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Mapa. piataa. charts, ate. may ba fiimad at diffarant raduction ratioa. Thoaa too larga to ba antiraiy includad in ona axpoaura ara fiimad baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornar. loft to right and top to bottom, as many framaa aa raquirad. Tha following diagrama iiiustrata tha mathod: Laa cartaa. planches, tableaux, ate, pauvant dtra filmte a daa taux da rMuction diffirants. Lorsqua la document ast trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un soul cliche, il eat fiimA i partir da Tangle sup^rieur gauche, do gauche k druita. at do haut en baa. an pranant la nombra d'Images niceasaira. lias diagrammes suivants iiiustrant la m^thoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 § 6 / li V— STEICTUBES o ON TUB PRESENT METHOD or TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, AMD SUGGESTIONS FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT. BY THE REV. H. ESSON, tROFESSOU OF MENTAI, AND MORAL PHILOSOPHY, KNOX'S COLLEGE, TORONTO. TORONTO: PBLNTEO BY J. CLBLAND, YONGE STREET. 1852. n W> om nalure, and wIUkiui which he to,,l/„™ .„ ''"°""-"" "» "'"»' '» «W* he nee. «. to ™a,e, .,ee„,.,e hh., „ ,o „h.. h,ean „ ^-f/e J^rov" T" "' "'"• Julius Hare—' Guei$ea at Truth: pursuits, that the Mother tongue nhoul . InTor hLT '"''" " "* '^°'""*'°" "^ ""•^^ lute and comprehensive .an,L. Wi a i w„ J-t ,' "<; ™-'^— ' '" the .ost abso- conveyed in a course of education-is thl iTn ,7 '^'''°'" '■«8"de-i, or actually lish Language, to wit-co' ider d at oncTas ^ '' ' V l'^^^--^ -' ^--^--Zo-H.. V^.l ideas, notions, and feelings. beCnl^LL^.^V^S^^ ^^ ^''^ '^^^^^^ °''«" pletely. there is needed, what has not as vet so far aT I knnl Z '"'^"''"' °'J"=' '=°'"- prehcnsive classification of language-sav our own nn ' ^''" ''"""'P'^'^ ' ' "'«"" « <=°'n- of so reducing an entire vocabufary't o orders eneraanV' 'T'' """'^'^^^ ^"-^ '»''" ing the several purposes that should be kenHn? ' ''' '"" '" " """""«' ''""y ^"^""^'v- by no means a desperate one." ' ""'* ^°"" "°* '^ "ght-although the task la Horn Education, hy J. Tavmr, page 284-5. STBICTUEES. Language is the instrument of thought, as well as the medium of its communication. It is at once the recorder and depository of the accumulated stock of all human experience, since the worlcl began. In a well-formed language, like our own, there is not any thing intereiiting and important to man. relating to nature or himself, that has hitherto come within the sphere of human observation, that hns not obtained a name. In this view, language is an inventory of all things in the world within, and in the world without, which have attracted human observation, in all the manifold variety of circum- stances, from which human experience, in the lapse of past ages, has been gathering and amassing its treasures. Such a language fur- nishes signs, capable of expressing the nature of all the objects and phenomena, belonging to the two worlds of mind and matter, with their almost endless diversities of attributes and relations — a copious, if not a complete nomenclature and terminology of whati ver enters into the vast compass of human consciousness. Language is much more than all this. It is, so to speak, a catalogue raisonnie of the contents of nature and of mind, in which all the objects, attributes and relations, in their infinite multiplicity and diversity, are distri- buted into classes, to mark their subordination, succession, and syste- matic places and relations, in the order of the universe. And but for this service rendered by language — the most invaluable boon by far, which we inherit from the traditions of past ages and genera- tions—it is certain that nature would be a chaos, and the acquisition of experience, in any degree commensurate with the necessities, nay, with the very existence of the individual, would be impossible. Language, therefore, in all these views is marked out to us, as the mightiest and most effective organ of human education — em- bracing, as it does, the whole field of human knowledge and expe- rience, and capable, therefore, of furnishing the mind with all the materials of consciousness and reflection. It is the necessary con- sequence of this, that it constitutes a universal and appropriate discipline to the whole mind, to the whole man ; operating as a stimulus, by which all the powers and susceptibilities of mind are awakened, exercised, set a working, and, at the same time, by its generalizations and classifications, directing and guiding their action. (See Appendix, note A.) Our mother tongue is the first language, which we are called to study, and that in which we must ever feel th^ deepest interest, as 4 STRICTURES ON THE PRESENT METHOD OP enjoyments,-the originalafd maln^f °" '"^'*' ^^'^niunion and ments, scientific or literary and in TikT' °^ '" ^^'^ "^^^"-^ agent in the work of intelLZl soL T '."'"'> '^' ^"""'P*' provement. In proportion to our skill in .r'^^ "r^ ."""^'^"^ '"'- key of human Janguage and human .In • "'° °^ '^'"^ universal and proficiency in alfihdr var on. "Penenoe, will he our progres, tongue~the language olBri'aL^^^^^^^^ ^"' our mouther North America tndNeMrSindln^^^"."''''-''^^ ^«"g"age of all but a universal langua" ?m\ "1 rr^'''",^^'-'^^' is alrLdy ;; sea to sea ; they talk ftWndia andTrnticrTh^r"' L" ^^"^' ^-- quests or colonizations of aSy of thf ^^n K^''/''^'^ ^^^ »'"« ^on. race, the English language ^ now actua^?^' ^ regions, in all quarter! oflheglobl and cinn ^AI ""''' ^^'^" '^e medium of international communication thronK ^"'^ 1° ^« ''^^ «hief of the departments of commercrDol..; *'' °"^.^^"1 'he wide re„.o Is not this language. theTef^e; ^^^ of 'r^'""' '"^ '^'^^^t"--- assiduous culture? and has if not n 1?^ '^® '"'=«^ accurate and not only as our mother t^ue-nJtrv'alt''^^^^ ^" ^'f'" ' also as the chosen enxrin« in til u !i % ^^ ^ ^°'''^-languaee— hn diffusion of kn^wledirsc „t ciWH ia^-''°'''^T' ^^^ ^^« ""^er a more than all. of geniine SsS;,^ f/f ^^ -^'•<^h is infinitely utmost zeal and entrgy, every rneans in n ^° ^'"P'^^' ^^"'^ our improvement, and. by facSi^.^t? °"/ P^^^er to advance ,"« accelerate its diffusioVwol d LrLe ur«^lt''^^^^^^ '° facilitate and glorious and beneficent n^sTonfoU:-!^^"' ""''°'*'^>' °^t^ been called by Divine PrSn^e ^^The onf '?' ^'' ^^^^«"% can no^y pretend to compete whh it fth! FnVlT^^''' ^^ich "are the German and the French «n/p^ English) in this walk "adapted than either, for becomtg the fneth' 'f '^ "^*"^^ ^^^ " being more simple than the one mn,! ^^^ ?^ ^^«' multitudes " and more musical than either ' C? ^^Pressive than the ether ;;ofthis country (Britain) wemayt^^^^^^^^^ '^^ ^^^terature vzng at a similaV conclusion The ve,^lenp.?'''^°" ^°'"ri. golden age is a remarkable feature ofThforl^i expectation of a fish for ,t in political changes but all ^K^^"^.*'"'^^- Some " having, look for it in the wof Id's W. • '^ °P'"'°» ^s ^^orth of those ghostly blessings, of which SLt'Sat^^^^^^^ • iVVa British Review, vol. 8th, page 214. TEACHING THE ENGL13n LANGUAGE. lanpfuages lunion and r acquire. [ pi'incipal ip:'ous im- universal I' progpcss Jr mother nguage of is already and, from t Eiiiit and he rowid. sphere of s of the pating as the con. lo-Saxon 'Sten ive the chief ^e range terature. ^ate and 1 others, ge — but ni versa 1 ^finitely 'ith our ince its ite and ^^ of the idently which I walk, e more titudes, ether, rature •r arri. >n of a Some worth in the I both 'fthat " social happiness of which it was meant to be the harbinger. Now, ** without forgetting that the powerful are not always the messen- " gers of the Almighly, (a lesson so common, as to be taught in every *• fairy tale,) but calmly and unvauntingly judging, from the work? ** in English alone on religion, in poetry and philosop'.iy, we must *' see that it is the tongue best fitted for going on this errand, ol ful- " filling the behests of Christian kindliness ; its religion being deeply " practical and of the best, as in Leighton, and Taylor, and Bunyan ; ** its philosophy coming home to men's bosoms and businesses as in *« Bacon, and Locke, and Butler ; and its poetry, as in Milton and " Shakspeare, being loftier, and w'ser, and better than any other. "This is no dream, and if not, how weighty must become every *' decision as to the language."* When we reflect on the manifold and mighty powers and cap?, cities, that are latent in the human soul until developed by time, experience and educational art — when we estimate the results which have been attained, through the artificial discipline of education, with all the imperfections which have hitherto characterised both its theory and its practice, and what is worse, the unwarrantable and utterly unpardonable negligence of those, whose duty and privi- lege it was to patronize and to promote its paramount interests — we must confess that education — in developing and accomplishing the mind of man — and thereby elevating him in the scale of being, while it enlarges his empire over nature, " for knowledge is power, ' is the an of arts, the prime source of all human inventions and improvements, in every department of thought and action, of science and art, of philosophy, morals and religion; and if we view it, as it ever ought to be viewed, as the chosen organ of God for the esta- blishing and diffusion of Christianity, we shall be in no danger of any hyperbolism in estimating its power or its importance : " When " we reflect on the enormous breadth both of the Old World and of the New, over which this noble language is either already spoken, " or is fast spreading, and the immense treasures of literature which " are consigned to it, it becomes us to guard it with jealous care as " a sacred deposit — not our least important trust in the heritage of " humanity. Our brethren in America must assist us in the " task."t Let us then inquire into the nature of that power, which education is capable of exerting, the process of its operation, and the instru- mentality which it employs. The grand engine of education in the accomplishment of her work, without all question, is language — and it is not difficult to account for this fact. What fits man for life and action, is experience. But as the personal experience, or the amount of the knowledge of nature and her laws, as well as of himself, which any individual is capable of drawing from his own isolated and un- * North British Review, Aug., 1850. Conclusion of Article 3rcl, p. 214. t Edinburgh Bevievo, vol. 33d, page 178. (( ■1 STn.CTUIlES ON Tfln pnnsENT MRTIlon or ocean, haa befn fi Jj^ „llZ .riErT' "'"■°''' l'""' "■«. which every man mus^crive ISeTu™ v , Lt'^^f ""t""' "^ private well or eislern ? I ans wer-fS;,,.