The preeminence of such a method was so powerfully supported by reason, that I formed an unshaken resolution to adhere to it, to make it prevail by every means in my power, and utterly to renounce the trite jargon of the schools: thus I once more adopted what greybeard prejudice sarcastically calls ROTE, though nations follow no other mode in learning their mother tongue.

The combined arguments of Reason and of Naturé impelled me now to condemn my Grammatical Companion, though ready for the press: my gratitude and my duty to the public withheld me also from printing it, convinced that the method contained therein, though generally followed in the schools, is founded on erroneous principles.

On the other hand, pecuniary motives, and even imperious necessity (let it be acknowledged without shame), would demand the publication of the work, as I had obtained, by this time, a greater number of subscribers than was necessary to defray the expense of printing, which, of course, would have left a balance in my favour highly acceptable.

The approving voice of some, to whom the work had been submitted, and the flattering hopes of success which they held out to me, were additional motives of encouragement. To extricate myself, however, from the labyrinth into which these circumstances had involved me, and to put an end to the conflict between my principles and interest, in a moment of enthusiasm for Condillac and true Philosophy, I committed the Grammatical Com

* I consider it as a piece of duty and gratitude towards those generous and patriotic editors of newspapers, who inserted my proposals for that work, on the promise of a printed copy, to acquaint them, that they are entitled to a copy of the present one, which will be delivered at their respective places of abode, upon receiving a line from them; their papers containing my proposals having, in the course of several years, been lost.

panion to the flames", regardless of my time or my labors. I only retained the system of conjugation of the French verbs, which, having undergone many alterations, will appear in the course of this work.

Far from entertaining then any idea of publishing a work on Language, I felt myself unequal to the undertaking: I was resolved, however, to investigate the subject, and became convinced, from reflecting on the human understanding, and the influence of signs upon it, which Condillac principally suggested to me, that no one can have pretensions to the character of a grammarian, without previously being a metaphysician; that is to say, without being capable of analyzing the faculties of the soul, and tracing the human ideas to their very source.

It appeared, therefore, to me, that the best grammar would be the history of the gradual formation of language, and that disclosing, in a plain simple style, the means by which Nature prompted savage and ignorant man to express his wants, &c. must be adapted to every capacity. Such a knowledge, it was conceived, would not only reflect a strong light on grammatical science, but on all our other studies: for sciences are, in fact, languages more or less perfect. To prove this assertion of Condillac, we have only to resort to the astonishing progress of chymistry, which took place as soon as Lavoisier, a disciple of that celebrated metaphysician, had improved, or rather changed, the language of that science. My deviating from the method of common grammars, by introducing the parts of speech to learners, in the second

Metaphysics being the knowledge of abstractions and generalizations, it is impossible, without it, to advance a single step in the science of grammar and of language. Grammar is disgraced when reduced to mere grammar, without logic and metaphysics. SICARD.

volume of this work, is accounted for in the preceding observations.

When I deemed myself sufficiently acquainted with metaphysics, I studied the best French and English writers on general grammar. Those that I read with most benefit, were Harris, Adam Smith, Horne Tooke, Dumarsais, Beauzée, Gebelin, and particularly R. A. Sicard, whose late French grammar, as well as his other writings, have been eminently useful to me, while engaged in this work.

With respect to the authors of French grammars for the use of Englishmen, whatever merit some may be entitled to in their own way, yet, as the mode here exemplified is so essentially different from theirs, they could be of no great service to me.

Having, in some respects, prepared the readers for a work on which they are to decide, I submit the analysis of it to their candour and judgment; but, especially I submit it to those who are willing either to approve or re ject it by the standard of experience; or, in other words, who will try my method.

It is comprised in two volumes: the first, which is practical, is by far the more important to the learner, as it will enable him to acquire a competent knowledge of the French language.

It contains three Vocabularies, and a collection of Fami liar and Idiomatical Phrases. The first Vocabulary is that of the names of objects, which occur most frequently in conversation: the gender is carefully affixed to each of them; to every word is adapted a familiar phrase, such as I could remember to have been often used with the word. This familiar phrase renders the fundamental words in each Vocabulary more striking, in the same manner as an ele

cuous.

gant frame renders the picture it contains more conspiSome verbs, with appropriate phrases following particular nouns, are designed to describe the actions. which those very nouns might naturally bring to the mind, on being pronounced, and, on that account, they become a valuable addition to the Vocabulary.

In the distribution of this Vocabulary, we have not classed the terms in an arbitrary manner; we have, on the contrary, followed, as near as possible, the order pointed out by the scale of our wants, as the members of a civilized nation.

The advantages arising from such a classification, must be obvious to every one, as the most useful words are the first offered to the memory; and the learner, judging of the utility of the French words by that of the corresponding English, and, impelled by the voice of interest, and a conviction that we are leading him aright, will insensibly have his attention more and more fixed on the object of his pursuit.

If I may be permitted to speak in favor of this Vocabulary, which has cost me no inconsiderable labor and attention, I will venture to assert that it contains no useless, improper, or obsolete words, while it is thought but few necessary terms have been omitted. For the sake of regularity we have divided it into four sections, and those sections into several chapters.

The second Vocabulary comprises the various kinds of Numbers, the principal Adjectives, and a sufficient collection of Abstract Nouns. The numbers are placed at the head of this Vocabulary; because, as the ideas relative to numeration so frequently occur to the human un

derstanding, their signs should be known as early as possible.

The Adjectives have been so disposed as to enable the scholar easily and promptly to acquire as perfect a knowledge of the feminine gender of French Adjectives as a Frenchman himself can possess. The most ingenious rules and theories on the subject, could not impart to the scholar the accurate information that would secure him from continual blunders.

The Abstract Nouns of this Vocabulary have been ranged in alphabetical order; though it might have been more regular to have classed them according to the probable order of their admission into language; this would have cost much labor, while the advantage offered to the learner, would be very inconsiderable".

The third Vocabulary is a series of very important words, which are called words forming the link, or completion of sense, between the other parts of speech, and are known in grammar by the denomination of Pronouns, Prepositions, Adverbs, Conjunctions, and Interjections, Those terms give to the language that possesses them in the greatest abundance, a decided superiority over other languages, as the thoughts of the human mind (like a picture in which light and shade are happily disposed) appear to more advantage when conveyed under that variety of expression, from which even the faculty of reasoning receives a greater degree of accuracy; they are so essential to the complete conveyance of our ideas, that we cannot utter a single sentence without introducing some of them.

It would, perhaps, be the most difficult problem a metaphysician could solve.