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An Essay Upon Projects by Daniel Defoe
page 133 of 185 (71%)
and language, great masters of English, whom few men will undertake
to correct; and where such do at any time appear, their
extraordinary merit should find them a place in this society; but it
should be rare, and upon very extraordinary occasions that such be
admitted.

I would therefore have this society wholly composed of gentlemen;
whereof twelve to be of the nobility, if possible, and twelve
private gentlemen, and a class of twelve to be left open for mere
merit, let it be found in who or what sort it would, which should
lie as the crown of their study, who have done something eminent to
deserve it. The voice of this society should be sufficient
authority for the usage of words, and sufficient also to expose the
innovations of other men's fancies; they should preside with a sort
of judicature over the learning of the age, and have liberty to
correct and censure the exorbitance of writers, especially of
translators. The reputation of this society would be enough to make
them the allowed judges of style and language, and no author would
have the impudence to coin without their authority. Custom, which
is now our best authority for words, would always have its original
here, and not be allowed without it. There should be no more
occasion to search for derivations and constructions, and 'twould be
as criminal then to coin words as money.

The exercises of this society would be lectures on the English
tongue, essays on the nature, original, usage, authorities, and
differences of words, or the propriety, parity, and cadence of
style, and of the politeness and manner in writing; reflections upon
irregular usages, and corrections of erroneous customs in words;
and, in short, everything that would appear necessary to the
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