diffuseness. Johnson marked the error, and corrected it, as such errors often are corrected, by an opposite excess, by a cumbrous ponderosity, and measured formality of diction; with which, however, his later writings are infinitely less chargeable than the earlier. His celebrity in other respects obtained him imitators in this, who moved heavily and stiffly, like heroes in armour; strong they might be, but quite devoid of grace, and, if employed in the common concerns of life, not a little ridiculous. But these affectations have now passed away, and writers are generally contented simply to apply their own powers and those of the language, according to the occasion, and find that they may be strong or familiar, yet not stiff or coarse, and elegant without imbecility. The temporary evil produced by Johnson's style, and by the pigmies who stretched their limbs into distortion to tread in the giant's footsteps, was amply compensated by his Dictionary of the English Language;' which exhibiting, at one view, the resources of the language, and the uses which our best writers had made of them, has checked the impertinence of innovation, and saved us from the apprehension that the glories of Shakspeare and of Milton can ever suffer the eclipse of an obsolete phraseology-an eclipse that would, for future generations, intercept a splendour which the faint sparklings of any novelty of diction could but ill supply. The next great assistant in the fixing of our English, was Mr. Horne Tooke, who has let in a light,' as Darwin has observed, upon the chaos of etymology,' and displayed the wonders of the formation of language. Every one was aware of the important offices which the particles of every language perform, and that on the proper application of these depend much of the force and perspicuity of style. Some etymologists both of England and Germany had made insulated discoveries, or hazarded sweeping conjectures; but no one previous to Tooke had ever generalized, as a principle, the tracing of these supposed arbitrary signs to a radical meaning, which might enable us to judge on the propriety or impropriety of their variously ramified applications. This task he was enabled to perform, and to prove that our particles, which had been imagined to have no meaning in themselves,' and yet to exercise an overruling influence on the meaning of every sentence wherein they were employed, were, in fact, but contracted forms of certain nouns, or verbs, yet to be found in their verbal and nominal use, in some of those Teutonic sources, from which the main stream of our present English flows. He has thus shown that these inflexible parts, the doctrine of which may be considered as the osteology of language, are no anomalous substances in the body, but of the same materials as the most flexible parts; and, in truth, only only some of these ossified by frequent use, and now forming the fulcrums on which those that continue flexible rest, and through which their connexions with each other are maintained. We are inclined, then, to consider the English language as having attained that fulness of maturity, which leaves no wish for increase, but only anxiety for preservation. As helps to this we have the various acceptations, in which every word has been used by approved writers, collected in a dictionary, such as, perhaps, no other language could ever boast; and we have a new guide for the theory and use of language, exemplifying his principles by applying them to our own tongue. The attempts of Mr. Richardson to correct the etymological and chronological part of Dr. Johnson's labours shall, ere long, form the subject of a separate article in our pages. But even were all that Mr. Richardson thinks he can do done, one thing would still be wanting to prevent the language from perishing by its own luxuriance; namely, a complete dictionary of synonymes, which, besides explaining the meaning of words, separately considered, should collect and compare such as, having some generic ideas in common, have been sometimes indiscriminately used by our best writers, but yet have qualities and powers peculiar to each, and rendering each, as we before observed, the only appropriate medium for transmitting, unaltered, into one mind, the image existing in another. In this part of philology our literature is deficient, not only in proportion to the importance of the subject, but to the advancement of our continental competitors. The French led the way in this delicate investigation with considerable credit, and have been followed by the Germans with characteristic industry, sagacity, and voluminousness; whilst in England, previous to the publications now under consideration, we know only of two works professedly on the subject, and neither of these much calculated either to improve the language or support the literary character of the nation. After the Abbé Girard had called the attention of Europe to the subject of synonymes, nearly half a century elapsed before the appearance of any English treatise. At length, in 1766, came forth a work on English synonymes, by the multifarious Dr. Trusler-him, whom, among his other various callings, Cowper describes as one, who Grinds divinity of other days Down into modern use; transforms old print He was one of those superficial writers, whom the booksellers employ employ to compile books for superficial readers. Skimming all subjects, without diving into any, it was mere chance whether what he collected were cream or scum. Of synonymes he seems to have known enough to be aware that skimming would not do, and therefore he boldly published, as English, all the articles in Girard's work, for which he could find parallel phrases in his own tongue, and to which the reasonings and distinctions of the ingenious Frenchman appeared in any degree applicable. In his preface he modestly acknowledges, that some part' of the work is thus translated, but the rest (says he) the reader will find to be new.' This 'rest' is fortunately a very small part of the whole; for when the Doctor throws away his crutch, his lameness is conspicuous. The translation, however, is in general well executed; and the adaptation of Girard's distinctions to English phraseology is managed with considerable nicety; so that in many of our abstract terms, derived, in common with the French, from the Greek or Latin, Trusler may be consulted with advantage; and he has been so both by Mr. Taylor and Mr. Crabb. Voltaire censured Tasso for presenting, at the commencement of his Gerusalemme, the image of a sick child; but what would the squeamish critic have said to poor Trusler-who selects for the first article of his book, by way of regale to the reader, the title 'Sweat and Perspiration'? This beginning, however, need