Art. XXVII. Remarks on an Article in the Panoplist (American Magazine.)

IN our Review for January, 1807, we introduced to the knowledge of our readers an American publication, called "A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, &c. by Noah Webster, Esq. 1806." We have lately received two numbers of a periodical work published at Boston in New England, intitled the Panoplist, in which our remarks on Mr. Webster's performance are reprinted, with strictures by himself. That Gentleman professes to have communicated his observations to the public, "because he wished his reply to reach the (Eclectic) Reviewers, in expec tation that they would manifest their candour and love of justice, by republishing his remarks." We should gladly do this, but that their extent, together with that of the rejoinder which ought to be annexed, would be unavoidably greater than our readers in general would probably judge to be due to the subject in dispute. We hope, also, that it will not be impossible to demonstrate, to the satisfaction of Mr. W. and his friends, our candour and love of justice, by a shorter process; especially as he admits that our "criticisms, with the exception of two or three observations, manifest liberality of sentiment, and contain a greater portion of praise, than English Reviewers have generally bestowed on American publications. If, therefore, we can vindicate, or else duly apologize for, these few obnoxious sentiments, we apprehend that the author will be gratified to the spirit, though not to the letter, of his expectation.

We think it likely that we mistook Mr. W.'s meaning in his preface, as we understood that his compend was avowedly intended to complete his system. He, on the other hand, evidently mistook our meaning, when he charged us with inconsistency for remarking that the etymologies of words were necessary to complete the system, but that these could hardly be expected in a compend. If our readers refer to the article, they will find that these observations were introduced mere'y as objections to the propriety of professing to "complete a system of elementary principles, for the instruction of youth in the English language," by the compend which Mr. W. presented to the public. We cannot yet assign any other signification to the expressions which we have just quoted from his preface: but we readily admit him to be the best judge of what he designed to express.

Mr. W. is surprised, as we doubt not most English Grammarians would be, at our reluctance to intitle the Anglo-Saxon "the mother tongue of the English." He appeals to Dr. Johnson, "who asserted the whole fabric and scheme of the English language to be Gothic or Teutonic." Wc have, on various occasions, defended the memory of our great Lexicographer, against what we deemed unreasonable cavils: but we cannot give him credit for philological knowledge sufficient for the ground of such an assertion. To a person who is tolerably conversant with any dialect of the ancient British language, it will be obvious, that Dr. Johnson was unacquainted with the real sources of numerous English terms, and therefore incompetent to decide the character of its " whole fabric and scheme."

Mr. W. supposes (with Mr. Pinkerton and others) that the people and the language of England were so much gothicized (if we may be allowed the term) before the Romans conquered our country, that it is from the "early Belgic settlers we have received the body of the English

language. The Saxons and Angles, who conquered Britain in the sixth and seventh centuries" (says our author) "spoke a dialect of the same language with the Belgic inhabitants-they were comparatively few in number-they introduced few females-and incorporating with the former inhabitants, they could not have introduced a new language: though not improbably the language might have suffered some variations from the Saxons, as well as from the later invaders, the Danes.” "This," adds Mr. W. "is what I call the Anglo-Saxon language, and the parents of modern English.”

If this h pothesis could be established, we think that a different name should consequently be assigned to the mother-tongue, which in this case might as well be called Danish as Saxon, and would more properly be termed Belgic. The only authorities to which Mr. W. refers, are Cæsar's information, that the Belge occupied some southern maritime parts of Britain; that of Tacitus, that the inhabitants of those parts differed not much in language from those of the opposite coasts of Gaul; and the affinity between the Saxon part of English and the modern Dutch. On these grounds we formed an opinion somewhat similar to that of Mr. W., till a closer examination into historical facts constrained us to relinquish it. We are not aware of any event recorded in the history of our country, that warrants the supposition of more than one language having been commonly used in it, previous to the Saxon conquest; although different dialects of that general language were doubtless used in different districts of South Britain. The Belga, according to the ancient documents, published in the Myvyrian Archa ologia, first came to Britain in distress, on account of their own country having been overflowed by the sea. They were hospitably received by the Britons, and had lands assigned to them in the Isle of Wight, in the vicinity of which they are placed by Ptolemy. That they had gradually sprea i along the south-east coast, appears from Cæsar : but that they ever possessed any considerable part of England, or came in such numbers, or force, as greatly to affect the language then in common use, is repugnant to the tenor of history. It is, indeed, much more likely, that their language, previous to their arrival, for the greater part, in Britain, had become nearly conformed to that of the Biitons; for it had probably been strongly impregnated with that of the native Gauls, which was the same as that of the earliest Britons. Hence, Tacitus's observation is by no means incompatible with the general prevalence of one language in South Britain. The influence of the Jutes, Angles, and Saxons, on our language, slightly as Mr. W. speaks of it, was incomparably greater than any that can, on historical ground, be attributed to the Belgic Colonists. Eyen the similarity of the Dutch and English languages, especially where the former is dissimilar from the German, arises chiefly from a mixture of the ancient British, or Gallic dialects, with those modern tongues.

