II

learned rubbish; in which there is nothing to admire but the amazing strength of those vast giants of literature who have been able thus to heap Pelion upon Offa. This at present is only my opinion, which perhaps I have entertained too lightly. Since therefore the question has been started, I am pleased at this occafion of being confirmed or corrected by you; whofe application, opportunities, extenfive reading, acknowledged abilities, and universal learning enable you to inform us of all that the antients have left or the moderns have written on the subject.

:

B.

Oh! Sir, your humble fervant! compliments, I perceive, are banished from Purley. But I fhall not be at all inticed by them to take upon my shoulders a burthen which you seem defirous to fhift off upon me. Befides, Sir, with all your caution, you have faid too much now to expect it from me. It is too late to recall what has paffed your lips and if Mr. T. is of my fentiments you shall not be permitted to explain yourself away. The fatisfaction which he seeks after, you fay is to be had; and you tell us the mine where you think it is not to be found. Now I fhall not easily be perfuaded that you are fo rash and take up your opinions fo lightly, as to advance or even to imagine this; unless you had first searched that mine your

C 2

felf,

felf, and formed a conjecture at least concerning the place where you suppose this knowledge is to be found. Instead therefore of making me difplay to Mr. T. my reading, which you have already declared infufficient for the purpofe, is it not much more reasonable that you should communicate to us the refult of your reflection?

H.

With all my heart, if you chufe it fhould be so, and think you shall have patience to hear me through. I own I prefer instruction to correction, and had rather have been informed without the hazard of expofing myself; but if you make the one a condition of the other, I think it still worth my acceptance; and will not lofe this opportunity of your judgment for a little fhame. I acknowledge then that the fubject is not intirely new to my thoughts: for, though languages themselves may be and ufually are acquired without any regard to their principles; I very early found it, or thought I found it, impoffible to make many fteps in the fearch after truth and the nature of human understanding, of good and evil, of right and wrong, without well confidering the nature of language, which appeared to me to be infeparably connected with them. therefore I long fince formed to myfelf a kind of system, which feemed to me of fingular ufe in the very small extent

I own

of

of my younger ftudies to keep my mind from confufion and the impofition of words. After too long an interval of idleness and pleasure, it was my chance to have occasion to apply to some of the modern languages; and, not being acquainted with any other more fatisfactory, I tried my fyftem with these, and tried it with fuccefs. I afterwards found it equally useful to me with fome of the dead languages. Whilft I was thus amufing myself the political struggle commenced; for my share in which you so far justly banter me, as I do acknowledge that, both in the outfet and the progrefs of it, I was guilty of two most egregious blunders; by attributing a much greater portion of virtue to individuals and of understanding to the generality than any experience of mankind can justify. After another interval therefore (not of idleness and pleasure) I was again called by the questions of our friend Mr. T. (for yesterday is not the first time by many that he has mentioned it) to the confideration of this fubject. I have hitherto declined attempting to give him the fatisfaction he required: for, though the notion I had of language had fatisfied my own mind and answered my own purposes, I could not venture to detail to him my crudè conceptions without having ever made the leaft inquiry into the opinions of others. Befides, I did not at all fufpect that my notions, if juft, could be peculiar to myself: and

I hoped

I hoped to find some author who might give him a clearer, fuller, and more methodical account than I could, free from those errors and omiffions to which I must be liable. Having therefore some small intervals of leisure and a great defire to give him the best information; I confess I have employed fome part of that leisure in reading every thing I could easily and readily procure that has been suggested by others.

-I am afraid I have already spoken with too much prefumption: But when I tell you that I differ from all those who with fuch infinite labour and erudition have gone before me on this fubject; what apology

Oh! make none.

B.

When men think modeftly they may

be allowed to speak freely. Come-Where will you begin?-Alpha-Go on.

H.

Not with the organical part of language, I affure you. For, though in many refpects it has been and is to this moment grossly mistaken, (and the mistakes might, with the help of fome of the first principles of natural philosophy and anatomy, be easily corrected) yet it is an inquiry more of curiofity than immediate usefulness.

B. You

You will begin then either with things or ideas: for it impoffible we should ever thoroughly understand the nature of the figns, unless we first properly confider and arrange the things fignified. Whofe fyftem of philofophy will you build upon?

H.

What you fay is true. And yet I shall not begin there. Hermes, you know, put out the eyes of Argus: and I fufpect that he has likewife blinded philofophy: and if I had not imagined fo, I should never have cast away a thought upon this fubject. If therefore Philofophy herself has been missed by Language, how shall she teach us to detect his tricks?

B.

Begin then as you please. Only begin.

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