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

( vii )
Over and above what has been done by fuch able hands, this
Vocabuhiry may alfo have its ufe ; it is a mite cad into the
common flock, and with the fame honefh patriotic view : Care
has been taken to avoid in it fuch terms and idioms as are either
obfolete or not generally underftood, or have not found their
way to the prefs in other works.
The author does not indeed pretend, that it contains every
vocable in ufe, or that it is a perfecSl work ; nor will a Candid
Public expeft a perfecl work from a private individual : The
Orthography, he flatters himfelf, will give general fatisfadtion ;
and if it be found ufeful, as far as it goes, he hopes to meet
the approbation of every admirer of the Language.
To the Antiquarian he thinks it will afford amufement. He
is not without hopes, that young men defigned for the fervice
of the Church, whofe attention to ClafTical purfuits may have
prevented a Critical ftudy of this Language, (though their mo-
ther tongue,) and who may be ftationed in the Highland dif-
trifts, will derive fome afTiftance from it. And there is like-
wife a probability, that in the Highland Schools, it m.ay ac-
celerate the acquirement of the Englifh Language, which is fo
eagerly purfued, and which feems exclufively the only obje(Sl:
of attention and purfuit.
Confidering, however, how lightly the Gaelic Language is
efleemed by thofe who have no other ; hov/ little it is afFe£ted
by the half taught Englifh Scholar ; how much Highlanders in
in general have loft all relifh for their native Language, the
Author thought he faw little encouragement for this work.
'But the Highland Society of Scotland, whofe Patriotinni ex-
tends to every thing conne£i:ed with the honour as well as
the improvement of their Country, with a Liberality that be-
fpeaks their Zeal, have enabled him to bring it forward •, and
if any advantage refults from it, to that refpedable body it mull
be afcribed, M'hofe patronage he will be as ambitious to merit,
as anxious to prefervs.