Outlines of Comparative Philology: With a Sketch of the Languages of Europe, Arranged Upon Philologic Principles, and a Brief History of the Art of Writing

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G.P. Putnam & Company, 1853 - Comparative linguistics - 434 pages

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Page 139 - ... and known, and better understood, in the tongue used in the said realm, and by so much every man of the said realm may the better govern himself without offending of the law, and the better keep, save, and defend his heritage and possessions; and in divers regions and countries, where the king, the nobles, and...
Page 186 - English, that they forget altogether their mother's language. And I dare swear this, if some of their mothers were alive, they were not able to tell what they say : and yet these fine English clerks will say, they speak in their mother tongue, if a man should charge them for counterfeiting the King's English.
Page 193 - Ours is a noble language, a beautiful language. I can tolerate a Germanism for family sake ; but he who uses a Latin or a French phrase where a pure old English word does as well, ought to be hung, drawn and quartered for high treason against his mother-tongue.
Page 422 - Oh that my words were graven with an Iron pen and Lead in the Rock for ever.
Page 172 - In English, and in writing of our tongue, " So pray I to God that none mis-write thee, " Ne thee mis-metre for default of tongue : " And, read whereso thou be, or ellcs sung, " That thou be understand, God I beseech!
Page 121 - ... indigenous tree, trimmed by the rough storm, grafted in many a branch by an unskilful hand, but still giving shade with its wide-spreading foliage, and bearing flowers and fruit in abundance. The Normans had conquered the land and the race, but they struggled in vain against the language that conquered them in its turn, and, by its spirit, converted them into Englishmen. In vain did they haughtily refuse to learn a word of that despised tongue, and asked, in the words of the minister of Henry...
Page 143 - It is still more to the honour of Caxton, that when he was informed of the imperfections of his edition, he very readily undertook a second, ' for to satisfy the author,' (as he says himself,) ' whereas tofore by ignorance he had erred in hurting and diffaming his book.
Page 164 - The works of authors were, then, read for three days successively before one of the Universities, or other judges appointed...
Page 178 - Wher be my coursers and my horses hye ? Where is my myrth, my solas, and my play ? As vanyte, to nought al is wandred away.
Page 142 - William Caxton, a simple person, have endeavoured me to write ' first over all the said book of Polychronicon, — somewhat have ' changed the rude and olde English, that is to wit, certain ' words, which in these days we neither used ne understood...

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