Of the Orthographie and Congruitie of the Britan Tongue - A Treates, noe shorter than necessarie, for the Schooles by Alexander Hume
page 53 of 82 (64%)
page 53 of 82 (64%)
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preceedes and followes; as, for exemple of beath, and to conclud this treatesse: Bless, guyd, advance, preserve, prolong Lord (if thy pleasur be) Our King _and_ Queen, and keep their seed thy name to magnifie. * * * * * NOTES. The foregoing Tract is one of great interest, not only on account of its intrinsic merit, but also for the racy style of writing adopted by its author. We find him continually garnishing his language with such idiomatic and colloquial expressions as the following:--âQuhaeâs sillie braine will reache no farther then the compas of their capâ (page 2); and again, âbut will not presume to judge farther then the compasse of my awn capâ (p. 20). He observes of the printers and writers of his age that they care âfor noe more arte then may win the pennieâ (p. 2), and on the same page he says, âquhiles I stack in this claye,â which appears to be equivalent to our term âstuck in the mud.â At p. 3 he says, âand it wer but a clod;â at p. 14, âneither daer I, with al the oares of reason, row against so strang a tyde;â and again, on p. 18, we find reason under another aspect, thus, ânoe man I trow can denye that ever suked the paepes of reason.â It seems that the expression, _Queenâs English_, is by no means of modern date, as we have it as the _kingâs language_ at p. 2. |
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