Chapter 2

Their great Condescension to Dr. _Hickes_ in allowing him to have been a very curious Inquirer into those _obsolete Tongues, now out of use, and containing nothing valuable in them_, is a Compliment for which I believe you, Sir, will give me leave to assure them, that he is not at all obliged; since if it signifies any thing, it imports, no less than that he has employ'd a great deal of Time, and a great deal of Pains, to little purpose. But we must at least borrow so much Assurance from them, as to tell them, that your Friends, who consist of the most learned sort of your own Countrey-men, and of Foreigners, do not think those Tongues so obsolete and out of use, whose Significancy is so apparent in Etymology; nor do they think those Men competent Judges to declare, whether there be any thing contained in them valuable or not, who have made it clear, that they know not what is _contain'd_ in them. They would rather assure them, that our greatest Divines[A], and Lawyers[B], and Historians[C] are of another Opinion, they wou'd advise them to consult our Libraries, those of the two Universities, the _Cottonian_, and my Lord Treasurers; to study your whole _Thesaurus_, particularly your _Dissertatio Epistolaris_, to look into Mr. _Wanleys_ large and accurate Catalogue of _Saxon_ Manuscripts, and so with Modesty gain a Title to the Applause of having confest their former Ignorance, and reforming their Judgment. I believe I may farther take leave to assure them, that the Doctor is as little concerned for their _Inference_, which they think _so plain from what has been said, that they are not obliged to derive the Sense, Construction, or Nature of our present Language from his Discoveries_. He desires them not to _derive_ the _Sense_ and _Construction_ of which they speak, in any other manner, than that in which the Nature of the things themselves makes them appear; and so far as they are his _Discoveries_ only, intrudes them on no Man. He is very willing they should be let alone by those, who have not Skill to use them to their own Advantage, and with Gratitude.

[Footnote A: Archbishops _Parker_, _Laud_, _Usher_, Bishop _Stillingfleet_, the present Bishops _of Worcester_, _Bath_ and _Wells_, _Carlisle_, St. _Asaph_, St. _Davids_, _Lincoln_, _Rochester_, with many other Divines of the first Rank.]

[Footnote B: The Lord Chief Justice _Cook_, Mr. _Lombard_, _Selden_, _Whitlock_, Lord Chief Justice _Hales_, and _Parker_, Mr. _Fortescue_ of the Temple, and others.]

[Footnote C: _Leland_, who writes in a Latin Style in Prose and Verse, as polite and accurate as can be boasted of by any of our modern Wits. _Jocelin_, _Spelman_, both Father and Son, _Cambden_, _Whelock_, _Gibson_, and many more of all Ranks and Qualities, whose Names deserve well to be mention'd with Respect, were there room for it in this place.]

But to leave these Pedagogues to huff and swagger in the heighth of all their Arrogance. I cannot but think it great Pity, that in our Considerations, for Refinement of the _English_ Tongue, so little Regard is had to Antiquity, and the Original of our present Language, which is the _Saxon_. This indeed is allow'd by an ingenious Person, who hath lately made some Proposals for the Refinement of the _English_ Tongue, _That the old _Saxon_, except in some few Variations in the Orthography, is the same in most original Words with our present _English_, as well as with the _German_ and other _Northern_ Dialects; _which makes it a little surprizing to me, to find the same Gentleman not long after to say, _The other Languages of _Europe_ I know nothing of, neither is there any occasion to consider them: _because, as I have before observ'd, it must be very difficult to imagin, how a Man can judge of a thing he knoweth nothing of, whether there can be occasion or no to consider it. I must confess I hope when ever such a Project shall be taken in hand, for _correcting_, _enlarging_, and _ascertaining_ our Language, a competent Number of such Persons will be advised with, as are knowing, not only in _Saxon_, but in the other Languages of _Europe_, and so be capable of judging how far those Languages may be useful in such a Project. The want of understanding this aright, wou'd very much injure the Success of such an Undertaking, and the bringing of it to Perfection; in denying that Assistance toward adjusting the Propriety of Words, which can only be had from the Knowledge of the Original, and likewise in depriving us of the Benefit of many useful and significant Words, which might be revived and recalled, to the Increase and Ornament of our Language, which wou'd be the more beautiful, as being more genuine and natural, by confessing a _Saxon_ Original for their native Stock, or an Affinity with those Branches of the other _Northern Tongues_, which own the same Original.

