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"Don" is a variation of dun (Celtic, a hill); as Snowdon. "Ton" is a short form of town, and has the same signification; as Castleton. "Ley," "leigh," and "ly," are different forms of the same word (from Saxon, leay, a meadow); as Burnley, Leighton, and Leytonstone. "Wick" is from Saxon wic, a village (or, Latin, vicus, a street); as Warwick. "Bergh," "burgh," "bury," and " borough," are different forms of the same word, which is derived from beorgan, Saxon, to make close, or secure-hence the application to a city, or town; as Sedbarg, Roxburgh, Neabury, Bamborough. "Field" and "feld" are from Saxon and German, feld, level land, a plain; as Litchfield. "By" and "bey are from Danish, bye a village, or town; as Whitby. "Kirk" is from Saxon, circ (sounded kirk), pertaining to a lord-hence the application, a church, a house, pertaining to the Lord; as Kirkpatrick. Hythe" is Saxon, a port, or harbour; as Queenhithe, Hythe. "Combe " signifies a valley; as Nettlecombe. Thorp means a habitation, a village; as Kingsthorpe, Thorp. "Fold" signifies doubled; as in Cawfold, Kinfold. "Wold" is another form of Saxon, wald and weald, a wood; as Southwold. "Toft" means a collection of small things in a knot; as Lowestoft. See Webster's Dictionary.

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SECTION III.

1. "By what historical events has the composition of our language been chiefly influenced?"

The English tongue is very little indebted to the language of the original inhabitants, whom the Saxons displaced, or exterminated. History affords no parallel to the extremely slight degree of amalgamation between the speech of the conquerors and that of the conquered, which is presented in the case of the Saxons

and the Britons. The appellations of some rivers and hills are almost the only traces existing in the English language of that speech which preceded it in currency, when Britain was a remote province of the Roman Empire. The numerous colonies of Danes, whose successful invasions enabled them to obtain a footing in large districts in England, left the impress of their speech, as our works on derivation amply testify. The Norman invasion brought a new language to commingle with that of our Saxon progenitors; but despite every effort that policy and tyranny could bring to bear for the suppression of the language of the vanquished, it retained its ground, and eventually gained the ascendancy, though not without the gradual absorption of much of the speech of the conquerors. Nearly two

centuries elapsed before Norman-French was well grafted on the original stock. Later modifications can scarcely be referred to any great historical events, but character is concisely estimated by Webster, in the following extract:—

"Since the invention of printing changes in the language have been less rapid than before; but no art nor effort can completely arrest alterations in a living language. The distinguished writers of the reign of Elizabeth improved the language, but could not give it stability. Many words, then in common use, are now obsolete, or have suffered a change of signification. In the period between Queen Elizabeth and the beginning of the eighteenth century, the language was improved. in grammar, orthography, and style. The writers in the reign of Queen Anne and George I. brought the language nearly to perfection; and if any improvement has been since made it is in the style, or dictation, by a better selection of words, and the use of terms in science and philosophy with more precision."

2. What are the principal metres in which our best poets have written? Give instances of each.”

The following reply is compiled from Latham on the English Language. See, also, the more accessible English Grammar of the same author.

The number of the English measures is five, of which two are dissyllabic, and three trisyllabic.

Taking a to represent an accented syllable, and x an unaccented one, a x, and x a, are the dissyllabic measures. Similarly, the trisyllabic measures are symbolised by a x x, x a x, x x a, and the five measures stand thus:

1. a x; as tyrant, stupid
2. xa; as presume, deter

} Dissyllabic.

3. a x x; as merrily, angrily
4. xa x; as disable, preferring
5. x x a; as refugee, cavalier

Trisyllabic.

Until the above simple mode of classification was suggested by Dr. Latham, the usual names of the measures as they stand, were, Trochees, Iambies, Daetyls, Amphibrachs, and Anapests, in imitation of classical feet; in which application accents in English are made to correspond with quantity in the classical tongues.

The measure x a enters more largely than any other into English verse. Four measures of x a, or x a × 4, constitute Octosyllabic Metre, as,

The "Lay of the Last Minstrel," and other poems of Scott, and Byron's "Giaour," are in the same metre.

1. Common Octosyllabics is the name of such couplets as the above specimens.

2. Elegiac Octosyllabics are like the preceding, except that alternate lines rhyme and the verses are arranged in stanzas; Tennyson uses it.

3. Signs of x a × 3, with alternate rhymes, constitute Gay's Stanzas; as,

"When o'er the white wave stooping,

His floating corpse she spied;

Then, like a lily drooping,

She bowed her head and died."

Ballad, by Gay, in "What-do'ye-call-it."

4. Octosyllabic Triplets are formed of three rhymes in succession, usually arranged in stanzas; as, "Then shall, with universal dread, The sacred mystic book be read, To try the living and the dead."

Day of Judgment, by Roscommon. Tennyson employs the same metre.

5. Blank Verse consists of x a X 5 without rhyme. Milton, Shakspeare, Young, and Cowper, use this.

6. Heroic Couplets are formed of x a X 5 with pairs of rhymes. This is the common metre for didactic, narrative, and descriptive poetry.

""Tis hard to say if greater want of skill
Appear in writing, or in judging ill."

Essay on Criticism.-Pope.

Chaucer, Denham, Dryden, Waller, Cowper, Goldsmith, Byron, Moore, Shelley, and most of our poets, afford specimens of this metre.

Heroic Triplets consist of formula x a X 5 with three rhymes in succession, arranged in stanzas, same

as preceding, except that three rhymes, instead of two, come in succession.

8. Elegiacs (x a X 5), of which Gray's Elegy is an exquisite specimen.

9. Spenserian Stanza: it consists of eight lines of heroics, closed by an Alexandrine, which is x a × 6. The "Faery Queen" of Spencer, and Byron's “ Child Harold," &c.

10. Service Metre (x a × 7) Common Measure, or, Long Measure. See Psalms.

11. Ballad Metre, as, "Chevy Chase," "Edwin and Angelina," &c. The other English metres are numerous, but few of them are named. Ottava Rima, and, Terza Rima, are borrowed from the Italian.

See Latham's English Grammar, second edition. Guest's History of Metres, and some observations of Coleridge prefixed to his Christabel.

SECTION IV.

1. "Mention any books that you conceive to have had a greater influence than others upon our language."

He

Wickliffe's English Writings, and especially his translation of the Scriptures, contributed, in no mean degree, to promote the progress of the English language. Chaucer's Poetry exhibits a polish and harmony to which none of his predecessors can lay claim. likewise augmented his native vocabulary by the introduction of numerous foreign words. The sermons, translations, and other compositions of our great reformers and their contemporaries, improved the character of our language for literary permanence and consistency. Latimer, Fox, Tyndal, Coverdale, Ascham, and More, deserve honourable mention on this score.