^ { '^"'' '"' """ universal comnrchensivo LZ^^^JTI , '■ L""R"«Bc i> the foldtbrrnsofhlaniruMu r„a ofalH;i'''''"'f ??• °'"°" ""> """>'- knowledge, and, as it hal been dra v ",^moT„Tl rSo r^'^fi"'!""""" r ences of all men in ill nln.n. .• ? • ^ "'versified expe- sequently .u ceptilJe of anihS '"^ ^"'cumstances. it is con- til, plaice andT curnrnie : ; L'2 °'' humanity. It follows from this t ha it , h" \"^,^-^'Sencies of language, and mosi cspechlly of u^n t ^ o" f.^ tl^f that we acquire a knowledge of thinffs of f hJ wLl t^ *°"S"^' speak more^roperly, of n'aturc'sS^and a C "all "m/^'T/ ^? work-our own nature. Language embraces all that wnn °^'''* ested to know, in relation to hntu ,u """*^'s," ' i"at we are inter- faculties; for, to which of tLm^ffT '^''''°"/ P°^^" ^n^ ieets^ha.'are>,.ed ?or L°2tX;e'L':,T:„Tdrp[r,, "'"'•^■' "■» o^- faithful conceptions of ,he things sZfidCdt^ex. 't^L^f- "H" the mere mechanicaTDrocess of frkminl the utterance of words is patterns of Plato, thev wouTd th^n in^ZT "°"o'*^' "^® the eternal gative, almost divine!"^ Let us t^er toet^thartL'*^°T " P^^''^" or mind, is to the words of language wCt\hehtt o^^ a letter written with sympathetic fnk^whicrpresems toJh ^ '' '° eye only a blank surface, until the invisfbreTharacJ^^^ rf"^'' form and colour, from the chemical action offhe firH, .1, ''" creatru, the vis conceptiva, of the mind, which s the l^i^Tl TEACIIINU THE ErOLISII LANGUAGE. -* may be permitted, without irreverence, to call it so, which inbreathes into the otlierwise dead letter or meaningless sound, the spirit, m virtue of which, it becomes a living soul. Language— take away mind— would bo to man, jusi what it is to parrots or chattering magpies, nothing more. The connuunication of thought from mind to mind is, lot it be carefully noted, an expression purely figurative and analogical, and by no means to be understood, in the lileral sense, as if wo could transfer ideas from one mind to another, in the same manner, as we pour water out of one vessel into another. The words of language, then, are merely the occasions summoning the mind, as it were, by significant signals, to put forth its concep. live power, in calling up, in due order and scquenc3, according as the words indicate and suggest, or in creating and framing at the moment, those thoughts or trains of thought, to which there is ml simile-^nil secundum, nothing like, nothing approaching, m the whole physical universe. They are only to be found in mmd, m tiie microcosm. To those who seek them, out of that mind, or wlio think that they can be transfused from one mind, and passively received into another, we may confidently say, that they are ignorant of their own nature, as intelligent beii.gs, and incur the reproof of the ancient satyrist " nee te quaesiveris extra.' All the several sensations, ideas, notions, of which the signs enter into ihe commu- nication of speech, must pre.exist, at least in their original oonstu tuent elements, in the mind of the hearer— otherwise wo tell a story to a deaf man, we show colours to the blind, and so far our speech is to him like " the sounding brass or the tinkling cymbal ." We are all, I fear, too much under the influence of a sort of Pythogorean illusion, that ideas undergo a species of transmigration, and, through the portals of sense and speech, walk, as it were, out of one mind and take up their abode in another. If mere words, then, whether spoken or written, have no power in, and of themselves, to commu- nicate thoughts or knowledge, but merely serve as occasions, on which the mind of the hearer is led to frame for itself, on the instant, by its own inherent power, or to take out of its treasury of already formed ideas, the corresponding thoughts or trains of :hought—it follows, that language owes all its significance, expressiveness, nay, its very intelligibility, to the energy of the quickening, informing, mind. It is this that impregns it, and makes it instinct with life, feeling, power. Thus it appears, that for attaining all the ends of language, as an instrument either for the acquisition, or for the communication of knowledge, what we have to do with, is just the conception, and the due association of that conception, with its pro- per and legitimate sign or form of language. The sufficiency of language, as an organ to communicate thought and knowledge, is just in proportion to the clearness and correctness, of the conception already existing, or framed, at the instant, in the mind of the parties thus communicating with each other, through the medium of speech. True it is, there may be an ignorance of language, or unskilfulness i) • 8TRICTURE8 ON THE PRESENT METHOD OP Language can-only communica/e thedll^"^^^^^^^^^^ exist m his own mind. (See App.. note B ) ^ It may take from their clearness or perfection bv Un own inherent defects, but it cannot adJ to th^m or hi iL a make up for any lack or defect in thT; ? k- ^. ^^^'^^ the mmd of h.m, to whom they «rj Mre^S. To take an elm"^ 2 from the exiremo— in readini? Milton'. P.-lj- '°, "°"" «"mple the immortal drama. oTsbLp^,,^ i, u7^"l ^"'' ?•' '°™ "' P0.S0,, or can evoke in oor owSd^he^^are Std '/loTr 0U3 conoept,on,, and combine them into the same form be,u& ' v-sr "ri'de-a, '^^;-;, ^^SeVrThe^. r i " '^' r • In fine, the great business of education is to takn lnn«.,o « j . tion of nature and her works, as the imperfection of heSrumpn; and of the mind, which employs it, will adm t Thin Sl^T guage becomes a mirror to ^reflect 'the realltTe 'ofThe woHd wi S?" and without, as in the bosom of the clear smooth lU? 7u • ^ :s^t-s^-t--;::ie'£SrSS " He hath set the world in their hearfQ » Tk« • j r "» — n producing and perpetuating an a»i£ciatL,^in Te mTd ofTi garner between the sign anithose living spiritual enthies wh cJ f ition, even 'er, never, if speech, barraased. r, as ihey its own y degree the sub. both the cannot in cy of the call up in example r some of ion as we ind glori. >eautiful, the same moral or erpreters :e, and to uating a e things ought to )resenta. itrument leed Ian. d within mage of (quisite, lis sense odation, man, — creates I it is a •oaches, nown." e agent I of the which >rm the faithful ucoeed nd that energy TBACIItNO TUB ENOLIBH LANGUAGE. • The organs of speech in man, exercise a function perfectly similar to that of the viewless insensate olemeot of air, at once, the material of which sounds are formed, and the medium of their transmission ; nor is this foreign element less essential to the production of articulate sounds, than the organs themselves. Neither of the one nor of the other is the agency at all concerned, in the processps of thought, or capable, in the smallest degree, of ministering directly to their aid. What then, it may be demanded, is the use of language, since ol itself it cannot introduce a single idea, or tp.ke the least part imine- diately, in the process of thinking, which is the ex jsive function or prerogative of mind ? In what way is its instrumentality made subservient to the end, and what is the nature of the functions, which it is destined to fulfil, in addition to the mere mechanism of speech,— the corporeal process of articulation ? ,. ., j Language, in its own proper function, has been happily compared " to signals or finger- posts" placed on a road, which enable travel- lers to discover their way, and servo to guide them all undeyiatingly in the same track, until they reach the end of their journey. These finger-posts have an important use, though they cannot relieve the traveller from any part of the bodily exertions, or fulfil any part of the muscular functions, which are implied m the act of travelling. It is thus, that the words of language guide the inward action or movement of the mind and its faculties, in a particular track or train of thought, indicating the successive faculties, which are to be set in action, and the operations to be performed, evoking, or, if you will, generating, by their ministry, the conceptions corre- sponding to these words or signals, forming and marshalling the whole train, in the exact order, which the words sujrgest, until the trains of thought, previously conceived in the mind of the speaker or author, are matched with corresponding trains of thought, excited by the mediation of language, in the mind of the hearer or reader, and thereby enabling the latter more or less perfectly to interpret the sentiments of the ^ornier, in proportion to the intellectual power or energy, which he can command, in reproducing their counterparts in himself. From this account of the proper functions of language, it is easy to infer its agency in the developement of mind. Its most important use is to serve as a directory or index, to guide us in the selecting