Of our remarks on the words either and each, Mr. W. politely says that they are error and absurdity from beginning to end:" but as nothing that he has added affords, in our apprehension, a shadow of confirmation to these charges, we think it necessary only to refer our readers to the article in question, leaving the decision to their better judgement; and to apprise Mr. W., that, when we said the word " each must be used of two," we meant, as was obvious from the connexion, that the words every one could only be used of a greater number than two.

The acrimony with which Mr. W. has expressed himself on this sub

ject seems to have been excited by our incautious use of the offensive phrase " dabblers in Etymology." We confess that we ought not to have classed Mr. W. under this description, without a better critierion to judge of his acquisitions than the preface to his short work afforded us, Had it evinced an equal degree of research with that which is discovered by his communications to the Panoplist, we should certainly have avoided, the expression and we should now think it incumbent on us to make a farther apology for a judgement which appears to have been premature, had not the author, by a dereliction of the candour with which he began the discussion, already taken the law of retaliation into his own hand.

Mr. W. cannot admit us to be serious in our defence of the English pronunciation of angel and ancient, and persists in condemning it as a departure from the original sound, which he apprehends the Americans to have retained, or restored. We are uncertain whether our transatlantic brethren have made a similar improvement in the sound of a before n and g soft, in the words strange, change, danger, manger, &c. or if they should still be content to pronounce these as their ignorant progenitors in England have done immemorially, how they will account for their departure from an universal rule in their amendment of the word angel!

We had expressed our apprehension, that Mr. W.'s deviations from universal custom, (in orthography) must greatly lessen the utility of his dictionary; and our opinion, that a lexicographer's business is to adopt the prevailing orthography of the age in which he writes, not to attempt changes, the success of which muss be dubious, if not utterly improbable. "This rule," says Mr. W. "if received without qualification, is fraught with mischief to our language. Indeed it is impracticable for in some classes of words, the usage is not ascertainable, the orthography being unsettled. But the rule itself contradicts the principle adopted in every other branch of literature, that "errors are to be corrected, when discovered, or clearly proved to be such." Why it should be impracticable to ascer tain the prevailing orthography of our age, we are at a loss to understand: but if there were a case in which it was difficult, nothing that we said could militate against a lexicographer making his choice between contending authorities. We objected only to unusual modes of spelling; and to these, only as lessening the general usefulness of a compendious dictionary. Our readers can judge, whether, in referring to works of this kind, their object be not to ascertain what is the customary, rather than the primary, orthography of words. Authors may adopt, or invent, what modes of spelling they please, without essential injury to their com positions; but compilers of dictionaries, and especially of compends for familiar use, render their labours nearly useless, by attempts to establish uncustomary modes of spelling.

It is with great pleasure that we find Mr. W. has "studied Llwyd with diligence, and probably with success, as he has found many of the radical words, not only of English and French, but of the Latin, which had escaped the observation of others." We earnestly recommend to him perseverance in the investigation. Such a knowledge of the Welch language as will enable him to read the Myvyrian Archeology, may be ac quired by the use of Owen's and Walter's Dictionaries, and it will furnish him with lights on the history and language of Britain, which must render his larger work superior to any that has preceded it: In the course VOL. IV. Nn

of his inquiries, he will find reason to believe that England, from Nor thumberland to the Land's-end was once inhabited by a tribe called Libegrwys, who before inhabited France from Gascogne to the river Loire, (or Liger) and who probably spread thence into Italy, where they were called Ligurians. Of this tribe, the late Cornish were the representatives. Of their language, the only printed remains, beside Llwyd's grammar, are contained in the vocabulary annexed to Borlase's Antiquities of Cornwall, and in Pryce's Archæologia Cornubritannica, which includes Dr. Borlase's Vocabulary with large additions. These fragments suffice to shew whence every sound of our language that is not common to other Gothic dialects, has been derived. This is what we regard as the mother tongue of the English, although the multitudes and the ferocity of Gothic invaders, the evacuation of England by innumerable crowds that took shelter in Wales, Cornwall, and Bretagne, and the tame submission of a great part of the Lloegrians, who are severely censured by the Welch, for "becoming Saxons," have left the traces of our original speech only accessible to impartial, laborious, and persevering investigation.

