The Galic word Be is the root of the Greek noun B, which fignifies life, and alfo fuftenance. It will be remarked alfo that B. is ufed to fignify a bow, which was the chief inftrument ufed by the primitive focieties of temperate climes in procuring the means of fupporting life. The Greek word B, which fignifies ftrength, is ufed by the Caledonians to denote viduals*. Thus the word Bia, which with the original inventors of the Celtic or Galic language denoted victuals, was by the Greeks ufed to fignify strength; a quality depending upon the poffeffion of the means of fubfiftence The The of the Greeks, and the Deus of the Latins, both fignifying God, are compounded of Two Galic words; Ti, a being, and Tos or Tus, equally common to denote firft or beginning. In the compound, thefe two words are pronounced Tios or Tius, the firft letter of the feco d word being always thrown out. letter in the word Ti has a middle found, or foft pronunciation, between the Theta of the Greeks and the T of the English, and is formed by application of the tongue to the teeth and roof of the mouth. O fignifies, literally, the first being. In like manner, the Venus of the Latins is a compound of Ben and Tus, which literally fignify the first woman. The letter B, in compounds and inflections, is always foftened into V; fo that, in Galic, the first woman is properly denominated Bhenus, pronounced as if written Venus. dag and Ed fignify food. I hefe words are compounded of the Galic words Ed or Eid, and Ar: the former fignify food fimply, and the latter, ploughed land. The word dag, in ftrict propriety of fpeech, fignifies that fpecies of food which is produced from the culture of the ground, or from ploughed land. It will readily fuggeft itfelf to the learned, that the combined words of Edag form the roots of the Greek and Latin words Ed, edo, Agow, aro. Εδρα, which fignifies a feat, has an evident reference to food. The word is compounded of two Galic words, Ed and Tra, which literally fignify meal-time: the T is loft in the compound. There is an intimate relation between the act of making a meal, and the place or feat where the early tribe or fociety affembled and fat down to eat. mianus Marcellinus fays of the Alans, Cumque ad graminea venerint Am Beo fignifies alive, and Bas, death. This laft word is a compound of Be. life, and As, out. The Latin word Cibus, which fignifies victuals or food, is derived from the Galic word Cib or Caoib, which fignifies fuch a portion of meat as a man could devour at a mouthful. A portion or part is expreffed in Galic by the word Mir, fynonymous to the Greek word Mag, and is expreffive of a larger portio than Cib. It may be obferved, that meat, and the action of eating, are expreffed in the Greek language by the word was and that the verb Beurla and Bux, fignify to eat or devour. Thefe words are derived from Bru or Bro, which in Galic fignifies the belly. Bru is the most common pronunciation, but Bro is not to be rejected; a proof of which is furnished by Broinn, which alfo fignifies belly, and in its inflected cafes varies into Bronn; and the word Brolean, which fignifies the paunch. The Greek word Beous, which fignifies a rumbling noife, is compounded of two Galic words, Bro and Fuaim, which in the compound is Brouaim, contracted, is pronounced Breim, and fignifies crepitus ventris. in orbiculatam figuram locatis Sarracis ferino ritu vefcuntur. When the wandering fociety made a meal, they fat in the form of a circle; and though the Author compares their manner of eating to that of wild beafts, yet regularity and order must have been obferved in the divifion and diftribution of their food. We fhall have o cafion to confider, in another place, the manner in which that matter was régulated. Es, which alfo fignifies a feat, derived its name from the relation between eating of food and the place where it is eaten. The Adis or boufe, of the Romans, got its name rom the important circumftance of its being the place of refort for the family or tribe at meal time. Eda, which fignifies dona fponfalia, or prefents which a bridegroom made to his bride, is a compound of two Galic words, Ed, and No or Nua, literally fignifying new food. This word has a reference to the condition of primeval fociety. When the objects of greatest value confifted of the means of fubfiftence, an article of fresh or new food must have been in a high degree acceptable. When marriage cane to be introduced, the presents made by a new married man to his bride ftill retained the denomination of From Ar there are many Greek derivatives. App fignifies ploughed land, alfo crop of corn. AT fignifies bread. In Glic, a crop of corn, and bread, are expreffed