and ordering of our conceptions and trains of thought. The child, for example, is led in this way to form the conceptions of those objects which are nearest and most interesting to it, and of which, therefore, the names are most frequently heard by U. It is thus that all men, under the guidance of nature, interest, trnd neces- sity, acquire a knowledge of language, suited to their exigencies, commensurate with the extent of their spheres of action, and appro- priate to their peculiar and diversified circumstances, pursuits, and habits. (See App., note C.) , . ,. . r This naturally leads us to enquire, what is the nature ot the process by which the mind, originally a blank, in respect to all 10 STRICTURES ON THE PRESENT METHOD OP actual knowledge, and with its powers of conception, judgment, reason, slumbering in a state of unconscious inertia, possessing only the potentiality of thought, but as yet destitute of the intellectual furniture, supellex mentis, is first aroused into activity and endowed with ihe first clennents of knowledge, the prolific seeds or embryos ot the rich and precious harvest of future experience and wisdom. Ihat knowledge of nature and her laws, without which, man is incapacitated for the fuliilment of the end of his being, or even for the care of its preservation, may be am.lyzed into two distinct mxrredients, — Firtt, simph elementary idp-.s, conceptions, notions, which are, so to speak, the native indigenous products of the mind operating, by its inherent powers of conception, abstraction, analysis' synthesis, on tlie rude materials, derived from the external material wor d, through the medium of the senses, or wrought out of the /orld of mind, in the laboratory of consciousn 3s and reflection. In this way the alphabet, as we may term it, of human thought or knowledge, is first framed, and in this view, the constitution of the intellectual world presents a striking analogy to t hat of the physical a correspondence, which was necessary to render man the interpreter of nature, while, at the same time, it demonstrates the great truth that the Author of matter and of mind, is one and the same. As in the pnysical universe, a few simple substances, vari^t slv combined by the manifold wisdom of nature's God, make up the vast variety of objects and pnenomena, the grand majestic spectacle of visible nature ; so, m like manner, the elementary ideas ot sound, figure colour, enable the mind, in the exercise of its wondroun powers of analysis and synthesis, to build up the not less wondrous fabric of the intellectual world. This is the first part or process in the edu- cation of man, in the development of mind, a:.d it is chiefl- the work of nature—that is, the result or effect of the constitution of mind, which God, in his perfect wisdom, has adjusted and a'.'apted to the order of nature— a work carried on, in a secret mysterious way beyond our ken— being consummated before that age, at which we are capable of reflecting upon the facts of consciousness, or of remembering then;. Yet even here, it is evident, that nature, though the prime agent, in this earliest stage of human education, does not disdainfully reject or exclude the co-operation of human agency, but may receive important aid from human art, and from man, act- ing as her minister, as an usher in her great school. How much may be contributed, in this way, by the secondary and subsidiary ministrations of man, in aid of the natural processes of the mind, in imparting clearness and accuracy to the simple ideas,and their endless combinations and complexities, even prior to the commencement of school education, through the agency of those, who are charged with the supervision of the nursery, and who watch over the first dawning of sense and uitelligence, has been often demonstrated by philosophers and educationists. In fact, there is no part of human education more important or more permanently and universally influential in its TEACniNQ THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 11 effects, tl.an that of the first three or four years of life. Even here effects, than that o/;"- ™;;'„7 "r;os7;tfective instrument. The language is our ^^^^""^'^^^^^^ various simple qualities, tor «^^'?P'^''l .„„gthro' the organs of per- ing to the various ««"X°a^ SubTri^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^« P^"^'^' ception, may bo ^^f'^^f fj"; '"jfj'nanZ ; and as they are the with their proper signs, f^J7;^'°3j"4as of physical nature are dements, out of which ^^^ °^; ^"JP f^^/ .;;obscSre-as distinct or compounded, their ^'^^':^°r7,^r,viii affect the whole system of confused-adequate or inadcquae--vviUatt^^^^^ .Y thought, and stamp a coj^espon^^^^^^^ fundamental It is thus through ^^« 'Tjf f^Xssed and ystematised ; and, not- portion ° >;;r " S°e^ ^difer'it? ofTn^ the whole physical wiihstandingtheendessaiverMii kincrdoms, subdivided world, reduced wuhin the cm,^ss of th^^^^^^^^^^ j ^^^ into genera and species. This is tne n ^^^ elementary taught by nature s self and embac,,^^, a^s ^.^^^ . , .^ ^^^ . J -gl^^lSrsout of auV processes and modifications of the nection, and be, as much as POssiiH^,^" common sense dictate that within in linl pre ented to the learner, should, as much as possi- witnin, in uciiig pic , 1 of continuity or succession, ot ^1 the world over in the order of the dictionary, which is just the n d^r onhe a[^^^^^^ an order totally incongruous with that of na- ^ , re .or in the orde of our grammars, in which every thing is by Xsracoi decomposed, disor|anised, like natural substance^^^^^ •* , , , :^„i „„* into their nrimitive elements — qualities ana ved by chemical ar, into their prim ^^.^.^^ ^^^ ^^^^^.^^^ thtvTe-Ssan a^^^^^^^ ttlCa'^ualy realise that scholastic metaphysical Limbo, where n hT laneua^e of the satyrist, » Entity and quiddity the ghosts of "etc bo'^-% V The'app^^ which language in this di. 19 STRICTURES ON THE PRESENT METHOD OP r exhibit .0 hisTLtrrh'^p: ,fardtr.L"„v^ r." Sb:r '"r'-^ n uTpXlVr ""«'' """i^^-^" '" °- t^" -h™ » '° Wet aroh; '^:Z^^ZhZrS:\u ''''°-°' d-rga„i.a,i„„ and :n! ita^t;us,'! ■' "■' ™u.e.rs orn^rr b°o^ Nature, in this view LVWn iT '^7 ^°"?''.*''® ™°^^ intimate. 8ivesiepo?arancinffsclnc^ T.T7 ""T^^'^' ^^^ ^^^'"^ P-'^grei- "^dra[^°S5i:r-^^^^^^^^^^ possible her ordeV reDrLe^^^^^^^^^ ?^f"^^"S «« ^"°h as or of her order is left We rnavTfv .1.!^ " ■''°""«'' "'^ "»'"" detect any resembUng feaTure?t^e.tetn >I^T' '"^f",'""' """" '" ord„ „bieh .„,trs:t;\:L'Lr beXtid™''^ """ -» inloasyJmatbf^rm maS ifif '™' '/"^^'g^ """y b« «d"oed aTsr^intSSr-'^ir"^^^^^^ of the systems of mauerld mnH"f T^""'^'^' '^^' ''^ ^" ^^o order inatruotion k sU a r^el!,^ .h«T"' '^"^""''"S tlie course of re...e .herent^ytX 'o^f^-'SK ^^IT^r^ TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 13 language must have the .^.^J rn^^^lf.^- ^ZZ:t^ stat united, articulated, systematised ^est^'^^^^^^^^ ^„^ built up into a of disruption and »«*^^^y' svLmT^Sns mnsi be organized, so symmetrical fabric. The sys'f'J? "' „ ° :ficates that is, of the as to become the counterpart o their s.gmficates^hat^^ works and laws of nature, fittmg them so tar as ^ ^^ imperfection both of human knowledge and humjn la g_ ^^^ admit, to fulfil their end, as ^^e^"^^P;^^;4^ is pepar^ed to contend, interpreter of nature. And unless any ^"V' J'^^^jthout regard to that L knowledge ^^XZroU^oi.T^^^^ knowing system or order, that a chaos of Jacts or me ' ^^^^^j. their relations and ^ys^^^^^^^^X °f ^'na^^^^^ deem it im- tute knowledge or soien- wort^^^^^^ or learning a possible to deny, that ^^J^ Wuage is our mother tongue, or \ZST^r::Z^r!:^^^^ order of things, represented nret^us recall for a moment, ^^J^^^nr tf^nce^^^^^^^^^^ to the proper function of words, .^^ ^^ff «^^^ ^^^^^ thoughts, or ideas, that'they merely serve ^o indicate that cen^^^^^ ^^o trains of thought, are to be ^--^^^^^^'^JX^ ^acu^^^^ and that they by its own inherent power ^5 ^^^"f^L^^feve^^^^^^^^^ production of afford, and can afford no »««\«j^"°".^j^t^^^^^ the the conceptions-it will be evident, that the ?«'y y;, furthered process of thinking can be f^^^^J^^ ^"i.^h^^^^^^^^ as they Ld aided, is. by ^--'^^^"g f °,\7,i^^^^^^^ in two exist in nature. Now, these objects may v ^,^^ ways. First, isolated and apart from aH others ^^^^ system of nature, to which .^^ey belong. This i^ th^ y ^^^ ^^^ an object, per se, as it is, V^^'^J.. ^'^^biect nay, is it this, which that we mean by the knowledge of that obje^,"^^^ >^ .^^^_ constitutes the essence, the value of knowledge ^^^ pendent facts and things, tha are the ob^ecU o ,^^^^ delations. Strictly speaking, ^^^ J^y ^^^ afeToth ^he no-aiing b^V'IfoTknoXal'esTid'ope"^^^^^ and qualities unknown subjects of known quai i^^ ^^^^^^ ^e and operations are, assuredly, reia ive i^eas, si y g^bstance concei'ved or thought but m connexion with a -^jec^^^^^^^^^^ to which they belong. In tme, ine . |edge of parts, and the representation ot nature, is fi st t^e knowledg ^^P^^ secondly of their r^^^^^^^^^^^ of the system intelligibilry -unless vieweu comprehended m, and and their subordinate ends and uses are a cp ^^^ ^^ ^^^ can only be made intelligible, by ^"f ^°^f '"" ^^ chaos, would whole, 'what the knowledge of namre,m^^^^^^^^^^^ ^. be, could we conceive it P^^^^^^^^^^^ T^^S^^^^ order-such ia -having no end-no use-no form, palace tuncii , ^^^ the knowledge of words when taken singly, and not i 14 I I STRICTURES ON THE PRESENT METHOD OP easily and successful yTnreXeted-^s° 7^^^^^^^ ^« - quately conceived-or so onrJZT a ^^''T' ^'^^''^^ ^^^^ ade- when we arrange them in 1 1 -1^ relenti vely remembered- -as things denoted 'oVd\Tcirae^'L7d"rrtu°;e'r' i" f 'l^^ ^''-^ more easy than to reduce Ian,rnLl ♦ .i • "^^"'^/ And what is it may best subserve the end n^^^^^^^ to this natural form, in which with sound and soHd knovvtSL and "' ,^°''\\".