enlightened public that surround us, who are too equitable not to see that much time will be required before a work of so much difficulty can be carried to perfection. But, what affords to me, who am one day to consign to the annals of history the labours of this society, the greatest pleasure is the conviction I entertain of your zeal for the public good, your aversion to all usurped authority, your design to establish your decisions on the basis of the most correct criticism, and to commit their truth or fallacy to the touchstone of argument and reason.
If on a future day we should be happy enough to establish, on a solid basis, the orthography of our language, the certain principles and rules of composition, and to procure to the Swedes what they are still in want of, a compleat dictionary—shall we then have acquitted ourselves of all that the public have a right to expect from the Swedish academy? No, gentlemen, the honour which our society has of being distinguished by the national name, imposes upon us duties of a permanent nature. We are bound to the utmost of our power to maintain the genuine character of the language, which, like the nation, is masculine, bold, elevated, and serious. We are bound to exhibit in our works an example of respect for religion, for the government, for the nation, and for morality; to prevent, as far as depends upon our activity and influence, youthful genius from being deluded by the ignis fatuus of fugitive fame, and sacrificing to the ambition of wit, the interest of religion, the sentiments of decency, and the duties of a citizen.
Convinced
