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or familiarity. The dual number accurately dif tinguishes two perfons from one, as well as from an indifcriminate and vague multitude. Different inflections of the fame cafes of nouns are adapted to all the ufes of poetry and profe. The power of the double negative is very fenfibly felt; and there are inftances, where prohibition or contradiction is guarded even by three negatives, which enforce the Tentiment in the greateft degree. In Greek and in Greek alone occur the grammatical folecifmms of a verb fingular being joined to a neuter plural, and of the union of an article, or adjective masculine with a fubftantive feminine. The middle voice has the peculiar power of expreffing, that a perfon is the fubject of his own actions. The tenfes are more numerous and more definite than those of any other language. In Greek are to be found a paft imperative mood, a participle prefent of the paffive voice, and a paulo-poft future tenfe. Conditional action is denoted by the fubjunctive, and fuch as relates to an object of defire, by the optative mood. The variety and exactnefs of ideas difplayed in all the modifications of the verb fhow a refinement of thought, and a depth of metaphyfical reasoning, applied to the divifions of time, which prove the acutenefs and philofophical precifion of the Greeks".

Artium parens et altrix Græca diligentia eft:
Literarum porro curam nulla gens attentius
Repperit: polivit ufque finem ad unguis extimum.

Terentianus Maurus.

The

The freedom of expreffion which the Greek Poets allowed themselves to ufe is a peculiarity which cannot escape our attention. They made fyllables long or fhort, added them to the beginning, middle, or end of fome words, cut them off from the beginning, middle, or end of others, and transposed letters as they pleased. Examples of all thefe licences may eafily be found, and particularly in Homer, who has availed himself of this privilege to the fullest extent.

The prolific power of their language was not limited by any fixed bounds, or reftrained by any certain rules. Verbs were the fruitful trees, which produced innumerable branches fpringing from each other in the greatest abundance and variety. Verbs are sometimes compounded with each other, and fometimes with fubftantives; nouns are formed from them, and even from different tenfes and perfons of the fame verb. But the But the power of compounding them with prepofitions was of a much greater extent. With any one of the eighteen prepofitions, any verb, unless its fignifica

• See Clarke's ingenious system of the Greek tenses, in his note on line 37 of the first book of the Iliad.

From πεποίημαι, ησαι, ηται, are derived ποιημα, ποίησις, ποιητής. See Monboddo, v. ii. p. 185.

There are thirty-four instances at least of the verb being compounded with double prepofitions, aluban, ailirapacania, avlimpobanλw, &c. Inftances of a verb and three prepofitions, fuch as weppоPEES, are not uncommon in Homer. See Lord Monboddo, and Valkenaer apud Lennep, p. 24, 25.

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tion made it naturally repugnant to such an alliance, could be joined. There are numerous inftances of fuch combinations, and likewise of double and even treble prepofitions being united with verbs and nouns. As fuch compound words poffefs ftrength, richness, and fignificant brevity, they fhow the productive powers of a language, which contains inexhauftible resources. Their effect is more particularly felt in poetry, which they fupply with one of its moft ftriking and beautiful ornaments. To the genius of Homer they furnished appropriate expreffion, and enabled him to give, even to an epithet, such distinct and picturesque ideas, as poets in many other languages convey with lefs effect in long defcriptions. To extenfive power of compounding words few refemblances can be traced more appofite than the indefinite combination of letters to form words, and the multiplication of numbers in arithmetic.

From fuch powers of language naturally arose a proportionable copioufnefs. Even as early as the time of Homer, that is five centuries before the refined age of Plato and Xenophon, it had affumed a permanent character: and his works, produced in the infancy of arts and civilization, afforded a fatisfactory proof, to what various fubjects it could be applied. So full and complete indeed is the nature of his style, fo far is it from affording any ground for complaints of its weaknefs and deficiency, that all scholars unite in their admiration

VOL. I.

N

of

of its energy and copioufnefs. What are the thoughts of Virgil, Taffo, or any modern poet, to which the diction of Homer, and the other great Grecian poets, could not give adequate expreffion, and even embellish with additional and fuperior beauties of harmony, richnefs, and variety of compofition?

II. The Style of Greek Writers.

Thus to the fertile and happy invention of writers of all defcriptions did the Greek language fupply an abundant ftore of the moft fignificant terms; and every conception of the mind, every appearance of nature, and production of art, were conveyed by correfpondent and adequate words. The hiftorian, the orator, and the philofopher, exercifed the fame freedom, energy, and beauty of expreffion, as the poet himfelf. The effect of their genius upon language was like that of the fun, when it varies the glowing tints of light, and touches the clouds with the richest and most beautiful diverfity of colours.

The Greek language affumed with cafe the various forms in which Eloquence exerted her powers to perfuade and Philofophy to inftruct mankind. Plato was diffufe and poetical; Xenophon was fimple and elegant; Ariftotle was concife and vigorous. The comedies of Ariftophanes and Menander, however unlike in their characters and

fentiments,

fentiments, were both improved by the pure and refined beauties of their native dialect. Theocritus gave the artlefs graces of Doric fimplicity to his paftorals; and Sappho conveyed her tender fentiments of paffion in the pleafing cadences of that kind of verfification, which is emphatically diftinguished by her name. The Alcaic Ode, the Elegy, and the Epigram are all marked by their own peculiar characters. The easy flow of Iambics, and the irregular combination of choral meafures, adorned the dramatic productions of Efchylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Their language was a perfect image of the bold and versatile genius of the people who fpoke it; for it embraced the wide extent of human perceptions, was moulded into every form, and produced aftonishment by its force, captivated attention by its beauty, and enraptured the ear by its varied and delightful melody.

While the Greeks conveyed the dictates of philofophy to the understanding, held up the most pleafing pictures to the imagination, or by the impulfe of paffion melted and fubdued the heart, the drefs, in which they clothed their ideas, was at once rich, elegant, and graceful; and while they rofe to an elevation of genius, courage, and tafte, which has never been equalled, their words were the most harmonious, nervous, and expreffive, that ever flowed from mortal lips.

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