The want of knowing the _Northern Languages_, has occasion'd an unkind Prejudice towards them: which some have introduced out of Rashness, others have taken upon Tradition. As if those Languages were made up of nothing else but Monosyllables, and harsh sounding Consonants; than which nothing can be a greater Mistake. I can speak for the _Saxon_, _Gothick_, and _Francick_, or old _Teutonick_: which for aptness of compounded, and well sounding Words, and variety of Numbers, are by those learned Men that understand them, thought scarce inferior to the _Greek_ itself. I never cou'd find my self shocked with the Harshness of those Languages, which grates so much in the Ears of those that never heard them. I never perceiv'd in the Consonants any Hardness, but such as was necessary. to afford Strength, like the Bones in a human Body, which yield it Firmness and Support. So that the worst that can be said on this occasion of our Forefathers is, that they spoke at they fought, like Men.

The Author of the _Proposal_, may think this but an ill Return, for the soft things he has said of the Ladies, but I think it Gratitude at least to make the Return, by doing Justice to the Gentlemen. I will not contradict the Relation of the ingenious Experiment of his vocal Ladies, tho' I could give him some Instances to the contrary, in my Experience of those, whose Writings abound with Consonants; where Vowels must generally be understood, and appear but very rarely. Perhaps that Gentleman may be told that I have a _Northern_ Correspondence, and a _Northern_ Ear, probably not so fine as he may think his own to be, yet a little musical.

And now for our _Monosyllables_. In the Controversy concerning which, it must be examined, first whether the Charge which is exhibited against the _Northern Languages_ is true, that they consist of nothing but _Monosyllables_; and secondly, whether or no the Copiousness and Variety of _Monosyllables_ may be always justly reputed a fault, and may not sometimes as justly be thought, to be very useful and ornamental.

And first I must assert, that the ancient _Northern Languages_, do not wholly nor mostly consist of _Monosyllables_. I speak chiefly of the _Gothick_, _Saxon_, and _Teutonick_. It must be confest that in the _Saxon_, there are many _Primitive_ Words of one Syllable, and this to those who know the Esteem that is due to Simplicity and Plainness, in any Language, will rather be judged a Virtue than a Vice: That is, that the first Notions of things should be exprest in the plainest and simplest manner, and in the least compass: and the Qualities and Relations, by suitable Additions, and Composition of _Primitive_ Words[D]; for which the _Saxon_ Language is very remarkable, as has been before observed, and of which there are numerous Examples, in the following Treatise of _Saxon Grammar_, and infinitely more might have been added.

[Footnote D: Of this the _Greeks_ give as a fair Example, when they express the Original and Author of all Things, their +Pate:r andro:nte theo:nte+, by their Monosyllable +Zeus+. As the _Hebrews_ do by ++yah++, the _Goths_ the Ancestors of our _Saxon_ Progenitors by the Word ++GO[TH]++, the _Saxons_, old _Germans_, _Teutons_, _Francick_, and _English_, in the _Monosyllable_ *Go[dh]*, the _Germans_ #Gott#, and the _French_ _Dieu_.]

The second Enquiry is, whether or no the Copiousness and Variety of _Monosyllables_ may be always justly reputed a fault, and may not as justly be thought, to be very useful and ornamental? Were this a fault, it might as justly be charged upon the learned Languages, the _Latin_ and _Greek_: For the _Latin_ you have in _Lilly_'s Rules concerning Nouns, several Verses, made up for the most part of _Monosyllables_, I mention him not as a Classick, but because the Words are Classical and _Monosyllables_; and in the _Greek_ there are several as it were, idle _Monosyllables_, that have little Significancy, except to make the Numbers in Verse compleat, or to give a Fulness to their Periods, as the Verses of _Homer_ and other _Greek Poets_ plainly evidence: An Instance or two may suffice;

+Ex hou de: ta pro:ta diaste:te:n erisante.+

Here are four _Monosyllables_ in this Verse,

+Te:n d' ego: ou luso:, prin min kai ge:ras epeisen.+

Here are six _Monosyllables_, and one cutting off.

+All' ithi, me: m' erethize, sao:teros ho:s ke nee:ai. Hos e:de: ta t' eonta, ta t' essomena, pro t' eonta.+

Hom. Il. I. l. 70.

Here are seven _Monosyllables_; yet so far is _Virgil_ from being angry with his Master _Homer_ on this Account, that he in a manner transcribes his very Words, imitating him as near as the _Latin_ wou'd permit;

Quae sint, quae fuerint, quae mox ventura trahantur.

