the united efforts of 
poets, orators, and philofophers, itill bears the marks of 
violence and reftraint. Hence it appears that the Latin 
tongue was preifed into the fervice, and compelled almoft 
againll its will to bend to the laws of the Grecian model. 
Take a fentence of Hebrew, Chaldean, Arabian, See. and 
try to trailflate it into Greek without regarding the ar- 
rangement of the words, and you will find it no difficult 
attempt; but make the fame trial with refpeCt to the La¬ 
tin, and you will probably find the labour attended with 
confiderable difficulty. To tranflate Greek into Engliffi 
is no laborious tafk ; the texture of the two languages is 
fo congenial, that the words and phrafes, and even the 
idiomatic expreffions, naturally Aide into each other. 
With the Latin the cafe is quite otherwife ; and, before 
elegant Englifh can be produced, we mult deviate confi- 
derably from the original. Should weattempt to tranflate 
a piece of Englifh into Greek, and at the lame time into 
Latin, the tranflation of the former would be attended 
with much lefs difficulty than that of the latter, fuppofing 
the tranflator equally ikilled in both languages. 
This incongruity feems to fpring from the following 
caufes. The Romans, a people of fierce and warlike dif- 
polition, for many ages during the infancy of their re¬ 
public, more intent on purfuing conquells and military 
glory than in making improvements on literature or the 
fine arts, bel'towed little attention to their language. Of 
a nature lefs focial or more phlegmatic than the Greeks, 
they gave themfelves no trouble about rendering their 
language fit for converfation ; and it remained ftrong and 
nervous, but, like their ideas, was limited and confined. 
More difpofed to command refpeCt by the power of their 
arms than by the force of perfuafion, they defpifed the 
more effeminate powers of fpeech; fo that, before the Pu¬ 
nic wars, their language was perhaps more referved and 
uncourtly than any other at that time known. But, after 
their rival Carthage was deftroyed, and they had no longer 
that powerful curb upon their ambition ; when riches 
flowed in upon them by the multiplicity of their con- 
quefts; luxury began to prevail, the ftern aufterity of their 
manners to relax, and felfifh ambition to take place of that 
difintereffed love for their country fo eminently confpicu- 
ous among all orders of men before that period. Popu¬ 
larity began then to be courted ; ambitious men, finding 
themfelves not polfeffed of that merit w'hich enfured them 
fuccefs with the virtuous fenate, amufed the mob with 
artful ahd feditious harangues ; and by making them be¬ 
lieve that they were pofiefled of all power, and had their 
facred rights encroached upon by the fenate, led them 
about at their pleafure, and got themfelves exalted to ho¬ 
nours and riches by thefe inlidious arts. It was then the 
Romans firft began to perceive the ufe to which a com¬ 
mand of language could be put. Ambitious men then 
ftudied it with care, to be able to accomplifli their ends ; 
while the more virtuous were obliged to acquire a ikill in 
it, that they might be able to repel the attacks of their 
adverfaries. Thus it happened, that in a fhort time that 
people, from having entirely neglected, began to ftudy 
their language with the greateft affiduity; and, as Greece 
happened to be fubjeCted to the Roman yoke about that 
time, and a friendly intercourfe was eftablifhed between 
thefe two countries, this greatly confpired to nourifh in 
the minds of the Romans a tafte for that art of which they 
had lately become fo much enamoured. Greece had long- 
before this period been corrupted by luxury ; their tafte 
for the fine arts had degenerated into unneceflary refine¬ 
ment j and all their patriotifm confifted in popular ha¬ 
rangues and unmeaning declamation. Oratory was then ftu¬ 
died as a refined art ; and all the fubtleties of it were taught 
by rule. But, while they were idly trying who fhould be 
the lord of their own people, the nerves of government 
were relaxed, aad they became an eafy prey to every in¬ 
vading power. In this fituation they became the fubjeBs , 
under the title of the allies, of Rome, and introduced 
among them the fame tafte for haranguing which prevailed 
among themfelves. Well acquainted as they were with 
the powers of their own language, they fet themfelves with 
unwearied affiduity to polifh and improve that of their 
new malters ; but, with all their affiduity and pains, they 
never were able to make it arrive at that perfection which 
their own language had acquired ; and in the Augultan 
age, when it had reached the fummit of its glory, Cicero 
bitterly complains of its want of copioulnefs in many par¬ 
ticulars. Harris's Hermes. 