not alarm; no, nor even the reverend Doctor's unlucky translation of the Frenchman's l'on when he 6 says, WE mask ourselves to go to a ball; we disguise ourselves to bring about an intrigue,' The book is both modest and cleanly. We cannot bestow this commendation, without sundry exceptions, on the next treatise which discussed the subject of English synonymes, though that was from the hand of a lady. This work was entitled 'British Synonymy: or, an Attempt at regulating the choice of Words in familiar Conversation: inscribed, with sentiments of gratitude and respect, to such of her foreign friends as have made English Literature their peculiar study, by Hester Lynch Piozzi.' In two octavo volumes! An exchequer of words! and, I think, no other treasure.' A more affected modesty to deprecate the dangers of authorship, a more anxious disclaiming of all erudition, and a more laborious ostentation of the little possessed, have seldom been exhibited together. She is ambitious of uniting to the characters of wit and gaiety, supposed to be proper to her own sex, those acquirements which more frequently distinguish the other. But her liveliness degenerates into flippancy, and her learning is, as Boswell tells us Johnson described it, that of a school school-boy in one of the lower forms.' It must be confessed it is the reader's fault, if he be disappointed in the book; for the preface gives a very fair notice and specimen of what he is to expect. We are there promised ' a book for a parlour-window, and acknowledging itself unworthy of a place on a library-shelf.' And find it gravely laid down, that "We must not retard our progress with studied definitions of every quality coming under consideration, or even by very long descriptions of the same, either by their adjuncts or causes; for although every definition is, genericè, a description, yet we all see that every description is not definitive. And although the final cause of definition is to fix the true and adequate meaning of words, or terms, without knowledge of which we stir not a step in logic: yet here we must not suffer ourselves to be so detained, as synonymy has more to do with eloquence 'than truth.' Accordingly, we have Mrs. Piozzi's own use of the words which are introduced, set forth in anecdotes, or observations on any thing but synonymy; from these, in the place of definitions, we are to collect the accurate meanings of each, more distinctly, it is to be presumed, than from the equally irrelevant writings of any other author. The book is professedly intended for foreigners, and they only, we hope, will learn from it to lay words on a parallel line together;' to say, 'rascality and waggish frauds are not quite synonymous, I think;' that a soul levigated by prosperity soon mounts into airiness of temper;' and that a Briton's rights render him superior to every other countryman.' English women, we trust, learn of her, sentimentally to sigh for the introduction into social life' of the word 'blunt,' to express 'a dull fellow'-nor, with another kind of sentimentality, maintain that Nor will the sports of the field' (that is, the tormenting and killing of animals for sport) are the only diversions, properly so called, that are at once natural and rational for humanity to exult in, as lords of the creation.' Thus does Johnson's lively lady' prattle away through two octavo volumes; and the reader may judge how far these were calculated to improve the philology of Britain. The next publication on English synonymes was the work which stands first at the head of our paper. It is just the kind of work wanted-just what we have described as a desideratum in our literature-if its extent were at all proportioned to the copiousness of our language: in its present state it supplies rather a specimen of what we want, than the want itself. The author has said in his preface, that if invited by the public patronage, he should occasionally continue the task of definition.' We regret that that Mr. Taylor has not received the invitation; and we presume to think, that this neglect proceeds, from want, not of relish, but of information, on the part of the public. The book appeared in too unassuming a form to attract attention;-in these days of royal octavo and imperial quarto, a little modest duodecimo is too often overlaid, or slips unseen among the crowd. We object to the title- English Synonymes discriminated.' Trusler has better described the purpose of his own book and Mr. Taylor's The Distinction between Words esteemed synonymous.' Mr. Taylor, indeed, has rendered the components ouv and ovoμa, a fellow name,' and defined synonymes to be words 'allied in signification;' but this is a laxity of construction, which, though it may plead the example of several writers in different languages, is unsanctioned by the lexicographers of any; because, though it might supply a term for alliance in signification, it would deprive us of an exclusively appropriate term for identity of signification. Mr. Taylor has properly insisted on etymology as the great assistant in developing the radical meaning of a word; thence deducing the collateral ramifications, it explains how these have, first, naturally sprung from the constitutional habit of the root; or, secondly, been forcibly twisted; or, thirdly, capriciously distorted into their present forms. Examples best elucidate such observations; but the first of these classes can scarcely need one. Of the second class, Mr. Taylor's distinction of to affront and to insult' may serve as a specimen. To affront is to strike at the forehead;-to insult is to jump upon. The one is the hostile pantomime of an angry equal; the other of a contemptuous superior.' It is the happy progress of civilization that has twisted these words, from their original import of actual violence, to that of the gestures, or even expressions, which had been associated with that violence, or with the feelings once inciting to it. It is pleasant thus to contemplate, in the history of words, the gradual control of law, the consequent softening-down of the asperities of individual character, and the general amelioration of society. Of the third class of derivatives we have examples both in grave and ludicrous subjects. We have classical authority for shill-i-shall-i and quandary, as well as for dilemma. The derivation of the first is capricious and obvious enough. The second is from the French qu'en dirai? what shall I say about it?-(Johnson has spoiled it by adding the pronoun, qu'en dirai-je? which was unnecessary to the construction of the old French.)-Philosophers of the Cynic school acknowledge themselves immediately derived from a Greek dog; and lawyers talk of the writ Refalo, the name of which is compounded |