Here is the whole Sense of _Homer_ exprest, and five _Monosyllables_. But Mr. _Dryden_, who has exprest the Sense of _Virgil_ with no less Accuracy, gives you the whole Line in _Monosyllables;

He sees what is, and was, and is to come.

Mr. _Pope_ is equally happy in the Turn he has given to the Original, who as he is an exact Master of Criticism, so has he all those Accomplishments of an excellent Poet, that give us just Reason to hope he will make the Father of the Poets speak to us in our own Language, with all the Advantages he gave to his Works in that wherein they were first written, and the modest Opinion he prescribes to his own, and other Mens Poetical Performances, is no Discouragement to these Hopes;

Whoever thinks a faultless Piece to see, Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er shall be.

And _Horace_, while he is teaching us the Beauties in the Art of Poetry, gives no less than nine _Monosyllables_ in the compass of a Verse and a half;

_Sed nunc non_ erat _his_ locus: & fortasse cupressum _Scis_ simulare. _Quid hoc si_, &c.

Now if these are Beauties, as I doubt not but the _politer Criticks_ will allow, I cannot see why our Language may not now and then be tolerated in using _Monosyllables_, when it is done discreetly, and sparingly; and as I do not commend any of our Moderns who contract Words into _Monosyllables_ to botch up their Verses, much less such as do it out of Affectation; yet certainly the use of _Monosyllables_ may be made to produce a charming and harmonious Effect, where they fall under a Judgment that can rightly dispose and order them. And indeed, if a Variety and Copiousness of Feet, and a Latitude of shifting and transposing Words either in Prose or Poetical Compositions, be of any use, towards the rendering such Compactions sweet, or nervous, or harmonious, according to the Exigencies of the several sorts of Stile, one wou'd think _Monosyllables_ to be best accommodated to all these Purposes, and according to the Skill of those who know how to manage them, to answer all the Ends, either of masculine Force, or female Tenderness; for being single you have a Liberty of placing them where, and as you please; whereas in Words of many Syllables you are more confined, and must take them as you find them, or be put upon the cruel necessity of mangling and tearing them asunder. Mr. _Dryden_, it is true, wou'd make us believe he had a great Aversion to _Monosyllables_. Yet he cannot help making use of them sometimes in entire Verses, nor conceal his having a sort of Pride, even where he tells us he was forc'd to do it. For to have done otherwise would have been a Force on Nature, which would have been unworthy of so great a Genius, whose Care it was to study Nature, and to imitate and copy it to the Life; and it is not improbable, that there might be somewhat of a latent Delicacy and Niceness in this Matter, which he chose rather to dissemble, than to expose, to the indiscreet Management of meaner Writers. For in the first Line of his great Work the _Aeneis_, every Word is a _Monosyllable_; and tho' he makes a seeming kind of Apology, yet he cannot forbear owning a secret Pleasure in what he had done. "My first Line in the _Aeneis_, says he, is not harsh.

"Arms and the Man I sing, who forc'd by Fate.

"But a much better Instance may be given from the last Line of _Manilius_, made _English_ by our learned and judicious Mr. _Creech_;

"Nor could the World have born so fierce a Flame.

"Where the many liquid Consonants are placed so artfully, that they give a pleasing Sound to the Words, tho' they are all of one Syllable."

It is plain from these last Words, that the Subject-matter, _Monosyllables_, is not so much to be complain'd of; what is chiefly to be requir'd, is of the Poet, that he be a good Workman, in forming them aright, and that he _place them artfully_: and, however Mr. _Dryden_ may desire to disguise himself, yet, as he some where says, Nature will prevail. For see with how much Passion he has exprest himself towards these two Verses, in which the Poet has not been sparing of _Monosyllables_: "I am sure, says he, there are few who make Verses, have observ'd the Sweetness of these two Lines in _Coopers Hill;

"Tho deep, yet clear; tho gentle, yet not dull; Strong without Rage, without o'erflowing full.

"And there are yet fewer that can find the reason of that Sweetness, I have given it to some of my Friends in Conversation, and they have allow'd the Criticism to be just."

You see, Sir, this great Master had his Reserves, and this was one of the _Arcana_, to which every Novice was not admitted to aspire; this was an Entertainment only for his best Friends, such as he thought worthy of his Conversation; and I do not wonder at it, for he was acquainted not only with the _Greek_ and_ Latin Poets_, but with the best of his own Countrey, as well of ancient as of latter times, and knew their Beauties and Defects: and tho' he did not think himself obliged to be lavish, in dispersing the Fruits of so much Pains and Labour at random, yet was he not wanting in his Generosity to such as deserved his Friendship, and in whom he discern'd a Spirit capable of improving the Hints of so great a Master. To give greater Probability to what I have said concerning _Monosyllables_, I will give some Instances, as well from such Poets as have gone before him, as those which have succeeded him. It will not be taken amiss by those who value the Judgment of Sir _Philip Sydney_, and that of Mr. _Dryden_, if I begin with Father _Chaucer_.

