480 
we might reafonably have expected, that, 
that univerfity would have boafted the 
fame advantages in favour of Celtic that it 
does for the encouragement of Saxon lite- 
rature: on the other hand, the great ce- 
Jebrity which the Poems of Offian have 
obtained, and the contentions to which 
they have given rife, would have induced 
us to expeét, from the Irifh and Scotch, 
fome attention to this neglected branch of 
learning. 
_ The local motives for the encourage- 
ment of this plan, are fufficiently obvious ; 
but there are others which render it of no 
inconfiderable importance to the learned of 
the country at large, and indeed of all 
Europe. Of all the languages of the world, 
the Chinefe, perhaps excepted, the Celtic 
is built upon the moft {cientific bafis, and 
is the leaft corrupted from the purity of its 
origin. In its monofyllabic roois we may 
fuccefsfully trace the foundation of a large 
part of the language of Europe. 
Etymology has long and defervedly been 
reproached as a vague and conjectural {ci- 
ence, founded upon principles, which have 
no other exiftence than in the brains of 
€razy pedants and grammarians. Within 
thefe few years, however, a new zra has 
been formed in the fcience, and the authors 
of the Diverfions of Purley and the Ery- 
mologicon Magnum have thrown confidera- 
able light on its obfcure and intricate 
paths. Mr. Tooke, intent upon the eftab-- 
iithment of a grammatical fact, has been 
content with tracing his words into the 
polyfyliabies of another language, which 
though fufhcient for his purpofe, is no 
more than fetting the world upon the ele- 
phant, without giving the elephant any 
place upon which “itfelf may ftand. Stull 
his work has done the higheft fervice to 
the fcience; fer if he has not pufted it as 
far as he might, he has yet made that part 
of the way over which he has gone, fo 
plain, that every future traveller will find 
a great part of his journey pafied without 
difficulty. The author of the Etymologi- 
con Magnum, hurrying over the interme- 
diate fpace, has gone at once to the foun- 
tain-head, and has given what may be 
called an ultimate analyfis of lanzuage, 
by proving that fimilar groups of letters 
convey fimilar ideas in al! languages. To 
an enquirer of this fort, and furely he is 
the moft philofophical, a language like the 
Celtic is of the utmoft importance, abound- 
ing in monofyllables, it affords a great 
variety of the fimpleit combinations, and 
exprefling complex ideas moft commonly 
by fentences and not by words, it affords 
a land mark in tracing the complex and 
a a Colic Language. 
Pyans Ty 
fuppofed unmeaning terms of the “more 
polithed, though more corrupted, languages 
of the ret of Europe. This may fairly be 
inftanced in the affixes which form the in- : 
flexions of verbs. Thefe have long been 
fufpeéted to be real words, fign.ficant in 
themfelves of the time and aétion they are 
intended to imply, and to have been ufed 
fo feparately or otherwife, and fuch indeed 
they are in the Celtic. Tothe Latin and 
Greek {cholar, a language, if not the 
mother, at leaft the fiiter of thofe tongues, 
from which he has received fo much plea- 
fure, cannot fail to be interefting. Their 
affinity is very great; and many words 
which have been {uppofed.to have migrated 
from the banks of the Tiber, to thofe of 
the Seine, may be proved by their ex- 
iftence in the Welfhand Erfe, to have been 
ufed in Gaul (a Celtic nation) ages before 
the modern French exifted as a language ; 
fo that it is more than probable, that both 
languages received them in defcent froma 
common mother. 
Not, however, to go further into the uti- 
lity of fuch a foundation, which muft be 
fufficiently plain to every one who has con- 
fidered the genius of language, it will be 
enough to obferve, that without fomething 
of this fort be done, the Celtic, it is more 
than probable, will be in a few years en- 
tirely deftroyed. Already has it difap- 
peared from the Weftern corner of our Ifle, 
and every day its ufe becomes lefs and lefs 
frequent in Wales. It is true, that 
the wonderful induftry of one man has 
produced a moft perfect dictionary of the 
latter dialect; but a diftionary alone will 
not prevent the lofs I with to deprecate, and 
I fear the poorneis of the reward will pre- 
vent many fuch exertions of talent and in- 
dufiry. That the thing itfelf is feafible, 
I have no doubt. ‘The great liberality 
with which the ftudy of Oriental literature 
has been encouraged, forbids me to think 
that fo fmall a fum as is neceflary for this 
purpofe can not be raifed. The fub{crip- 
tion lately vaifed for a fmall work on ety- 
mology, and which was itfelf founded up~ 
ona knowledge of the Celtic, would be 
nearly fufhcient fer the prefent purpofe. 
As a private individual, it is not in my 
power to give motion to fuch a plan; but 
fhouid I engage the aitention of perfons 
equally willing, but more able to promote, 
either by fub{cription or royal endowment, 
the caufe of neglected Celtic, I fhal) con- 
fider myfelf as having done fome fervice to 
the literature of my country, which is my 
‘only motive for thus intruding upon your’s 
and your readers’ time. ; 
Marino. 
) 
