mer, that the English language is like the Crusades. The Crusades, or wars of the Cross, were carried on by mixed armies. The English language is an army of words, and its words are from the Saxon, Celtic, French, Danish, German, Spanish, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. Wilmer, remember these things. Let them never be forgotten. It is a shame for an American to be ignorant of his nation's language. INSTRUCTION XIV. OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. A PAPER то BE Ꭱ Ꭼ Ꭺ Ꭰ . Professor Cadmus prepared, during the day, a paper on the English language, which he wished to place in the hands of his son. He wished him to know its history. No study, he would often say, is complete without its history. If we know every thing else about it, and are ignorant of this, we are still children, and have little or no experience to guide us. This is true of our language. Its history is the record of the memories of the AngloSaxon heart; memories that have been carried across the Old World, and now bud and blossom in the New. This paper was prepared under these impressions. Wilmer came into the study as his father was about to leave it. He had an engagement for the evening. I must leave you, my son, for an hour. But here, said he, drawing the paper out of one of the pigeon-holes in his desk-here, said he, are the thoughts that I would have spoken to you, if I had been with you. I wish you to read them again and again, and fix them in your mind. ΑΝ OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. The English language is a composite or mixed one. We received it from England through the colonies that settled at Jamestown and Plymouth. But England is not its native scat. It was introduced there from that part of Europe now known as Hanover and Westphalia. It is of German origin, and may be looked upon as the youngest and noblest sister in the great Gothic, or Teutonic family of languages. This whole family came from Asia, at some distant period. Its native home is the banks of the Indus. The English language, as we have said, is a mixed one. It is made up of words received from the languages of the different conquerors of England. To these conquerors, and their languages, we must now look. They mark out the outline of the history of the English language. England was first settled by the Celts, who passed over from Gaul, now called France. Their language is still spoken in parts of Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, or Mona. Many words from this language have been adopted, and form one of the elements of the English. The Celtic language has given us names of places, many words used in manufactures, and some of the first words used in the rustic cottage. This is the CELTIC PERIOD. Fifty years before Christ, the Romans, whose capital was the city of Rome, in Italy, invaded England, and retained a foothold there for five hundred years. Some Latin words were left behind among the Celts of Great Britain, and afterwards introduced into the English language. This was the ROMAN PERIOD. In the year 449 after Christ, a colony of Jutes, from Fin land, came over from the North of Europe, and settled in England. They were followed by other colonies called Saxons, who soon overran the country, and held possession of it for six hundred years. From these we have received the Anglo-Saxon part of our language. This may be called the SAXON PERIOD. A few years after the third colony of Saxons had settled. in England, two colonies from tribes in the North of Germany, called Angles, came over, and settled in England and the South of Scotland. In 836, these and all the other colonies became united in one kingdom. They continued so till 1066, when the Normans, led by William the Conqueror, came over from the North of France, and overthrew the Saxon monarchy. At that time, the AngloSaxon, with a slight mixture of Celtic and Latin words, was the spoken language of England, if we except part of the south, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. It was ennobled by King Alfred, one of the finest kings that is known to fame. "The pious Alfred, king to justice dear, Lord of the harp and liberating spear!" William and the Normans, from Normandy, in France, tried to destroy the Saxon language, and plant the French in its place, a mixture of the Latin and Celtic tongues. They happily failed. They were only able to introduce the Norman-French at court, in colleges, and places of justice. The people continued to speak the Saxon or Celtic. After a while, however, a mixture of these languages began to take place. The Norman lords began to use Saxon words, and the Saxon peasant began to use Norman words. Thus arose, what is called the Anglo-Norman, or half-Saxon language. This period extends from William the Conqueror to the death of John, 1216. Changes continued. From the death of John to the death of Edward II., in 1327, the language of England was called Old English. It is nearly the same as that which we now use, being distinguished from it mainly by orthography, and a use of words which have now passed out of use. From the death of Edward II. to that of Queen Mary, in 1558, the language of England was called Middle English. This period is marked by many changes in orthography, and a nearer approach to the present form of our language. After the death of Mary, Elizabeth ascended the throne of England. New or Modern English dates its commencement with her reign. The Latin and Greek parts of our language were introduced at different periods. Many words were brought in during the Saxon period. More were brought in under the rule of the Normans; but the greatest part has been brought in since those periods. The words from the Latin and Greek are closely connected with the arts and sciences. The basis of the English language, the outline of which is now before you, is Anglo-Saxon. There is a large assem blage of Greek and Latin words in it. It includes words also from almost every speech on earth, — from the Celtic, French, German, Danish, Norwegian, Italian, Hebrew, Arabic and other languages. Still the Saxon is the basis, the living stock, and all the others are engraftures upon it. The geography of our language claims a passing notice in this place. Its territory is found in all quarters of the globe. In 1607, it was planted in the United States: in 1763, in Canada. Cromwell introduced it into the West Indies. It is also found in Guiana, in South America; at the Cape of Good Hope, in Africa; in Southern Asia; the |