Excerpt from A Grammar of Late Modern English, Vol. 2: For the Use of Continental, Especially Dutch, Students; The Parts of Speech; Section I, B; Pronouns and Numerals

It is with mixed feelings of gratification and regret that I have put the last touches to this portion of my work. It is, of course, highly gratifying to have arrived at another stage of my destined course and to have brought some problems a little nearer to solution or, at least, to have pointed out the way in which solution may be found, but then, considering the many weary years of unremitting labour 1 have spent over my work, I cannot help a feeling of regret that my achievements have fallen so far short of my wishes. What Prof. Huxley wrote to his friend hooker in a letter dated August 2, 1860, 'it constantly becomes more and more difficult to me to finish things satisfactorily' would most probably be the confession of most writers in whatever field of science or literature. It certainly represents my own thoughts now that I am going 'to my account with all my imperfections on my head'. Imperfect as I know my book to be, I would, however, humbly request the courteous student constantly to bear in mind the advice given by bunyan in the Conclusion appended to the Pilgrim's Progress, What of my Dross thou findest there, be bold To throw away, but yet preserve the Gold, What if my Gold be wrapped up in Ore?

As to my methods I have nothing to add to what I wrote in the Prefaces of the volumes preceding the present. I have only a few words to say about the Index, the omission of which in a voluminous text-book like this would almost be a penal offence. Like the one placed at the end of one of the preceding volumes, this index is more or less descriptive in character, i. E. The different words have mostly been furnished with short notes giving the occasion of their inclusion and enabling the student to find what he wants without needless loss of time. It stands to reason that l have often been obliged to sacrifice accuracy and fulness of detail to brevity.

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