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denominations and igniiies ant terms are 
feldom wanted to exprefs thofe ideas of 
which we have ourfelves a clear percep- 
tion. and to clack with all their energy, 
thofe thoughts whi ich we have judicioufly a 
arranged. “A language is intended for 
univerfal ufe ; and it doubtlefs originates 
from a tacit confent, or general habit, 
that particular articulate founds fhould 
fignify fome particular and determinate 
ebjeéts. It -is a common benefit ; the 
exclufive prerogative of none: and ib 
true fignification of every term, is tha 
which it receives in its general, not ae 
ticular, acceptation, Corre€inefs of ian- 
guage, if language tprings from fuch a 
fource, if its end is univerfal advantage, 
muft confit in the adoption of words and 
terms, according to the meaning which 
‘eommon fenfe has fuggeited, and cuf- 
tom fanctioned, and not in violating 
“ che forms of common fpeech,”’ to fup- 
port fome particular hy Soe or fome 
ingenious criticifm. “The increafe. of 
knowledge, and the 1 improvement of arts 
and {ciences, muft demand fome new 
articulate founds to convey the ideas of 
mnventions which are not become. fa- 
miliar : about thefe. let verbal critics. 
wrangle; but let them not moleft the 
ee to which a determinate fenfe is 
already affixed. Let'us in the eighteenth 
€2ut 
not by verbal contention; the former may 
be more laborious, but it is the moft uferul. 
Whilit the ingenious Sinboron is pre- 
paring the Introduétion to his Effay ; 
whilft he 1s briefly recapituiating the 
coimmon-place remarks oo every terib- 
bler, fo flattering to the literary pride of 
filken coxcembs, I belion ci it is not pre- 
sumptuous to fay, that his advocates will 
be almoit as numerous as his readers. 
Few are the people who do not think it 
eafy to detect fome .‘‘.coiloguial ee 
rifims, licenti ous idioms, and irregular 
combinati ions ” and 1 themielve 
g 
595 
? 
communicating to the public “ay lou 
eolleétion of eri cael om part: ticular terms 
and phrates in common ufe:’”’ but that 
his friends will continve fo numerous, 
when they have examined the fpecimen 
he has given ef his intended criticitms, 
i will oe ‘venture to fay. 
This fpecimen he beg gins with a juft 
’ fatemment of the purpof ‘es for which,com- 
paratives were for merly adopted, and are 
now continued.. “Phe generality ef man- 
kind are limited in their knowledge of 
men and things; they derive the great- 
er part of their improvement from com- 
paring the ideas withed to be conveyed, 
On ihe Englifh Language. 
tury learn to philotophize by reason, - 
to thofe objeéts with which they are moft, 
intimately acquainted. No perion would, 
therefore, deem it proper eztirely to ex 
clude comparatives from our adje€tives, 
and reduce grammar to a pledfing fimpli=, 
cily, by retaining only the pofitive de-, 
gree; yet what can be the fair conciu-). 
fion adduced from this paflage: ** There: 
are many adjettin es from which, I think, ; 
comparatives ought to be exciuded ; 
thofe, I think, are the wards expreflive, 
of fome determinate and precife quality?” 
Is it not a neceflary conlequence, that 
degrees of com parifen muik be totally aa- 
nihilated ? That we muft be deprived of 
the moft common mode of communicat- 
ing inftruction and acquiring knowledge ? 
for there is no adjeétive which does not ex- 
prefs fome determinate and precife quality, 
and affix an attribute to whatever object 
it is applied. Good, great, and induf- 
trious; bad, fmall, and lazy (terms which 
chance prefents) may, if /irét/y confider- 
ed, be thought to exclude the ufe of coms. 
paratives as well as ignorant, perfect, and 
happy, and to convey the highelt degree 
of their refpective attributes; yet fuch 
are not their popular meanings; and the 
perfon who might: call Sinboron /asy, 
would not think “himfelf guilry of an im- 
Heras of Apeech, in declaring Antie 
‘inboron more /az 
Tam ready to Allows that terms, how- 
ever auchorifed by general acceptation, 
ought not to be taken-for ¢himgs; and 
that, until we have a clear idea of the 
things themfelves, words are mere empty 
founds. To the mind which exercifes 
ics faculty cf thinking, thote ideas mudt 
occur, to which cuftom has affixed a de- 
terminate found; and why fhould not 
fuch mind adopt the found to which . 
its conception has already been affixed } 
Should we not think aman foolilh, who 
vould align the found of bad to that 
/ conception of the mind to which the 
world has affixed the articulation ef good ? 
Yet your learned correfpondent has, I 
think unreatonably, differed from the ge- 
nerality of people in this refpeét, and 
has refolved to apply periect, happy, and 
ignorant, to thole ideas which have al- 
ways been expreffed by the prefixion of 
« mof.’? -The ideas which he thinks 
thefe terms ought to convey, are mot the 
fame for which common fenfe has ufed 
them. Iieeno reafon for y iolating « the 
common forms of eee as we fhall 
waat fome new articulate founds for thofe 
conceptions of the mind which they at 
prefent ferve to explain. No doubt, Sin- 
boron has provided the. fubftitates; and 
W 
[ Dec. 
audi 

