set a mark upon them; Desiring to be Teachers of the Law, understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm, I Tim. I. 7. It had been well if those wise Grammarians_ had understood this Character, who have taken upon them to teach our Ladies and young Gentlemen, The whole System of an English Education; they had not incurr’d those Self-contradictions of which they are guilty; they had not mention’d your self, and your incomparable Treasury of Northern Literature in so cold and negligent a manner, as betrays too much of an invidious Pedantry:  But in those Terms of Veneration and Applause which are your just Tribute, not only from the Learned of your own Countrey, but of most of the other Northern Nations, whether more or less Polite:  Who would any of them have glory’d in having you their Native, who have done so much Honour to the Original of almost all the Languages in Europe.

But it seems you are not of so much Credit with these Gentlemen, who question your Authority, and have given a very visible Proof of their Ingenuity in an Instance which plainly discovers, that they cannot believe their own Eyes.

The Saxons, say they, if we may credit Dr. Hickes, had various Terminations to their Words, at least two in every Substantive singular:  whereas we have no Word now in use, except the personal Names that has so.  Thus Dr. Hickes has made six several Declensions of the Saxon Names:  He gives them three Numbers; a Singular, Dual, and Plural:  We have no Dual Number, except perhaps in Both:  To make this plainer, we shall transcribe the six Declensions from that Antiquary’s Grammar.

I would ask these Gentlemen, and why not credit Dr. Hickes?  Is he not as much to be believ’d as those Gentlemen, who have transcribed so plain an Evidence of the six Declensions to shew the positive Unreasonableness and unwarrantable Contradiction of their Disbelief?  Did he make those six Declensions? or rather, did he not find them in the Language, and take so much pains to teach others to distinguish them, who have Modesty enough to be taught?  They are pleased to say we have no Word now in use that admits of Cases or Terminations.  But let us ask them, what they think of these Words, God’s Word, Man’s Wisdom, the Smith’s Forge, and innumerable Instances more.  For in God’s Word, &c. is not the Termination s a plain Indication of a Genitive Case, wherein the Saxon e is omitted?  For example_, Godes Word, Mannes Wisdom, Smi[dh]es Heor[dh]. Some will say, that were better supplied by his_, or hers, as Man his Thought, the Smith his Forge; but this Mistake is justly exploded.  Yet if these Gentlemen will not credit Dr. Hickes, the Saxon Writings might give them full Satisfaction.  The Gospels, the Psalms, and a great