99 
What has been advanced is, I hope, 
fufficient to fhew that we ought not to be 
deterred by the bugbear etymology, from 
adopting an improved method of {pelling, 
if that can be proved on other accounts 
neceflary. 
Tt would be highly advantageous to 
this’country that a knowledge ot its lan- 
guage fhould be more widely extended ; 
but the difficulties of acquiring this 
knowledge, are univerially allowed to be 
more confiderable in the Englifh than in 
almoft any European language. Leffen 
thefe difficulties, and the ftudy of it will 
become more general. _ 
‘The want of a proper orthography, or 
true picture of fpeech, is one principal 
alificulty, and the caufe of others. Make 
the written language as exact a reprefen- 
tationas poflible of the oral, and this difh- 
culty vanifhes. To effect this, we muft 
~ eitheralter our mode of fpelling, and adapt 
it to our prefent pronunciation: or, we 
mutt learn to fpeak as we now write. 
By the firft, the beft pronunciation will 
be afcertained, and, as far as poflible, fe- 
cured from change; by the fecond, the 
beauty of the language will be deftroyed, 
and fome of its moft harmonious founds 
will be converted into others, barbarous, 
uncouth, and {carcely utterable. This, 
indeed, is already, in fome meatfure, the 
eafe; many of our words being at prefent 
conftantly imifpronounced, in confequence 
of having been fo long mifwritten ; and it 
is to be feared, that the pronunciation 
of others will foon be vitiated, bhecaufe 
men in general think that they are lefs 
likely to be deeeived by learnmg from 
books, than from converfation. 
It is aftonifhing, that in the fpelling of 
eur own language, we are refolved to be 
without a fyfem, though we find the ne- 
ceflity of fyftem in every other branch of 
Jearning. We ule one combination of let- 
ters to exprefs a found in one word, yet 
we have another combination of letters to 
expreis precifely the fame found in ano- 
ther word, for inftance, in force, coar/é, 
fource---red, lead, &c. yet in other words 
we make the /aze letters reprefent differ- 
ent founds, as in Fowve, love, prove---both, 
doth, moth, &c. &e. ad infinitum. Allis 
confufion, all is darknefs and difficulty. 
Yet we are told, we muft not endeavour 
to regulate this confufion, to enlighten 
this darknefs, to overcome this difficulty ! 
Why? Becanfe * it would deffroy all 
etymclocy, which is caufe enough in all 
-conicience for dropping the defien!”” 
V.O. V.fays, ‘ If we are not agreed 
@pon our prenunciation, we cannot alter 
Orthography....O 
a Wr afte Lands. 
our mode of fpelling, if we are agreed, 
there is no need of it.”’. On thé contrary; 
if we are agreed upon our pronunciation, 
we fhould endeavour to preferve that pro- 
nunciation in its prefent purity; if we 
are not agreed, the fixing profunciation 
by an exaét orthography, would be a very 
defirable object, and would tend materi- 
ally to meliorate the language. 
Inftead of endeavouring to amend our 
fpelling, V. O. V. advifes to improve the 
grammar, which he acknowledges is very 
defective; but, I fear, the time agd ta~- 
lents of grammarians will be employed to 
little purpofe in improving that, till the 
moft efiential part, orthography, is fet- 
tled. Grammar depends on this; while 
orthography is confuled, grammar cannot 
be clear. 
The Monthly Magazine is too much 
occupied to allow many pages to any one 
fubjeét; I fear I have already intruded 
too much on them, otherwife it would not 
be difficult to enlarge on the advantages 
that would refult from the adoption of a 
“more clear and judicious mode of fpell- 
ing ; whether this could be more effe@tu- 
ally aecomplifhed by new combinations 
of the letters we at prefent poffefs, or by 
introducing new figns into the alphabet, 
it isnot my bufinefs to determine. Mr. 
Elphinfton, in his very elaborate work, 
has fhewn that much may be effected 
by the letters already im ufe, and his 
method has at leait this recommenda- 
tion, that it is formed upon fyftem. ‘That 
improvement may be made in it I am 
willing toallow; but improvement of any 
kind, 1 defpair of feeing, fince fuch forci- 
ble reafons as the following are reprefented 
as abfolutely conclufive againft it! 
<< What neceflity is there for altering 
eur fpelling? Do we not fufficiently un- 
derffand one another for all the purpofés 
of commen life?’ &c. &ec. 
Fau.6, 1798. 
S.M. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, ; 
AS it is one of the principal objects of 
your valuable Mifcellany, to com- 
municate to your readers agricultural in- 
formation, I imagine that the following 
remarks upon Wajte Lands in Great Bri- 
tain, will prove acceptable, and, perhaps, 
provoke difcuffion upon this important 
fubject. 
We have waftes in England and in 
Scotland---Do they not demand cultiva- 
tion? Are they not capable of it?---Noa 
man can be fe ignorant as to imagine tha 
