Harrison on the Greek Prepositions [pp. 661-668]

1858.] Harrison on the Greeck Prepositions.
England the dangers of a political and ecclesiastical revolution
absorbed the energies of the nation. As far as attention was
turned to Greek, it was less with a view to comprehend its
spirit, than to reproduce the forms of its literature, or copy its
treasures in the modern tongues.
Another period of Greek scholarship found its pioneer in
Richard Bentley, who, towards the beginning of the eighteenth
century, set the example of that independent criticism, which
has since, notwithstanding many extravagances, yielded results
of the utmost value. It was, however, long employed in editions of the classics before systematic grammar derived much
benefit therefrom. Succeeding scholars continued to expend
their efforts upon the niceties of classical diction and prosody.
Subsequently, a new auxiliary arose in the science of comparative philology, which conferred unexpected resources and
an unprecedented dignity upon the whole subject of grammar.
A wider knowledge of the ethnological relations of Greek,
added to ripened learning in its own stores, gave occasion to a
more complete and scientific exposition of its structure.
The publication, in 1819, of the first volume of Buttmann's
large Grammar, and of the first part of Passow's Lexicon, led
the way to a method of treating the language, which has been
followed up by others, with the most satisfactory results.
Facilities are now furnished for the study of Greek unknown
in any previous time, and the means provided of drawing from
it richer stores of instruction, and of giving to them a breadth
of influence upon the world, which it never has enjoyed since
it ceased to be spoken by a free people. Its operation upon
society, literature, and art, of the present day, is no longer
confined to externals, but pertains to their spirit. And the
present method pursued in its study, is calculated to promote
that tendency, leading ultimately not to a bald imitation of
Greek works, but to a following of Greek example, in acquiring
a bold yet prudent and reverent intellectual and vesthlietical
independence.
We are happy to say, that the work before us is in the spirit
of its time. Without being able to adopt all the author's conclusions, we have been truly gratified by the examination of his
method. Not that we deem it the best for instruction. In that
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