«toring the mind cipline for its culture T ^"^S"' ^"^ ^" furnishmg the best dis- nattK"e^s;tnt:rn:^:lh'"' sensible world, what more phenomena, and the term, h/ ^^^^^''i^' ^^^ich denote objects and changes, like a catalogue r.fr"^'''- °^ '^'''i "^'"'•^' ^PPearance, ing to that of Lture coLect rrhl '" '" "''^''" "* '^^«t approach-' its%orrespondintterSloJ;^Tt^ doms of Dhvsical na3e £• J \ ^'' fxampio, the three king- organic kinSomsT/e!;b P «T''^^ '? inorganic, and the two which are desfrS of T ^ """""'"gy. botany or geology, oology. The auen ion In P''""™."^"". '">'' oonstilute it terra! plants or anijals S „th meTa™ ft^i/iri';'" T!","™'^' sciirn^:^ a^°e,:^^r r '^"^^^^^<^:: jed|a. a fJJuX ^r h 'L^graSaf aLT^S receiving, m everv suepp^siVo a»o^-, «f u- vegeiaoie, and ment, or at least so.nPPvt!n ^ f ^" progress, a new instal- acquired information" Ind XtlTh'T '"^"',^' '"^ P^^^^°"«'y of education, from first to last 1 U! ^'' ^"' "'^^'"s '"^^ P'-^esses or celebrations o7 1?^!)^ nf '-- ^ .successive demonstrations ..'?.L"'f .™"'«' 'he pupil-i„.tead of plodding his weary way i„ and dtsgus, through the t, him, unimelil^iWe darkness, dullness 1 er of'naturrf uage be so y and atle- mbered —as i which the nd what is n, in which g the nnind e best dis. vhat more objects and ppearance, approach, ature with hree king- d the two portion of y the clas- ganic and 'ure, as a e learner, ies and of geology, its termi- i of their minerals, 'hich are use they essential would it 'est tyro, h denote 3st fami- r animal 3 know, ile, and V instal- Jviously rocesses 'trations !ss; or, praise, id ohief , which way, in Uigitle TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 15 metaphysics of lan-|e,^ -^^^^^^^ SXleC^^^dT^- terouslydoes.in all the ex^^^^^^^^^ ^.^ knowledge of nared for so ^^^trac'^ „^ 'j^'^/.t^^ language is such as to admit ot the P°^^'°' V , it,,_the acrtuisi. it Jwould advance with increasing ^f^^f.f.^^f^f language, and tion of knowledge going h-;:^^ in h^^^^ reXr^!;^^^^^^^^^^ ^^S^?^mate connection whidi^aul^st. ^.ween ^^^^^ renders the transition easy, (fit ^^^" ^'^";VoTkVof God-to their from the subject of natural ^^^^^^f-^jfj^^if that extensive and represents the objects ^na p ^^^^^^^.^^^^ -,y has ranked merce, which Bacon, wuu n -i-__:flpaiion of the sciences and " an %P^''^;Z^yj'::^J':S^^Z::^<.«ee. the physical arts. This consti utes, as ii w^"'' , .. , his department of and the social and political sciences and did ^J F education receive its due measure a^^^^^ ^^^J^^ properly initiated, in what ^«^"™'? ■ _,. „ natural and Sn e»emi«l -^-•"l:'^'' ;'' ZfLiX^i studies, a, well as .rS.11"S:rsr„oerit Jo^ld. beyond aU question. %"^%^XiVcr w': S:r.r?ytr properly and productions of arts and »;»„f ^^^^ ^iVed^S the physical and most fitted to serve as a preparative, lor a I sis^'^rr ^ ££r^^ -- e-t s i;sti;\rc\iioftre"rir'jg:.cw/y totho,e.pie or SI J m 16 STRICTURES ON THE PRESENT METHOD OF philosophy. In all the various departments of arts, sciences, lite, rature, taste, there can be no greater difBculty, in making the collection of names and terms of language, which enter into the vocabularies of each branch, than there is, in the classification of the several divisions of the system of universal knowledge, as ex- emplifieJ in the schemes of Bacon, D'Alembert and other great philosophers, who have mapped out for us the whole intellectual world. But, it may be demanded, how are the abstract words and terms of language, that are common to all the sciences and arts, and the exclusive property of none, to be disposed of, and what place ought they to occupy in the system ? They will naturally be incorporated with that portion ot our language, which is common to the philoso- phei and the peasant, which, like the li'^ht, and the air, and the water, is free to all. Such are those words nouns, verbs, or adjectives— that denote colour, sound, motion, figure, texture, quantity, actions, aflTections, sensations, emotions, abstract qualities, general relations — all these, it is obvious, are capable of being grouped and arranged under some one or other of the classes or categories of objects, or attributes, ^hat relate to the worlds of matter and mind, and consequently must have an affinity, more or less, to some one or other of the divisions of human knowledge ; and, however much we may be at a loss, in many instances, to determine their fitting place and order, one thing is certain, that any order, properly so called, is better than none. How much more easily and correctly will the words, that denote colours, tastes, forms, sounds, textures, motions, sensations, actions, passions, when thus classified or asso< ciated, be understood, defined, remembered ? The various kinds, degrees, modifications, of motion, sound, colour, feeling, are surely best described, apprehended, and associated with the words of the vocabulary, when we place them in apposition, and thereby, are enabled to mark and discern, even in their most delicate shades, their agreements and diflferences, their features of resemblance or dis- similitude. When they are thus brought all at once, under our view, we pass more easily from those, that are clearly and dis- tinctly known, to those, of which our conceptions are in any degree obscure, languid or confused. (See App., note D.) But leaving for a moment, the consideration of the more import- ant process, of which the design is to put the learner in possession of the sense, the soul of language, let us inquire how far language, considered as to its mere mechanism, as a system of articulated sounds, has been disposed in that order, and taught in that method, which are best calculated to < lomise time and trouble to the teacher and the pupil, to smooth the path, facilitate the progress, and give to education, in this respect, its greatest efficiency. I say, then, without fear of contradiction, that the teaching of language, so far as its mechanism is concerned, has been conducted in a way, as unnatural and preposterous, as that, which, I have endeavoured f TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. It nces, lite* taking the Br into the ficatinn of KCi as ex- ther great itellectual and terms 9, and the ace ought :orporated le philoso- the water, jectives— y, actions, 1 relations I arranged )bjects, or nind, and some one iver much eir fitting 'operly so correctly textures, 1 or asso- >us kinds, ire surely rds of the ireby, are ides, their 26 or dis- inder our Y and dis. ly degree e import- 3Qssessioa language, rticulated t method, ble to the progress, r. I say, language, in a way, leavoured to shew, has hitherto characterised, our educational treatment of it, as the instrument and exponent of thouglu. In confirmation of this statement, 1 proceed to observe, that he far «r aterpa tof the En-^lish language consists of words, denved from rLfts, or of words primitive and derivative, compounded >.ith prefixes or suffixes, the form.r of which, are commonly prepositions separable and inseparable, each having a tolerably de.fi"'^^ ^"^ Srm import, an'intelligible signineancy, a P-J !»le J rce whereby it determines, or at least modifies, the meaning ot ne 7oot or primitive worJ ; and consequently its mechanical partis such as ^o admit of a r;gular and not very complicated system of clatification of its words, grounded merely «n the principles of Nervation and composiUon.'' What a vast number of nouns sub. 8taTve°will be found in our language, having foriheir common term nations, some one or other of the syllables, er, or, ness sh^ on an a-e, ude, ure, y, &c., &c ; of adjectives, in able ible, us, ous o"'e, °ar'y orv, ait, ent, al, ile, ar, &c., &c ; of verb., in fy ?7e en ate, er, le &c ? Nor are the prefixes less prolific, when LTu'pled w ht erradicals,ormated with other words simpl. or comp unl primitive or derivative. What a multitudinous progeny of words of Saxon, Latin, French or Greek origm, are formed, by the aid of particles or prepositions, as prefixes ; {"^"yj* f\«/" yielding a supernumerary offspring, arising out of ^e use of the suffixes, as above described? Who can be 'Sno'-ant that were these words, disposed in a systematic order, grounded on their me- chanical characteristics of prefixes and affixes, the eamer-be mg previously put in possession of an ^^'^^-^^'\}'^^'''^^^^^ ^^ t^^TvL port and lignificaicy of those modifying syllables-would denve a Lst extensive and powerful aid, in the work ^^ definition or inter- pretation of words, imparling, as this exercise must, a lucid clear- ness and elegant precision to his conceptions < The radical, simple, primitive words of any language are very few in compadson with the number of derivatives and compounds, to which they give birth. It requires "" ^^'Tg"-^^,^/';,^;;''"? •* the powers of memory, to learn by rote, even when the student is gno^rant of the parent languages, Saxon, Latin F^";'?. f «^^^^; the few roots which, to any considerable extent, enter "to these combinations, or admit these -^echanical modif^cations-.mtml or terminational. There are said to be not fewer than 13 000 words ofThe EncTlish lan Th ' ^,' ^"'^°' Cuctum. ' som. shapa iufo tl,o com L^M-on'r S T '''^^'^ ''"^'^^^ enter i, When the ,.upil has b.en mar 7 °^,r^'-'v 2,500 English words » fix and .su/Hx.' which Is b.^Tc^fneb:''' "'•'•^'" ^^^'"'^^ °^ ^aoh pre- of derivation and compoiit o fhn "^ exerc.s.n^ him, m the proce!^ be. .0 g.ve him an acc^tr 'n eXe l)Y' ''^ teacher'sho",d theb.s,sorsub,tratnmof ourlan-uaS! "^ '^, ''°«ts, which form P'-ohfic ofthe.se roots, a very ,71.1,; ^^^^.« '"'^'^t common anS soon p„ ,ho learner in p -ssess-Vn ,i f ':''^''''°" o^ "'emory will the plastic power, whieh'bet^t': i t^^'^?