Holland the fact was held indisputable, and having long known the like opinion to have been that of the same class among ourselves. The learned and judicious CAMDEN, in his book of REMAINES, has the following passage; "The grounde of our language appertainith to the OLDSAXON, little differing from the PRESENT DUTCH, because they more than any other of their neighbours have hitherto preserved that speech from any grete forreine mixture.” By the OLD-SAXON let no one suppose it is the so named ANGLO-SAXON which is intended by those who use that term, nor that it is ever understood in such sense by any one duly acquainted with the meaning of the two terms. The English and Anglo-Saxon are sister-dialects of a same parent-tongue, but neither the source of the other; and the Anglo-Saxon is no more the author of the English than the English is of that. It has been a misconception in this regard, which has evidently bewildered most of our later philologists. To tell us English is like Anglo-Saxon, and to mean it comes out of that dialect, is, as to suppose one siser the parent of the other because we perceive a family-likeness between the two; instead of looking for the true parent of both, where the common principle and general constitution of each will be found in a same source and structure. Dutch literature has so narrow a compass in the attention of any learned class among us, that it may be right to say, in regard to the groundsyllables [themas] of that language, I have borrowed freely from the various details in the works of Bilderdijk, in my view, the author of the only doctrine by which the nature of language can be practically developed, or will ever be explicitly acounted for. He has taken up the question at the point where our own great Locke has stopped in his Essay, fulfilled the task and displayed a genius equal to it. Among the critics, whose attention had been called by the first publication of the present Essay, is the scribe of a paper named The Athenæum, who, in addition to much indefinite scolding and vulgar abuse, has introduced a barefaced and evidently intentional untruth, by asserting, in confidence of the ignorance of those who might read him, there was no such word in the Dutch language as tocken [in the imperative form tock]; and implying, it was either the blunder of ignorance, or a purposed infidelity practised upon my readers :a falsehood to be detected by any one who will give himself the trouble of turning to the proper page in the standard dictionary of the Dutch language, called Kiliaan's; where he will find that verb as three distinct articles, in its three different imports, and in that in which the word is used in the place referred to by the above critic. The word is, in fact, the source of the Italian toccare, the Spanish tocar, the French toucher, and our to DOOT ASC have noticed this the writer might therwise as respects ood, and want of a paper has, in regard to editor of The Times. In the ensuing volume two will be added. touch, if not also of the Latin tangere, tetigi, tactus. I have noticed this untruth solely that the effrontery of the writer might not impose upon any one; otherwise as respects ruffianly abuse, studied falsehood, and want of argument, the writer of that paper has, in regard to this Essay, a rival in the editor of The Times. In the ensuing volume a General Index to the two will be added. Phrases and Sayings WHICH BY THEIR LITERAL FORM DO NOT BEAR OUT THE MEANING THEY ARE USED IN, AND TERMS NOT YET SATISFACTORILY ACCOUNTED FOR. HE TOOK THE BULL BY THE HORNS. To begin an attack by the best way to succeed in it; to take the surest means to carry the point; to do all that could be done, so that, if failure follows, it is because the attempt was impracticable by the best means within the chief's power. Hie tuck tije bol by, die hooren's ; q. e. here head calls contrivance in; that is, as it ought to be; here the head invokes to its aid the skill of others, that is giving the case all the chance for success it admits of; in the attempt in question the chief (the head) summons to his side ingenuity itself (all that can be had) this is what suits the occasion; thus implying wisdom at the head summoning all the skill within its reach to its assistance. A pigheaded chief trusts to himself, and fails from self conceit and incapacity. A wise one knows that to combine all the ingenuity and skill within his command is the best way to succeed, and at all events secures him from reproach of neglect, if failure takes place. Hie, hier, here, in this case. Tuck, tuk, artifice, contrivance, machination, machinery of mind, cunning, device, deception. Tije the subjunctive form of tijen in the sense of to invoke, to summon, to call upon, to cite appearance. By, beside, near, to. Hooren, to belong to, to become, to be fitting, to be proper, to be all that is right; and here used substantively; VOL. I B |