Education > British grammar: or, an essay, in four parts, towards speaking and writing the English language grammatically, and inditing elegantly

ii The PREFACE,
owe a Tribute; fo neither rtiall I vainly or
ridiculouQy cry up my own ; fince the
former would be arrogantly affuming the
Prerogative of judging for the Public, and
the latter prefumptuoudy endeavouring to
prejudice them in Favour of what ought
really, and of Right, to be fubmitted to
their candid Judgment.
’Tis true, by advancing a new Plan, I
may be charged with Singularity ; and yet
to avoid that Imputation in other Refpeds*
I have, wherever I could keep Company
with thofe etteemed the beft Engliih Gram¬
marians, receded as little from their Plan
and Diction, as Method and Precifion
would admit; being aware that there have
been fome peevilh Mortals, who have re-
je&ed a Book, not only for its being dif¬
ferently, though better planned, but fome-
times merely for being fomewhat differently
worded from that with which they had been
accuftomed to converfe. And though no
Art or Science ought to be Gripped of its
Garb, and forced to go naked to ferve the
Turn of Caprice ; yet confidering for whom
I was chiefly writing, 1 endeavoured to ren¬
der the Stile familiar; and, as much as the
Subje6t would admit, to avoid Terms which
might appear either extraneous or difgufl¬
ing.
It is prefumed, that the feveral Notes or
Obfervations will be of Ufe to thofe who
have