^' '^ '."'^ ''- --e"o nsc ed wi,h the fmnaiion and iVtLt "'^''''^"'cal processes, con sent.ng to his via.v, the "X sim^I 1 "^^^ ^^"S-^^^e^ ^'V P^e- complete fibric is reared • fiL ' I '"^^^erials out of .vhich til' tl- derivatives .nd com oun^^'t^lh " o"^^'"^' f^"-- °'tr Lit hettca process, reconstructinr. the cl n^'''*' ""'^ «t"^'" ^y a syn! Ihe.r elements, according ,o tl^e aws 7 ?' ''7"^' ""' '^'^^^ out of Any one ^ ho -lances it tul 7 f ^'ymology. ^' dictionary. whicl7ar:ZfmtL"of:S:;"r '•''-'" -7 common or by combinations of simple sounds nl' ^^ "^'^"^ ^"^ prefixes stand, h >vv much more easy'^ nle.l .'■°^"' '"'" '•^"dilv under teach ng a language. tha7thrt"ifT;?^'''^^^ anditneedsnodemons.rationtoZ! V ""'"'"' universal use- ■ hew much more comDWeTnd m . f ^' '° ^''^ ^°'^'P^'«"t to u language, gained by sue! a p^> :«: Ij^^'^y^'^ ^J "'e commind^'of funushes to the powers of atte tion\n J^' discipline, which ° m.nt and discrimiua.ion, a e T'fkr KwT'°"' ''^^'^''^'^^ i4 This knowledge and mastery.however of h! ^ 'f '"^^^o-nmendation. IS chiefly valuable, as a i)reDar tin r ^"''°''^"'«'" o^ ian^ua^g sifi^d, and, as far as noss I.Ip 1 ^°!" !^'^ ^^'^^itlon of wards d!!' -ith due regard to th? ':;« ro7'mlt"M' ^'^'^ of science, td With the vocabularies of wo'dsWhinh ' ^^^^'^P'^ent. beginning a«d with those names and te r^L wil, ^'' ^^ '^^ ^°^Jd of "engf l/ar, and will therefore be com. '^^1?^ T ''''' °°'^">«" andlm^ tion of our language. From Tl I''' '"^'"'y' ^» '^e SaxonC by fnoc.ssive^gr.rdation . ?h 1th r^"''^' '^.' 'earner wHI ^^se mathematical sciences^inwhSt^^^^ physical anS am Latm derivation— un to tha w ^ ,, ^^'"'"^ are of Greek polu.cal and me.aphvsica sc once "T T"^'' '^ ''' '""^a' and and h.s mastery of science, a e mo i efftt. n "'P'"'^^ °^ 'be pupU to define its leading and imnolnT. ^^^'^'V^^'y 'ested by his aftlitv ! i| i I ) 1 1 /> f or ■'juins a few of he number of FacioFacfum, Latum, 19s . hlOd; Capio' 't^o, Ductum, ivords enter in glish words.'* 5 of each pre. 1 the process 'acher should which form common and niemory will the secret of oces.ses, con- age, hy pre. ^" 'vhich the 3s of tracing in by a syn. irms out of ny common ^nd prefixes, dily under, 's method of 'ersal use; It to judge, Jnimand" of 3» which it nion, judg. mendation. 'language, ords, cltts. 'ence, and beginning ( of sensei, and fan>i. >axon por. 'Will rise sical and of Greek loral and the pupil is ability n appro, sent him judicious tEACrtlNO THE ENOLtSll LANaiJAaiT. 19 ,,re. and digested in the plulosophical o^ so^^ imperfect skeleton °\7'7/ ^[.""'^cou^^^^^ which compen- the most unexceptionablo ^''.^..^.^'^^^^^^ more /han diums of science can bo ^^ f'^f",^;;^^ '^ Z\ giving m-r.ly the .u,gest the -'eces.voo.-d.. - P-^^'^.^.i^f, ,„„„„i.„ „f i,. indicHtionsofihesubjc. matter, in faculties and parts, leave the pupil ;nl.r.ly o s own i ^^^^^ ?esources in filling "P -J7 ^'^ ^ \V , "arTol" thinking, be the If, a« I believe, ^'^ ^''*'Vnf intclloctual education, certain it is, great bnsiness and true ^"^ "[ '" f^^^^^f, f,,, p,„cticc of definition ; that this art is best prornotod ''y^'^^ ' .''; "^^ '^' ,;„,,„ ^ ,aught, is the and if so, it is ^^^X^^t^^^^^ ^^--^ - ^^'I main instrumenta itv to me. la ul H j connexion with as for the acquisiiion °f •^^'^^^l^.'^-f^;'^^^,-^^'^^^^^^ fa,-,.ish the student this part of the niothod, it wot^^d bo de^ ab , to u^^^,^ ^.^^^ ^^^^ with tabular lists of words, t'>^^^,^^;^P/" '^ ^^ fr>m these, borrowed brderived,f.>nao,herf>reg^^^ Arabic, or rurkish. ^ >'*''"f^ °^'' " ,.,:„„f atteniion, to words that are and learners, than to direct ^''^; ;^' ^l^^^,^^ \o ^vo^ls of many 1 • :^ «Unii« mprtninf or in tneir siu inny j "-' . •' ambiguoti. in their "?^^""'° , i^^,^!^, of derivation^ or enter into a meaniniis, or which ha>e a '^\'" ""^ svnonvmous, paronymous, . multitude of compounds ; '"^'^f^^^'^^Z/eZ iheW derivation, correlative or antithetic ; woids ha ^'^ °^!\^ i, an Wordsantiquated or obsolete, poetical words .0^^^^ echo to the sense ; ^f^i^^]?^::"^^^ should ings are obsolete Of a U ^^-e c a s,^eopi ^^ ^^^^^ _^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ be exhibited One ot the mo.i nu vocables, as serve in words in our language, is 7'"?;;^''^^ "J ;; f^s a^d even sometimes turn,inthedouble capaciiy of nouns and vc.bs and ^^ of adjectives; ample specunens «^'""^;J^,.S ^^,^^,,.3 of our Ian- formi promine.it a.d ^^^y^:;:::^^ ^.. nature, that S; ex rrssiWlcorn, -^^empt and h t a l.^^^^ ver_y undone predominance, at leas; in our ^^'^ '^"f ^8^;, "j^i^ JS Such col- fhose that express good -1 ' ^y-P^^j^- filing iniportant integral lections and gr-P-^^^^ '^ou b: iTlcto'man/part's of a dissected Crenablin" us To form a more distinct, comprehensive, scientific estimate, of its c'^^^^^ter and constuutio^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ The acqutsiaon . ^^^-^^^^^f.^^^^ts characterised by all the at an early per od, i^®^*' ^"^ ;^^^^^ ^^ ^^-^^^^q and philosophy ; im- clearness, precision and exactness ot science i ^ ^^ parts to him an ele-ntary oynit a 0. y kno^^ ^^ ^.^ r^rii^t^ajp^^^^^ 80 STR.CTUKES UN TiiK .KESENT METHOD Of step, the hand.rnaid of r,'K an V '^ and almost at every nourisi.er of vvisdon, fukh a^^pie,; "'"'^'''"' '^' ^'"^^^^^"-^ «nd respe"; lo^rrr'lj^e':!^^' '^V'' ''f ^'^^^ opor.e in t.oa of onhography and or l°o p^J l,17,:rr,';v:.'f ' -'"' ''- -^cep, fiions of this scienc-. which are cmvlt. «^ 'he four common divj. or syllables, as mer^ sounds, desZteof'"^ '''^ "'•'' "^'"'•« ^^ '^^'^--^ 13 not a single step can bo made I. t? "'" "• ?'^'"i''ca"ce-thero noti^mpiy a^revio^usknowlTdtX '"^^^^^ "'^' ^^^^ words, whether viewed singKnd sevl m "^' ""'^ '"^P^*-' °^ 'he grammatical order, as in svLv p?'^' >^' ^'^ '" etymology, or in various sorts of words a -'modified r^^'' ^"^''^ '^eal^f .^e declension, comparison coniZt ion thlir .' '""""'^ '"'^^^^^^^ "^ laws of derivation and comSi on evid.n P^"' °' *'"^'^' ""'^ '^e necessary corJition of its attaTnSrin-^ presupposes, as the each word, as well as of he common ^T '^Se of the i.np.rt of words,denominated parts of speecTwZh'f'"^ °^ "^'^^ «'"«^ of by the import of the words wS '! '""'' ''" 'determined, pur.ly the charaiteristic sta^; of affi it?J!thTr«f '' ""r'''" '^' ^'^ ^^^' ness as nouns, verbs, or parUc -s A^i'f "''' "^ ^ ^""^"^^ '^^e. word best ascertained ? kllnoi w^M' '"" ''^P°« ^^ 'he knowing the import oftheroo and 'tir°"' "'! ^""^^'''^"' ^y just affixes and prefixes, by vv3 fts r eanT"' "'^ «'gnificancy of the Have not nouns substantive and tlf"^ '' variously modified ? their peculiar and a ^r^ "ate ^^^^^^^^^^ extent, they are distinctly nurl d out T.'h ' ^ '''''"''' '° ^ S^e.l he learner, by a common samn' ^ 'l'''^' ^^^ ^"^ sense of " happens to ail languTeT andTeS'"'^ "^^^^ '^^"' ? ^u own, that the same siJns^or wo ^ «'» ^ ' "°"^ "'°''' "'^^ °"'' as the equal represet^at ves 7t miv L ?' '' ^hey frequently do, of contrasted ideas, and slving atLndrv tr^^ ^'^!''^"* ^"^ «^«» city of nouns, adjectives, verbs and .H?) . ^ T'' '" *''" *">'« oapa. the double office of noun Tnd v^rb '' ^r'' ^I'T^'^y Perfor Jng logically, or their gramiai'hrri ^^''i^l^^^P^'-'^^d ^ apprehended, until the several imoons 1 "?'°"' ^^ ^' ^" several functions, have been first ZaTvL'^'P^^^.'^^ ^"^ these ?t-until the word has been parsed fnfejl/. °'P' ' ^"^'^^ ^^P''^'" in the nature of things, that ?t "an b" "- ^ ^ ^' '! ' ^^Po^^'ble, child nay, even by aVhilosopher thm "*. "'^ ^'P^'^^^'^' hy a taught us, notwithstandinrwha'Du^aW ir''^'f°""^'S^^t'^^^^ slow progress of commonlnse L tl"e^wori?i 7^ ^^ ^^'^ sjng, ,s the necessary antecedent «nif J- ' *^?^ in'ellectua! par. etymological parsing^ Sy oHhe n^T^'f^^' °?^"'°"' °^«''y of common sen.e, th;t words LZtZT^i. '^' '"''">' '' ^» ^^^o*" conceptions, are mere som^ds' mterl^Tn^ Z associated ideas, or save that which is the object' not o/i3'?^V^ any distinction, sense, as in orthography InfnXo^L'''''^^'''' ^"^ °^ '^' ^«r and nment; thus, >"st ut every Jickencr and ^fi operate in til the cxcpp- :omrnoij divi- Jre of letters !ance — there it, that does upon of the lology, or in treats of the 'I'ocesses of >ot8, and the 3.^es, as the •le impart of ch classi of ■ned, puroly it. and have amily like- iport of the 'n. by just ancy of the modified ? id adverbs, to a great id sense of em ? But e than our uently do, '■ and even iple capa. erforming ed etymo- be at all 'ith these d express fi possible, lly, by a ght have id of the ual par. n, of any n axiom fit TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANOUAQE. n^h. IPiirner whoever he be. child or sage, must apprehend, first orI^::=dsm.nnoton;y.^^ l^S^^^^sl^^SetJrth.^ Uons of the ^-^V^^'htio^'s o no sr li o omp'risn'^n, of agent serve to express Us r.hxtions ot P"'r-';J"',. if „end r or sex, and object, action and P'^^f "' '^^f/,'^^, nS number, person, tim>, mode, with '^;i'f''''''^,jarv attributes, by connections, which may bo ->P;;^^\^'^;'^; fi^.^f^'^Wha one end of adverbs, preposinons, ^«"J""«'XaccoSed, without first put. s, or dea tinction, ear and r^'lv '^'"Stony ea.ret bo; s^ boyhood,''-kre all variatio^^ o?7ort^;h;7can on^'y he understood, and therefore can only be t S'and remLbeLd, by being constantly associated yea -den. ified with the meaning or sense, and f ^^^^''^^^'T^t^^^':""'' '"" lorfpptlv reflected in the grammatical forms of language. ^ WUh^re pect o .hat imponant class of words called definitives, re. latWes coniunc ions-ihese are utterly unintelligible to any one not to sav k tvri when they are dissevered from the sentence to which therbeVrexicTly the same relation, as the joints, tendons, ligaments, and various aS^ of the animal body, to the parts and mem. Sers wMch they connect. In fact, the proper order of syntactical arammar ib, not to begin, as we uniformly do, by teaching single I3rdi'srupfed from'their natural poshion i" jhe ^X ^.T °o be^I^ orcanized into a complete sentence, or proposition,— but to beg m whh he complete sentence, in which the words are presented m The Stat: oTs/stematic order and con^nuity which .a^^^^^^^^^^ the vital union of the parts and members of the animal booy. ror seve ll who°e classes of words, more particularly those of which we now speak, particles, definitives, relatives, <=o""«f 7^' "f^": Tng prepSsitio'ns and conjunctions, having no use or value butj^ha^^ which they derive from their places and relations, serving as ccmenx • STRICTUBEfl ON THE P^e.