[1] Rife, with i fhort, hath been improperly used as the Paft Time of this Verb: "That form of the first or primigenial earth, which rife immediately out of Chaos, was not the fame, nor like to that of the prefent earth." Burnet, Theory of the Earth, B. I. Ch. 4. "If we hold fast to that fcripture conclufion, that all mankind rife from one head." Ibid. B. II. Ch. 7.

[2] Mr. Pope has ufed the Regular Form of the Paft Time of this Verb:

"In the fat age of pleasure, wealth, and ease, Sprung the rank weed, and thriv'd with large increase." Effay on Crit.

[3] This Verb is also formed like those of i long into i fhort; Write, writ, written; and by Contraction writ in the Principle, but, I think, improperly.

[4] Frequent mistakes are made in the formation of the Participle of this Verb. The analogy plainly requires fitten; which was formerly in ufe: "The army having fitten there fo long:""Which was enough

Spit,

fhort into

Dig,

ie into

Lie [5].

upon

ful." Pfal. i. 1.

to make him ftir, that would not have fitten ftill, though Hannibal had been quiet." Raleigh. "That no Parliament should be diffolved, till it had fitten five months.” Hobbes, Hift. of Civil Wars, p. 257. But it is now almost wholly difufed, the form of the Paft Time fat, having taken its place. Dr. Middleton hath with great propriety reftored the true Participle ; —— "To have fitten on the heads of the Apoftles:"-" to have fatten each of them." Works, Vol. II. p. 30. "Bleffed is the man, that hath not fat in the feat of the feornThe old Editions have fit; which may be perhaps allowed as a Contraction of fitten. "And when he was fet, his difciples came unto him:” nabiσarlos aule, Matt. v. 1."who is fet on the right hand" and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God:" in both places xadio, Heb. viii. 1. & xii. 2. (see also Matt. xxvii. 19. Luke xxii. 55. John xiii. 12. Rev. iii. 21.) Set can be no part of the Verb to fit. If it belongs to the Verb to fet, the Tranflation in these paffages is wrong: for to fet fignifies to place, but without any defignation of the posture of the perfon placed; which is a circumftance of import. ance expreffed by the original.

[5] This Neuter Verb is frequently confounded with

the

the Vorb Active to lay, [that is, to put, or place;] which is Regular, and has in the Paft Time and Participle layed, or laid.

(6] Thus having chofed each other." Clarendon, Hift. Vol. III. p. 797. 80. Improperly.

[7] That is, as a bird, volare; whereas to flee fignifies fugere, as from as enemy. This feems to be the proper diftinction between to fly, and to flee; which in the Prefent Time are very often confounded. Our Translation of the Bible is not quite free from this mif

The following are Irregular only in the Participle; and that without changing the

take. It hath flee for volare, in perhaps feven or eight places out of a great number; but never fly for fugere. [8] "For rhyme in Greece or Rome was never known Till by barbarian deluges o'erflown." Rofcommon, Effay.

"Do not the Nile and the Niger make yearly inundations in our days, as they have formerly done? and are not the countries fo overflown ftill fituate between the tropicks "Bentley's Sermons.

"Thus oft by mariners are shown

Earl Godwin's castles overflown."·

Swift.

Here the Participle of the Irregular Verb to fly is confounded with that of the Regular Verb to flow. It ought to be in all these places overflowed.