Then what is sculpture, and what is it that feeds the soul of its student? He loves it as a part of the history of the world; it has upon it the venerable stamp of antiquity; it belongs to the age of the greatest orator and poet. In contemplating antiquity, his mind itself becomes antique.' Like Pomponius Lætus, he may be seen wandering amidst the vestiges of the throne of the world: there, in many a reverie, as his eye rests on the mutilated arch, and the broken column, he stops to muse, and drops tears in the ideal presence of Rome and of the Romans.'

Once too, perhaps, in a century, a man may live like our Washington, who not only must be embalmed in the choicest garb of poetry, and the truest touches of the pencil, but also in the noblest statue of the sculptor. He must not merely live in the hearts of the people, but he must be made to stand out, in propria persona, for the eyes of all coming generations to dwell upon. Yes, he must stand in the capitol, himself the very corner-stone. God will raise up a sculptor for such a man — and he has.

It is upon such subjects the sculptor lives, and realizes the divine excellence of his art. But it can never be a common art: first, from its difficulty, and next, from the fact that few cases can occur, where being put up in stone would not be ridiculous. Its field is circumscribed, not admitting of common subjects. It is too dignified to descend to trifles. What would be thought, for instance, of a statue of Sam. Patch or Daniel Lambert?

As, then, it can only deal in very great characters, and as very great men are rare, how can it hope to be a common art? What is to support it in our country? Painting draws its support from private vanity, or real affection, and immortalizes itself by scriptural and historical pieces; but sculpture has no such fund to draw upon, and beside, a few works are the employment of a life. It can only be supported by government patronage, which must be small in republics like ours, where so many men are great, but not singly great, like Washington; where factitious distinctions are unknown, and where greatness bestows itself around to others, producing an elevated republican equality, until it is hard to discover the original stock from which it proceeded. But we have noticed all these obstacles to the art, only to show the originality and perseverance of Horatio Greenough, who, in a manner highly honorable to himself and useful to his country, has worked against all these disadvantages, until he has fought out a laudable name for the talent of his native land. We cannot highly enough estimate that genius, which had the daring, the intellectual energy, to fix upon so high a mark, with so little sympathy about him, so little encouragement as any young man would receive in such an undertaking. The glory of Columbus consists, not in the fearlessness with which he encountered the tempests, in his search for a western continent, but in the invention of his theory, and his remaining in it and nobly upholding it through want, disappointment, and neglect. Intrepidity in danger is manly, but such traits cannot be compared with the moral courage that dares to stem the accumulated prejudices of centuries. Any man who engages in a new and hazardous enterprise, and arrives successfully at his result, is entitled to unusual honor: and such we esteem the art of sculpture to have been to an American.

But whatever the prejudices of the time, whatever its apparent

inutility, the sculptor acknowledges no perpetuity but in the creations of his art. He is carried along by a steady enthusiasm. He looks to the olden times, rather than the new, for his counsels, his sympathies, and companionships. He can own no communion with the bustle of modern improvement. His life is secluded, devoted, and often foreign; for he can only breathe freely in Italy. How many minds can rise to this training? Where are the students to come from, who, alone and unassisted, will carve out for themselves such a path as Greenough did, when but a boy? If each century to come can produce one great American sculptor, it is more than can reasonably be hoped for.

Greenough was born a sculptor; that is, he was born with a temperament and disposition to nourish some noble design, some definite purpose, for the benefit of his age. Endowed with a remarkable delicacy of character, even in boyhood, he shunned society, to devote himself to his darling pursuits. At school, at college, this was the single object before his mind-it absorbed his whole heart. He undoubtedly felt then, that he possessed a treasure which he must not tarnish with other interests.

But he has

We have put the name of Horatio Greenough at the head of our remarks upon his art, because we like the name; it is one of fine associations. There is inspiration, too, in writing under such a title, (albeit we may fail, still, reader, wait until you see us uninspired, and you may acknowledge it.) We do not wish to draw into an indelicate position an artist whose great work the statue of Washington — is yet on the stocks; we would not forestall his reputation. already done enough to endear him to every American. cheer him on in his pilgrimage, and send our voice across the wide Atlantic to tell him, that his countrymen are mindful of him, and waiting his rich return rich, not in gold and merchantable stuffs, but rich in a name that shall be the pride of his descendants, and a jewel to his country.

We would

J. N. B.

A WISH.

ADDRESSED TO A LADY ON HER BIRTH-DAY.

LONG may'st thou live! and long be blest
With every joy that life endears;

May peace for aye illume thy breast,

And Hope make rainbows of thy tears.