But, as it was the defire of all who ftudied this lan¬ 
guage with care, to make it capable of that ftately dig¬ 
nity and pomp neceflary for public harangues, they fol¬ 
lowed the genius of the language in this particular; fo 
that, while it acquired more copioulnefs, more harmony, 
and precifion, it remained ft iff and inflexible for conver¬ 
fation : nor could the minute difiinCtion of nice gramma¬ 
tical rules be ever brought down to the apprehenfion of 
the vulgar; whence the language fpoken among the lower 
clafs of people remained rude and unpolilhed even to the 
end of the monarchy. The Huns who overran Italy, in¬ 
capable of acquiring any knowledge of fuch a difficult and 
abftrufe language, never adopted it; and the native inha¬ 
bitants, being made acquainted with a language more na¬ 
tural and eaiily acquired, quickly adopted that idiom of 
fpeech introduced by their conquerors, although they ftill 
retained many of thole words which the confined nature 
of the barbarian language made neceflary to allow them 
to exprefs their ideas. And thus it was that the language 
of Rome, that proud miftrefs of the world, from an origi¬ 
nal defeCt in its formation, although it had been carried 
to a perfection in other refpects far fuperior to any north¬ 
ern language at that time, eafilv gave way to them, and 
in a few ages the knowledge of it was loft among man¬ 
kind; while, on the contrary, the more eafy nature of the 
Greek language has ftill been able to keep fome flight 
footing in the world, although the nations in which it has 
been lpoken have been fubjeCted to the yoke of foreign 
dominion for upwards of two thoufand years, and their 
country has been twice ravaged by barbarous nations, and 
more cruelly deprefled than ever the Romans were. 
The Latin language is ftately and folemn ; it does not 
charm the ear, fo as to make it liften with delighted atten¬ 
tion. To one acquainted with the language indeed, the- 
nervous boldnefs of the thoughts, the harmonious round¬ 
ing of the periods, the full folemn fwelling of the founds, 
fo diftinguifhable in the moft eminent writers in that lan¬ 
guage which, have been preferved to us, all confpire to 
make it pleafant and agreeable. In thefe admired works 
we meet with all its beauties, without perceiving any of 
its defects; and we naturally admire, as perfect, a language 
which is capable of producing fuch excellent works. Yet, 
with all thefe feemitig excellencies, this language is lefs 
copious, and more limited in its ftyle of compofition, than 
many modern languages; far lefs capable of precifion and 
accuracy than almoft any of them; and infinitely behind 
them all in point of eafinefs in converfation. But thefe 
points have been fo fully proved already, as to require no 
furtherilluftration. Of the competitions in that language 
which have been preferved to us, the Orations of Cicero 
are beft adapted to the genius of the language, and we 
there fee it in its utmoft perfection. In the Philofophical 
Works of that great author we perceive fome of its de- 
feds ; and it requires all the powers of that great man to 
render his Epiltles agreeable, as thefe have the genius of 
the language to ftruggle with. Next to oratory, hifiory. 
agrees with the genius of this language ; and Caefar, in 
his Commentaries, has exhibited the language in its pureft 
elegance, without the aid of pomp or foreign ornament. 
Among the poets, Virgil has beft adapted-his works to his 
language. The flowing harmony and pomp of it is well 
fuited to the epic ftrain, and the correCt delicacy of his 
tafte rendered him perfectly equal to the talk. But Ho- 
‘ race 
