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f the manner be such as mu 3 t disgust Jrtan y and offend all . Our authors manner is precisely of that kind , and in so remarkable a degree as to make it probable that the merits of his production may never be fairly examined .
It is the insolence of triumph before the battle is won . Such vaunting of his own powers and contempt of all who have gone before him or who stand beside him , v have made it impossible that he should fail without utter disgrace . For him u , eyoL \ wg
a&oXip&vsw oiAouz svyevs $ cc ^ oiclyj ^ cc would he an insufficient apology , and one which he would disdain to Ynake even if it had not classical authority . Like some performers whom we have seen , he moves to the front of the stage with so confident an air , that wonder or ridicule , applauses or hisses must pursue him as he withdraws . We introduce our notice of this
extraordinary production with these remarks both from regard to justice , and with a view to prevent those who may open the book from throwing it down instantly in disgust . As to the writer himself , we fear that animadversion will be lost upon him . His feeling is that of a man , who has
risen upon a dark world to enli ghten and astonish it ~ by his brightness . The voice of rebuke may provoke a smile at theadmonisher ; but the man who thinks it an act of condescension on
his part to instruct his kind , is a hopeless subject of correction . I ndeed , Mr . Gilchrist appears to anticipate with great satisfaction censure and condemnation from the greater part of literary men . * I mean to use great freedoms with some of the literary idols ; and to deliver some very illegitimate doctrines concerning * tyle \ the giants of taste , criticism and [ earning may be expected to rise in a . body ; jf , however , they will stipulate to keep lightness and delicacy out of the fray , I will undertake single-handed to put them all down with such Weapons only as et ymology supplies : I have some con-Mence in myself—much confidence in my weapons—very gr <; at confidence in the goodness of my cause . "—P . 204 .
- ^ gain , in yet more chosen phrase : I expect a thousand classical tongues be darted at me for my provoking doc-™** ; and much literary dribble—many ° < u morsels and critical crudities , with e /« y quintessence pf established
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opinion and general consent to be spitefully spit in my face : but delicate mouths , never spit fire ; and the saliva of polite taste has the singular property of taking away all the dangerous and deadly qualities of the venom of classical hostility . ; so that ;
the bite of a well-trained literary viper is as harmless as the hiss of a goose . Perhaps some great critical gander will come flapping and flourishing out of the flock to peck at the legs of the present author ; but a single kick or two , ( and it cannot surely be impolite to kick ff under-chamxpions ) , will send the hero back into his
own crowd and muddy hole . I know wbafc courtly simperers will think and say ( or rather hint—for the timid things dare not speak ouO , of this contemptuous , uncharitable , unpolite , unphilosophic style of writing ; but I should despise myself if I could admire what they admire , or praise what they praise ^ and I should loathe my existence with consciousness of hypocritically cloaking my real opinions and feelings to appear orthodox , or become popular ameng a canting , mystical , visionary race of roters , eternally saying after consecrated authorities . "—Pp . 216 ' , 217 .
If the present volume had contained nothing better than invective of this sort against schools and scholars , we should have left to others , if any should think it worth their while , to invite attention to such odious effusions of angry vanity . But the author believes that he has made a great
discovery , that he has solved tl , e problem of language in all its varieties , that , in short , he has in his hand the key of grammar , and he is graciousl y willing , though in a most ungracious mariner , to put it into the hands ' of as many as are not too much stultified by scholarship to make use of it . Our readers will not be displeased to he : ir
him speak for himself on this subject ; for though , meaning to be the plain blunt man he continuall y violates the respect which man owes to man , still there is matter in hirn , and his coarseness is not without ori ginality . Mr . Gilchrist has introduced his discoveries by a history of his own mind in its progress to knowledge .
iC When the author of the following work began to study philology , ir . Was with a logical rather than grammatical view . He had found his learning , such as it was , an inconvenience and intellectual cumbrance : nor was it merely Jbreejfn speech that he found as a vail of obscurity or net of ciitaiiglcmept upon his understanding ; even the En ^ iibh Inuguu ^
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Review . —Gilchrisfs Philosophic Etymology . 53 < f
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1816, page 539, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2456/page/39/
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