An Apology for the Study of Northern Antiquities | Page 5

For in
_God's Word_, &c. is not the Termination s a plain Indication of a
Genitive Case, wherein the Saxon e is omitted? For example_, *Godes
Word*, *Mannes Wisdom*, *Smiðes Heorð*. _Some will say, that
were better supplied by his, or hers, as Man his Thought, the Smith his
Forge; but this Mistake is justly exploded. Yet if these Gentlemen will
not credit Dr. Hickes, the Saxon Writings might give them full
Satisfaction. The Gospels, the Psalms, and a great part of the Bible are
in Saxon, so are the Laws and Ecclesiastical Canons, and Charters of
most of our _Saxon Kings_; these one wou'd think might deserve their
Credit. But they have not had Learning or Industry enough to fit them
for such Acquaintance, and are forc'd therefore to take up their Refuge
with those Triflers, whose only Pretence to Wit, is to despise their
Betters. This Censure will not, I imagine, be thought harsh, by any
candid Reader, since their own Discovery has sufficiently declared
their Ignorance: and their Boldness, to determine things whereof they
are so ignorant, has so justly fix'd upon them the Charge of Impudence.
For otherwise they must needs have been ashamed to proceed in
manner following.
We might give you various Instances more of the essential difference
between the old Saxon and modern English Tongue, but these must
satisfy any reasonable Man, that it is so great, that the Saxon can be no
Rule to us; and that to understand ours, there is no need of knowing the
_Saxon_: And tho' Dr. Hickes must be allow'd to have been a very
curious Enquirer into those obsolete Tongues, now out of use, and
containing nothing valuable, yet it does by no means follow (as is plain
from what has been said) that we are obliged to derive the Sense,
Construction, or Nature of our present Language from his Discoveries.
I would beseech my Readers to observe, the Candour and Ingenuity of
these Gentlemen: They tell us, _We might give you various Instances
more of the essential difference between the old Saxon and modern
English Tongue_; and yet have plainly made it appear, that they know
little or nothing of the old Saxon. So that it will be hard to say how they
come to know of any such _essential difference, as MUST satisfy any
reasonabie Man_; and much more that this essential difference is so

_great, that the Saxon can be no Rule to us, and that to understand ours,
there is no need of knowing the Saxon. _What they say, that it cannot
be a Rule to them, is true; for nothing can be a Rule of Direction to any
Man, the use whereof he does not understand; but if to understand the
Original and Etymology of the Words of any Language, be needful
towards knowing the Propriety of any Language, a thing which I have
never heard hath yet been denied; then do these Gentlemen stand
self-condemned, there being no less than four Words, in the Scheme of
Declensions they have borrowed from Dr. Hickes, now in use, which
are of pure Saxon Original, and consequently essential to the modern
English. I need not tell any English Reader at this Day the meaning of
Smith, Word, Son, and _Good_; but if I tell them that these are Saxon
Words, I believe they will hardly deny them to be essential to the
modern English, or that they will conclude that the difference between
the old English and the modern is so great, or the distance of Relation
between them so remote, as that the former deserves not to be
remember'd: except by such Upstarts who having no Title to a laudable
Pedigree, are backward in all due Respect and Veneration towards a
noble Ancestry.
Their great Condescension to Dr. Hickes in allowing him to have been
a very curious Inquirer into those _obsolete Tongues, now out of use,
and containing nothing valuable in them_, is a Compliment for which I
believe you, Sir, will give me leave to assure them, that he is not at all
obliged; since if it signifies any thing, it imports, no less than that he
has employ'd a great deal of Time, and a great deal of Pains, to little
purpose. But we must at least borrow so much Assurance from them, as
to tell them, that your Friends, who consist of the most learned sort of
your own Countrey-men, and of Foreigners, do not think those Tongues
so obsolete and out of use, whose Significancy is so apparent in
Etymology; nor do they think those Men competent Judges to declare,
whether there be any thing contained in them valuable or not, who have
made it clear, that they know not what is _contain'd_ in them. They
would rather