#Er it was Day, as was her won to do.#

Again,

#And but I have her Mercy and her Grace, That I may seen her at the lefte way; I nam but deed there nis no more to say.#

Again,

#Alas, what is this wonder Maladye? For heate of colde, for colde of heate I dye.#

_Chaucer_'s first Book of _Troylus_, fol. 159. b.

And since we are a united Nation, and he as great a Poet, considering his time, as this Island hath produced, I will with due Veneration for his Memory, beg leave to cite the learned and noble Prelate, _Gawen Douglas_, Bishop of _Dunkeld_ in _Scotland_, who in his Preface to his judicious and accurate Translation of _Virgil_, p. 4. says,

Nane is, nor was, nor zit sal be, trowe I, Had, has, or sal have, sic craft in Poetry:

Again, p. 5.

Than thou or I, my Freynde, quhen we best wene.

But before, at least contemporary with _Chaucer_, we find Sir _John Gower_, not baulking _Monosyllables;

#Myne Herte is well the more glad To write so as he me bad, And eke my Fear is well the lasse. To _Henry_ the Fourth, _King Salomon_ which had at his asking Of God, what thyng him was leuest crave. He chase Wysedom unto governyng Of Goddes Folke, the whiche he wolde save: And as he chase it fyl him for to have. For through his Witte, while that his Reigne laste, He gate him Peace, and Rest, into his laste.#

Again,

#Peace is the chefe of al the Worldes Welth, And to the Heven it ledeth eke the way, Peace is of Soule and Lyfe the Mannes Helth, Of Pestylence, and doth the Warre away, My Liege Lord take hede of that I say. If Warre may be lefte, take Peace on Hande Which may not be without Goddes Sande.# [E]

[Footnote E:_ Besides the Purpose for which these Verses are here cited, it may not be amiss to observe from some Instances of Words contain'd in them, how necessary, at least useful, the Knowledge of the _Saxon Tongue_ is, to the right understanding our _Old English Poets_, and other Writers. For example, #leuest#, this is the same with the _Saxon_ *leofost*, _most beloved_, or _desirable_. #Goddes folke#, not _God his Folk_, this has plainly the Remains of the _Saxon_ Genitive Case. #Sande#, this is a pure _Saxon_ word, signifying _Mission_, or _being sent_. See the _Saxon Homily_ on the Birth Day of St. _Gregory_, p. 2. *He [dh]urh his raede & sande us fram [dh]eofles biggengum aetbraed.* He through his Counsel and Commission rescued us from the Worship of the Devil.]

Nor were the _French_, however more polite they may be thought, than we are said to be, more scrupulous in avoiding them, if these Verses are upon his Monument;

#En toy qui es fitz de Dieu le Pere, Sauue soit, qui gist sours cest pierre.#

This will be said to be old _French_, let us see whether _Boileau_ will help us out, who has not long since writ the Art of Poetry;

Mais moi, grace au Destin, qui n'ai ni feu ne lieu, Je me loge ou je puis, & comme il plaist a Dieu.

_Sat._ vi.

And in that which follows,

Et tel, en vous lisant, admire chaque traite, Qui dans le fond de l'ame, & vous craint & vous hait.

Let _Lydgate_, _Chaucer_'s Scholar also be brought in for a Voucher;

#For _Chaucer_ that my Master was and knew What did belong to writing Verse and Prose, Ne'er stumbled at small faults, nor yet did view With scornful Eye the Works and Books of those That in his time did write, nor yet would taunt At any Man, to fear him or to daunt.#

Tho' the Verse is somewhat antiquated, yet the Example ought not to be despised by our modern Criticks, especially those who have any Respect for _Chaucer_.

I might give more Instances out of _John Harding_, and our good old Citizen, Alderman _Fabian_, besides many others: but out of that Respect to the nice Genij of our Time, which they seldom allow to others, I will hasten to the Times of greater Politeness, and desire that room may be made, and attention given to a Person of no less Wit than Honour, the _Earl of Surrey_, who at least had all the Elegancy of a gentle Muse, that may deserve the Praises of our Sex,

Her Praise I tune whose Tongue doth tune the Spheres, And gets new Muses in her Hearers Ears. Stars fall to fetch fresh Light from her rich Eyes, Her bright Brow drives the Sun to Clouds beneath.

