_But who can hope his Lines should long Last, in a daily changing Tongue, While they are new, Envy prevails, And as that dies, our Language fails._
_When Architects have done their Part, The Matter may betray their Art, Time, if we use ill Chosen Stone, Soon brings a well-built Palace down._
_Poets that Lasting Marble seek, Must carve in +Latin+ or in +Greek+, We write in Sand, our Language grows, And like our Tide, Ours overflows._
Our Author sees _no necessity of this Changing our Language_. What has been the Fate of all Tongues Ancient and Modern, and for the same Reasons will Eternally be so, he wou'd defend ours from, because the Chinese _have Books in their Tongue above 2000 Years Old_; And a History of 30000 Years Period with a Succession of Kings, 20000 Years before _Adam_. It wou'd be a Discovery worthy those Men who have lately been reconciling Contradictions, and building Arguments upon Nonsence, to find out that _certain Standard for our Tongue, to which, if it were refin'd_, he assures us, _it might be fixt for Ever_. This wou'd be doing what was never done before, what neither _Roman_ nor _Greek_, which lasted the longest of any in its Purity, could pretend to. And this would not be the only strange thing that has lately happen'd to us, which never happen'd to a Nation before. It will be in vain to pretend to _ascertain_ Language, unless they had the Secret of setting Rules for Thinking, and could bring Thought to a Standard too. For every Age, as well as every Nation, has its different manner of Thinking, of which the Expression and Words will always have a Relish, and be Barbarous or Polite, according as the Times take their Turn. If from the abundance of good Sense which appears lately in every thing we do, The Doctor can demonstrate, that we never were in a better way towards the Perfection of Thought and Language, let him set about his Academy as soon as he pleases. But if the contrary is apparent, it may not be improper to wait for some more propitious Opportunity. Besides, there will in all times be irregular Genius's, who out of Humour will prefer Affectation to Nature, and mistake Novelty for Beauty. _Boileau_ in his Reflections upon _Longinus_, has several Observations of this kind, which will shew the difference between true and false Judgment, by comparing what he writes with several Passages in the Doctor's Letter; he is speaking of the Famous _Ronsard_ and his Imitators, _Du-Bellai_, _Du Bartas_, _Desportes_, and other _French_ Poets in the Reigns of _Henry_ III. and IV. who were in great Fame for a long while, and when he wrote, sunk into the last Contempt. _The same among the_ +Romans+, says he, _was the Fate of_ +Nævius+, +Livius+, _and_ +Ennius+_,