Page:The ancient language, and the dialect of Cornwall.djvu/37

ON THE EEMAINS OF THE ANCIENT COENISH LANGUAGE. Pryce, referring to Lhuyd's unfinished Archaeologia Britannica, considered that Lhuyd's death rendered the recovery of the ancient Cornish tongue very hopeless, for had he lived to finish his work, " not only the recovery of the dialect would have been effected, but, it would have been adorned with every elegancy and improvement from the unceasing labours of such a consummate philologist.'^ The ancient Cornish has for ever ceased to be spoken, yet that such an old language may be preserved and even understood, just like Latin and Greek, there seems good reason for believing. The materials have largely accumulated, and are becoming more available for students. The labours of many writers, viz., from Lhuyd to Williams, and of others since, have been hastening on the time when the ancient Cornish tongue will be fixed and rendered permanent as a dead language. This would be attained by a perfected Cornish grammar, an English- Cornish in addition to the (Jorm^A-English Dictionary of Williams, and the collecting together of all other remains, whether in the form of histories, phrases, or even single words. B