Every man will agree, that this course would be absurd; if it were adopted, there would be little need of instructers in the sciences, because there would practically be an end of all science.

If, then, the present methods of teaching the sciences in general are proper, we can perceive no solid reason why the same course, to a certain extent, should not be pursued in the acquisition of foreign languages. The grammars of those languages present us with the various results, which have been obtained by the labor of centuries; and we may with little study, comparatively speaking, obtain the same general acquaintance with any language by a similar process to that which we should employ in order to master any science. The mode of using grammars, however, as we have before intimated, may undoubtedly be more or less advantageous, according to the skill and judgement of the instructer; as would also be the case in any branch of study.

The practice of the greatest masters of languages has been conformable to these views. It will be sufficient for our present purpose, to refer to the method recommended by that illustrious scholar, Sir William Jones, in the study of the Persian language. 'When the student,' says he, 'can read the character with fluency, and has learned the true pronunciation of them from the mouth of a native, let him peruse the grammar with attention, and commit to memory the regular inflections of the nouns and the verbs; he need not burden his mind with those that deviate from the common form, as they will be insensibly learned in a short course of reading. The same method, substantially, was recommended in the study of Latin, so long ago as the time of old Lily, whom Erasmus praises for his uncommon knowledge of the languages, and admirable skill in the instruction of youth,' and whose old grammar is yet quite as good, in the hands of a competent instructer, as any which have succeeded it. In the preface to that grammar, from which some of our masters might profit at this day, the author says, with a little quaintness, but much good sense; 'It is profitable, not only that he (the pupil) can orderly decline his noune and his verbe, but every way, forward, backward, by cases, by persons; that neither case of noune, ne person of verbe can be required that hee cannot without stoppe or studie tell. And unto this time I count not the schollar perfect, nor readie to go any further, till he hath this already learned. This when he can perfectly doe, and hath learned every part, not by rote but by reason, and is cunninger in the understanding of the thing, than in rehearsing of the words, (which is not past a quarter of a yeare's dilligence, or very little more, to a painefull and dilligent man, if the schollar have a meane witte).

VOL. I.

Preface to his Persian Grammar, p. 14.
38

then let him passe to the concordes to know the agreement of parties among themselves, with like way and diligence as is afore described.'

We have extended these remarks further, perhaps, than the subject before us demanded, because we have observed opinions promulgated in some publications of the present day, which we believe to be of erroneous tendency in regard to certain fundamental principles of education, as well as the practical mode of applying them. There can be no doubt, that the knowledge of particulars, to speak in scholastic language, is the most exact and thorough; but, it is equally certain, that as this sort of knowledge in all our necessary studies is beyond the grasp of man, we must content ourselves with that approximation to it, which consists in the knowledge of generals.

The two works at the head of this article have come under our notice, not from any decided superiority which they possess over many others of the kind, but because they may be considered as fair specimens of two different plans of grammar for the Greek Language, and because they have been respectively recommended by the two most distinguished seminaries of learning in our country.

The first of them, the Gloucester Greek Grammar, was adopted by the University of Cambridge in the year 1799, when that institution had at its head the excellent and much valued President Willard, a man, who, to real ardor in the general cause of learning, united no small share of practical talent in the application of his acquisitions in science. We make this remark with the less hesitation, because we have heard, that the most distinguished astronomer in our country has spoken of his philosophical papers, published in the Memoirs of the American Academy, as being among the first, for practical utility, in the whole of that collection. It is well known, too, that President Willard long enjoyed the reputation of being a sound Greek scholar; and we have heard, that he had projected an improved Greek Grammar, to be published in English, many years before grammars in our own tongue were in use among us, but which, probably, his unaffected modesty prevented him from publishing, after the grammar now before us became known in this country.

Under his presidency, as we have observed, the Gloucester Greek Grammar was adopted by the University, and official notice was given by the Faculty, that after the commencement of that year, 1799, 'no student would be permitted at the classical exercises to use any other grammar.' In their recommendation of this work, and of Adam's Latin Grammar, which was adopted at the same time, they say, that the University of Cambridge, for several years past, has suffered much inconvenience, and the interests of

letters no small detriment, from the variety of Latin and Greek Grammars used by the students, in consequence of that diversity to which, under different instructers, they have been accustomed in their preparatory course;' and they add, that in order to promote, so far as may be, the cause of literature, by preventing those evils in future, the government of the University, on due consideration of the subject, has thought it expedient to request all instructers of youth who may resort to Cambridge for education, to adopt Adam's Latin Grammar and the Gloucester Greek Grammar, with reference to such pupils, as books singularly calculated for the improvement of students in these languages.'

A recommendation from so high authority had its full effect; and the two grammars immediately came into general use. The Latin Grammar still seems to enjoy undiminished favor; and the improved edition, which is now published by the respected Principal of that distinguished seminary, the Boston Latin School, will no doubt establish it still more strongly in the public estimation. The Greek Grammar, on the contrary, while it appears to maintain its ground in other parts of our country, (the edition before us is a New-York one,) has lost somewhat of its popularity, as we are informed, though we hope this is not the fact, even within that University, which only a few years ago selected it from the multitude then published, as an elementary work, singularly calculated for the improvement of students,' and with which these students would be required to form a radical and intimate acquaintance.' We suppose, however, that the other Greek Grammars, which now find access to the university, are rather permitted than recommended; for, as we understand, the original recommendation of the Gloucester Grammar has never been officially recalled by the government of the institution.

