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Befides, (moreover) what has been advanced this subject, may lead us to enquire, &c.

upon

It is always an imperfection in a language to have the fame individual word belong to different parts of speech; but when there are two words differently pronounced, and differently fpelt, ufed promifcuoufly for each other, both in point of meaning, and in discharging the different offices of prepofition and adverb, it favours much of barbarism, as it is fo easy to allot their peculiar province to each. When I faid that the word befide-should be always used as the prepofition, and-befides-as the adverb, the choice was not made at random. In it's prepofitional state, it must be closely united to the following word; in its adverbial, it should always have a pause after it. Now the word beside—not loaded with the final s, is rendered more apt to run glibly into the following word: and the word befides, always preceding a paufe, has, by the addition of the s, a stronger found to rest upon.

like-likely.

These two words alfo, from a fimilitude of found, tho' of fuch different meani gs, are used promifcuously. Like-should be confined to fimilitude,— Likely to probability.

No-ways-nowise-

No-ways-is a vulgar corruption from no-wife, and yet has got into general ufe, even among our best Writers. The terminating-wife-fignifies manner; as-likewife-in like manner-otherwise-in a different manner. It should be always writtennowife, in no manner,

From

From whence-whence.

The prepofition--from-in the use of this phrase, is for the most part redundant, as it is generally included in the word whence. Thus whence come you? fignifies-from what place come you? Whence it follows-from which it follows.

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The particle-no-is often substituted in the believe place of-not; as-I care not whether me or no-To fhew the abfurdity of this, it will be only neceffary to add the words after-no-which are understood-as thus-I care not whether you believe me, or no believe me-inftead of do not believe me. The adverbs no and yes, are particles expreffive of the fimple diffent or affent of the fpeaker, and can never be connected with any following word; and we might with as much propriety fay-I care not whether you do not believe me or yes as make ufe of its oppofite-no-in that manner. This vulgarifm has taken its rife from the fame cause before-mentioned, the fimilarity of found between no and not,

Never fo-ever fo

This is a strange folecifm in language. Never fo, fignifies not ever fo. Let us fubftitute the one for the other, and the abfurdity will be apparent. Thus, when we fay-I will do it, let him be never fo angry-how contrary to the intention would it appear, should the phrase be changed to-let him not be ever fo angry. Or if we use the fame word in a phrase of like import-I will do it however angry he may be-how glaring would the abfurdity

appear

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This phrase is strangely ungrammatical; rather— means more willingly. Now let us fubftitute the one in the place of the other-as-I had more willingly go, than stay, and its impropriety would be manifeft. The adverb-rather-is expreffive of an act of the will, and therefore fhould be joined to the verb-to will-and not to the auxiliary-to have. Instead of I had rather-it fhould be-I would rather.

A-an

In the use of this article, it has been laid down as a rule, that it should be written-a-before a confonant, and-an-before a vowel; but by not attending to the exceptions to this rule, the article an-has been very improperly placed before words of a certain class, which ought to be preceded by the vowel fingly. All words beginning with u, when the accent is on it, or when the vowel is founded

separately from any other letter, should have a, not an, before them. As, a únit, a úniverse, a úfeful project, &c. For the vowel u, in this cafe has not a fimple found, but is pronounced exactly in the fame manner as the diphthongs commencing with the you y, as in the individual found pronoun, given to the name of the vowel u. Now, an, is never written before any words beginning with y; nor should it be placed before words commencing with u, when founded exactly in the fame man

ner

ner; if we write a youth, we fhould also writea use.

In like manner-an-never precedes words commencing with w, nor fhould it therefore the vowel o, when it forms the fame found. Thus the word, one, has the fame found as if written, won, and yet it has been the custom to write-fuch an one. In both cafes contrary to the ufage of speech.

When words begin with the letter b, they are preceded fometimes by a, fometimes by an; and this by an invariable rule in speaking. When the b, or afpirate is founded, the article a is ufed; as, a house, a horse: when the h is mute, an is employed; as, an hour, an honour; pronounced as if written an our, an onnur. And yet in all books published of late years, the article an precedes all words beginning with b, alike-as an house, an horse, &c. Surely the printers ought to reform this abufe, when they have fuch an obvious rule to guide them. They have nothing to do but to follow the established mode of fpeech, whereof printing ought, as nearly as poffible, to be the tranfcript.

I have also taken the liberty of changing throughout an affected ufe of the third perfons fingular in verbs, by employing the termination eth, long fince become obfolete, as, loveth, readeth, writeth, instead of loves, reads, writes. This habit feems to have been caught from his profeffional ufe of the ChurchService, the Bible, fermons, &c. for in the early editions of his first publications, it had not obtain

ed;

ed; nor indeed in any of the others has it uniformly prevailed, as not only in the fame page, but event the fame fentence, the different modes are frequently to be found; and the terminating es, is, out of all proportion oftener ufed than that of eth; which would not have been the case, had it been the effect of judgement, or of choice. Now, as this fingu

larity is not to be met with, in any of the polifhed Writers from the days of Charles the Second to this hour, I thought it fhould no longer have the fanction of so distinguished a name, by the casual use of it here and there in his Works; especially as the change was much for the better, and founded upon good tafte. None of the elements of fpeech have a lefs agreeable found to the ear, than that of cth; it is a dead obtufe found, formed of the thickened breath, without any mixture of the voice; refembling the noise made by an angry goofe, from which indeed it was borrowed; and is more difagreeable than the hiffings, which has at leaft more of fharpnefs and fpirit in it. On this account, as well as fome other causes arifing from the genius of our tongue, not neceflary to be explained here, it has been long difufed by our best Writers; but as it yet remains in the tranflation of the Bible, and in the Common Prayer-book, it may be ftill employed, even to advantage, in fermons, and works of divinity; as it borrows a kind of folemnity, and fomewhat of a fanctified air, from being found only in thofe facred Writings; on which account, I have fuffered it to remain in fuch of Swift's Works as may be claffed under thofe heads.

Those

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