Long may'st thou live! but not to see

Friends fall like leaves in autumn's bower,

In the world's desert leaving thee

A withered, lonely, joyless flower.

No! Lady rather may'st thou die,
When sympathy thy pangs can sooth,
Fond friendship close thy dying eye,
And love thy dying pillow smooth:
But oh! may my last breath be sped
Ere thou death's bitter cup shall quaff:
I could not look upon thee dead,
Nor live to write thine epitaphi!

PHILOLOGY.

CONCLUDED.

BY NOAH WEBSTER, LL.D.

DEFINITION.

IN the definition of words, the most important part of lexicography, the defects and inaccuracies of the English dictionaries are too numerous to be specified. Dr. Johnson, indeed, made great improvements in this department of English lexicography; but he also made many mistakes, or left many definitions very imperfect. This is not surprising, considering his infirmities, and the defect of his researches into the origin and affinities of the language.

But it is remarkable, that among all the compilers of dictionaries who have borrowed his vocabulary of words, and abridged his definitions, not one, whose work is yet published, has, to any extent, corrected his mistakes, or supplied his defects. Almost all the errors of Johnson are copied into later dictionaries, both in Great Britain and the United States; and in various abridgments, they find their way into our families and schools.

Observe the different definitions of the following words, in the different books:

FROM JOHNSON.

SPECULATION. 1. Examination by the eye; view.

2. Examiner; spy. This word is found no where else, (except in a passage of Shakspeare) and probably is here misprinted for speculator. (The passage is omitted.) 3. Mental view; intellectual examination; contemplation.

4. A train of thoughts formed by meditation.

5. Mental scheme not reduced to practice.

6. Power of sight. Not in use.

These are copied without improvement into the dictionaries of Sheridan, Walker, Jones, and Jameson.

In abridgments for schools in this country, we find the following:

Act of speculating; view; spy, examination; contemplation; scheme. Worcester.
View, mental scheme not reduced to practice. - Cobb.

The same in the abridgment of Walker, published in Boston.
The same in Maunder, with the addition of contemplation.

FROM WEBSTER'S AMERICAN DICTIONARY.

SPECULATION. Examination by the eye, view. (Little used.)

2. Mental view of any thing in its various aspects and relations; contemplation: intellectual examination. The events of the day afford matter of serious speculation to the friends of Christianity.

3. Train of thoughts formed by meditation.

4. Mental scheme; theory; views of subjects not verified by fact or practice. This globe, which was round only in speculation, has been circumnavigated. The application of steam to navigation is no longer a matter of mere speculation.

5. Power of signs. (Not in use.)

6. In commerce, the act or practice of buying land or goods, etc., in expectation of a rise of price and of selling them at an advance; as distinguished from a regular trade, in which the profit expected is the difference, between the retail and wholesale prices, or the difference of price in the place where the goods are purchased, and the place to which they are carried for market. In England, France and America, public stocks are the subject of continual speculation. In the United States, a few men have been enriched, but many have been ruined, by speculation.

FROM WEBSTER'S SCHOOL DICTIONARIES.

SPECULATION. Mental view; a buying in expectation of a rise in price.

CAN. To be able to have power.

2. It expresses the potential mood.

FROM JOHNSON.

3. It is distinguished from may, as power from permission. I can do it, it is in my power; I may do it, it is allowed me; but in poetry they are confounded.

4. Can is used of the person, with the verb active, where may is used of the thing, with the verb passive; as, I can do it, it may or can be done.

FROM WEBSTER'S AMERICAN DICTIONARY.

CAN. To be able; to have sufficient strength or physical power. One man can lift a weight which another can not.

2. To have means or instruments, which supply power or ability. A man can build a house or fit out a ship, if he has the requisite property.

3. To be possible. 'Nicodemus said, how can these things be?'

4. To have adequate moral power. A man can indulge in pleasure, or he can refrain. 5. To have just or legal competent power; to be free from any restraint of moral, civil, or political obligation. A man can hold an office, or he can not. The Jews could not eat certain kinds of animals which were declared to be unclean.

6. To have natural strength, or capacity, to be susceptible of; to be able or free to undergo any change, or produce any effect, by the laws and constitution of nature, or by divine appointment. Silver can be melted, but can not be changed into gold. Can the rush grow without mire? Can the fig-tree bear olive berries? Can faith save him? 7. To have competent strength, ability, fortitude, patience, etc., in a passive sense. He can not bear reproof. I can not endure his impertinence. This is a hard saying; who can hear it?

8. To have the requisite knowledge, experience, or skill. An astronomer can calculate an eclipse, though he can not make a coat.