Again,

O Glass! with too much Joy my Thoughts thou greets.

And again upon the Chamber where his admired _Geraldine_ was born;

O! if _Elyzium_ be above the Ground, Then here it is, where nought but Joy is found.

And _Michael Drayton_, who had a Talent fit to imitate, and to celebrate so great a Genius, of all our _English_ Poets, seems best to have understood the sweet and harmonious placing of _Monosyllables_, and has practised it with so great a Variety, as discovers in him a peculiar Delight, even to Fondness; for which however, I cannot blame him, notwithstanding this may be reputed the Vice of our Sex, and in him be thought effeminate. But let the Reader judge for himself;

Care draws on Care, Woe comforts Woe again, Sorrow breeds Sorrow, one Griefe brings forth twaine, If live or dye, as thou doost, so do I, If live, I live, and if thou dye, I dye; One Hart, one Love, one Joy, one Griefe, one Troth, One Good, one Ill, one Life, one Death to both.

Again,

Where as thou cam'st unto the Word of Love, Even in thine Eyes I saw how Passion strove; That snowy Lawn which covered thy Bed, Me thought lookt white, to see thy cheeke so red, Thy rosye cheeke oft changing in my sight, Yet still was red to see the Lawn so white: The little Taper which should give the Light, Me thought waxt dim, to see thy Eye so bright.

Again,

Your Love and Hate is this, I now do prove you, You Love in Hate, by Hate to make me love you.

And to the Countess of _Bedford_, one of his great Patronesses;

Sweet Lady yet, grace this poore Muse of mine, Whose Faith, whose Zeal, whose Life, whose All is thine.

The next that I shall mention, is taken out of an ingenious Poem, entituled, _The Tale of the Swans_, written by _William Vallans_ in blank Verse in the time of Queen _Elizabeth_; for the reprinting of which, we are obliged to that ingenious and most industrious Preserver and Restorer of Antiquities, Mr. _Thomas Hearne_ of _Oxford_;

Among the which the merrie Nightingale With swete, and swete (her Brest again a Thorne.)

In another Place,

And in the Launde, hard by the Parke of _Ware_

Afterwards,

To _Ware_ he comes, and to the Launde he flies.

Again,

And in this Pompe they hie them to the Head.

I come now to the incomparable _Spencer_, against whose Judgment and Practice, I believe scarce any Man will be so bold as to oppose himself;

Assure your self; it fell not all to Ground; For all so dear as Life is to my Heart, I deem your Love, and hold me to you bound.

Again,

Go say his Foe thy Shielde with his doth bear.

Afterwards,

More old than _Jove_, whom thou at first didst breed.

And,

And now the Prey of Fowls in Field he lies.

Nor must _Ben. Johnson_ be forgotten;

Thy Praise or Dispraise is to me alike; One doth not stroke me, nor the other strike.

Again,

Curst be his Muse, that could lye dumb, or hid To so true Worth, though thou thy self forbid.

In this Train of Voters for _Monosyllables_, the inimitable _Cowley_ marches next, whom we must not refuse to hear;

Yet I must on; what Sound is't strikes mine Ear? Sure I Fames Trumpet hear.

And a little after,

Come my best Friends, my Books, and lead me on; 'Tis time that I were gone. Welcome, great Stagirite, and teach me now All I was born to know.

And commending _Cicero_, he says,

Thou art the best of Orators; only he Who best can praise thee, next must be.

And of _Virgil_ thus,

Who brought green Poesy to her perfect Age, And made that Art, which was a Rage.

And in the beginning of the next Ode, he wou'd not certainly have apply'd himself to WIT in the harsh Cadence of _Monosyllables_, had he thought them so very harsh;

Tell me, O tell, what kind of thing is Wit, Thou who Master art of it.

Again,

In a true Piece of Wit all things must be Yet all things there agree.

But did he believe such Concord to be inconsistent with the use of _Monosyllables_, he had surely banished them from these two Lines; and were I to fetch Testimonies out of his Writings, I might pick a Jury of Twelve out of every Page.

And now comes Mr. _Waller_, and what does he with his _Monosyllables_, but,

Give us new Rules, and set our Harp in Tune.

And that honourable Peer whom be commends, the Lord _Roscommon_ thus keeps him in Countenance;

Be what you will, so you be still the same.