HARRIS, JAMES, one of the most celebrated philolo gists of modern times, was born at Salisbury on the 20th of July, 1709. His father was a gentleman of independent fortune, of the same name, and his mother sister to the Earl of Shaftesbury, author of the Characteristics. He was edu cated in early life under Mr Hele, at the grammar school of his native city. At the age of 16 he was removed to Ox ford, where he passed the usual number of years as a gen tleman commoner of Wadham college, and was then enter ed at Lincoln's Inn, for the purpose of studying law as a part of liberal education. Having, in his 24th year, succeeded, by the death of his father, to his patrimonial property, he followed more completely his own inclinations, by' devoting himself to the study of Grecian and Roman literature. He studied profoundly the philosophical writings of the an cients, and acquired a great partiality for the philosophy of Aristotle. His studies were conducted in his house at Sa lisbury, where his habit was to rise very early, for the pur pose of prosecuting them in quiet, and to mingle occasion ally through the day with the society of that city. He also officiated with great credit as a magistrate for the county of Wilts.
His first work, which appeared in 1744, was a volume containing three treatises ; the first on art, the second on music, painting, and poetry, and the third on happiness, which contained some sound moral observations, and were adorned with elegant literature. In 1745 he married Miss Clarke, daughter of John Clarke, Esq. of Sandford in So mersetshire, by whom lie had five children. Two of these died young ; but two daughters and his son, now Lord Malmesbury, survived him.
Persevering in his favourite studies, be published, in 1751, his Hermes, or Inquiry concerning Universal Gram mar—a subject to which his attention had been particularly directed by the Minerva of Sanctius. The Hermes was re ceived with great applause, and placed the author in the highest rank of philosophical grammarians. But the cre dit which that work derived from having remained so long unchallenged. was at last shaken by the severe animadver sions on it, which were published by Mr Horne Tooke, in his celebrated Diversions of Purley. This author has con victed Mr Harris of some incongruities ; and has, in his turn, laid the world under deep obligations, by furnishing valuable materials for the correction and improvement of dialectic science : (See our article GRAMMAR, passim.)
How Mr Harris would have felt had he lived to see him sell' so contumeliously treated as he is in the work now mentioned, is a question of personal patience, and neither justice nor good nature would delight in seeing any man of worth subjected to such a trial. But now that both of these authors are out of the reach of each other's opposi tion, as well as the partiality of their respective friends, neither of them appears sufficiently perfect to he adopted as a guide, and both are too respectable to be treated with contempt. Mr Harris had the undoubted merit of delight ing such of his cotemporaries as took an interest in the sub ject. Although, when the import of the words in which his theories are expressed is severely scrutinized, we find them sometimes inconsistent ; candour will still endeavour to appreciate the truths which they imperfectly express, and will not fail to find out, in the most unmeaning phrases, some just views which the author aimed to unfold. The difficulty of expressing new opinions on a new subject, in which language is employed in explaining its own nature, may have given rise to some faults in the theoretic disser tations of Mr Harris ; but it is no small praise, that his er rors required the acuteness of Mr Tooke to discover them, and it must be acknowledged, that the latter has not done justice to his merit. The works of these two authors may be profitably employed for correcting one another, and ex tending jointly the limits of the science. The views of Mr Harris are on the whole pleasing; and the manner in which they are exhibited, shews an elegant and scientific mind. His writings are not disfigured by wanton satire, expres sions of personal antipathy, or querulous moroseness, para doxical turns of phrase, or an inclination to sport with the feelings of one part of his readers, and carry off by force the admiration of others. Trusting to the interesting nature of his subject, he does not go in quest of spurious sources of animation. After bestowing much labour on the investi gation of his subject, he presents his readers in a respect ful manner with the best views which he is able to form. He cherishes throughout a spirit of philosophical inquiry, free from any character of extravagance, and possessed of an admirable tendency to generate a placid satisfaction, and a chaste consistency of feeling.