I. 1. "The Articles have no meaning, but when afsociated "to fome other word." 2. "Nothing can be more nearly related than the Greek "article 'O to the English article THE.” 3. "But the article A defines in an imperfect manner." 4. "Therefore the Greeks have no article correspondent ❝to our article A.” 5. However" they supply its place." -And How, think you? 6. "By a Negation"-(obferve well their method of supply)" by a negation of their article ❝0;" (that is, as he well explains himself,)" without ઠંડ any thing prefixed, but only the article "O "withdrawn." 7. Even in English, we also express the force of the "article A, in plurals, by the fame negation of the "article THE *." Now "It is perhaps owing to the imperfect manner in which the Article A "defines, that the Greeks have no article correfpondent to it, but fupply its place, by a negation of their Article 'O.-O arpwπоs ETTEσEV, THE man "fell; avoρwπos εTEσEV, A man fell;-without any thing prefixed, but only "the Article withdrawn." ་ Now here I acknowledge myself to be compleatly thrown out; and, like the philofopher of old, merely for want of a firm refting-place on which to fix my machine: for it would have been as eafy for him to raise the earth with a fulcrum of ether, as for me to establish any reasoning or argument on this fort of negation. For, "nothing being "prefixed," I cannot imagine in what manner or in what respect a negation of "O or of THE, differs from a negation of Harris or of Pudding. For lack however of the light of comprehenfion, I must do, as other Grammarians do in fimilar fituations; attempt to illuftrate by a parallel. I will suppose Mr. Harris (when one of the Lords of the Treasury) to have addreffed the Minister in the same style of reasoning." Salaries, Sir, produce no benefit, "unless affociated to fome receiver: my falary at present "is but an imperfect provifion for myself and family: "but your falary as Minifter is much more compleat. * Even in English, where the Article A cannot be used, as in plurals, "its force is expreffed by the fame negation.-Thofe are THE men, means, "Those are individuals of which we poffefs fome previous knowledge.Thofe are men, the Article apart, means no more than they are so many vague and uncertain individuals; just as the phrase,-A man, in the fingular, implies one of the fame number." " Book 2. Chap. 1. "Oblige "Oblige me therefore by withdrawing my present scanty "pittance; and supply its place to me, by a negation of 66 your falary.”—I think this request could not reasonably have been denied: and what fatisfaction Mr. Harris would have felt by finding his theory thus reduced to practice, no person can better judge than myfelf; because I have experienced a conduct not much diffimilar from the Rulers of the Inner Temple: who having first inticed me to quit one profeffion, after many years of expectation, have very handsomely supplied its place to me by a negation of the other. ADVERTISEMENT. THE three following chapters (except some small altera tions and additions) have already been given to the public in A Letter to Mr. DUNNING in the year 177 8: which, though published, was not written on the fpur of the occafion. The substance of that Letter, and of all that I have farther to communicate on the fubject of Language, has been amongst the loose papers in my closet now upwards of thirty years; and would probably have remained there fome years longer, and have been finally configned with myself to oblivion, if I had not been made the miserable victim of Two Prepofitions and a Conjunction. The officiating Priests indeed * were themfelves of rank and eminence fufficient to dignify and grace my fall. But Attorney General Thurlow-fince Chancellor and a Peer. Solicitor General Wedderburne-fince Chancellor and a Peer. Mr. Buller-fince a Judge. Wr. Wallace-fince Attorney General. Mr. Mansfield-fince Solicitor General. Mr. Bearcroft-fince Chief Juftice of Chefter. 6 that that the Conjunction THAT, and the Prepofitions of and CONCERNING (words which have hitherto been held to have no meaning) fhould be made the abject inftruments of my civil extinction, (for fuch was the intention, and such has been the confequence of my prosecution); appeared to me to make my exit from civil life as degrading as if I had been brained by a lady's fan. For mankind in general are not fufficiently aware that words without meaning, or of equivocal meaning, are the everlasting engines of fraud and injustice and that the grimgribber of WestminsterHall is a more fertile, and a much more formidable, source of imposture than the abracadabra of magicians. Upon a motion made by me in arreft of judgment in the court of King's-Bench in the year 1777, the Chief Justice adjourned the decision: and instead of arguments on the merits of my objection, (which however by a fidewind were falfely represented by him as merely literal flaws *) defired that Precedents might be brought by the Attorney General on a future day. None were however adduced, but by the Chief Justice himself; who indeed * Lord Mansfield, "If the Defendant has a legal advantage from a Literal flaw, God forbid "that he fhould not have the benefit of it." Proceedings in K. B. The King against Horne. produced L 2 |