Year: 1877

Gently issued from the press, has had
the temerity to declare that the


principal use of an English gram


mar is not to give us a knowledge


of our language; and that his is the


correct view can, I think, be shown


by several considerations. In the


first place, is grammar antecedent
to language? You would judge


from its pretensions that it must be ;


but, so far is this from being true, it


assumes the existence and structure


of language, and as dictionary de-


fines the meaning of words as formed


and used in the language, so it is the


office of English grammar to state


and exemplify the laws of construc-


ton, to call attention to the idioms,


ETC., but only to handle materials


already furnished and indeed organ


lied. 1t creates nothing. 1t. acts


the part of an inquiring spectator,


contemplating the curious combina-


tions and varied operations of a


piece of machinery in motion; and


how long, suppose you, would it
take youth to learn to manipulate
and operate skillfully complicated


machine by picking it to pieces once
day? Perhaps in 969 years, if a
kind Providence should spare him
SO long for this special exigency.
No, to learn the use of it he must
use, not analyze it. But perhaps it
will set this point in still clearer
light to review briefly the process of
the acquisition of language from
childhood up. With children it is
wholly by imitation. They say and
say only what they hear others
around them saying, and it is as easy
for them to learn to speak correctly
as incorrectly if those from whom
they derive their speech use it SO.
If the circumstances are favorable,
they go on by gradual accretion to
enlarge a correct vocabulary, ever
accepting, and that without refiec-
tion, the words with the signitica-
tiOns that are furnished by those
with whom they associate. In cul-
tivated families it will accordingly
be found that the child has laid the
sure and imperishable foundation of
a correct use of his own language
before an English grammar has even
been thought of. If, on the other
hand, he is reared by illiterate pa
rents, the habits of language which
he has inherited from them will
cling to him to the end of life, unless
indeed they should be gradually
eradicated by thorough education
subsequently, which will enforce a
thoughtful use of language, and this
he will acquire by mingling with
educated people and by reading cor
rect authors rather than by the study
of grammar.


And at this point I desire to call
attention. to the invaluable aid in
the acquisition of our language af-
fOrded by the study of a foreign and
a dead language. Reflect
but a moment upon the painstaking
labor necessary to expend upon the
translation of an author from any of
these tongues, the vigorous exercise
of mind requisite to grasp his mean
ing, then the nice discrimination
and weighing of words to render it
accurately into our own idiOm.
Goethe has said that he who knows
nothing of foreign language knows
not his own. This idea may be eX-
panded a moment. AS shown above
the acquisition of a foreign tongue
necessarily involves a careful use of
our own, and secondly, in histori-
cal sense, every language of Europe
and in part of Asia is more or less
closely connected with every other,
so that in learning any one we are
learning our own SO far by deriva-
ton or kinship. Instance Latin,
German and English.


But to postpone for a moment our
remarks on the historical study Gas
it is called) of our language, the best
of all methods and one absolutely
indispensable is the constant and
diligent study of our English classics
prose and poetry /; and as the
thoughts of these great authors are
gilmore worth than the garb in which
they are attired, and their subject
matter than the language which is
but its vehicle, our first object should
be to comprehend their meaning, to
appreciate the great truths which
they enunciate, to endeavOr to rise
to the height of their great argu-
ments, to have our own souls imbued
with the noble sentiments they ut
ter. And along with this mental
effort we cannot but be impressed
at the same time with the clear, con-
else, elegant or sublime style which
they employ according to the char
acter of their several subjects. And
we are not to stop with merely read
ing, however assiduOusly, these
authors. Many choice passages
should be n1emOrized and if possible
recited, whether to oneself or, better,
to others; for in poetry particularly
the ear is a more critical and appre-
GiatiYe judge than the eye, Another
practice, only less useful than men,
orizing, Is to transcribe these pass
ages. The deliberation necessary to
writing tends to fix the meaning of
an author more firmly in the mem
ory,


The course which l have just In
dicated is within the reach of almost
any youth of ordinary mind and
moderate industry. In so wide and
inviting a field would not be too
precise in prescribing course;
With judloiQqs advisers each one
might consult his own preferences.