'I went through that extraordinary work of Lord Monboddo on the "Origin of Language". I was entertained and instructed from the singularity of the system, the many erroneous and yet plausible arguments on which it is founded, the infinite display of learning. A mind wedded to antiquity is the source together with a strong imagination easily biased from Credulity, of the principles offered in this work. I should apprehend the criticisms to be good in many parts... There is too much classical learning in it to allow me to form a Judgement of it, as a learned work. Indeed it is not to be supposed I understood it in a followed manner [.] Yet I never throw aside a book because it makes me feel an ignorance I am not ashamed of from its being one belonging to my Sphere as a female. I read on and often reap much information from the mere introduction to scholars.'