_plural_ or _singular_. Resolute John Florio is sadly inconsistent in
his use of it: in his _World of Wordes_, ed. 1598, we have:

"_Nova_, newe, fresh, a noueltie, a _newe report_.

"_Novella_, a tale, a nouell, a noueltie, a discourse, _a newes_
a message."

In Queen Anna's _World of Wordes_, 1611:

"_Nova_, a noueltie, _a new report_.

"_Novella, a tiding, or newes_.

"_Novellante_, a teller of _newes_ or _tidings_."

Here we have _newes_ treated both as _singular_ and _plural_! while we
have _tiding_ as the singular of _tidings_, a form which, from long
disuse, would now appear strange to us. In the following extract from
Florio's very amusing book of Dialogues, _Second Frutes_, 1591, he makes
_newes_ decidedly plural:--

"_C_. What doo they say abroade? what _newes_ have you, Master
Tiberio? _T_. Nothing that I know; can you tell whether the post
be come? _C_. No, Sir; they saye in the Exchange that the great
Turke makes great preparation to warre with the Persian. _T_.
'Tis but a deuice; _these be newes_ cast abroade to feede the
common sorte, I doo not beleeue them.... _C_. Yea, but _they_
are written to verie worshipful merchants. _T_. By so much the
lesse doo I beleeue them; doo not you know that euerie yeare