9. To have strength or inclination, or motives sufficient to overcome obstacles, impediments, inconvenience, or other objection. I can not rise and give thee, etc. Luke. 10. To have sufficient capacity; as a vessel can not hold or contain the whole quantity. AVERMENT. Establishment of any thing by evidence. - Bacon.

2. An offer of the defendant to justify an exception, and the act as well as the offer. Johnson from Blount.

The establishment of any thing by evidence. Sheridan, Walker, Jameson, Cobb, Boston Abridgment of Walker, Worcester.

AVERMENT.

FROM WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY.

Affirmation; positive assertion; the act of averring.

2. Verification, establishment by evidence. Bacon.

3. In pleading, an offer of either party to justify or prove what he alleges. In any stage of pleadings, when either party advances new matter, he avers it to be true, and concludes with these words, 'and this he is ready to verify.' This is called an averment.

EFFERVESCE. To generate heat by intestine motion. Johnson, Sheridan, Walker, Jones, Jameson, Maunder, Cobb, Boston Abridgment of Walker, Philadelphia, ditto, Grimshaw: Worcester adds, to bubble, to work.

EFFERVESCE. To be in natural commotion, like liquor when gently boiling; to bubble and hiss, as fermenting liquors or any fluid when some part escapes in an elastic form; to work as new wine. Webster.

EMIGRATE. To remove from one place to another. Johnson, Sheridan, Walker, Jones, Maunder, Cobb, Boston and Philadelphia abridgments of Walker, Grimshaw. (Then the removal of a family from one part of a city to another, is to emigrate.)

EMIGRATE. To quit one's country, state, or region, and settle in another; to remove from one country or state to another, for the purpose of residence. Germans, Swiss, Irish, Scots, emigrate to America. Webster: Quarto.

COUNTRY-DANCE. A well known dance. Jameson, Maunder, Worcester, Grimshaw. (There is no such legitimate word in the language.)

CONTRA-DANCE. A dance in which the partners are arranged in opposition or in opposite lines. Webster.

CROSS-EXAMINE. To examine witnesses by putting to them unexpected questions. Maunder.

CROSS-EXAMINATION. The act of examining, by questions apparently captious, the faith of evidence in a court of justice. Maunder. (All wrong.)

CROSS-EXAMINE. To examine a witness by the opposite party, or his counsel, as the plaintiff's witness by the defendant, and vice versa. Webster.

The reader will understand, by the foregoing examples, the great care which has been bestowed on this important part of lexicography, in the execution of the American Dictionary. The British dictionaries abound with errors and defects, from beginning to end; and such is the fact with the abridgments of them made and published in this country.

GRAMMAR.

THE British grammars, and such American compilations as contain the same principles, stand in need of many corrections, and great improvements. Wallis and Lowth were eminent scholars, and have done much for reducing our language to order, and explaining its principles and idioms. But they overlooked some important particulars; and since the date of their publications, some very valuable discoveries have been made, which require a grammar to be constructed with some new rules and principles.

Lindley Murray undertook to digest the principles of Lowth into a more convenient form than any which had preceded his work. But Murray, being a Quaker, and of course not having the benefit of a college education, was destitute of the classical attainments which are necessary for the execution of a complete grammar: and what was a still greater defect, he had no knowledge of the Saxon, the parent of the English language, without which no man is competent to explain some of the idioms of the language. He made no pretensions to authorship; he considered his book as a compilation of rules and principles from former writers, which he has mentioned as his authorities. But not hazarding any new principles, or any important departure from his authorities, he has copied their errors, and left his work nearly as imperfect as those which he has cited.

In Murray's grammar, therefore, as in those of his predecessors, we stumble in the threshhold. Copying from Lowth and others, the compiler writes: In English there are but two articles, a and the: a becomes an before a vowel and before a silent h.' This is a mistake; the fact is the reverse; an is the original word, and loses the n before a consonant. He proceeds, copying from Lowth;

A or an is styled the indefinite article; it is used in a vague sense to point out one single thing of the kind, in other respects indeterminate : as give me a book, that is, any book!'

Now this rule has been repeated age after age, and writers seem never to have recollected that all words expressing numbers are constantly used in a precisely similar manner. Give me two apples, that is, any two. Bring me three oranges from the basket, that is, any three. From a company of soldiers, detach four men, that is, any four. In this way, we show that every word expressing number is as truly an indefinite article as an or a. Let us attend to the following sentences:

The Jewish revelation was a preparation for the Christian!' That is, according to the foregoing rule, any preparation, indeterminate !

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