New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-30
BNGLdsH-ENGLIsH AND DUTCH-ENGLlsH


SO the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: As ! have taken some interest In the
articles OH Words and their Uses which have been pub
bshed in The Galary my attention was attracted TINS
morning by the communication Of your correspondent
"Hans who SCOTS views Of their writer upon the
strong preterites and especially TO the rights OF
sang, sprd,g and n1'Ore aud who also has MS nng AT
siLeIt past partiepie He says that the grammar
Brown, Buttons, Greene, and Kirkhan and no dobt
an ne others, except Wright give sprung as peterlle
tioes he mean the preteute u OF spring; ana he hOns
hr Grant White as one OF those protested aoeps VINO
fore suleetng themselves SO justly 70 me charge 81
think be The original Bretman who gfe hardy" and
must have written rather too soon after That ntereSng
ahe iH discussions upon Language, but long enough TO
have permitted the good nature eegotten ~ hanty to
pass away with the party into " the ewigkeit"
Now, have apprehended the articles IN question: the
purpose of their writer is to go behind the authority
whatever that may be--of grammars and dictionaries;
aud their valuewhateVe that may be-s chiefly In mat
they do So Yet as the convenient manuals cited by
seemed 10 support his censres have been led TO turn
my hand OF what higher aim and
with those eted by your German critic: mud that
Bishop LOWt in his celebrated treatise English gram
mar takes view Of this question which is taken
by Mr. Grant White in his Words aud their u SEES He
SrGEg and sang as the proper pretetes Of spring
aud sing and says that the tendency toward making the
pact tense and the partieiple the same seems 10 nave
given occasion to the introducing OF Jery great eorrp
to1 by wheh the form OF the past time COMPOUNDED
with that OF the past parcple This confusion pre-.
walls greatly III common discourse and too much author
tzed by the example OF Of best writer's Among
the numerous examples given by LOwh Of this confusion
se lie notices the growing neglect Of tbs lat.
Ter and praises Addison and Middleton for holding 10
toe true past partlcipe" Lowth IN the Last cen
fury, but 1hrng. Head-Master of UppiDgham School.
Oxford 56 as one Of the ceebraed clarendon press Sc
ries and text book for the oxford University Exam,
pIeteritcs Of spring, sg aud G7rs he does not recOg
spS 1 and sS II 70 Hspop rs g2ej tea M
Rise, Progress, aud Present state Of the English Ian
condemns the spsOd neglect Of the proper conjugaton
OF the strong verbs, in which includes OF
your readers may be Interested in seeing
aeu Ofhh literary character .sosI t.ss not ead By
kas have sai lisO ant have
..i asy Ss NOE pa5s than 10 ordinary eases: there not The
slightest dSsrenee n decree is perhaps - tie poets that
RsTt into future times bs bard bsgua,
virgin shah conceive, and bear .-Aessiah.
'ID,be fat age Of psssure wealth and ease
SYrSE9 the rank weed ard tirvd with large increase
No, ...se4 i'm using II. he place d he verb Pope
-I. AUD nsv ibe years a numerous train hsve
blooming ripend into .-OdysssW
I'VE these sIsLpes hos unseupulouy grammar sacrificed
l' Ss.a s!t s;'s ls ssi i':s: .si F
And With nv years ny .oul 5,g4a l5ssssl to psls
VIII feeiug q strange taHais I'd soft B-ia'
wou. y. ,g9o q IhJHs 2taes have 'aag l.ursl
ts Here obvious thai grammatical principle las been ieIs
Prom the foregoing extract have omitted FOR the sake
OF Drevity, few Of the cumulative examples given by
Harrison Finding thus that all the other grammarians
do not with the writer's Of the school books and
popular manuals cited by your Deutsch correspondent
ana that the writer OF Words and their Uses whatever
his errors and comDgs, could not be rigtuiiy
eused Of addressing the public with combination OF
ignorance haste, and presumption that would have ust
hed the OF your correspondent have not thought
worth while TO pursue the subject further al which
ysur readers will probably rejoice have found 10 safe
10 assume that writer who IL treating subject
esy and with apparent thoroughness, has mastered at
ieast much OF II OF his casual readers and
when find myself disagreeing with such man, how
may dissent from his Views hesitate long before
1 accuse him. even In my own mind, Of pretentious
ignorance ALFRED.
ksH York, Oct. %, 1868.