II. Observe that all along , through the Book , that Word is set next the English , from which I have judged it most likely to be derived ; and the Synonymous Words of the other European Languages follow : Which shews , I have left it to the Opinion of the Reader , to draw it from which he pleases . Moreover , by a curious reading hereof , any of the European Languages may be indifferently well learned .

III. Note , that very many of the Words being of a British or Saxon Original , have their Explication set down .

The chief Reason why I busied my self herein , was , to save my Time from being worse employed : And , I did imagine ( as , questionless , these most indefatigable and ingenious Persons did , viz. Kilian , Vossius , Salmasius , Martinius , Spelman , Bochart , Junius , Menagius and Skinner , from whom I took my Pattern ) I could not spend it more commendably , or profitably , than in searching into the Original of my Native Language ; which is so strangely corrupted through Time , that when I look'd an hundred , or an hundred and fifty Years only behind me , I could scarce imagine it ever to have been the Language of my Ancestors , or even of the Country I was born in , 't is so chang'd through Commerce , Correspondence , Travellers , and such like Accidents : Much more may you imagine it to be alter'd in a thousand , or two thousand Years , by Conquests , Invasions , Transmigrations of Government , &c. which have been very frequent over , and in this Isle , above others : So that though this my native Country might , at its first Settlement , have a Language peculiar to it self ; yet , as is said before , by Conquest , Commerce , Travelling , Transmigrations of the Government , &c. it is brought to what we now find it , even a Composition of most , if not all the Languages of Europe ; especially of the Belgick or Low-Dutch , Saxon , Teutonick or High-Dutch , Cambro-British or Welsh , French , Spanish , Italian , and Latin ; and now and then of the Old and Modern Danish , and Ancient High-Dutch ; also of the Greek , Hebrew , Arabick , Chaldee , Syriack and Turcick .

But I have forbore , as much as possible , the setting down such as are purely of a Latin Original , lest the Book should exceed the quantity of Sheets design'd , and so possibly the Price of the Buyer ; it having been the only Fault of those that have hitherto writ upon this Subject , to be both voluminous , high-pric'd , and in Latin ; so that many Well-wishers to their Mother-Tongue could neither reach the Value nor Knowledge thereof : All which I hope I have remedied , by doing this in English , and in a small Volume , fitted to a small Price .

I have ( that the Reader might not be at a loss in such Words as are purely from the Latin ) prefix'd a few easie Rules , whereby many thousand English Words coming therefrom may most easily be known , and made Latin again , usually , by the Addition , Cutting off , or Changing of a Letter

The Confusion of Languages at Babel ( for before it , all the then World spoke one and the same Dialect , supposed to be Hebrew ) gave Rise to all the several Languages in the Vniverse ; of which , the primitive Language of this Nation was one ; and , had it not been corrupted , perhaps as good and intelligible as the best ; but being so alter'd by the aforesaid Accidents , it has quite lost its primitive Glory , as well as that of the French , and other Nations .

It may be justly wonder'd at , why we have no more Words than we have from the Old British , now the Welsh ( which , no doubt , was the Primitive Language of this Nation : ) But if we again consider how imperiously the Saxons enter'd and subdued this Land , our Wonder will in a great measure abate ; for they did not , as Conquerors usually do , mix the Britains with themselves , after they had yielded to , or were not any ways able to resist the Conqueror ; but put all to the Sword that they met withal ; only some few , to shelter themselves from their Rage , betook themselves to the Mountains of Wales and Cornwall ; which being inaccessable to the Conquerors , for want of use , were sufficient Security to the distressed Britains , against them ; which Quarter they do still live in , and retain their own Language , for the most part , within themselves , as if they were another Nation ; only by Commerce and Intercourse , there has happen'd some Commutation of Language likewise . So that our Language , in the main , is composed of the Old English-Saxon , Dutch and Normandy-French ; but of the first principally , for that the last did only in part subdue , not destroy this Nation , which the former did endeavour , and almost effect .

I might have added the Italian , because of its Affinity to the French ; as also because of the great and frequent Communication there was , in former Times , between England and Italy , when this Nation was subject to the Pope of Rome : For then all Ecclesiastical Controversies , Confirmations of Priests , Abbots and Bishops , in their several Benefices , were to be solemnized and ratified by Rome's spiritual Trader , the Pope : And , on the other hand , the Pope sent hither many of his Creatures , Italians , for the better collecting of his Peter's Pence ; as also for their Preferment to Bishopricks , Vicarages , &c.

Though the Danes did , in some part subdue England , yet we are little beholding to them for the Corruption we now labour under , except it be in the North and West of England ; which they subdued almost two hundred Years before the rest of the Nation came in to their Obedience ; and when they had it , they did not possess it above forty Years before the Normans disturb'd them in their Enjoyments .

In a Word , All Words almost ( except such as come from the French and Latin , with their Adherents ) owe their Original to the English-Saxon and Low-Dutch , Dialects of the ancient German ; for Spain did very little contribute thereto , except that some few Words have crept in by Commerce , which are only useful to such as trade thither .

Now , lest any one , more ignorant , should not be perswaded of the vast Alterations , and sometimes total Changes that have been made in our Language , since this Isle was first discover'd , let him read some of our Chronicles of England , and he will be convinc'd of the necessity thereof ; for the Saxons did endeavour the total Destruction of the Inhabitants , and did effect it , saving some few that fled to the Mountains of Wales and Cornwall , as is said before : And then is it not reasonable to conjecture , that the Language , the Ancient British ( save what was preserv'd as before , who , by a Law of the Conqueror , were prohibited Intercourse with the Saxons ) must die with the People ; and a new one , namely the Saxon , be introduced in its stead ?

I have many things to alledge in defence of the Weakness and Inequality of this Performance ; as namely , its being collected at divers times , and in haste , because of my other more necessary Business ; as also , its being printed from a foul Copy , and the like ; which first may have alter'd the Style , and the two last let many things pass Muster , which , upon more mature deliberation , would not : But I hope the discreet Reader will pass by such Failures , without carping at them ( as considering that no Man is infallible ; ) and as for the Ignorant and Envious , I value not their Censures ; but , with Martial , In invidum , count them unfit for Humane Society .

I have nothing more to beg , but the kind Reader 's Charity for the Faults of the Press , which , I hope , may consist chiefly in Literals , and so may be the more easily mended with a Pen ; and that he would not be offended at the unpleasantness of the Style , but rather consider what the Subject will bear .