ready to vote in its favour. Add to this, that the attachment of many to fingularity, will lead them to adopt almost any new and plaufible opinion, when advanced with confidence. But to the prevalence of fuch ill-grounded notions, we may attribute much of the levity and the fuperficial knowlege, which disgrace some of those ranks among us, who used to be early initiated in the wisdom of the ancients, through the medium of the fine language of antient Athens, as well as antient Rome,

The oppofers of the established modes, and the enemies to Greek, have feldom been folid fcholars; and fome have ventured to fufpect, that they have been guilty of a common practice, that of condemning what they do not understand *.

* Damnant quod non intelligunt. They condemn what they do not understand. QUINTILIAN.

In answer to the contemners of Greek, I will again cite a paffage or two from a truly elegant modern Latin writer. Aiunt Græcam Latinamque linguam jampridem MORTUAS effe. Ego verò eas nunc demùm non tantùm VIVERE et vigere contendo, fed firmâ valetudine uti, poftquam effe in poteftate plebis defiêrunt. Prædicere poffumus, fi homines noftri paulò magis Græcas literas negligere cœperint omnibus bonis artibus certiffimam peftem et perniciem imminere. Hoc fi ifti aut videre per infcitiam non queunt, aut agnofcere propter inveteratum in Graecos odium nolunt; perfiftant fanè in fententiâ fuâ; nobis ignofcant, fi quo in ftudio plurimum operæ pofuimus, ab eo non facilè abducimur ; fed et ejus dignitatem confervare nitimur, et quas ex eo utilitates percepiffe nobis videmur, eas cum aliis communicare conamur.-Neceffe eft

in craffiffimâ rerum ignoratione verfari eos qui PRÆSIDIO INTERPRETUM freti Græcæ ac Latina linguæ ftudia negligunt. They tell us that Greek and Latin are DEAD languages. But I maintain that they are not only LIVING, but that they are in high health now at last, fince they have ceafed to be in the power of the vulgar. -- I may venture to predict, that if our countrymen fhould go on a little longer in the neglect of the Greek, inevitable deftruction awaits all the valuable arts. If they cannot fee this thorough ignorance, or will not acknowledge it through prejudice against the Grecians, truly let them perfift in their opinion; but let them pardon us, if we refufe to relinquish a study to which we have applied, if we endeavour to preferve its dignity, and to communicate thofe advantages to others, which we think ourselves have derived from it. They must be grossly ignorant, who neglect Latin and Greek, relying on the afiftance of tranflators.

MURETUS.

If any are ftill of opinion, that the learning of Greek is too heavy a burthen for those boys who are born to a fortune, and to whom it is not neceffary as a profeffional accomplishment, let them confider, that many ladies have learned Greek for the pleasure of it. Let them recollect the names of Mrs. Carter, Madame Dacier, Lady Jane Grey, and many other living and dead. . . ." I found her," (Lady Jane Grey) fays Afcham," in her chamber, readinge Phædon Platonis in Greeke, and that with as much delite, as fome jentlemen would reade a merie tale in Boccace. . . . I asked her why he would leefe fuch paftime in the parke ?" Smiling, fhe answered me, I wiffe all their sport "in the parke is but a fhadoe to that pleasure that "I find in Plato. Alas! good folke, they never "felt what trewe pleasure ment. . . . My booke "hath beene fo much pleasure, and bringeth daily "to me more pleasure and more, that, in refpect of it, all other pleasures, in very deede, be but trifles and troubles unto me." To the boys or

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men who are afraid to enter on fuch ftudies, we might fay, to fhame them, O verè Phrygiæ, neque enim Phryges! O ye who are truly Trojan ladies, for ye are not men of Troy. One might fay fo, if the Phrygiæ did not often in the prefent age excel the Phryges in learning, as they confeffedly do in virtue.

Erafmus, whofe genius and judgment in all which concerns polite letters are greatly to be refpected, has this paffage in one of his letters: Hoc unum expertus video, nullis in literis nos effe aliquid fine Græcitate. This one thing I fee from experience, that we cannot arrive at eminence in any kind of literature, without an acquaintance with Greek. This opinion will be controverted by many, who have erected themselves into fcholars, philofophers, and theologifts, with a knowledge of no other language than that which they learned from their mothers; and yet it is certain, that even that language cannot be perfectly understood without understand. ing Greek and Latin.

SECTION XIII.

ON MAKING A PROFICIENCY IN GREEK.

And thus is the Greek tongue, from its propriety and univerfality, made for all that is great, and all that is beautiful, in every subject, and under every form of writing. HERMES.

T

HO

HOSE who are ready to acknowledge the excellence of the Greek language, are deterred from the purfuit of it by ideas of its difficulty. They affert, with fome truth, that few make fuch a proficiency in Greek, as to derive all the advantages from it which it might afford, and that they do not often find in the world, thofe who can read it with ease or with pleasure.

With respect to its difficulty, it is certainly a copious language. It requires much and various reading, to gain a competent knowledge of the primitive or radical words *. But it is alfo a language which abounds in compounds and derivatives, the meaning of which may be eafily known, by knowing the fimple and original words. He who has acquainted himself

with a small number of the most useful radi

* Yet the Greek roots have been computed not much to exceed three thousand.

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cals, will be able, with a little fagacity, to dif-. cover the meaning of many words in a book written on a familiar and obvious fubject. By reading fuch a book, he will probably find his knowledge of original words in fome degree increased. He goes on to one lefs eafy. His knowledge of the language is enlarged by infenfible gradations, and he at last acquires a deep and a mafterly fkill, by perfeverance indeed, but without much painful labour. He may select such authors as will amufe him as he proceeds, and, like a pleasant companion in a journey, be a fsubstitute for a vehicle.

I will point out a few authors, with the order in which they may be read. I dictate not; for the books and the order may be changed, with great propriety, by a better judgment. But as I write a practical treatise, I have already faid I muft defcend to particulars. I prefuppofe, that a progrefs has been made in the Greek grammar, and in the Greek Tefta

ment.

The works of Xenophon are in general remarkably easy. The fentences are fhort, and the ideas familiar. I will not now defcant on the sweetness of his diction, and his other beauties. I will only advife, that either his Memorabilia, his Cyropædia, his Anabafis, his little but elegant treatifes on the Character of Agefilaus, and the Spartan and Athenian Polity, may be read immediately after the Greek Teftament, or with it.

The Dialogues of Lucian are too entertaining to be omitted. The Greek is pure, but rather more difficult than that of Xenophon.

They