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4 
320 
impoflible in this cafe for the article and 
fubfantive to compofe one werd. And 
here may I be permitted to notice, that 
the parallelifm between the languages al- 
luded to by Mr. Carey and the Greek is 
net fufficiently exact: in them the prepo- 
fition and article are infeparable from each 
other, and therefore mere naturally co- 
alefce. 
fition and article are frequently at a diftance 
from each other, and both of them from 
the governing word. The cafe, too, of 
compound words in the Greek language 
is, I humbly conceive, not exactly the 
fame. The words alluded to by Mr. 
Carey, from the Anthologia, do not come 
under that combining and fyncopating 
power, properly called compofition. 
As the genius of the Greek language, 
and the “authority of all printed books, 
warrant my conclufion, fo alfo do ‘in- 
{criptions on ancient marbles, and M&S. 
Infcriptions are more ancient than ma- 
nufcripts. On fome ancient infcriptions 
the words run into one another. But fuch 
union is not peculiar to the article and 
prepofition, as ‘united with the governing 
word, but applies with equal force to any 
nilatds of a fentence. But in thofe cafes, 
where the other words are diftinét, there 
the article and prepofition are, in like 
manner, difinét from the governing word. 
There is a remarkabie infeription, of 
which Gruter and ‘Gronovius have each 
given copies A learned writer fup- 
pofes it aforgery- It, however, fhews 
what were the opinions of thofe eminent 
mn, fo converfant in monumental in- 
{criptions. In Gronovius’s copy, the 
words run into one another; and of courfe 
the article and prepofition unite with the 
words following it. In Gruter’s copy 
the words are kept diftiny and the arti- 
cle and prepofition are in like manner 
diftin& from the word, to which they re- 
late. And the fame obfervation applies 
to the authentic monumental infcriptions 
of antiquity. 
An obfervation fimilar to this applies to 
ancient MSS. in fome, compofed in what 
they call zacial letters, and infome others, 
the words run into one another, and of 
courfe the article and prepofition are united 
with the words following them. But in 
all other MSS. of which T ever faw f{peci- 
(Vide Moi njaueon’s Laleographia 
Graca) where the other words are not 
united to fuch as foliow, the article and 
prepoiit ion are kept as feparate as the 
other words: 
profe, 
-lT have fpoken thus at large, Sir, not 
Rens 
Fairfax—Shields Lifesboat enquired after 
In the Greek language the prépo- > 
dnd this as well in verse as 
[May rt, 
to give my letter an air of Jearned argu- 
ment, which it does not require, but that 
Mr. Carey may not miftake my meanings 
and the reafons that influenced my judg- 
ment. I {poke neither for nor againft ac- 
cent or quantity, and only againft Nico~ 
demus, as authority, making an incidental 
remark. I have alfo been thus explicit, 
Sir, becaufe I intend not to give you any 
further trouble on this fubjeé&t, but leave 
Mr. Carey to purfue the fubje& as he may 
‘think proper. 
If I miftook Mr. Carey’s meaning in 
any part of his letter, I was mifled by. 
what appeared to me an attempt to pufh 
an argument; in the zeal of difcovery, to 
an undue length; and if Mr.-Carey has 
been oppofing any other opinion than what 
T have thus fully ftated, he may have illuf- 
trated his own bock (which, at the time, 
I had not perufed), yet, in regard to me, 
he has been fighting a fhadow. At all 
events, even on his own queftion, my 
judgment can fubmit only to proper au- 
thorities: I am willing to fit at the feet 
of Gamaliel, but not of Nicodemus. 
Z ET ees 
Geo. Dyer. 
a 7 
Ta the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HE compiler of the Extracts, Gc. in’ 
the Monthly Magazime, p. 44, will 
find a very full and curious account of 
Edward Fairfax, in Bifhop Atterbury’s 
Epittolary iden soect ‘8vO. 17995 
vol. 1. p. 374, &c. 
Feb. 25 180%, 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. - 
SIR, 
AVING been for fome time paft 
employed in endeavouring to de- 
vife a more effectual method than any now 
in ufe for conftruéting a Machine or Boat 
calculated to preferve the lives of unfortu- 
nate fhipwrecked failors, or affording them 
affifiance in diftrefs, without hazard to 
thofe who may venture to expofe them- 
felves for that purpofe; and having read 
feveral accounts of the fuccefs experi- 
enced at Shields, inthe North of England; 
by the ufe of a boat, termed there a Life- 
boat ;—I wifh very much to gain informa, 
tion of the peculiar conftruétion of that: 
boat ; and, from the very extenfive difper- - 
fion of your valuable publication, conceive 
it to be the beft medium through which E 
could apply for that purpofe. If any of 
your readers can fatisfy my curiofity in 
this refpeét, it will be efteemed a particular 
favour by W. : 
Ta 
