Specimen of an etimological vocabulary, or, essay, by means of the analitic method, to retrieve the antient Celtic / By the author of a pamphlet entitled, The way to things by words, and to words by things [i.e. J. Cleland].

  • John Cleland
Date:
1768
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Specimen of an etimological vocabulary, or, essay, by means of the analitic method, to retrieve the antient Celtic / By the author of a pamphlet entitled, The way to things by words, and to words by things [i.e. J. Cleland]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    C V ] of procuring fo great a benefit to the republic of letters. This argument, perfonal as it was to myfelf, had not any the leaf!; weight with me : lefs yet had I the ridiculous vanity to imagine, that the literary honor of the nation could be any ways affe6fed by the fuccefs or failure of my pretention to priority of difcovery, fo far as my part may be termed dif- covery, or rather retrieval. It was then folely and purely in confideration of the utility likely to refult to the public, if but from a light flruck by a collifion of competition, that, at length, induced me to refume a work, which I had condemned to remain under a feiitence of fupprellion. It was befides obvious, to think, that the antiquities of this nation would not, with a foreigner, have that preference which I could wifli. But, in order to proceed effeftually, there mani- feflly exiflied a neceility for me of taking the fenfe of the Public on the nature of this undertaking. This could not be done without furnifhing more matter for its judgment than what was contained in that prementioned, crude, undigeflied effay. I alfo fudged it fair to offer an objeff of comparifon with the propofals of Monf. Brlgant^ above alluded to, and hereto candidly fubjoined. In this view, I had recouiTe to a collection which I had been long making, of certain mutual illuftra- tions of words and things, with referve to give them more order, and a more fatisfa61ory expan- fion, in the cafe of ever publifhing the whole plan of this propofed retrieval. And, as the time urged the fubmiffion of fuch matter of dijudication to the public, I have been induced to exhibit, in the fol¬ lowing flieets, a few preliminary fpecirnens of the refult of my plan of etimology. It