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Vallancey - Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Volume 1, Issue 8, Page 48

Vallancey - Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Volume 1, Issue 8, Page 48
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periodical Publisher
The Antiquarian Society, 1782
periodical Editor
Vallancey, Charles
periodical Title
Vallancey - Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis
volume Number
1
issue Content
REMARKS ON AN ESSAY ON THEANTIQUITY OF THE IRISH L1 NGUAGE. 339bards, and the feveral invedlives of ancient firan-gers, by the degrees of probability on one fide,and the means of information on the other ; toweigh at the fame time the credibility of the fad sin which both agree, and invefligate the reafhnwhy old writers, who could not a in concert,happened to agree fo well. It was further f undexpedient to try the pretenfions of domeflic hub-rians, by getting acquainted with the 1an ;uages,in which they conveyed their iriformations ; adrudgery not to be borne, were it not rewardedby real knowledge; by infallible uignatures of thedefedle, and giammaticat incongruities, whichpoint out at once an unlettered and barbarousnation, or thofe elegancies of expieulion and com-modious texture of words which declare a civilizedone. On thele principles, a!Ihciations for the ftudyof our northern antiquities have been eftabliflied infeveral Em onean kingdoms, and within the prefentyear the fpirit has happily migrated into Ireland.The Dublin Society, (now lo celebrated in Europe)have appointed aJict co;wnittcc of their OWO bodyto in1pe t into the ancient fiate of literature andarts in Jreland, and Mr. Vailancey one of thelearned members of that committee, has alreadygiven the poHic a fpecirnen of his abilities, in aqIii L7iigU gC; it is a new and greataccc f;on to European literature, and wthout anydoubt the Inrerunner of a greater. To tr celanguages to their fountain heads ; to point outthe breams they haye niingled with in their defcentlo our OWO 1imer , and mark the changes theyunderwent, in their feveral ilages of improvementaridand corruption is an arduous talk moft certainly.Few nations can afford fufficient materials for fuchan inveftigation; few writers have Ikill enough toaccommodate fuch materials to the purpoles ofufeful information. The learned pains of moltphilologers ferved only to cover their ignorance ofparticulars which alone fnould eniure fuccefs totheir inquiries. They have forfeited the worldwith etymologies unfupported by probability, withgrammatical conceits unattended with rational ana-logy, and with hypothefis contradi ed by ancientrecords, and inadmiflible had no fitch recordsexifted. From the learned GoropiusBecariuS downto the ingenious tranflator of Oflian they have donenothing elfe. The difplay of their erudition,however, could not impofe long, but it has createda difguft, which nothing, but the taking up thisfubje& on the principles laid down by the learnedLhwyd and recommended by the great L ibnitz,could remove. On fuch principles, now adoptedby Mr. Vallancey, languages may be traced totheir true fources; much light may be thrown onthe antiquities of nations; and, a rule being foundthrough this medium, for feparating the true fromthe falfe in old tradibons, the fum of our inquiriesmuft center in knowledge. The era of the culti-vation of letters may be afcertained with fumetruth, among any people who have pretenlions toan early civilization; or at leaft fuch a bate of it,as may intitle their early hiftory to any degree ofattention.Fortunately, no countries in Europe can furni(hbetter materials for the knowledge attainable fromantient
issue Number
8
page Number
48
periodical Author
[various]
issue Publication Date
2006-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Vallancey - Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Volume 1, Issue 8

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