Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-08-26

before Christ. came the Goths or Teu,ons
from northwestern Asia, before whom /
the weaker Celts fled like the American
: Indian before tie face OF the white man
Very soon Europe became one great
Gothic nation. except the Peninsula and
islands OF Greece, and the British Isles,
which had become the asylum ofthe Cells. /
From this Gothic stock sprang the Lam
guages Of northern and central Europe.
A conspicuous sister IN this family was
the Anglo Saxon. Possessing all the
strength Of her uncou,h sisters. she was
! less rude. and her voice grated less harsh-
, y on the ear. Neyeriheless, Ike most
ladies having the same origin, strength,
not beauty, was herleadins characteristic.
Such was The language which took the
place Of the Celtic in England, and which
became the foundation ol The English au-
guage, and from which $4,000 out OF our
$4,000 words are derived. They are the
words Of every day life, OF childhood, Of
nature, Of home, 81 the heart Wei IN
deed, may it be called the fonndation.-
II has been nearly 1000 years since this
became the language Of England, but du-
! ring this tune ii has received vast acces-
: sions IRON various sources. The Eaglish
: became a commercial as well as a conquer
4 ing nation, aud wherever a new tact or a
new word was found, which might enrich
their language, they made it their own.
BY far the most important Of Ihese ac-
eessions is what IS known as the classic
element ! cannoi better describe this
part Of our language than by giving an
extract from Coleridge, descriptive Of the
d languages themselves.
. Greek-the shrine Of the genius OF
the old world, as universal as our race,
as individual as ourselves, Of infinite hex-
ibiliiy, Of indeiatigable strength, with the
l. complication aud distnetness Of nature
herself, to which nothing was vulgar, from
which nothing was excluded speaking
a to the ear Ike Italian, speaking to the
!. mind ike English; with words ike pie
lures, with words like the gossamer film
Of summer; at once the variety and pie
"a turesqueness os Homer, the gloom and in
he tensity Of 4Eschylus; not compressed t'
the closest by Thucydides, not fathomet
TO The bottom by Plato not sounding VIII
E. all is thuudsrs, nor lit up with all its ar
dors, even under the Promethean touch
Of Demosthenes.
rs And Latin-the voice Of empire ans
be of war, Of law, and Of tie states inferior
ad TO lis half-parent and rival in the embody
be ing Of passion, and in the Distinguishing
re Of thought, but equal 10 It in sustaining
Ike the measured marc'i Of history, superio
IA, to it ia tie Indignant defamation Of NOR
IN al satire stamped with the mark Of Al
ire imperial and despo,ising republics rigi
lie in construction, parsimonious in is synou
an yms reluctantly yielding 70 the flower
yoke Of Horace, although opening vii
sx- glimpses Of Greek.like splcndor IN I'll
he occasional inspiration Of Lucretias
b proved indeed by Cicero and BY III
sal found wanting, Sc, majestic in ils 5arfef
the ness, impressive in its eoneiseuessi th
To true language ofhislory, instinct wi,h I'll
ust spirit Of nations, and not with The passion
uc, of individuals breathing the maxims
our the world and not the ienets ofthe schooli
one and Uniform 10 i,s air and spir
e, whether touched by the stem and haus
ing ~ Sallust. by the open aud discursi'
nee Livy, or by the reserved and tlioughti
yell Tacitus."
ing Such, then, are the languages fro
ids. which 10000 ol lbe Eaglish word are 9
Iaa- rived. These words bring with Them
lies rich and varied lore ol an age Of wisdo
a,ef Of an age Of heroes. These Iapgaas
,us- are dead, # Is true, bar more glorious
12le death than life, iof now uuehangeab
and they have become the safe recep,aeles
MED the oracles of the living God.
rom The remainiog 1900 words are f.
-ent various sources. Fiom lie French
and have the language Of taste aad the 9
niaa arts; from tie Italian lhe Language
ages music and from other quarters, all d
rus. Il aeeessary - make pertees whols
b.. The Engllsh has drasn mos, freely q
ngth those sources where wisdom most abo
tyles ded. but from uens has i taken % m
& en. IS 70 become hound 10 Is particular !
rhey tenn Of philosophy Of religion. Prem
they Greek It has dlaun largely, Jet not
.ssesl, much - 10 beeene inpFe gaasea '
Creeian Pelyshsisai nor shlls &
! aaa sai.en much tom tbs German, has i !
shoad taken of the fslae philosophy u Ger
aman ~. Il has taken just enough u sAe
thine, give The fullest expression 70 eY
.le a lhouzlss, aad i res.dily aaapss tsell 9
! The sry smolioa os ihe hemaa soalt