A LETTER то Mr. FONTENELLE, Secretary to the French ACADEMY. SIR, AM afhain'd of having defer'd fo long to answer your Letter: but my ill State of Health, and a continual Hurry of Affairs occafion'd this Delay. The Choice that the ACADEMY Of late in many Parts of Europe, fome Gentlemen met together; fubmitted to common Laws, and form'd themselves into ACADEMYS, But it has been for the most part to a different Purpofe [from the ROYAL SOCIETY's] and most of them only aim'd at the fmoothing of their Stile and the Language of their Country. Of thefe, 201 DEMY has made of you for their per petual Secretary, is worthy of fuch a Society; and promifes great Advantage to the Commonwealth of Learning. I own, Sir, that I'm fomewhat perplex't with the Requeft you make me in the Name of a BODY to which I'm fo much oblig'd. But feeing they defire it, I will freely give them my Opinion, with a great Diftruft of my felf, and a fincere Deference for those who vouchfafe to confult ine. thefe, the First arofe in Italy But that which excell'd all the other, and kept it-felf longer untainted from the Corruptions of Speech was the FRENCH ACADEMY at Paris. This was compos'd of the nobleft Authors of that Nation; and had for its Founder the great Cardinal de Richelieu who amongst all his Cares, whereby he eftablish't and enlarg'd that Monarchy fo much, did often refresh himself by directing, and taking an Account of their Progrefs. And indeed in his own Life, he found fo great Succefs of this Inftitution, that he faw the French-Tongue abundantly purify'd, and beginning to take place in the Western World, almost as much as the Greek did of-old, when it was the Language of Merchants, Souldiers, Courtiers, and Travellers. But I fhall fay no more of this ACADEMY, that I may not deprive my Reader of the Delight of perusing their own Hiftory written by M. de PELISSON; which is fo mafculinety, fo chastly, and fo unaffectedly done, that I can hardly forbear envying the French Nation this Honour that while the English ROTAL SOCIETY has fo much outgone their illuftrious Academy in the Greatness of its Undertaking, it hou'd be fo far fhort of them in the Abilities of its Hiftorian. I have only this to allege in my Excufe, that as they undertook the Advancement of the Elegance of Speech, fo it be came their Hiftory to have fome Resemblance to their Enterprize: whereas the Intention of Our's being not the Artifice of Words, but a bare Knowledge of Things; my Fault may be efteem'd the lefs, that I have written of Philofopher's without any Ornament of Eloquence.ˆ‚· Bp. SPRAT'S Hift. of the Royal Society. p. 39, 40. S.I. THE Dictionary that the Acade- Ar. Poet. Nedum fermonum ftet honos, & gratia vivax. HoR. de However it will be of feveral Ufes. It is a Point in which the Moderns have out-done the Antients. In time, Pofterity will find the Benefit of having a Dictionary, that will ferve as a Key to fo many fine Books. The Value of fuch a Work must increase in proportion to it's Age. §. II. IT were to be wifh't, methinks, that the ACADEMY wou'd add a GRAMMAR to their Dictionary. It wou'd be a great Help to Foreigners, who are often perplex't with our irregular Phrafes. The habitual Eafinefs of speaking our own Language, hinders us from perceiving what it is that puzzles them. Befides, moft of the French themselves wou'd fometimes have occafion to confult fuch an establish't Rule, They learn't their Mother-tongue only by Custom : and Custom has its Defects, every-where: Each Province has its own: Paris is not faultlefs. Even the Court it-felf has a Tang of the Language of Paris; where the Children of the higheft Quality are ufually educated. The moft polite People can fcarce get rid of the Tone, and peculiar Expreffions they learn't in their Childhood, by converfing with their Attendants, in Gascony, Normandy, or in Paris it-felf. The ' |