nition of technical words; which, when their derivation is known, convey their own meaning at sight.

In the Etymological Introduction, a prominent position has been given to the classification of the MUTES. The distribution of the Nine Mutes into three classes and three orders, is a part of grammar usually passed over without adequate attention by the learner, from ignorance of its great value. It is no less than the chief foundation of the comparison of languages, as far as etymological affinities are concerned. The student, who duly appreciates the fundamental principle of the interchangeability of mutes of the same class, will not only perceive many apparent difficulties in Greek formations and inflections disappear, but will find himself in possession of a key to innumerable derivations of words from one language into another. By virtue of this important classification due to the old grammarians - identity is incontrovertibly proved to subsist in respect to words which have scarcely a letter in common. Hence the first care of the student, anxious to trace the etymology of ancient and modern words, should be to make himself master of this analysis of the principal consonants. In the Parsing Lexicon he will find derivations given, and affinities asserted, the authenticity of which he may at first be disposed to question; but, on applying to them the principles governing the mutations of letters, his doubts will generally be cleared up.

The universality of this canon for the interchangeability

of mutes of the same class is demonstrated, in the Introduction, by the exhaustion of all the possible combinations; instances being given of the change of each one of the labials, dentals, and gutturals, into the other two mutes of its class. Among those eighteen combinations or identities will be seen several interesting examples of the disguises which a root may assume, in passing from one language into another, without losing any of the radical properties by which its Protean forms may be compared and identified.

It is, however, to be observed that the etymological relationship which certain English words evidently bear to Greek words of the same signification is not always the relation of offspring to parent. It is often only that of collateral kindred, both words being children of the common progenitor of a family of languages. Thus there can be no rational doubt that the words father, mother, daughter and brother, are the very words Tаτnρ, μήτηρ, θυγάτηρ and φράτηρ, with their form alone altered in accordance with the universal canon observed in such changes. But it is not hence to be concluded that the word father is derived from warnρ, and mother from unτmp; the correct inference being only that they are cognate or akin to one another. Some other remarkable instances of collateral kinship, between words in Greek and English, will be found in the Introduction or dispersed in the Lexicon. And, as such words are the names of notions which were necessarily among the earliest conceived by all the tribes of mankind, the sub

stantial identity of the Greek appellations with the corresponding Teutonic terms, is a striking proof of the common origin of the nations in whose languages such affinities exist.

The number of Greek words deemed entitled to the character of primitives varies with different etymologists; and much ingenious conjecture has been exercised in endeavouring to reduce their number to a minimum. But even were a solution of this philological problem effected, it would not be attended with much advantage; since words that, by the accumulation or complication of additional component notions, have widely diverged in signification from others to which they have a remote affinity, must for practical purposes be considered roots. In our vocabulary, all words prescriptively recognised as primitives have been considered so; but the curious student, as he advances in knowledge, will doubtless make some reduction in their number.

Many of the primitives occur in the New Testament only in composition. In such cases the root is of course found, in the extracts, only in a compound form; but, in the Lexicon, the root appears as well as the compound. Many more are to be found in both the simple and the compound form; but, whenever the word occurs in its uncompounded form in any part of the Testament, it appears in that form among the extracts; in order to its being brought more conspicuously before the learner than it would be, if presented to him in the disguise of a compound word. Had it not been for this considerab

tion, the extent of the extracts might have been still further restricted, by the exclusion of verses which have been added to the selection solely for the purpose of introducing, in their simple form, words which are involved in compounds in other parts of the extracts. The benefit of this arrangement outweighs any which might arise from more closely abridging the quantity of text; which should be extensive enough to afford to the reader the advantage of frequently meeting the most common expressions, and of thus becoming habituated to the general formulæ of Greek style.

Besides the advantages of becoming acquainted with ALL THE WORDS AND ALL THE STYLES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, and with THE CONNECTION OF THe Greek WITH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, this book is submitted as affording an easy method by which a knowledge of the Greek Testament may be revived and kept up. The student's attention is concentrated on the difficulties; and these are placed before him in a compact form, with sufficient explanation to enable him to conquer them. To an adult, especially, who has but partially forgotten his Greek Testament, this collection offers a concise manual, the perusal of which will speedily recall his lost power of examining the sacred writings in the original; and the numerous and increasing classes of persons who desire not to remain in ignorance of the original of the Greek Testament, while they are willing to content themselves with as much Greek as will enable them to consult that volume with

discrimination and advantage, are here furnished, in the most compendious form, with an instrument, which, accompanied by any Greek grammar, will enable them speedily to accomplish that most desirable object.

It must not, however, be dissembled that the mere beginner, in order to derive from these extracts the power which the diligent use of them will infallibly confer-of reading the whole Greek Testament without difficulty, must study them minutely and thoroughly. Particularly he must be capable, 1. of referring every word to its theme or root; 2. of parsing every inflected form, by tracing the successive steps of its inflection up to the uninflected form; and, 3. of shewing what rule is violated in irregular formations. The student who can do this may be assured, that he has laid a solid foundation for his subsequent Greek reading; since the GREEK TESTAMENT ROOTS comprise the great majority of the important primitives of the whole language. Such as are not found among them either immediately or involved in compounds, are generally words of unfrequent occurrence. Having established this basis, he will read profane authors with comparatively little discouragement. He cannot, however, expect more from this preparation than a general or fundamental knowledge of Greek; since he would deceive himself if he did not calculate on encountering in the Classics difficulties peculiar to themselves, which will bend before no other power than vigorous and long-continued application.