34.  Notwithstanding the author’s change in his professions, the work is now essentially the same as it was at first; except that its errors and contradictions have been greatly multiplied, by the addition of new matter inconsistent with the old.  He evidently cares not what doctrines he teaches, or whose; but, as various theories are noised abroad, seizes upon different opinions, and mixes them together, that his books may contain something to suit all parties. “A System of Philosophical Grammar,” though but an idle speculation, even in his own account, and doubly absurd in him, as being flatly contradictory to his main text, has been thought worthy of insertion.  And what his title-page denominates “A New System of Punctuation,” though mostly in the very words of Murray, was next invented to supply a deficiency which he at length discovered.  To admit these, and some other additions, the “comprehensive system-of grammar” was gradually extended from 144 small duodecimo pages, to 228 of the ordinary size.  And, in this compass, it was finally stereotyped in 1829; so that the ninety-four editions published since, have nothing new for history.

35.  But the publication of an other work designed for schools, “An Essay an Elocution” shows the progress of the author’s mind.  Nothing can be more radically opposite, than are some of the elementary doctrines which this gentleman is now teaching; nothing, more strangely inconsistent, than are some of his declarations and professions.  For instance:  “A consonant is a letter that cannot be perfectly sounded without the help of a vowel.”—­Kirkham’s Gram., p. 19.  Again:  “A consonant is not only capable of being perfectly sounded without the help of a vowel, but, moreover, of forming, like a vowel, a separate syllable.”—­Kirkham’s Elocution, p. 32.  Take a second example.  He makes “ADJECTIVE PRONOUNS” a prominent division and leading title, in treating of the pronouns proper; defines the term in a manner peculiar to himself; prefers and uses it in all his parsing; and yet, by the third sentence of the story, the learner is conducted to this just conclusion:  “Hence, such a thing as an adjective-pronoun cannot exist.”—­Grammar, p. 105.  Once more.  Upon his own rules, or such as he had borrowed, he comments thus, and comments truly, because he had either written them badly or made an ill choice:  “But some of these rules are foolish, trifling, and unimportant.”—­Elocution, p. 97.  Again:  “Rules 10 and 11, rest on a sandy foundation.  They appear not to be based on the principles of the language.”—­Grammar, p. 59.  These are but specimens of his own frequent testimony against himself!  Nor shall he find refuge in the impudent falsehood, that the things which I quote as his, are not his own.[14] These contradictory texts, and scores of others which might be added to them, are as rightfully his own, as any doctrine he