which they allow. This inconsistency and the cause of it are pleasantly ridiculed by Buonmattei, whofe underftanding had courage fufficient to restore the Article; and to launch out beyond quelle fatali colonne che gli antichi avevan fegnate col-Non plus ultra. "Dodici" fays he, "Tratt. 7. Cap. 22, 23.) " affermiamo effer le Parti dell' ❝orazione nella noftra lingua. Nè ci fiam curati che gli ❝ altri quasi tutti non ne voglion conceder piu d'otto; "moffi, come fi vede, da una certa foprastiziofa oftinazione " (fia detto con pace e riverenza loro) che gli autori piu "antichi hanno ftabilito tal numero: Quafi che abbiano "in tal modo proibito a noi il paffar quelle fatali colonne ❝che gli antichi avevan fegnate col-Non plus ultra. Onde "perchè i Latini dicevan tutti con una voce uniforme― "Partes Orationis funt octo :-quei che intorno a cent anni "fono fcriffon le regole di questa lingua, cominciavan con "la medefima cantilena. Il che fe fia da commendare o ❝da biafimare non dirò: Bafta che a me par una cofa "ridicolofa, dire-Otto fon le parti dell' orazione,-e fubito "foggiugnere-Ma innanzi che io di quelle incominci a " ragionare, fa mestiero che fopra gli Articoli alcuna cofa "ti dica. * What Scaliger fays of the Participle may very juftly be applied to this manner of treating the Article. "Si non eft Nota, imo verò fi nonnullis "ne pars quidem orationis ulla, ab aliis feparata, judicata eft ; quo confilio "ei rei, quæ nufquam extat, fedem ftatuunt." Lib. 7. Cap. cxl. "Questo è il medefimo che fe diceffimo-Tre son le "parti del mondo: Ma prima ch' io ti ragioni di quelle, "fa mestiero che fopra l'Europa alcuna cosa ti dica.” B. As far as refpects the Article I think you are right. But why fuch bitterness against the Interjection? Why do you not rather follow Buonmattei's example; and, instead of excluding both, admit them both to be Parts of Speech? H. * Because the dominion of Speech is erected upon the downfall of Interjections. Without the artful contrivances of Language, mankind would have nothing but Interjections with which to communicate, orally, any of their feelings. * The neighing of a horse, the lowing of a cow, Interjectionem non effe partem orationis, fic oftends. Quod naturale eft, idem eft apud omnes : fed gemitus et figna lætitiæ idem funt apud omnes : funt igitur naturales. Si vero naturales non funt partes orationis. Nam eæ partes, fecundum Ariftotelem ex inftituto, non natura, debent conftare. Interjectionem Græci adverbiis adnumerant, fed falfo: nam neque Græcis literis fcribantur, fed figna triftitiæ, aut lætitiæ, qualia in avibus, aut quadrupedibus, quibus tamen nec vocem nec orationem concedimus. Valla interjectionem a partibus orationis rejicit. Itaque Interjectionem a partibus orationis excludimus: tantum abeft, ut eam primam et precipuam cum Cæfare Scaligero conftituamus." Sanctii Minerva. Lib. i. Cap. 2. De partibus orationis. Page 17. Edit. Amft. 1714. the barking of a dog, the purring of a cat, fneezing, coughing, groaning, fhrieking, and every other involuntary convulfion with oral found, have almost as good a title to be called Parts of Speech, as Interjections have. Voluntary Interjections are only employed when the fuddennefs or vehemence of fome affection or paffion returns men to their natural state; and makes them, for a moment forget the use of speech *: or when, from fome circumstance, the *The industrious and exact Cinonio, who does not appear ever to have had a fingle glimpse of reason, speaks thus of one interjection : “I varj affetti cui serve questa interiezzione Ab et Ahi, fono piu di "venti: ma v' abbisogna d'un avvertimento; che nell' esprimerli sempre "diverfificano il fuono, e vagliono quel tanto che, preffo i Latini, Ah. "Proh. Oh. Vah. Hei. Pape, &c. Ma questa è parte fpettante a chi pronunzia, che fappia dar loro l'accento di quell' affetto cui fervono; "e fono "d'efclamazione. "di dolerfi. "di fvillaveggiare. “ « di pregare. "di gridare minacciando. "di minacciare. "di fofpirare. "di fgarare. "di maravigliarfi. "di fdegno. "di defiderare. « di re the shortnefs of time will not permit them to exercise it. And in books they are only used for embellishment, and to mark strongly the above fituations. But where Speech can be employed, they are totally useless; and are always infufficient for the purpose of communicating our thoughts. And indeed where will you look for the Interjection ? Will you find it amongst laws, or in books of civil institutions, in hiftory, or in any treatise of useful arts or fciences? No. You must seek for it in rhetorick and poetry, in novels, plays and romances. B. If what you say is true, I must acknowledge that the Article has had hard measure to be displaced for the Interjection. For by your declamation, and the zeal you have shewn in its defence, it is evident that you do not intend we should, with Scaliger, confider it merely as otiofum Inftrumentum. " di reprendere. " di vendicarfi, "di raccomandazione. "di commovimento per allegrezza. "di lamentarfi. " di beffare. "et altri varj." Annotazioni all' trattato, delle Particelle, di Cinonio. Capitolo xi. H. Moft H. Most affuredly not: though I acknowledge that it has been used otiosè by many nations *. And I do not wonder that, keeping his eyes folely on the fuperfluous ufe (or rather abuse) of it, he should too haftily conclude against this very neceffary instrument itself. B. Say you fo! very necessary instrument! Since then you have, contrary to my expectation, allowed its neceffity, I should be glad to know how the Article comes to be fo neceffary to Speech: and, if neceffary, how can the Latin language be without it, as most authors agree that it is †? сс And * « Il feroit à souhaiter qu'on fupprimât l'Article, toutes les fois que les "noms sont suffisamment determinés par la nature de la chose ou par les "circonftances; le difcours en feroit plus vif. Mais la grande habitude que nous nous en fommes faite, ne le permet pas: & ce n'eft que dans « des proverbes, plus anciens que cette habitude, que nous nous faifons " une loi de le fupprimer. On dit-Pauvreté n'eft pas vice: au lieu de "dire-La pauvreté n'eft pas un vice." CONDILLAC. Gram. Part 2. Chap. 14. Without any injury to the meaning of the paffage, the article might have been omitted here by Condillac, twelve or thirteen times. † Ως δοκεί μοι περι Ρωμαίων λεγειν ὁρωμελλω νυν ὅμε τι παντες ανθρωποι χρωνται. προθεσεις τε γαρ αφηρηκε, πλην ολίγων απασας, των τε καλεμένων άρθρων, έθεν προσδέχεται το παραπαν, Πλατωνικά Ζητηματα θ. "Articulus K |