nch
of pure mathematics: and the direction of the bombs, balls, and other
projectiles, the necessary appendages of military works, although no
part of their architecture, belong to the conic sections, a branch of
transcendental geometry. Diderot and D'Alembert, therefore, in their
_Arbor scienciae_, have placed military architecture in the department
of elementary geometry. Naval architecture teaches the best form and
construction of vessels; for which best form it has recourse to the
question of the solid of least resistance; a problem of transcendental
geometry. And its appurtenant projectiles belong to the same branch as
in the preceding case. It is true, that so far as respects the action of
the water on the rudder and oars, and of the wind on the sails, it may
be placed in the department of mechanics, as Diderot and D'Alembert
have done; but belonging quite as much to geometry, and allied in its
military character to military architecture, it simplified our plan to
place both under the same head. These views are so obvious, that I am
sure they would have required but a second thought to reconcile the
reviewer to their location under the head of pure mathematics. For
this word location, see Bailey, Johnson, Sheridan, Walker, &c. But if
dictionaries are to be the arbiters of language, in which of them shall
we find neologism? No matter. It is a good word, well sounding, obvious,
and expresses an idea, which would otherwise require circumlocution. The
reviewer was justifiable, therefore, in using it; although he noted
at the same time, as unauthoritative, _centrality, grade, sparse_; all
which have been long used in common speech and writing. I am a friend
to neology. It is the only way to give to a language copiousness and
euphony. Without it we should still be held to the vocabulary of Alfred
or of Ulphilas; and held to their state of science also: for I am
sure they had no words which could have conveyed the ideas of oxygen,
cotyledons, zoophytes, magnetism, electricity, hyaline, and thousands of
others expressing ideas not then existing, nor of possible communication
in the state of their language. What a language has the French become
since the date of their revolution, by the free introduction of new
words! The most copious and eloquent in the living world; and equal to
the Greek, had not that been regularly modifiable almost _ad infinitum_.
Their rule was, that whenever their language furnished or adopted a
root