by Arbhar, commonly pronounced Arar and Aran; all being equally derivatives of the root Ar. So the Greek and Latin words, Agror, arabilis, arable; gorge, aratrum, a plough; Apr, arater, a ploughman; and many others, are evidently derived from the fame fource. It has been obferved, that Re, in its primitive acceptation, fignifies divifion; in its fecond acceptation concord, the confequence of divifion or diftribution of food. It alfo fignifies clear, without obftruction, which is the effect of concord. Thus the English word Read fignifies, in Galic, clear turf; Re-od-contracted, Rod -a compound of Re, clear, and Fod, turf, The letter F is quiefcent in the compound. It may be oblerved, that Pea in Greek fignifies eafily, and o fignifies a way. Are, vir, a man, is a compound of the Galic words An and Fer, which in the inflected cafes are pronounced Aner, the man. Fer in the plural is Fir. The Latins, for the fake of uniformity, changed the e in the fingular number to i, and in the nominative plural added their regular termination of mafculine nouns , of the grammarian's tecond declension. We recolle&t to have read fomewhere a conjecture, that the hand was probably the first comb made ufe of in primitive fociety. The Greek word for hand, and the Galic word for comb, confirm the juftnefs of that idea. The Greek word for band is Xg; the Galic word for comb is Cir, and in the inflected cafes Chir; the Celts fill applying the original word for hand, being the natural comb, to that artificial inftrument which was deftined to be fo highly neceffary to the decoration of both fexes in refined fociety. • The varied terminations of the Greek and Latin nouns and verbs have much obfcured the roots and combination of the original langunge, which was the fubject of that artificial fuperftructure difplayed in fo admirable a degree by thofe most highly cultivated and refined languages. The groundwork, however, is not obliterated: rated the Celtic ftamina are visible, and remain a monument of the Celtic parentage of the renowned Grecian and Roman people.' After all the resemblances which our Author has fo ingeniously traced out between the Greek and Galic languages, we muft, however, remark, that we fee much reafon for deriving the Greek language from the ancient Teutonic rather than the Celtic. The affinity between the Saxon and the Greek tongues has been fhewn by many writers. It is very manifeft in the words, ang, air; peron, moon; dsnę, star; onia, Sky; pavis, rain, waτng, father; vos, mouth; yon, call; bag, udder; dun, ball; spain, street; wáros, path; air, ax; gan, rag; ía, bay; and in many others, which writers on this fubject have collected. These resemblances afford ground for fuppofing that the Greek and the Saxon languages are derived from one common fource; and this is farther confirmed by their agreement, in the manner of terminating the infinitive prefent active, in the use of negatives and of articles, in their forms of comparifon, and in the ftru&ture of compound words. We have, moreover, the teftimony of Ovid, who lived fome years in Pontus, where the Greek and the Getic or Gothic languages were fpoken, and could himfelf speak and write in both (Vid. Trift. ver. 7, 8. 51. & 10. 35. Eleg. ii. 68. De Ponto, iii. Ep. ii. 4. iv. 13. 17. 19.) that the Getic tongue was from the fame fource with the Greek. this we might add the authority of Henry Stephens, Scaliger, Salmafius, Francis Junius, Cafaubon, and other great names, in fupport of the opinion that the Greek and Gothic languages. have a common origin. Now, it appears from ancient history, that the Greeks and Thracians were from the fame ftock, and that Thrace was the fource of the Goths and Germans, of whom the Saxons were a branch. From all which it follows, that the Greek and Saxon languages are of Teutonic origin, and confequently that Mr. Grant is mift.ken in deriving the former from the Galic or Celtic *. To Having dwelt fo long on this part of the work, we have only time to remark in general, concerning the rest of these Effays, that they contain feveral ingenious obfervations, which will repay the attention of the philofophical Reader. E. ART. VI. Critical Effays on fome of the Poems of feveral English Peets by John Scott, Eiq. With an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author, by Mr. Hoole. 8vo. 5s. 3d. Boards. Phillips. 