by perfuafion, depending for fuccefs on the folidity, or at least the fpecioufnefs of her arguments; whereas custom hath an unaccountable and irresistible influence over us, an influence which is prior to perfuafion, and independent of it, nay fometimes even in contradiction to it. Of different modes of expreffion, that which comes to be favoured by general practice may be denominated beft, becaufe eftablished; but it cannot always be faid with truth, that it is eftablished because beft. And therefore, though I agree in the general principles maintained by Priestley on this fubject, I do not concur in this fentiment as holding univerfally, that "the "best forms of fpeech will in time establish "themselves by their own fuperior excellence." Time and chance have an influence on all things human, and on nothing more remarkably than on language; infomuch that we often fee that, of various forms, thofe will recommend themselves, and come into general ufe, which, if abstractly confidered, are neither the fimpleft nor the most agreeable to the ear, nor the moft conformable to analogy. And though we cannot fay properly of any expreffion which has the fanction of

Preface to the Rudiments, of English Grammar.

good

good ufe, that it is barbarous, we muft admit that, in other refpects, it may be faulty.

Ir is therefore, I acknowledge, not without meaning, that Swift, in the proposal above quoted*, affirms, that, "there are many grofs im"proprieties, which, though authorised by prac

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tice, ought to be difcarded." Now, in order to difcard them, nothing more is neceffary than to disuse them. And to bring us to difufe them, both the example and the arguments of the critic will have their weight. A very little attention will fatisfy every reasonable perfon of the difference there is between the bare omiffion, or rather the not employing of what is used, and the introduction of what is unufual. The former, provided what you substitute in its ftead be proper, and have the authority of cuftom, can never come under the obfervation, or at least the reprehenfion of a reader; whereas the latter fhocks our ears immediately. Here, therefore, lies one principal province of criticism, to point out the characters of thofe words and idioms which deferve to be disfranchifed, and configned to perpetual oblivion. It is by carefully filing off all roughneffes and inequalities, that lan

§ For ascertaining the English tongue; fee the Letter to the Lord High Treafurer,

guages, like metals, muft be polished. This indeed is an effect of tafte. And hence it happens, that the first rudiments of tafte no fooner appear in any people, than the language begins, as it were of itself, to emerge out of that ftate of rudeness, in which it will ever be found in uncivilifed nations. As they improve in arts and fciences, their speech refines; it not only becomes richer and more comprehenfive, but acquires greater precifion, perfpicuity, and harmony. This effect tafte infenfibly produces among the people long before the language becomes the object of their attention. But when criticism hath called forth their attention to this object, there is a probability that the effect will be accelerated.

Ir is, however, no lefs certain, on the other hand, that in the declenfion of taste and feience, language will unavoidably degenerate, and though the critical art may retard a little, it will never be able to prevent this degeneracy. I fhall therefore fubjoin a few remarks under the form of canons, in relation to thofe words or expreffions, which may be thought to merit degradation from the rank they have hitherto maintained, fubmitting these remarks entirely, as every thing of the kind must be fubmitted, to the final determination of the impartial public.

Canon

Canon the fixth.

THE firft canon on this fubject is, All words and phrases which are remarkably harsh and unharmonious, and not abfolutely neceffary, may justly be judged worthy of this fate.

I CALL a word or phrafe abfolutely neceffary, when we have no fynonymous words, in the event of a difmiffion, to fupply its place, or no way of conveying properly the fame idea without the aid of circumlocution. The rule, with this limitation, will, I believe, be generally affented to. The only difficulty is, to fix the criteria by which we may difcriminate the obnoxious words from all others.

Ir may well be reckoned that we have lighted on one criterion, when we have found a decompound or term composed of words already compounded, whereof the feveral parts are not eafily, and there-fore not clofely united. Such are the words barefaced-nefs, fhame-faced-nefs, un-fuccefs-ful-nefs, difintereft-ed-nefs, wrong-headed-nefs, tender-heartednefs. They are fo heavy and drawling, and withal fo ill compacted, that they have not more vivacity than a periphrafis, to compenfate for the defect of harmony.

ANOTHER criterion is, when a word is fa formed and accented as to render it of difficult utterance to the speaker, and confequently difagreeable in found to the hearer. This happens in two cases; first, when the fyllables which immediately follow the accented fyllable, are fo crowded with confonants, as of neceffity to retard the pronunciation. The words questionless, chroniclers, convénticlers, concupifcence, remembrancer, are examples of this. The accent in all thefe is on the antepenultimate, for which reafon the two laft fyllables ought to be pronounced quick; a thing fcarcely practicable, on account of the number of confonants which occur in thefe fyllables, The attempt to quicken the pronunciation, though familiar to Englishmen, exhibits to ftrangers the appearance of awkward hurry, inftead of that eafy fluency to be found in those words wherein the unaccented fyllables are naturally fhort. Such are levity, vánity, avidity, all accented in like manner on the antepenultimate. The second cafe in which a fimilar diffonance is found, is when too many fyllables follow the accented fyllable. For though these be naturally fhort, their number, if they exceed two, makes a difagreeable pronunciation. Examples of this are the words primarily, cúrforily, fúmmarily, peremptorily,