“Their virtuous conversation was a mean to work the Heathen’s conversion unto Christ.”—Hooker.
Melmoth, Beattie, and several other writers, distinguished by their elegance and accuracy of diction, have adopted this usage. A means, indeed, is a form of expression which, though not wholly unsupported by analogy, is yet so repugnant to the general idiom of our language, and seems so ill adapted to denote the operation of a single cause, that we should be pleased to see it dismissed from use. If we say, “This was one of the means which he employed to effect his purpose,” analogy and metaphysical propriety concur in recommending a mean, or one mean, as preferable to a means. News, alms, riches, pains, have been used as either singular or plural; but we never say, “one of the news,” “one of the alms,” “one of the riches,” “one of the pains,” as we say “one of the means;” we may, therefore, be justified, notwithstanding the authority of general usage, in pronouncing “a means” a palpable anomaly.
News is likewise construed sometimes as a singular, and sometimes as a plural noun. The former usage, however, is far the more general.
“A general joy at this glad news appeared.”—Cowley.
“No news so bad as this at home.”—Shakspeare, Richard III.
“The amazing news of Charles at once was spread.”—Dryden.
“The king was employed in his usual exercise of besieging castles, when the news was brought of Henry’s arrival.”—Swift.
“The only news you can expect from me is news from heaven.”—Gay.
“This is all the news talked of.”—Pope.
Swift, Pope, Gay, with most other classic writers of that age, seem to have uniformly used it as singular.