CONCERNING
The EXCELLENCIES of the
English Tongue.
——————-
LONDON,
Printed in the Year M.DCC.XXIII.
An Epistle concerning the Excellencies
of the Engliih Tongue.
IT were more fitting (in respect of discretion) that men should first weigh Matters with Iudgment, and then incline their Affection where the greatest Reason swayeth. But ordinarily it falleth out to the contrarie; for by Custom we first settle our Affection, and then afterwards draw in those Arguments to approve it, which should have forgone to perswade ourselves. In this preposterous Course (seeing that antiquity from our Elders and uniuersalitie of our Neighbours do entitle with a Right) I hold myself the more freely warranted delirare, not onely cum vulgo, but also cum sapientibus, in seeking out with what Commendations I may attire our English Language, as Stephanus hath done for the French, and diuers of other Nations, for theirs.
Locutio is defined Animi sensus per vocem expressio. On which ground I build these consequences, That the first and principal point sought in euerie Language, is that we may expres the Meaning of our Minds aptly to each other. Next, that we may do it readily and without more adoe. Then fully, so as others may thoroughly conceiue us. And last of all, handsomely, that those to whom we speak may take pleasure in hearing us: So that whateuer Tongue will gain the Race of Perfection must run upon these four wheeles, SIGNIFICANCIE, EASINESS, COPIOUSNESS, and SWEETNESS; of which the two former import a Necessitie, the two latter a Delight. Now if I can proove, That our English Language for all or the most part is comparable if not preferable to any other in use at this day, I hope the assent of any impartial Reader will pass on my side. And how I indeavor to performe the same, this short labor shall manifest.
I. To begin then with the SIGNIFICANCIE of the English Tongue, it consisteth in the Letters, Words, and Phrases. And because the Greeke and Latine have ever borne away the prerogatiue from all other Tongues, they shall serue as the Touchstones whereby to make our Tryall.
For LETTERS, we haue C more then the Greekes, K and Y more then the Latines, and W more then them both, or then the French and Italians.
In those common to them and us, we have the use of the Greek B in our V, of our B they haue none; so have we of their [uppercase lambda] and [uppercase theta] in our Th, which in the wordes that and things expresseth both; but of our D they haue none. Likewise their T we turn to another use in yield, than they can; and as for E,G, and J, neither Greekes nor Latines can make use of them as we doe in these Words, each, edge, joy. True it is, that we in pronouncing the Latine use them also after this manner; but the same, in regard of the ancient and right Romane deliuerie, altogether abusively; as may appear by Scaliger, Sir Thomas Smith, Lipsius, and others.