If we knew the reasons why other Greek Grammars are tolerated in the university, they might possibly be of such a nature as to preclude all discussion by the public; but as we are not informed of them, we may be allowed to conjecture; and we do, in truth, suppose it may have happened, not from any dissatisfaction with the original choice of a grammar, but from that cautious reserve, which was shown in the recommendation, that the university had no wish 'to dictate;' a motive, which, to a certain extent, must approve itself to all, who duly consider the effect, which any attempt to dictate' would naturally produce in a community like

ours.

Taking it for granted, therefore, that we are not opposing any settled opinion, much less any decision of those, who direct the affairs of the university, and considering it as a subject in which the public have a deep interest, we shall ask the attention of our rea

ders to the merits of the two methods or systems of grammar, of which the works before us are specimens; and, at the same time, to the more general question, how far it is expedient, particularly in the circumstances of our country, to make frequent changes in books of instruction.

We have observed, that the two grammars before us had not attracted our notice on account of any marked superiority over many others; and we presume, that one principal reason why the Gloucester Grammar was originally selected by the University, was its being written in English. This circumstance alone would certainly have entitled it to the preference over others, which were then in use; for, besides facilitating the progress of boys, who were going on in the usual course, it would enable such as were disposed, to begin their classical studies with Greek instead of Latin; a method, which has the decided approbation of many eminent scholars in Europe, who have been practically acquainted with the business of instructing youth.* Since that period, however, several other Greek grammars have been published in English; among which the best known are Bell's Compendious Grammar, constructed upon the ancient plan, and. Valpy's, upon the modern or reformed plan. We might also add Jones's Philosophical Grammar, which, like his Latin one, exhibits many views of great interest and utility to the advanced scholar, but is not likely to find its way into schools. Bell's Grammar is a valuable one, and is honorably noticed by Dr. Valpy himself, in the preface to his own; but though it has gone through many editions in England, more, we believe, than Valpy's, it has not been used, so far as we are informed, in this country; while there have been several editions of Valpy's, within the short period that the work has been known among us. This last, indeed, was for a time the only competitor with the Gloucester Grammar for public favor; but, more lately, the second work at the head of our article, commonly called Hachenberg's, has been published under the patronage of the flourishing College at New-Haven, and now

* This question is of so great importance in a classical education, that we cannot forbear adding in this place, the strong and decisive testimony of Wyltenbach, who has been called by English writers the first scholar on the continent for comprehensive and profound erudition,' and who formed his opinion after the experience of more than twenty years as an instructer. Within a little time,' says he, in his interesting and affectionate address to his pupils, 'you shall understand the Greek, with as much ease as you now do the Latin writers; and, indeed, unless you accomplish as much as that, it will hardly have been worth your while to have gone through the labor you have done. You might, indeed, have arrived at that point already, and have possessed a more extensive and accurate knowledge of Latin, if you had begun the studies of your childhood with Greek instead of Latin. But, that this method will be generally adopted, is what I dare not hope, though I ardently wish for it.' Selecta Princip Histor.Præf. p. xxiv. The opinions of many other scholars, to the same effect, might be adduced, if the occasion authorised it.

enjoys at least an equal share of the public favor with Valpy's; and, in one particular, the syntax, it is certainly entitled to the preference. Not long after Hachenberg's was first printed here, another, constructed also upon the modern plan, yet not without some deviations from it, was published; we allude to the well known Grammar of Buttmann, recently translated by the distinguished scholar, who lately filled the chair of one of the professorships at Cambridge. This work, however, has not yet found admission into our⚫ schools. Whether this has happened, as the learned translator feared might be the case, in consequence of its being 'somewhat in advance of the state of philological studies in this country,' or from some other cause, we will not undertake to decide. With the view, however, of bringing it into use, a very concise Abridgement of it has been just published by a well known and ardent scholar, who has already done honor to his country, and is destined, as we trust, in conjunction with bis able associate, to confer benefits upon it, whose effects will long be felt. This abridgement is well executed, as might be expected from its author; but we shall have a remark to make in another part of this article, on the subject of keeping boys to the same book, through every stage of their classical studies, instead of beginning with abridgements, and then proceeding to larger works.

Besides the republications of English and German Grammars above enumerated, our own country has furnished two, and possibly more original works of this kind, though we have seen but two. The first of them was published in the year 1796, at Worcester in this state, by Mr. Caleb Alexander, under the title of 'A Grammatical System of the Grecian Language.' This work is neither wholly conformable to the modern nor the ancient plan of arrangement; for the author adopts four conjugations of the barytone, and three of the contracted verbs; and in the nouns, while he makes but three declensions of the Simples, he makes five of the Contracts, agreeably to a classification of them in Milner's Greek Grammar, which was published in England in the year 1740, and was, we believe, the first ever written in the English language. Mr. Alexander's grammar certainly possesses considerable merit, especially when we consider the little zeal for Greek studies at the time when it was published. The other American grammar, to which we have alluded, is that of Professor Smith, of Dartmouth College, published in the year 1809, upon the modern plan, and containing a good deal of useful matter, which at that period was not so much within the reach of students as it is at this day.

From this brief account of the various Greek grammars, which have been published here within the short period since the University first recommended the Gloucester Grammar, we fear there is