There is a species of blunder which consists in the employment of one noun for another, of one verb for another, and so forth. This happens chiefly in three circumstances:-1st, when there is some seeming analogy between the words, so as to induce the writer to mistake one of them for the other; 2ndly, when the analogy is real, but not sufficient to establish a complete synonymy between the words; and 3rdly, when there is confusion in the writer's mind, or ignorance of the proper signification of the terms he employs. I could fill a volume with examples of this fault from our essayists and historians; but the reader must be satisfied with a few of the most striking instances.

Deteriorate-Derogate-Detract.

The literal meaning of "deteriorate" is "to make worse, 99 "to grow worse;" and yet, how often do we find it used in the sense of "to take from." The Athenæum, one of the foremost literary journals in Britain, in a review of Halliwell's "Popular Rhymes and Tales," has this sentence :

"A number of curious memoranda, put together in a careless, slip-slop manner, that greatly deteriorates from their value."-No. 1127.

Here" deteriorates" is incorrectly put for "derogates," or rather "detracts."

example occurs in Sir B. Lytton :—

Another

"The immense superficies of the public operates two ways in deteriorating from the profundity of writers."—England and the English.

And Parry Gwynne, in the very first sentence of his "Word to the Wise," has a third instance :

"Ay, and where much has been achieved, too, and intellectual laurels have been gathered, is it not a reproach that a slatternly mode of expression should sometimes deteriorate from the eloquence of the scholar?"

Ay, say we, and where one writer is inveighing against slip-slop, and another against slatternly expressions, is it not amusing to find them making use of language which savours of both?

A correct instance of the use of deteriorate is the following from Chenevix :

"There is not one of them, the loss of which would not now essentially deteriorate the general condition of mankind."Essay on National Character.

Mechanism-Machinery.

"It is not so unwieldy as to make it necessary to have recourse to the complex mechanism of double elections."SYDNEY SMITH. Essays.

In this sentence "mechanism" is misemployed for "machinery."

Application-Applicability.

"For my own part, I doubt the application of the Danish rule to the English language."-LATHAM. English Language.

HorM

Here we have "application" incorrectly put for "applicability." What Dr. Latham doubts is that the Danish rule is "applicable,” not that it has been actually applied, as his words would leave us to suppose.

Participate-Concur.

"We cannot read a page of Virgil without perceiving what has fascinated the world, without concurring in the fascination."-ALISON. History of Europe.

To concur in the fascination would be to cooperate with Virgil in producing it. It is not to be supposed, however, that the writer would carry his pretensions beyond a simple participation in the thing produced. In this instance, Sir Archibald employs "concur" instead of "participate :" in the following he puts "participate" instead of "concur."

"The act of accusation abounded in the most severe and cutting invectives against the imperial government, in the justice of which posterity, from the evidence of facts, must almost entirely participate."-Ibid.

Overspread-Pervade.

"The warlike establishments which pervaded the country were admirably calculated to foster the growing enthusiasm." -ALISON. Ibid.

"This arises from the number of nomad tribes, who, in almost all Asiatic states, pervade every part of its territory."-Ibid.

Who ever heard of "establishments " or

"tribes" pervading a country? Does the writer mean to say that the establishments and the tribes were underground?

Curiously enough, the writer who thus em"ploys pervade" instead of "overspread," has, in another place, "overspread" instead of "pervade:"

"It is hardly credible to what an extent this passion for everything English overspread all classes in the nation."Ibid.

Bind up-Wind up.

"Frederick William was well aware that his political existence was thenceforth wound up with the success of Russia in the German war."-ALISON. Ibid.

In this sentence "wound up" is improperly put for "bound up." To "wind up a thing is to bring it to a close or termination, as when we wind up the affairs of a partnership, or an estate. To "bind up means to unite, to blend. In the. phrase above quoted, the writer wished to say that Frederick William's political existence was "inseparably blended"—" interwoven," with the success of Russia; and he should therefore have said "bound up." By using the expression "wound up," he tells us that Frederick William's political existence was put an end to by the success of Russia; which is the contrary of what he intended.

That this is no accidental error in Alison, but

a confirmed blunder, the following further instances will show :

“It is evident, on a dispassionate review of the great debate, and the mighty interests which were wound up with it, that the repeal of the Orders in Council was a necessary measure."

-Ibid.

"Their interests were wound up with the maintenance of pacific relations with this country."—Ibid.

"When the important questions, now wound up with the policy of the East, are considered."—Ibid.

"Mahmoud, the last of the race of Othman, with which the existence of the empire was thought to be wound up, became the subject of veneration."-Ibid.

"General causes are there too much wound up with personal agency."-Ibid.

"Wound up in his own elevation, yet ever identifying it with the glory of France."-Ibid.

"When great interests are wound up with the maintenance of a particular position, it must be maintained at all hazards.” -Ibid.

"Bernadotte's interests were evidently wound up with the maintenance of the Russian power in the north of Europe." -Ibid.

"A true German in his heart, his whole soul was wound up in the welfare of the Fatherland."-Ibid.

"Though the passions of the people were in favour of France, their interests were indissolubly wound up with those of England."-Ibid.

Numerous instances of this absurdity will also be found in Alison's "Essays," and in his “History of Europe from the Fall of Napoleon."

Observation-Observance.

“There were but two lines to be taken, either to relax and