Hew Morrison Collection > New alphabetical vocabulary, Gailic [sic] and English

PREFACE.
T.
HE ancient, nervous and expreffive Caledonian language>
commonly called the Scots Gailic, once the Language of the
Britini ides, and p^ffiblj of the greatefl part of Europe, has, for
3ges paft, been gradually on the dtcline. The caufe orcaufes
which have operated this effe£l: have not efcaped notice ; it is
therefore ntedlefs to detail them ; but they llill exift, and, if
not obviafrd or fufpended, mufl:, in the order of events, ulti-
mately cfFedl its total extirpation. To the Antiquarian and
the Claffic Highlander, this confideration has proved a caufe of
ferious monification and regret, and hence they have called
aloud for means' to prevent an efre6t fo diflionourable to their
country.
To the feveral laudable motives of promoting Piety and Re-
ligious Light, vi'hich fuggefted the Tranflation of the Scriptures
into the Gailic, we may add a Patriotic wifh for the prefer-
vation of the Language ; though, when that meafure was adopt-
ed, this elTe6i: might not have been in view, nor have engaged
attention, yet it has refulted from it. That work was apportion-
ed to Clergymen in the Highland diftrlSs, wliofe Knowledge of
the Language, added to their tafte for polite Literature, beft qua-
lified them for the undertaking ; and it has been executed in a
manner that does honour to their Tafte and Judgment. To
tl'is wc'may add a metrical Tranflation of tlic Pfulms, vvitli o-
ther Religious Tracts, Ancient Songs, Poems and Proverbs,
which have been colle£ted and publilhed for the fame purpole.
How far thcfe \vt\\ intended labours may contribute to the re-
vival, or prefervation of this Venerable Language, time only
can determine.
One thing is certain, and a point of no fmall importance,
that the Orthography has been much improved, if not com-
pletely fixed.