but from different perfons of the same tenfe, of which there is a remarkable example in the preterperfect tenfe paffive of the verb Tow, viz. πεποίημαι, from every perfon of the fingular number of which are derived as many nouns ; imo, monμa, from the first perfon, fignifying the thing made; 2do, monis, from the fecond perfon, fignifying the action of making; and, laftly, Toinτns, from the third person, denoting the maker,

What I have faid here concerning the Greek verb, I have faid fhortly, referring to what I have faid, at great length, upon the subject, in the Second Volume of this Work, where those who are not fatisfied with having learned at school the common rules of the Greek grammar, and to understand the words and phrases of the language, may, if they please, study the fcience of the most wonderful art among men, and learn to know that the principles of no art, not even of grammar,

Book i. Chap. 10. and following..

the first art we are taught, can be underftood without philofophy.

What appears as wonderful, I think, as any thing I have mentioned concerning the Greek verb, is that, with all these various expreffions of different things, with which one should think it would be quite incumbered and overloaded, yet it is not at all difficult to be understood, and by the use of reading only, without either speaking or hearing, it becomes familiar to us.

Such being the nature of this part of Speech in Greek, I do not wonder that a learned and pious Profeffor of Divinity, whom I knew, could not be convinced but that it came down from heaven ready made, fo much he thought it above the invention of men. But, though I think that man, by his natural faculties, having once got fome ufe of language, might have perfected the verb, as well as every other part of fpeech; yet, as the beginning of all things is moft difficult, I think there is reafon to

doubt whether man could of himfelf have begun to articulate, or whether he muft not have been at firft taught by fome fuperior intelligence, fuch as the Egyptians fay they were by their God Teuth. So far, therefore, I agree with the learned Profeffor.

All the various concomitant fignifications, fuperadded to the principal fignification of the Greek noun and verb, are produced by flexion, which is no doubt one of the greatest, perhaps the greatest, artifice of the Greek language; but there are two other likewife of fingular ufe for preventing the too great multiplication of words, and which, therefore, deferve to be taken notice of, I mean compofition and derivation.

CHA P. VII.

Of the compofition in Greek.-The ufe af it in faving words, and making the lyftem of the language more perfect. Of the variety of its compofition with verbs and prepofitions. Of derivation in the Greek language.-The account, given by the author, of the Greek derivation, makes the language a wonderful fyftem of art.The fame was the fyftem af Hempfterbu fus.-Not probable that both Hempfterbufius and the Author fhould have fallen into the fame error, without communication with one another.-Other arguments in favour of this fyftem of etymology.— The Greek, according to this fyftem, refembles very much the Sanferit language. The language of Homer particularly has a wonderful resemblance to that language.

Brc

Y compofition, two or more words of different fignifications are joined together, in order to produce another word that has a connection in its fignification. with the component words. That this will often happen in the variety of things expreffed by language, is evident ; and the hearer or reader, knowing the meaning of the words in the compofition, will readily know the meaning of the compounded word; whereas, if it had been expreffed by a word quite new, it would have burthened his memory, and distracted his attention. Befides, the compounding words, as well as deriving them, (of which I fhall speak anon), makes more uniformity in the language, and more a fyftem of it, than it could be otherwise.

Of all the compofitious in the Greek language, none is more common, or produces greater effects, than the compofition of verbs with prepofitions. It is to it chiefly that is owing that wonderful accuracy of expreffion fo remarkable in Greek, by which every the leaft circumstance of an action is expreffed in the fhortest way