A history of Ireland ... to ... 1801

Ignorance. If in remote Ages, immersed in Darkness, or scarcely discoverable by a lurid Light, I have been unable to trace that Luftre and Civilization which the ancient Irish are faid to have poffeffed, I think myself not on that Account inferior to any Man in Zeal for the folid Advantage of my Country, whose numerous Inhabitants form a refpectable Nation rapidly advancing in the Arts of focial Life. Incorporated with the People of Great Britain by a Legislative Union, and preffed by an immense Weight of hoftile Power from Abroad, may we be firmly united among ourselves by a liberal Policy, which abolishes Distinctions creative of Difcord and National Weakness, and adopts useful Merit wherever it can be found.

Jam moribus, artibus, ad finitatibus noftris, mixti, aurum & opes fuas inferant, potius quam feparati habeant.

TACITUS.

..

I am,

My LORD!

With esteem and refpect,

Your Lordship's obliged

And very humble Servant,

JAMES BENTLEY GORDON.

TO THE

READER.

REASONS ought to be given for a difference from the common mode of fpelling in three or four words in the following History, as, without manifest expediency, innovations in language, above all in fpelling, ought not to be admitted.

The letter S in island is redundant, and erroneously adopted from isle in the French language, which however contains no fuch word as ifland. The word is originally Gothic, and without an S in the old English, in which we find ey, yle, and eyland, fynonymous terms, as in the modern Belgic dialects, to which, of all languages, the English bears the closest affinity. So useless an innovation, as the engrafting of a dead letter from the French on an original English word, ought to be corrected.

Instead of annexation, in this book is annexion, derived from annecto, in like manner as connexion from connecto. If annexation be proper, why not also connexation?

By writing monarchal the derivation is closely observed, and the cacophony of monarchical avoided.