To succeed in its behalf, would, indeed, be glorious; but the attempt-the labour of which, in this case, has not been small-cannot surely be divested of all merit; and I shall gladly hail the augury of the indulgent reader, if, at the conclusion of this my proeme, he address me in the words of the poet

Μέγας ἀγών· μεγάλα δ ̓ ἐπινοξις ἑλεῖν.

Μακάριος γε μὴν κυρήσας ἔσει·

ΠΟΝΟΣ ΔΕΥΚΛΕΗΣ.

EURIPID. RHES. Act i. v. 195.*

LECTURE THE FIRST;

ON THE

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LANGUAGES.

PART I.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

Relation of these Lectures to the Christian Evidences. -Method to be therein followed.-Results to be anticipated.

ETHNOGRAPHY,

Or comparative study of languages.— HISTORY — First period; Search after the primary language; defects in the object and methods.-Second period; Collection of materials; lists of words, and serieses of Our fathers.— Third period; Attempts at arrangement and classification; Leibnitz, Hervas, Catherine II, and Pallas, Adelung and Vater.-Dangerous appearance of the study at this period, from the apparent multiplication of independent languages.-RESULTS-First; Formation of families, or large groups of languages in close affinity by words and grammatical forms-Exemplification in the Indo-European, Semitic, and Malayan, families.Second; Progressive reduction of supposed independent languages into connexion with the great families; Ossete, Armenian, Celtic.-Review of Sir W. Betham's System; Dr. Prichard.-Recapitulation; Concluding Remarks.

VOL. I.

B