Might not these writers have used, much sheep were killed, with the same propriety?
The sense of the word pains does not require that we should consider it as a plural; for it signifies labor or fatigue, in contradistinction to those uneasy sensations, each of which singly is called a pain, and to express a number of which pains is used as a plural. On the other hand we have the authority of general practice for uniting with it much, which can in no case be used with a plural, and also a verb in the singular number.
—"And taken much pains so to proportion the powers of the several magistrates."——Sidney on Gov. sect. I.
"I found much art and pains employed."——Middleton.
"He will assemble materials with much pains."——Bolling. on Hist. letter 4.
"As to our own language, several persons have taken much pains about the orthography of it."——Wilkins Real Char. book I. chap. 5.
There are a few instances in which good authors have considered news as a plural; as
"From all regions where the best news are made."——B. Johnson, Staple of News.
"And seal the news and issue them."——The same.