1785. M R. Scott, the author of this pofthumous publication (as we learn from the fenfible and well written account of • See this fubject treated at large in Clarke on Roman, Saxon, and English Coins. his i his life prefixed by the editor) was a citizen of London, and by religious profeffion a Quaker. He very early difcovered a propenfity to the ftudy of poetry, and made feveral fuccessful attempts in verfification. His firft excurfions into the region of the Mufes were made in the Gentleman's Magazine, and other mifcellaneous publications In the year 160 he publifhed, with his name prefixed, Four Elegies, which were well received, and introduced him to the notice of feveral eminent characte: s in the literary world. After an interval of nine years, he pubJifhed his defcriptive poem entitled, Amwel*. He alfo wrote an epifle called, The Garden, and fome other pieces. Thefe were afterwards collected into a volume, of which we have formerly expreffed our approbation +. He was likewife the author of a pamphlet, On the Prefent State of the Parochial and Vagrant Poor. See Rev. vol. xlviii. p. 322. Though Mr. Scott was a diffenter, and a whig, his poetical talents and his amiable character procured him the friendship of Dr. Johnfon, who meant to have become his biographer, had not death prevented him. In this inftance we obferve with pleasure, that this great man made an uncommon facrifice of his prejudices to his judgment, though after what we have heard and feen of his general conduct in this refpect, we cannot, with the Editor, confider this fingle fact as a proof, that he had a mind fuperior to the diftinction of party. The poems examined in these Effays are, Denham's Cooper's Hill; Milton's Lycidas; Pope's Windfor Foreft; Dyer's Grongar-Hill, and Ruins of Rome; Collins's Oriental Eclogues; Grav's Elegy; and Thompfon's Seafons. Mr. Scott difputes Denham's claim to the reputation which, as a defcriptive poet, he has fo long enjoyed. He cenfures his conceptions as cold and unanimated, and his diction as exceedingly obfcure, and often incorrect, even to abfurdity. This charge he brings home, in many particular infances. Milton's Lycidas he very judiciously vindicates from the cenfure paffed on it by Dr. Johnfon, on account of its paftoral form, its mythological perfonages, and its highly metaphorical ftyle. This latter circumftance, Dr. J. thought inconfiftent with the paffion of grief which the poem was intended to exprefs. To thi Mr. Scott replies: There is an anxiety from apprehenfion of lofing a beloved ob. ject; and there is a grief immediately fubfequent to its actual lofs, which cannot be expreffed but in the fhorteft and fimpleft manner. There is a grief foftened by time, which can recapitulate paft plea. fures in all their minutie of circumftance and fituation, and can felect fuch images as are proper to the kind of compofition, wherein * The name of the village where he had his feat, in Hertfordshire. + See Rev. vol. lxvii. p. 183. it chufes to convey itself. It was no fudden impetus of paffion, but this mellowed forrow, that effufed the verfes now under confideration.' Some of the more ftriking beauties of this poem are pointed out; and notice is taken of feveral minute inaccuracies. On the whole, the critic concludes; Lycidas is a noble poem; the author's name is not wanted to recommend it: its own enthufiafm and beauty will always make it please, and abundantly atone for its incorrectnefs.' In the critique on the Windfor Forest, we meet with the following juft obfervations on the paffage : "Not proud Olympus yields a nobler fight, And Peace and Plenty tell a Stuart reigns." This paffage is of little value. To defcribe graphically and poetically the difcriminating peculiarities of any particular fituation, requires fuperior abilities; but to compare it to a number of other places, of different character, is certainly no very difficult business. Windfor was before compared to Eden, it is now compared to Olympus; but the man who has never feen Windfor, can receive no idea of its appearance from thefe comparisons. The fimilitude alfo is defective in another part; there can be no proper parallel between a hill fraught with Pagan deities, and fields fraught with fheep, and flowers, and corn. The couplets alfo are not correct; the gods are faid to appear in their bleffings, and are befides introduced in their perfons. The fifth line has an ambiguity; if Pan is only fuppofed to be prefent with his flocks, all is very well; but if he is fuppofed to be crowned with them, as Pomona is with fruits, the metaphor is abfurd, because the literal circumftance is impoffible. Blufbing Flora, in the fixth line, is the quaint and indiftin&t language of a fchool-boy; for why Flora fhould blush, no good reafon can be given.' We cannot equally approve the following remark on the poet's addrefs to the Thames: "Thou too, great father of the British floods! * This is a very common abuse of language; our poets are so fond of crowning, that they crown every thing.' No |