490 - On the Etymology of 
of the kind that had any pretenfions to 
perfection, vol. i. p. 33. (2.) An edi- 
tion of Spenfer’s ‘* Faire Queen,’” with 
numerous notes, replete with learning, 
taite and judgment: and (3.) Obferva- 
tions on Shakefpeare. He left many 
works unfinifhed. : 
Both father and fon. were men as much 
efteemed for their piety, philanthropy, and 
amiable conduét,in private life, as cele- 
- brated for their. genius and erudition. 
it is a fincere pleafure to bear this tef-, 
-amony to fingular learning and merit. 
I am, Sir, your conftant reader, 
jJosuua TovULMin. 
Taunton, Sept. 11, 1799- 
eS 
Fo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Communicated by Dr. BEDDOES. 
h gums 
is you think the following communi- 
{cation may meet the talte of fome of 
your readers, I fhall be obliged to you 
for inferting it in your Magazine. 
Thofe who concur with the author of 
the Diverfions of Purley, refpeéting the 
original meaning of the word more, may be 
led like myfelf to believe the word reckon 
' has a fimilar original meaning. 
Raked hay, is hay put together ina heap; 
hence hay-vick. | 
Reek in German, fignifies any heap. 
“'T6 reckon is put together, to calculate. 
Chaucer writes.—‘* Than cometh ne- 
gligence or retchelefnefs, that recketh of 
nothynge.”” The Parfon’s Tale. 
With the fame meaning are ufed at pre- 
fent in the North, rackiefs and rack.’ 
Vide Grofe’s Glofary. 
‘To wreke, meaning to revenge, feems 
to me the fame word.—Chaucer thus 
ufes it, 
¢¢ Well couth Jove him wicke tho’ 
Of daunger and of pride alfo, 
‘That. Narciffus fometyme him bere, 
He quite him wel his guerdon there.” 
The Romaunt of the Rafe. 
Here love could reckon the daunger and 
the pride of Narciffus—to yuite or repay 
him, as. 2uch.—So in common language, 
@ perfon indebted to another, fays, he is 
come to reckon with him, when he means 
to pay him.—Well would it be for man- 
kind, if revenge were never purfued farther 
than to be even with the injuries received. 
It is, perhaps, vain of me to afk indul- 
gence towards a conjecture on a fubje& fo 
little attended to as this, refpecting the 
meaning of words; the readers indifference 
may fecure to me a quiet poffeflion of any 
error I may commit ; but I fhould rather 
meet a correction of the errer, than add 
the Word Ketek, Oc. | november, 
one more to thofe already heaped on lan-- 
guage ; befides my overthrow muft_prove 
that the great, and the only exemplar of 
all rational inquiry into the nature and 
progrefs of language, was ftudied; I mean 
; the Diverfions of Purley, the only guide 
to a knowledge of the Englith language. 
My conje&ture is, that the word rich, 
comes from the fame fource as reckon. 
Wreck, is ufed in the north to mean 
abundance. Vide Grofe’s Glofary. 
Rich 1 {uppofe the paft participle, and 
that ariked.or a rich man, was once pol- 
fefled of much, land produce; as a mo- 
nied man, now fignifies a man pofleffed of 
much money.—-[ need not adduce proof 
of the fcarcity of coin in former periods, 
compared with its prefent abundance; the 
Hiftory of England abounds with ftriking 
facts of it; from this icarcity of it, it is 
not too much to conclude, that coin was 
unknown im the concerns of mankind, and 
that then the abundance of land produce 
conftituted riches. —1f this be true, it af- 
fords an example of a word which includes 
in its meaning the fame conclufion, whick 
the author of the Wealth of Nations has 
made, viz. that rches or wealth 1s derived 
from the foil. 
Bath, M.D. 
See 
My corre{pondent’s proofs appearto me, . 
cogent ; and if he has not arrived at the 
truth, (which I by no means fay) he has, 
I think, approached it as nearly as invef- 
tigations of this kind admit. It will oc- 
cur, that rich was not founded foft by our 
anceftors; fo that rick and rich were 
founded alike.—In. German, reich means 
vich and realme. In other, northera lan- 
guages, orthography favours the above 
deduétion.—I hope the ingenious author 
will communicate more of his refearches, 
To counteract the labours of thofe lexico- 
graphers, who haye fo continually ¢¢ di- 
vorced the foul of a word from its body,” 
is the bet way I know, to elucidate lan- 
guage. 
4th Ofober, 1799+ T. Beppors. 
P. S. I have not met with reekin German 
for heap. My knowledge of that language, 
however, is not critical. Rechenis to rake 5 
rech-gras, couch-grafs. 1 fuppofe the rece 
in the latter compound fignifies a beap or 
tuft. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, | a 
S a fubfcription edition of all Chat- 
A terton’s remains is about to be pub- 
lifhed fer the benefit of his fitter and niece, 
I beg leave, by means of your Magazine, 
; te 

7 
ae 
i 
