REFLECTIONS ON THE NATURE AND PROPERTY OF LANGUAGES IN GENERAL, AND ON THE ADVANTAGES, DEFECTS, AND MANNER OF IMPROVING THE ENGLISH TONGUE IN PARTICULAR

London: J. Bateley, 1731. FIRST EDITION. 235 x 135 mm. (8 x 5"). 8 p.l., 200, [4] pp.
Recent calf-backed marbled boards, raised bands ruled in gilt, red morocco label with gilt lettering, all edges sprinkled red and blue. With woodcut headpiece, tailpiece, and initials. Alston III, 805 (not noting final leaf of ads). ◆Except for a couple of nicks to the spine, about as fine a copy as one could hope for.

Inspired by the writings of Jean du Tremblay and the work of the Academie Française on language, English cleric Thomas Stackhouse (1681/2-1752) here enters the debate about the merits of classical Latin and Greek versus modern languages. He gives a brief history of the evolution of languages, from the Tower of Babel to the modern day. After examining the dominance of Latin and Greek in formal education, literature, and the sciences, he points out the flaws in arguments for the superiority of Classical languages, and presents a strong case for the merits of modern vernacular, especially English. Stackhouse supplemented the meager income he received as a low-ranking Anglican priest--the remunerative posts going to younger sons of aristocrats and gentry--by editing and then writing religious works. He was best known for "A Complete Body of Divinity," a summary of Anglican doctrine, and for his Bible histories. Judging from the paucity of auction records and dealer listings, the present work seems to be of considerable, even unaccountable rarity..