mar in fuch a perfpicuous and familiar Way, as may rather incite, than difcourage the Curiofity of fuch who would have a clear Notion of what they fpeak or write. And herein I have bad a Regard to three Things: In the first Place I was defirous to do what in me lay, to excite Perfons to the Study of their Mother Tongue. Secondly, To give fuch a plain and rational Account of Grammar, as might render it eafy and delightful to our English Youth, who have for a long Time efteemed the Study of this ufeful Art very irksome, obfcure and difficult: And this their wrong and hard Notion feems to have proceeded, partly from the unpleafing and difadvantageous Manner it has been delivered to them in, and partly through the Want of having every Thing explained and cleared up to their UnderBanding as they go along: Not to mention the Teaching them Grammar in Latin, before they have learned any thing of it in English. And every Body must readily grant that the Way to come to a true and clear Knowledge of any Art, is to explain Things unknown, by Things that are known. And I dare be bold to say, that if the Grammar of our own Tongue was firft Taught in our Schools, our Youth would in far lefs Time, than they now commonly do, attain to an Understanding of the Latin Tongue, and alfo be better prepared for the Study of Things. My third Aim that I had in the writing this Treatife was, to oblige the Fair Sex, whofe Education, perhaps, is too much neglected in this Particular: But I shall give you my Thoughts there is none that is of that Importance 166 going to do, fince by the Improvement fay Ingratitude of our Sex, who feem fo Injuftice than for a Father to find Fault nefs, or inftruct the Ignorance of his own A 4 this "this, Sir, is what we hope and expect "from you, &c." I have therefore endeavoured to render every Thing eafy and familiar to them, by explaining every Word that might hinder their learning thefe Matters with Pleasure. I have in this Book taken in every Thing that was material from Dr. WALLIS, but be writing for Foreigners, and in Latin, I have not purfued his Method; as not being every where anJwerable to my Design. I pretend not to call this a Compleat Grammar, no fuch Thing being to be expected from any-one Perfon, but an ESSAY, in which I have, to the best of my Abilities, confulted the Genius of our Language. I must bere confefs, that I have been very much obliged in the following Papers to Bishop WILKINS'S Real Character, Dr. WALLIS, Dr. HICKES's Saxon Grammar; and I must alfo take notice, that in two or three Places I bave made ufe of Mr. Lock's Expreffions, becaufe I liked them better than my own. As I am very much obliged to feveral Eminent and Learned Gentlemen, who have honour'd this Work with their Approbation: So I am in a particular Manner to return Thanks to the Reverend and Learned Dr. SAMUEL CLARK, Rector of St. James's, who did me the Honour to make Corrections to the whole Work: As alfo to the Reverend and Learned Dr. DANIEL WATERLAND, who has done me the like Honour: My Thanks are due likewife to my Learned Friend Mr. JOHN DENNIS, for his Effay towards an English PROSODY: I fhould be unjust to Mr. ANDREW READ, and Mr. JONES, if I did not own the Favour of the judicious Remarks, they were pleased to commu nicate. The Places marked with an Afterifm or Star, are what are most necessary to be learned at the first going over: But what is to be learned, and what paffed by, the difcretion of the Teacher will beft determine. If any Gentleman will be pleafed to make any Amendments or Additions to This, they shall be gratefully acknowledged and inferted in their proper Place, by |