^knt, METHOD OF universally the uso ^n; Jv 'n f 'T t'/ T '"""•""'' ^-^ '' "°«- all which, the conclusion is iV t Lit "■'".•'^"'"'^'^"■'>n- Frora of.heir 'i^nific'.non. a ,: ^71:^^^^^ "" ""' kno.-.l^e preli,nin.ry condition of n ^^.^ ,- I"'' l"'''''''^'"-'''« or proposition is ih. rxpn-ssi , "fit ? " ^"'?'^'. ^"•' " "'"^'^nce u..it o/thonghr, and ,hus Xct c i n rT ' .^"^ i"-'^"n^nt i«. rile tences, as etymological p.n n' i of L^;. .l'''^; V^' '^''^'y-^'^ «f'««n. t-o chief parts, of^, y.nSl ,^ "f, ' tZT'. to"l '"'' ^^'^"'T''' '" ''' and metaphysics am,' t>thovvV.!L/ 'J to languu.,, ^vhat logio On the s:.e ground" that i^ s ro s^^h S'V"^ "'' '^'"."'^P'^' to 8et one, to study loair. th,. n ' [";x.stences,has acquired som!'- fu nes m v ..^ / "n ^' "I'T' and experience, and those huh.ts of a I, ar^n VnH ir '""^'''^^^^^ are only to be expected amh . ,...,!, ^r "'^ roHoctio), xvhioh of^ason, of whSl^^lf l^t m y ^^U /7h^^;'''"/'T''^^!i'-''^ to the uttermost, iis m;iturest stron H^ f " ''"''>' ^^'" '^«'^' of thought, andgramm r rthean-fl!.- V/'^"'^"^" "^^ «"«'y«i» kno. b^th nature and iini . ^ inl.Ll' ^7'"^'% '^!^' ^« '"''^t form-before we are qualified line fonr^" "^^"' ^^^'^^'io analytic process. 'opo'iorm, . . „ .^ ,nders(and the And, if we bear in mind, that «tra! ;r debated J^^7errto7y'"btw': '" °°'"P'"«"' ^« '^ ^«^«. 1.^-.V-.oe~.rhetoric, we shil b enibtd To^rT''' ""^ ''' ^'"'^''^ '^n v.ilci. iucongrui.y and preDostermlT rV^^ '° apprehend the c.nducting,thiffunJamenr:rS;i^;" r^et^^^^^ of perspicuity and accuracy of expression "lv« J? ^^' '^^^^^ of two parts, and requires aitenS fi . '. ^^y^^'^'^'^J' " consists* ses-r and then to the constuc^i^ ' ? ' ""°'' '^''^' ^"^ P^ra- regard to vyords and phrased t^^ff r ""''•/' ^^"^'^^'•^^^ith ''r%uirethefollowing7rSe^':unT ^' ^^^'^ Now, each of these thrPP rl . ^ ^' P'^^P'^'^ty. and precision." of the words tha b on^ toT EnST""' '^^^~^ "^^'^'^'^^ tTUlcrUEEa UN THE PttESENT METUOD Of 9» y and unity, I. as is now lion. From l]e WorrJs in ' know', ,|jre ' procos'i of less iiTf plies a sentence r'nent is tile y!iU of sen- I'Tiif, in its what logio )liili>sopliy. iscliipvous, ion, or the t least ini. 'posteroua kof learn- m^taphy. >ol ihirfjT^^. :no\('I(>dgg ^h whioh 3r faculty will task, analysis we must syn To, ic stand the 'ung per. down by IS branch it Were, kindred hend the 3thod of he study consists* >d phra- •ed with e adds, sision." )w!ed2:e ive the 5 exact or the mafmx ■"* truo and only .n.-ih-d, by wniLn u . i^ huc-'OsI— a syste- word. „,„1 phruses .l..,re a,o ^Xltlm- 'o?r"ch und r wluol', requisites of purity, P-P'-^V, P^- r'^^: u ^ u"^ The growoutofthem. andare, "^ Vnlt\n be looked for, until after higher qualities are, in general. ""^ ^° ^^\ p.f,., ' gut this is aohool.boy days, in the nmtur.ty f Z^^^^ie which give to style at not all— ihfse very same oniainontal qualities, ^^"'° "^'7,' ^^. .._ S° e ,reng.l. a,„l'p„lisl>, energy and elegance, "^» »'_^ ^f h"m he well-f )rmed body. i u„„ ,i„w ntipndpd to the whole Indeed, no one, we think, ^^V^^J^^^^j^^^ ,",'led with the fullest '''s;,t^r'th°n''hf pupil employed, till .he age ?f. 'e- or e,|>» .w'r:e•'y:;r:!1"^he w!:.,Las eLy and pleasanus^^^^^^^^^^ .-of learning his native language, digested in a '^yf^"'!'" or order, =.0 as to exhibit, with some dagree of ^de ny and comp e hen.iveness, an inventory of the parts -"Ymemo'y wUh a he world, enrichin-. the while, his mmd and •"e"^^'^' ^ thi. vast manifold element, of knowledge and reflection «'hich thn vast field op3ns to hin. ; prosecuting at the same ''"^' '^^^V J^^^ mechanism of language, a study quue ^^^ , ^^^^ f,f .^ZectC suited to the age, when memory is fresh and susceptive , c°""^^" » witlii this, all^tha kindred and subsidiary stu^J^s^o ar thrneUc. geometry, geograp!iy, history^natural and civ^l-so tar 24 TEACHING THE ENOUSH L^:,0UA0K. u an ample fi.Id of occuo. ior ' f r development. With s„ch capaci,y--oecup.tion^rh7;:ufdttlr '"■'"' to his age, taste, to be enJoymen^ whi'e it lays the Lf/ ,'" ^T^ P^'"' «"d ^-age the responsibility, of oommitr. Timse f TuT' °' '^^''^^ ^° ^"-"^ 01 adopting a new and untested mp^ho I ^",^V°"''^' '° ^^^^ hazard "'ay be permitted to observ7for Z t' T^- "^''^^'^^^g the old, J not unreasonable demurrer!.' ,h. .f'"'^"^*'"" °^«"chi-certainlv capable of being easir' nt '7 '^^' ^'^^ ''y'^"' here sucraested h o instruction. praXV.n'o^ f:l',:,\-J„f ^^e existinrSoJ accompaniment or appendarrr M ? \ "'^ '"^V ^^ k^pt up, a. an «'diary, until the eZHn^omhlsC^^^ and suceessful-an Lue no a ,n W f??^- ^° be at once safe %bout It is quite cerain tlaftho "'''^"'' ^^ ^^ '^e fairly gone after the old style, wUlZfrJ 1 ^T"'""'^"^ «'"'^y "^ grammar we venture to predicl wnUro" "^j'h""' '' P"J"^'- ^ut a.^ cess than ever. In fi ,e, this meTh J """"'^ smoothness and ^uc! just carrying out, on t e moTte:fenrd""'%'° '"^^'^^ ^ consistent and efficient meanV«n.r. scale, and by ,he most tem of education, as ex';o:n^ed , /wL""^;, ^'? '"^^"^^'-^^I ^ys i have thuseti.Iainori -^ °™ and others. of teaching tret^;;:^ 7^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^dtf " " ^'^^ P--' -thod ^erormation, which,\f,er some co^sl^eraM ""^"''^^^d «-^tent of the ne s of educa.ion, and long and ca,^fu 1. n'"'^''''"""^' '" ^^e busi. ve.y decidedly, tomyown judgment Thi'^''°"' °°'r^"^« ^^^^'^ in. am not greatly deceived, woulS vvo,I n ". P""" °^''"^ '^^1'^°^, sal improvement, in the first pnT "*' "^ ''^^'°al and univer influential deparlme t of gl'nemi ?d^^^^^^^^^ '^°«' ^"^ and andestablishmentjtappeailtore ' f? °"' ^"^ ''' introduction \« found as practicabCs • "e' ed Jn^''^"'''-'^'^'^°"^' ^^'""'d change,, nor abrupt innova ton n . ' necessitating no violent njent of the estabLrc^u""; "^Zlh d'^?"'^" °^ ^-^"t- difficulty and responsibility of thl wo r ft, '^'?'^ '""^'^le of The made considerable prorrresl- n hJ ' ^- ^""^"'■' having Ureadv pared to submit to the iudlmP.u r f^^^""^" of his design, is pre enlightened friends :i'^:^:f^^ .P^^'i^, -^, -peciflly ^fThe essay, towards digesting the Sish if '''""■'"■' ^''' '^"mble wi 1 make the acq'jisition of U i language into such a form, as r-instead of ame^ely m chan ;;/ ,aV" "^r"'"' ^" intellectual in a harmony he retire liteknlwnT' f "^ T'"'^'"^' '^^ Relieve. tHe knowledge of things He fSll! ^^""^[^'^^^ °f ^vords with S ne irankly avows his eonviction, that TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 25 ter, accom- With such i age, taste, 't and s'age 'idation, for ' there, by •ammar, to iterpoising nd revolu, 5e to incur fie hazard the old, I -certainly fgested is methods Lip, na an and sub. 3nce safe 'rly gone rammar, but, aa and sue- 're, than he most ual eys, method If of the be biisi- Js itself nethod, univer- tal and luction Would violent range, of the ready s pre. of the Jmble m, as !ctual ieves, with that .W. first essay will necessarily fall far short of that accuracy and this tirst essay w i i j conceive than to realize ; completeness, ^^^ich U ^^^H^be SnV' by his attempt, than sim- K\r'of":vTnc ng r rfcticabUi^y of the' scheme, and suggest. tl o abl r men tlfe vera via of teaching-the greatest and nobles M- nman la^Lages-it would be a most ample compensa lion for t oTn failure For he is persuaded, that neither ambit.on nor *Vr «™y'of°:'urtn|ute%''a".i"g " '^ .he purpose of edu- cTon a'Tthe u" of so^hoo!,,' i. is proposed to div.de m.o three nnrt<^ each forming a distinct school manual. ^Sefirs'par will embrace the most common and fami lar words or^ ms^dapted to the capacities of Tyros, and mainly compre. bended i^he^Saxon portion of our '^"g^^g?-:^"^"^^ ,,^\^^°^ «rnrHpr as to nresent a systematized! view of the manifold know- Ld^ and experience, of which it is the interpreter and the record •fhe second which is intendc d to serve as an immediate sequel to the former will have to deal more exclusively, than any of the three Xthe mere mechanism of the language, or the laws and ttiree, wiiii u « exhibited in the processes of denva- ["d : mposirn Tht; ^ill embrace its Sther main branch, ^ved in Teat measure-whether directly or indirectly- from the anienf languages-Latin and Greek-together with no irconsiderabrproporfion. derived from the other ancient, or from Srn fo7eien^language; . This will take in all the words of cur TangiageTthat are less common and familiar-such as terms of ar, science iterature, fine arts and philosophy-drawn from the best and ktes standards in each. These terms will be interpre ed, by applying to their definition the analytical process of derivation and appiyiiij, lu „ ,^ •„_ ^uu the help of the vocabulary, contained ?nT:rt"m ut^,^e^^^^^^^^^ f ^^ t^i" erms of ouTsaxoA English. This exercise, while it affords the sSan cT)portn ity of comparing the two chief constuuent ele- ments of the Englisu language, will tend to give him, with a copious- ness and varietl of expression, arising out of an equal command of The resources of both, a taste for-and a mastery of-the pure an. ^'tlfiZ TnTras^^n'^aUempt will be made, to exhibit this the most difficult and helerogeneous portion of our language, m its ap- Stiintoarts, sciences and philosophy, by giving, unsystematic order a vocabulary of the most prominent and important words connected with the nomenclatures and terminologies of each, so di- 26 STRICTURES, in the vocabulary aZop late to ea^^ ^-perfectly reflected that he will be umW Vhf ^^'® ''"^''°'' ^^ ^^^11 aware, upontbeboter ndam lerresoTrS^ ^V^-^^^^^ very largel^ friencjs and fautors in mH/rtn f ' °^ "^ scientific and leaFned he take, thCo^^^^tini ;tf :s^^^^^^^^^^^ and and counsels of those, who may be a a H ''''"° '^^ f ggestions zealous friends of educaUonmavbPn^T"' ^^ ''^^°' '^""g*^ with the assurance that s,?ph TZ. P^'^'^P^^y strangers to hiS, received and aSwledled A tTH""''''r' T^" ^« g'-^'^^""/ ble, and. I believe an fnltbd.S tnne^when there is an admira- great colony of Briain in bf hllf of 'f ^ ^^^^^^"^d, throughout thi, invaluable to nXUo^^Z^:^^^^^^^^^ ^'^j^^^' ^^^^ and ?nd rising con,monwealS who.rS^f IL'^^^ just in the process of being formed ^nrTvlt and institutions are future-it may be truly said i. hmt/ ^^hose all-present, and iest organ of human cultSrP anH "^ '""'' '^'^ ^'^^ and might, gestheSleasinghope tharthirnrrP'"""'"'"^-*^" ^"^^°'' i^^uU truly av'er, in^no ^^^^^^^ -.