The first perception we have of any word, or other thing, when presented to the ear or the eye, gives us some knowledge of it.

So, to the signs of thought, as older persons use them, we soon attach some notion of what is meant; and the difference between this knowledge, and that which we call an understanding of the word or thing, is, for the most part, only in degree.

Definitions and explanations are doubtless highly useful, but induction is not definition, and an understanding of words may be acquired without either; else no man could ever have made a dictionary.

But, granting the principle to be true, it makes nothing for this puerile method of induction; because the regular process by definitions and examples is both shorter and easier, as well as more effectual.

In a word, this whole scheme of inductive grammar is nothing else than a series of _leading_ questions and _manufactured_ answers; the former being generally as unfair as the latter are silly.