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Page 2
Thus tis that a Language with which we are already acquainted, either by
the assistance of Art, or Conversation, leads us to an intimacy with those
that were altogether unknown to us before, and that their relation
redresseth the treachery of the memory in the close and juncture of one
with the other.
But that I may compasse this my designe with lesse trouble, my greatest
care is to make choise of one Language as a rule to measure by, and a
principle to reduce all the rest too: for to pretend to compare them
immediately one with another, as some would have it, is to cherish
confusion among those things that demand the most of order.
The veneration that I have alwayes had for antiquity, made me think at
first of ingaging for the _Hebrew_, as being (for ought we know) the
earliest, the most noble, and most naturall Language of the world and that
from which all others, in a manner, derive themselves. But it was not long
before I began to consider, that this would directly crosse the first
principles of my intended method, and appear a kind of indeavour to teach
an unknown Language, by another, of which we have the most imperfect, and
slender information of all. The kindnesse, and inclination I ought to have
for my own Country, had almost perswaded me to rest my self there, and to
make my native tongue the basis of this universall reduction but then the
rest of the Europ�an world (which I have no reason to slur or contemne)
would have as ill resented the project, as we did it in the Germans, who
would long agoe have challenged this honour to themselves. I had in the end
no other course to take, but to throw myselfe upon the _Latine_, in which I
luckily met with all the necessary conditions that did easily, and
plausibly conduce to my design'd attempt.
To say the truth _Aristotle_ himselfe, a man of a judgement in such things
the most exact that ever was to take a _measure_ from, demanded but three
qualifications, viz. _Universality_, _Certainty_, and _Proportion_; that it
should be generally known to all those that are to make use of it in the
quality of a measure, that it should be fixt, and determin'd in its selfe,
and then that it should be proportion'd to all those things, to which it
prescribes their bounds, all which characters do with advantage combine in
the Latine, and that with such propriety that they cannot be attributed to
any other without some sort of injustice; for the greatest part of the
other Languages they are determind to the extent of a particular Kingdom or
Country, the Latine hath no such disadvantage upon it. It is to speak
properly the Language of Europe: Religion, and the Sciences have more
enlarg'd its dominions, then all the conquests of the Romans; tis almost
the common Idiom of the North, and universally knowne to persons of birth
and education, who alone are presum'd to stand in need of the assistance of
forraigne Languages.
It disownes the common imperfection of others, which by nature being
subject to change, cannot by consequence, serve for a certain determinate
rule in all ages; and if it now survive through the large extent of its
entertainment, it hath much the advantage of others, that are in a manner
deceas'd to this that is fixt, and retaind by a well assur'd custome and if
its being universally known allows all persons to share its uses, so its
being steddy, and unalterable, secures it from all the uneven changes of
time.
As to its proportion, it in a manner keeps a mean between the Ancient and
Modern Languages, it is neither altogether so pure as the one, nor so
corrupt as the other, and so with the same ease is applicable to both; and
in earnest is infinitely the most compendious, it being farre less trouble
to passe from the mean to an extream, or from the extream to the mean, then
to trace it from one extream to another. However this would seem
incommodious beyond all redresse, to attempt to reduce all the Languages,
either to the most ancient, or else to any one of the most modern, because
in reality, the former have no more relation to the later, then these have
with others of the same age, which have been as so many channels to derive
Antiquity to us.
Besides the Latin makes a friendly meeting between the Eastern, and Western
Languages; as to the first alone it owes its birth and life, so the others
do to it.
It seems then no more difficult to attain the one, by streaming it up to
the fountain, then to gain all the rest by making a like descent, by way of
resemblance to what we observe in nature when we discern, as well the
effect by the cause, as the cause by the effect. In one word, to make up
all the differences that may arise about the supremacie of the Languages, I
consider the Latin under three different regards, as the _daughter_ of the
Languages of the _East_, as the _Mother_ of those in the _West_, and as the
_Sister_ of the more _Northerne_.
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