^ertaken, he can measure of public suDDortTnTn!*^' ^'^^^^ceive a reasonable a fair triaL ^ ^^ ^""^ patronage, and be allowed, at le^.st, ERRATA, „ paragraph, and iramedialely if'eflhe tSi^, f ' 't° t°" "' *» Pr«edmg .symmetry and beauty." symmetry-and beauty," read "and )hp Jensed view \y reflectecl well aware, ;ry largely and learned iencies, and suggestions ho, fhougl) 2rs to him, gratefully an admira- ughout thig t, dear and bose young ulions are esent, and and might? hor indul. en, he can "easonable Ij at leqst, > inadyert-. preceding 'h Srvieto. i&d " ive.*' "and )hp APPENDIX. NOTE A. ill . ^ . r.„™ c5tP wart's " Elements of the Philosophy oF the Hu- tonfiral oi my remarks, on the importance of language, and Us general..- '^?T^ same iacuUies whl^. wi^^-^f ,?ti ^^S^^l^.^ been limited to the coasideralion of ""l^'^f^'^^.P^f^hose comprehensive theorems, by means of signs, fitted to embrace wuhouflo^ ^^^^^ 10 the discovery of wh ch. ^" J^^^'J' J^^^^^^'^^, .^i^^, strength acquires by the would have been unequal. \^'?«. ''°''^° f"f, :_,_e ^f that increase of our iniel- Use of mechanical engines, exhibits b"' "^[^'"^^^Se ot ma ^^^^^^^ lectual capacity which we «^ve to language -It ^th^^^^^ towers of comprehensicn. which ««^^7^ '"^ VJ^^S ems Such a discovery gives sure we receive from the discovery of general J^^^J'^^j ^^^^^s and communi- 1,3 at once the command of an infinite ^"^ ^'^^ °* P^/^^/ke to what we feel whea cates to the mind a sentiment «f ''f.^^Xrcal effects of which we have acqui- we contemplate the magnitude of those physical enects, oi wnici^ ^ red the command by our n.echanical contrivances examination of » The foundation of all human k"owldge must be laid m m ^^^ ^^^^^ particular objects and P^'-'''^fr ^aW elements tha( they possess either truth P""?',ftr"tmuttt\retrnd^^ or utility. It must not, "°^7^'^;.' ^. ,„ .... „„ ^ur own proper experience. If that all our knowledge '"'^^^ "^^'^^jf/, ^ ,U the pro^reL ot human improve- this were the case, the progress of sc enqe ana ^^^V^ necessary for each rhent, must have been wonder ully retau^ed for, u it had been n ^^^^^^^^.^^^ ^^^ individual to form a cl^^«'fi^^\•°?l;^Jf;;^etual examination of part abstradtions of h.s own, and o '"/^;,J'°'"V;',^2d3' human affairs would at this day the general truths on which his conduct Proceeds, numa experience of remain nearly in the «7« «;"\«,|3^:'J';JSl^the Sa'd^n of the sp'ecies in all the first generation. In fact, ^l?'^ '^J^J. "^^ J ^f the race depends on the sepa- those parts of the Nv'orld. in ^^^"^.h^J^;;''''""^"^" for himself the necessaries rate efforts Which each individual '"»^''''°.Pr^^"";f acquirements of each indi- of life ; and in which, o ^-^^J^f^^^^V^V^.^ex^ society. Vidual must be the result of his own pers^^^al ^^p^'^ c ,j^„ ^ge ; by which one of the first adquisitlons vvhich children "^J^^ '/^^^^^^^^^^ ^consideration of ,he infant facuUie, of elch »-=««'" "/;ji',°.°ted'°oveies »hiih, in ona .ge. rit^rd nrsSorXnSS ,.«. bccom,„g m *. ne.,, .be I i 38 APPENDIX. established creed of the learned ; and in the third, forming part of the elementary principles of education. Indeed, among those who enjoy the advantages of early instruction, some of the most remote and wonderful conclusions of the human in- tellect, are, even in infancy, as completely familiarised to tlie mind, as the most obvious phenomena which the raBteiial woild exhibits to their senses," NOTE B. The folk from Dr. Ri Essays, will show how lowmg extract irom vr. keid's J^^ssays, will show how intimate connection between a sound judgment and the faculty of conception. I have subjoined to them some annotations of my own, quoted from my Slatement of the Educational System of Knox's College : — " Our conceptions of things may be clear, disMnct, and steady ; or they may be obscure, indistinct, and wavering. The liveliness of our conceptions gives pleasure, but it is their distinctness and steadiness that enables us to judge rif ht, and to express our sentiments with perspecuity. " If we enquire into the cause, why among persons speaking or wj-iting on the same subject, we find in one so much darkness, in another so much perspicu- ity, I believe the chief cause will be found to be, that one had a distinct and steady conception of what he said or wrote, and the other had not : Men generally find means to express distinctly what they have conceived distinctly, Horace observes that proper words spontaneously follow distinct conceptions. ' Verbaque provi- tam rem non invita sequuntur.' But it is is impossible that a man should dis- tinctly express what he has not distinctly conceived. " We are commonly taught that perspicuity depends upon a proper choice of words, a proper structure of sentences, andaproper order in the whole composition. All this is very true, but it supposes distir.ctness in our conceptions, without t}hich there can be neither propriety in our words, nor »n the structure of our sentences, nor in our method. Nay, I apprehend that indistinct conceptions of things are, for the most part, the cause not only of obscurity in writing and speaking, but of error in judging. Must not they who conceive things in the same manner, form the same judgments of their agreements and disagreements 7 Is it possible for two persons to dij^er with regard to the conclusion of a syllo- gism, who have the same conception of the premises ? " Some persons fii.d it difficult to enter into a mathematical demonstration. I believe we shall always find the reason to be, that they do not distinctly appre- hend it. A man cannot be convinced by what he does not understand. On the other hand, I think a man cannot understand a demonstration without seeing the force of it. I speak ol such demonstrations as those of Euclid, where every step IB set down, and nothing left to be supplied by the reader, " Sometimes one who has got through the first four books of Euclid's Elements and sees the force of the demonstrations, finds difficulty in the fifth. What is the reason of this? You may find, by a little conversation with him, that he has not a clear and steady conception of ratios and of the terms relating to them. When the terms used in the fifth book have become familiar, and readily excite in his mind a clear and steady conception of their meaning, you may venture to affirm that he will be able to understand the demonstrations of that book, and to see the force of them. "If this be really the case, ns it eeems to be, it leads us to think that men are very much upon a level with regard to mere judgment, when we take that faculty apart from the apprehension or conception of things about which we judge ; so that a sound judgment seems to be the inseparable companion of a clear and steady apprehension : And we ought not to consider these two as talents, of which the one may fall to the lot of one man, and the other to the lot of another, but as talents w hich always go together. "It may, howevw, be observed, that some of our conceptions may be more eubaervient to reasoning than others which are equally clear and distinct. It was APPENDIX. 20 ihe elementary mages of early the human in- i, a9 the most ea." intimate is the plion. I have atemcnt of ihe ; or they may ceptions gives to judge right, or wj-iting on nuch perspicii- inct and steady generally find Grace observes 'erbaque provi- so should dis- loper choice of le composition. Jtions, without ructure of our conceptions of I writing and things in the isagreemcnta 1 tion of a ayllo- lonstration. I Btinctly appre- tand. On the lout seeing the lere every step slid's Elements What is the 1, that he has lating to them, readily excite lay venture to t book, and to : that men are ike that faculty we judge ; so of a clear and ilents, of which mother, but as may be more stinct. It was hefor^ observed, that some of our conception, are f ^^^"^'^""VS'ie^?^^^^^^^ ""Zm" what has been said in this article. ^^ follows, that it is so lar in our and dbS a'pjrehenslns of things about which we think and reason, cannot be %^we" admit the truth of Dr. Reid's views, in this passage, it must follow by . S-evrdenTuwh °h.l .ny .Itempl to te.ch ihe ar. of composmon and ihe va- riote tlS' higher Rhe.orio.yhieheon,.Uu.e Ihe g^^^^^^^ S Igl. woVd,Tph-Mis o, idioma , or, to olher words, la 'S""'"'/' ''"•"••»" Sfeyr£Karatr^So^r.j'«is^^^^^^^^^^ ±p'o°it/a.colaled .0 fulfil .he ^n^aof^^^^^^^^ wrr. LThflrrofg^vlTgt trSmS'l'iacle ofea^leo-eea aad dia- oouT. .?. y«h X S oo" deSne, wilhoot blundering at e.er, slep, .ha ^T^Ss'^lmTm^t.lce^v^^^^^ worse than a failure, as all perverse and 30ph?sTica laTt^ drunt r^^^^^^^^ is first thoroughly trained to the d.finu.on of trngs as welPas words ; the teacher blending into happy union, these mo kmdred '1uTa"tpJy"aS^^^^^^ what I may call, the analysis of thought and the war^mar^Sf language; or. as we might otherwise express U, the union of SXSpareing.