We will detain our readers no longer, than to mention some patriotic reflections and arguments on the importance of cultivating and extending the English language, in preference to the French. Mr. W. affords a very laudable example to his countrymen, in standing on his guard against the encroachments of French ambition, to the success of which he suspects the general use of their language to have been essentially subservient. σε Το the pave for this extension of their language," says he, "the French had the policy to refine and improve it, by purifying its orthography, and reducing it to a good degree of regularity. In short, they first removed the chief obstacles to the easy acquisition of their language by foreigners; and without this previous measure, their efforts would have been unavailing."

way

Of this argument, we would say with our whole hearts, valeat quantum `valere potest; though we entertain some difference of judgement as to the modes by which the French language has been improved and recom-. mended, and as to those by which similar advantages may accrue to the English tongue. The modern French orthography is incomparably less regular, and less consistent with etymology, than it was two centuries ago, although very little alteration has been made in it during the last century. We think that the precision and neatness which the language has acquired from elegant and ingenious writers, have much more contributed to its extensive use. Words formerly used as synonymous, have been accurately distinguished, and carefully applied to discriminate radiations of ideas. What would have become of the French language, if its grammarians and lexicographers had employed their labour and time in reducing it to the state in which it was left by the Franks and other barbarous conquerors of ancient Gault Yet such appears to us to be the object of several recent treatises on our own language. We are called to reject the refinements by which our elegant writers of the last century have recommended the English tongue to universal esteem, and to return to the barbarous phraseology of our Saxon ancestors. Supposing, for instance, that Mr. W. could prevail with Englishmen on both sides of the Atlantic, to reject the distinct senses of the words every one, each, and either, which have been established by our best modern writers, and to use them synonymously as was for.

merly done; what would be the consequence, but a retrograde approximation to confusion and barbarism?

In closing, Mr. W. pathetically remarks, "It is my earnest desire to prosecute my designs to a (an) useful conclusion; but my means are scanty, the labour Herculean, and the discouragements numerous and formidable." For the good intentions of the author, we consider the industry, the patriotism, and the piety which he manifests, as indubitable pledges. Of the difficulties of his undertaking, we have perhaps yet greater apprehensions than himself. Far be it from us willingly to augment them. We aim, on the contrary, to diminish them, by directing and limiting his labours to objects which are attainable. Let him take the English language, as he finds it in our most correct and elegant modern writings; whether as to the meaning, or to the orthography, of words. Let him beware of deciding on its pronunciation, dise advantageously as he is situated for ascertaining it. Let him trace to their ge nuine sources, the numerous words which we have received from various dialects of the ancient British language, and on which almost all his predecessors have been either silent or mistaken. We heartily wish him success, and shall, with great cordiality, contribute any advice or information in our power, for his encouragement, if we learn, by a communication to the editor, that it will be acceptable.

ART. XXVIII. SELECT LITERARY INFORMATION.

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Mr. G. Nicholson, of Poughnilt, near Ludlow, announces that he has a new publication in considerable forwardness at the press, called The Cambrian Traveller's Guide and Pocket Companion,' containing the collected information of the most authentic writers, relating to the Principality, and parts of the adjoining counties of England; augmented with considerable original additions, the result of various excursi

.ons.

so as to include a mass of interesting parti culars in a small compass.

Mr. Fenton, who some time ago announced his intention of publishing a Historical Tour through the connty of Pembroke, and who is known to have been long engaged in col.ecting mater als for it, is now proceeding with that work, and will shortly put it to press. It will be embellished with a variety of engravings from drawings by Sir Richard Hoare; Mr. Fenton intends this work as a part of a general description of South Wales, which he hopes to be ab e to com

The work is arranged under numerous heads, of cities, towns, villages, inns, bridges, castles, palaces, mansions,abbeys, churches, mountains, rocks, inlets, waterfalls, ferplete, to form a companion to Mr. Penries, passes, &c. in alphabetic order: with descriptions of what is remarkable in the intervening spaces, in every direction; as solitary houses, forts, encampments, walls, ancient roads, caverns, rivers, aqueducts, woods, fields of battles, cromlechs, carnddau, tumuli, pillars, druidic circles, works of iron, copper, tin, and potteries. The distances are given and what roads respective tourists pursued, so as to preserve the distinct routes of Aikin, Barber, Bingley, Coxe, Donovan, Evans, Hutten, Malkin, Pennant, Skrine, Warner, and Wyndham, on a peculiar plan. The whole is interspersed with historic and biographie notices; with natural history, botany, mineralogy, agriculture, and remarks on the manners and customs of the inhabitants. It is printJug in a middle sized 8vo. in double columns,

nant's account of North Wales; it is also Mr. Fenton's design to publish about the same time with his account of Pembrokeshire, a new and enlarged edition, in three voluines quarto, of Mr. Pennant's works; with this view he means to go over the ground which Mr. Pennant travelled, to collect what materials may have escaped the researches of his predecessor, and to explore other districts of North Wales, which Mr. Pennant did not visit; in this excursion he will be accompanied by Sir Richard Hoare, who has in the most obliging manner volunteered his service to supply what drawings may be deemed desirable, and to superintend the engraving of them. Other drawings will also be given from the collection of Mr. Pennant.

The Hibernian Society has published a