WILLIAMS, MRS. HONORIA; English Grammar; 12mo, pp. 226:  London, 1823; 3d Ed., 1826.

WILSON, CHARLES, D. D.; “Elements of Hebrew Grammar;” 8vo, pp. 398:  3d Ed., London, 1802.

WILSON, GEORGE; English Grammar; 18mo; London, 1777.

WILSON, JAMES P., D. D.:  “An Essay on Grammar;” 8vo, pp. 281:  Philadelphia, 1817.

WILSON, JOHN; “A Treatise on English Punctuation;” 12mo, pp. 204:  Boston, 1850.

WILSON, Rev. J.; English Grammar; 18mo, pp. 184:  3d Ed., Congleton, England, 1803.

WINNING, Rev. W. B., M. A.; “A Manual of Comparative Philology;” 8vo, pp. 291:  London, 1838.

WISEMAN, CHARLES; an English Grammar, 12mo:  London, 1765.

WOOD, HELEN; English Grammar; 12mo, pp. 207:  London, 1st Ed., 1827; 6th
Ed., 1841.

WOOD, Rev. JAMES, D. D; English Grammar; 12mo:  London, 1778.

WOODWORTH, A.; “Grammar Demonstrated;” 12mo, pp. 72:  1st Ed., Auburn, N.
Y., 1823.

WORCESTER, JOSEPH, E.; “Universal and Critical Dictionary of the English
Language;” 1st Ed., Boston, 1846.

WORCESTER, SAMUEL; “A First Book of English Grammar;” 18mo, pp. 86; Boston, 1831.

WRIGHT, ALBERT D.; “Analytical Orthography;” 18mo, pp. 112:  2d Ed.,
Cazenovia, N. Y., 1842.

WRIGHT, JOSEPH W.; “A Philosophical Grammar of the English Language;” 12mo, pp. 252:  New York and London, 1838.

[Asterism] The Names, or Heads, in the foregoing alphabetical Catalogue, are 452; the Works mentioned are 548; the Grammars are 463; the other Books are 85.

END OF THE CATALOGUE.

INTRODUCTION

HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL

CHAPTER I.

OF THE SCIENCE OF GRAMMAR.

“Haec de Grammatica quam brevissime potui:  non ut omnia dicerem sectatus, (quod infinitum erat,) sed ut maxima necessaria.”—­QUINTILIAN. De Inst.  Orat., Lib. i, Cap. x.

1.  Language, in the proper sense of the term, is peculiar to man; so that, without a miraculous assumption of human powers, none but human beings can make words the vehicle of thought.  An imitation of some of the articulate sounds employed in speech, may be exhibited by parrots, and sometimes by domesticated ravens, and we know that almost all brute animals have their peculiar natural voices, by which they indicate their feelings, whether pleasing or painful.  But language is an attribute of reason, and differs essentially not only from all brute voices, but even from all the chattering, jabbering, and babbling of our own species, in which there is not an intelligible meaning, with division of thought, and distinction of words.