An Apology for the Study of Northern Antiquities | Page 3

are generally
ill-advised to scorn or reject them, however uninspired and uninspiring
they may seem. Moreover when authors do enter into dispute with
"laborious men of low genius" they frequently meet with more than
their match. Miss Elstob's bold and aggressive defense of Northern
antiquities was remembered and cited by a later scholar, George
Ballard, as a warning to those who underestimated the importance of a
sound knowledge of the language. Indeed, he wrote, "I thought that the
bad success Dean Swift had met with in this affair from the
incomparably learned and ingenious Mrs. Elstob would have deterred
all others from once venturing in this affair." (John Nichols,
Illustrations of the Literary History of the Eighteenth Century, 1822, IV,
212.)
Charles Peake University College, London
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The RUDIMENTS of GRAMMAR
for the English-Saxon Tongue, First given in ENGLISH:
with an Apology For the Study of
NORTHERN ANTIQUITIES.
Being very useful towards the understanding our ancient English
POETS, and other WRITERS.
By ELIZABETH ELSTOB.

Our Earthly Possessions are truly enough called a PATRIMONY, as
derived to us by the Industry of our _FATHERS_; but the Language
that we speak is our _MOTHER-TONGUE_; And who so proper to
play the Criticks in this as the _FEMALES.
In a Letter from a Right Reverend Prelate to the Author.
LONDON.
Printed by _W. Bowyer_: And Sold by J. BOWYER at the Rose in
_Ludgate-street_, and C. KING in _Westminster-hall_, 1715.
* * * * *
The PREFACE
to the Reverend Dr. Hickes.
SIR,

Soon after the Publication of the Homily on St. Gregory, I was engaged
by the Importunity of my Friends, to make a Visit to Canterbury, as
well to enjoy the Conversations of my Friends and Relations there, as
for that Benefit which I hoped to receive from Change of Air, and freer
Breathing, which is the usual Expectation of those, who are used to a
sedentary Life and Confinement in the great City, and which renders
such an Excursion now and then excusable. In this Recess, among the
many Compliments and kind Expressions, which their favourable
Acceptance of my first Attempt in Saxon, had obtained for me from the
Ladies, I was more particularly gratified, with the new Friendship and
Conversation, of a young Lady, whose Ingenuity and Love of Learning,
is well known and esteem'd, not only in that Place, but by your self: and
which so far indear'd itself to me, by her promise that she wou'd learn
the Saxon Tongue, and do me the Honour to be my Scholar, as to make
me think of composing an English Grammar of that Language for her
use. That Ladies Fortune hath so disposed of her since that time, and
hath placed her at so great distance, as that we have had no Opportunity,
of treating farther on this Matter, either by Discourse or
Correspondence. However though a Work of a larger Extent, and which
hath amply experienced your Encouragement, did for some time make
me lay aside this Design, yet I did not wholly reject it. For having
re-assumed this Task, and accomplish'd it in such manner at I was able,
I now send it to you, for your Correction, and that Stamp of Authority,
it must needs receive from a Person of such perfect and exact
Judgement in these Matters, in order to make it current, and worthy of
Reception from the Publick. Indeed I might well have spared my self
the labour of such an Attempt, after the elaborate Work of your rich
and learned Thesaurus, and the ingenious Compendium of it by Mr.
_Thwaites_; but considering the Pleasure I my self had reaped from the
Knowledge I have gained from this Original of our Mother Tongue,
and that others of my own Sex, might be capable of the same
Satisfaction: I resolv'd to give them the Rudiments of that Language in
an English Dress. However not 'till I had communicated to you my
Design for your Advice, and had receiv'd your repeated Exhortation,
and Encouragement to the Undertaking.
The Method I have used, is neither entirely new, out of a Fondness and
Affectation of Novelty: nor exactly the same with what has been in use,

in teaching the learned Languages. I have retain'd the old Division of
the Parts of Speech, nor have I rejected the other common Terms of
_Grammar_; I have only endeavour'd to explain them in such a manner,
as to hope they may be competently understood, by those whose
Education, hath not allow'd them an Acquaintance with the Grammars
of other Languages. There is one Addition to what your self and Mr.
Thwaites have done on this Subject, for which you will, I imagine,
readily pardon me: I have given