^wilh etymological and syntactical, would, in my judgment. Tmor forCtoric, Logic, and all that is useful to form a good reasoner or elo- auent writer than has yet been-I do not say. actually reahsed-but even at- ?emnte7 and would it not be as easy, in teaching modern or ancient languages, to do all'tlS at^ne and the same time, as not? Nay, vould not the combina- Uonofhese two exercises facilitate the work, and make it ^t once more pl^^^^^^ sLnt and more perfect, by uniting the soul with the body ; by studying and fnalys^ng ^y scanning an'd comparing-simultaneously and in apposition-lan- guage the instrument-and ihonghl the matter or the subject ? It is the opinion of Locke.-certainly the best judge ot such a question-that the differences of opinion in the world, are. for the most part, not real ; do not SSch or aSthe t'hings themselves about w^i^h- contend, bu are rnerely verbal and rise out of the imperfection and abuse of words, in lact l.ocKe ana Bacon ?oge her with all the great philosophers of the Scottish school concur in Sng Lost all our differences of opinion, all oar intellectual, and especmlly ^ur Saophical difficulties and party divisions, to the .'^ ^Td?fficu"uv of aI tableness of language, much more thaa io any real or mlrmsic difficulty of the aiiKi<»/>la. 30 APPENDIX. The only proper, or indeed possible remedy for an evil — equally affecting thfe' arts of Logic and Rhetoric — nay reaching with fatal iiiiluence to the deepest roots and spreading through all the body and branches of the tree of knowledge, is that which I propose — namely, to combine, with tiie nuiiiinul deriiiition and grammatical parsing of words, a concurrent or simultaneous exposition of the things which they denote, or of the ideas or conceptions of which words are merely arbitrary, and often far from unequivocal and faithful signs or representatives. NOTE C. The following observations of Stewart, which are a just and necessary inferencfy from the proper function of language which he says is " a wonderful mechanisrri to put in action the far mote wonderful mechanism behind the scene," will shew the bearing that this method has on the highest intellectual processes of science! and philosophy: — •' In following any train of reasoning, beyond the circle of ths mathematical sciences, the mind must necessarily carry on, along with the logical deduction expressed in words, another logical process of a fur nicer and more difficult nature ; — that of fixing, with a rapidity which escapes our memory, the precise sense of every word which is ambiguous, by the relation in which it stands to thei general scope of the argument. " The intellectual superiority of one man above another, in all the different branches of moral and political philosophy, will be found to depend chieffy on the success with which he has cultivated these silent hahits of inductive interpreta- tion, — much more, in my opinion, than on his acquaintance with those rules which form the great objects of study to the professed logician. " On the most favourable supposition which can be formed with respect »o the scholastic precepts which profess to leach the art of reasoning, they are superfluous and nugatory ; but, in many cases, it is to be apprehended, that they interfere with the right conduct of the understanding, by withdrawing the attention from the cultivation of that mental logic on which the soundness of our conclusions essentially depends, and in the study of which (although some general rules may be of use) every man must be, in a great measure, his own master." NOTE D. I give the following extract from Isaac Taylor's " Home Education," as afTord- ing an excellent illustration of my remarks on what may be called the descriptivtf portion of our language : — •' Words are at once our guides and our goads :n seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling, with discrimination. Words are the stimulants of perception, and the indicators of the less obtrusive class of sensible facts. There are many thousand appearances in nature — there are innumerable varieties of figure, motiOa, colour, texture, which would never arrest the eye, and of which we should take no sort of cognizance, if we had not first come to the knowledge of the word which notes the particular phenomenon, and thence been led to look for its arche* type in nature. " The hearing of a new descriptive term, with its meaning, is like the — " 3ee there" — addressed by the quick-sighted and well-informed to the dull, when the two are taking their turn through a museum. It is thus that the reading of poetry opens the eyes to a new world of phenomena, obvious indeed ; but not actually observed until we receive this sort of aid. An appropriate instance in illustration of my meaning, may be found in the set of phrases employed by medical practi- tioners for characterizing the variations of the pulse : for this example shows how and APPENDIX. 31 very much the exactness of our perceptions depends upon the mental aid we re- ceive from the use of distinctive terms. An unprofessional finger, how fine soever may be its sense of touch, does not usually discriminate more than four or five varieties of beat, ai tlie wrist ; and we are content to say that the pulse is — quick or slow — hard or soft — strong or weak. But the varieties noted by the physician, find retained in his recoUeciion by the use of distinctive epithets, amount to as many as two and twenty. As for instance, the pulse is said to be either— frequent, slow, intern! :ttent, equal, regular, or of varying force : or it is — full, long, labour- ing, bounding, feeble: or it is — hard, sharp, strong: or it is — wiry, weak, soft, yielding: or it is— quick, or tardy : or it is — large, or small. Now, by the mere aid of this set of phrases, fixed in the memory, an unprofessional hand might be trained, with a little practice, to feel and to distinguish all these varieties. Descriptive words, then, and especially technical terms, might justly be called the antenna: of perception : it is by these that we feel our way to nicer, and still more nice sensations. " Or let any one give a few days' attention to a botanical glossary, storing his memory, pretty well, with those phrases which have been constructed for the pur-i pose of noting what common eyes do not discriminate, in the forms and colours of the vegetable world. The mere possession of these words enables him to see what, without them, he would never have noticed. We now put out of view the regularly conducted and scientific study of botany, and borrow an illustration from it, with the single intention of showing how the mere acquirement of descriptive phrases, understood in their etymology, and their actual or technical application, opens the eyes and leads the way to an expended and precise observation of na- ture. These same terms then, so employed to fi.x the attention upon particular phenomena, thenceforward discharge a higher function in regard to the conceptive faculty, serving to bring before the mind — not vague impressions merely of the more obtrusive features of nature, but all the varied richness of her garb, and with the utmost exactness. *****# " Few persona, perhaps, among those engaged in education are fully awnre either of the great and various advantages resulting from a thoroughly digested And comprehensive knowledge of our own language, or of the ease with which such an acquirement may be made. On this ground far more might be achieved than is often attempted ; nor should I fear to abide by the issue of a series of ex- periments, adapted to the purpose of exhibitmg the comparative practical efTorts, on the one side, of an elaborate classical education, reaching its acm6, let us say, in the production of some faultless Greek verses ; and on the other side, of an education purely English ; but so managed as to lodge the entire compass of the mother-tongue in the mind, on a philosophically digested system, and as related, first to the several faculties of the mind, and secondly, to the specific uses of ac- tive and 1 rofessional life. My firm belief is that the balance, as to power over the minds of others, and as to practical efficiency, in carrying on the minds own operations, would turn decisively in favour of the latter method : but in fact the two are not incompatible. »«*»#» " The modern European tongues (at least) may with great ease be thus taught in conjunction ; and so many are the points of agreement among them, that the points of difference give rise to little difiiculty, and it is evident that, when four or five languages, placed, as we may say, in parallel columns, are compared, the general impression made upon the learner's mind by the analogii „ or identical forms, in a view of the four or five, in conjunction, will be so strong as to aid him much in rendering himself master of the peculiarities of each. The English lan- guage, claiming cousinship as it does, on both sides, with the northern and with the southern tongues, opens the way to the acquirement of any one of either class. Especially is this true (after Greek and Latin have been acquired) in relation to French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, which in fact may more readily be taught and learned as so many dialects of the same stock, than separately and ponsecutively." •«