of every nation, which perplexes or destroys analogy, and produces anomalous formations, which, being once incorporated, can never be afterward dismissed or reformed.

Of this kind are the derivatives length from long, strength from strong, darling from dear, breadth from broad, from dry, drought, and from high, height, which Milton, in zeal for analogy, writes highth: Quid te exempta juvat spinis de pluribus una? to change all would be too much, and to change one is nothing.

This uncertainty is most frequent in the vowels, which are so capriciously pronounced, and so differently modified, by accident or affectation, not only in every province, but in every mouth, that to them, as is well known to etymologists, little regard is to be shewn in the deduction of one language from another.

Such defects are not errours in orthography, but spots of barbarity impressed so deep in the English language, that criticism can never wash them away: these, therefore, must be permitted to remain untouched; but many words have likewise been altered by accident, or depraved by ignorance, as the pronunciation of the vulgar has been weakly followed; and some still continue to be variously written, as authors differ in their care or skill: of these it was proper to enquire the true orthography, which I have always considered as depending on their derivation, and have therefore referred them to their original languages: thus I write enchant, enchantment, enchanter, after the French, and incantation after the Latin; thus entire is chosen rather than

entire, because it passed to es mit from the Latin 7teger, but from the French entier.

Of many words it is dit to say whether ther were immediately received from the Latin de French, since at the time when we had dimii.asi France, we had Latin service

It is, however, my opinion, that the Fran nerally supplied us; for we have few Latin viris among the terms of domestic Kž z French; but my Frene se vay remote from Latin.

Even in words of with the den & E rent, I have been of shiped - sode formity to casto: tis I vita

vi a numberless many sen nå fregi, duŤ and receipt, fancy and pizarım sizemna die derivative varies from the primitira, as may un må ta planation, repent, and mo

Some combinations of inten Lang me power, are used femts visions at der e able reason déis v = DAL Mund sope: fexel, full md many time: vind I hare sometimes insenal tris für de feir them under either firm nay 10

In examining the riggly if my doubdi word, the mode of gelling by wind is bei in the serves of the deionary, babe soudemed as that to which I gre periere se the rally the preference. I breathe examiques t every author his own practice modested that the reader may balas sings and judge fermen us: but this question is not alvage to be sedemns les by reputed or by real kaming wae m

upon greater things, have thought little on sounds and derivations; some, knowing in the ancient tongues, have neglected those in which our words are commonly to be sought. Thus Hammond writes fecibleness for feasibleness, because I suppose he imagined it derived immediately from the Latin ; and some words, such as dependant, dependent; dependance, dependence, vary their final syllable, as one or other language is present to the writer.

In this part of the work, where caprice has long wantoned without control, and vanity sought praise by petty reformation, I have endeavoured to proceed with a scholar's reverence for antiquity, and a grammarian's regard to the genius of our tongue. I have attempted few alterations, and among those few, perhaps the greater part is from the modern to the ancient practice; and I hope I may be allowed to recommend to those, whose thoughts have been perhaps employed too anxiously on verbal singularities, not to disturb, upon narrow views, or for minute propriety, the orthography of their fathers. It has been asserted, that for the law to be known, is of more importance than to be right. Change," says Hooker," is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better." There is in constancy

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and stability a general and lasting advantage, which will always overbalance the slow improvements of gradual correction. Much less ought our written language to comply with the corruptions of oral utterance, or copy that which every variation of time or place makes different from itself, and imitate those changes, which will again be changed, while imitation is employed in observing them.