A

PROPOSAL

For correcting, improving, and afcertaining the

ENGLISH TONGUE.

In a letter to the most honourable Robert earl of Oxford and Mortimer, lord high treasurer of Great Britain.

To the most honourable Robert earl of Oxford, etc.

My Lord,

W

HAT I had the honour of mentioning to your lordship fome time ago in conversation, was not a new thought, just then started by accident or occafion, but the refult of long reflection, and I have been confirmed in my sentiments by the opinion of fome very judicious perfons, with whom I confulted. They all agreed, that nothing would be of greater use towards the improvement of knowledge and politeness, :than fome effectual method for correcting, enlarging, and - afcertaining our language; and they think it a work - very poffible to be compassed under the protection of a -prince, the countenance and encouragement of a ministry, and the care of proper persons chosen for such an undertaking. I was glad to find your lordship's anfwer in fo different a ftyle, from what hath been commonly made use of on the like occafions for fome years

paft,

past, That all fuch thoughts must be deferred to a time of peace: a topick which fome have carried fo far, that they would not have us by any means think of preserving our civil or religious conftitution, because we are engaged in a war abroad. It will be among the distinguishing marks of your miniftry, my lord, that you have a genius above all fuch regards, and that no reasonable proposal for the honour, the advantage, or the ornament of your country, however foreign to your more immediate office, was ever neglected by you. I confefs the merit of this candour and condefcenfion is very much leffened, because your lordship hardly leaves us room to offer our good wishes : removing all our difficulties, and fupplying our wants, fafter than the vifionary projector can adjust his fchemes. And therefore, my lord, the defign of this paper is not so much to offer you ways and means, as to complain of a grievance, the redreffing of which is to be your own work as much as that of paying the nation's debts, or opening a trade into the South-Sea; and though not of such immediate benefit, as either of thefe, or any other of your glorious actions, yet perhaps in future ages not lefs to your

honour.

My lord, I do here in the name of all the learned and polite perfons of the nation complain to your lordship as first minifter, that our language is extremely imperfect; that its daily improvements are by no means in proportion to its daily corruptions; that the pretenders to polish and refine it have chiefly multiplied abuses and abfurdities; and, that in many inftances it offends against every part of grammar. But left your lordship should think my cenfure too fevere, I fhall take leave to be more * particular.

I believe your lordship will agree with me in the reafon, why our language is lefs refined than those of Italy, Spain, or France. "Tis plain, that the Latin tongue in its purity was never in this island, towards the conqueft of which few or no attempts were made till the time of Claudius; neither was that language ever fo vulgar in Britain, as it is known to have been in Gaul and Spain. Further, we find that the Roman legions here were at length all recalled to help their country against the Goths, and other barbarous invaders. Mean time the Britains left to fhift for themselves, and daily harraffed by cruel inroads from the Picts, were forced to call in the Saxons for their defence; who confequent-: ly reduced the greatest part of the island to their own powes, drove the Britains into the most remote and mountainous parts, and the rest of the country in cuftoms, religion, and language, became wholly Saxon. This I take to be the reafon, why there are more Latin words remaining in the British tongue than in the old Saxon, which, excepting fome few variations in the orthography, is the fame in most original words with our prefent English, as well as with the German and other Northern dialects.

Edward the Confeffor, having lived long in France, appears to be the first who introduced any mixture of the French tongue with the Saxon; the court affecting what the prince was fond of, and others taking it up for a fashion, as it is now with us. William the Conqueror proceeded much further; bringing over with him vast numbers of that nation, scattering them in every monastery, giving them great quantities of land, directing all pleadings to be in that language, and endeavouring to make it universal in the kingdom. This at least

is

is the opinion generally received: but your lordship hath fully convinced me, that the French tongue made yet a greater progress here under Harry the Second, who had large territories on that continent both from his father and wife, made frequent journies and expeditions thither, and was always attended with a number of his countrymen, retainers at his court. For fome centuries after there was a constant intercourfe between France and England, by the dominions we poffeffed there, and the conquests we made; fo that our language between two and three hundred years ago feems to have had a greater mixture with French than at present; many words having been afterwards rejected, and some fince the time of Spenfer; although we have ftill retained not a few, which have been long antiquated in France. I could produce feveral instances of both kinds, if it were of any use or entertainment.

To examine into the several circumstances by which the language of a country may be alter'd, would force me to enter into a wide field. I fhall only observe, that the Latin, the French, and the English, seem to have undergone the fame fortune. The firft, from the days of Romulus to thofe of Julius Cæfar, fuffered perpetual changes: and by what we meet in those authors who occafionally speak on that fubject, as well as from certain fragments of old laws, it is manifeft that the Latin three hundred years before Tully was as unintelligble in his time, as the English and French of the fame period are now; and these two have changed as much fince William the Conqueror (which is but little less than feven hundred years) as the Latin appears to have done in the like term. Whether our language or the French will decline as fast as the Roman did, is a question, that

would

would perhaps admit more debate than it is worth. There were many reasons for the corruptions of the last : as, the change of their government to a tyranny, which ruined the ftudy of eloquence, there being no farther ufe or encouragement for popular orators: their giving not only the freedom of the city, but capacity for employments, to several towns in Gaul, Spain, and Germany, and other diftant parts, as far as Afia; which brought a great number of foreign pretenders into Rome the flavish difpofition of the fenate and the people, by which the wit and eloquence of the age were wholly turned into panegyrick, the maft barren of all fubjects: the great corruption of manners, and introduction of foreign luxury, with foreign terms to express it, with feveral others, that might be affigned; not to mention those invafions from the Goths and Vandals, which are too obvious to infist on.

The Roman language arrived at great perfection, before it began to decay: and the French for these laft fifty years hath been polishing as much as it will bear, and appears to be declining by the natural inconftancy of that people, and the affectation of fome late authors to introduce and multiply cant words, which is the most ruinous corruption in any language. La Bruyere, a late celebrated writer among them, makes ufe of many new terms, which are not to be found in of the common dictionaries before his time. But the English tongue is not arrived to fuch a degree of perfection, as to make us apprehend any thoughts of its decay; and if it were once refined to a certain ftandard, perhaps there might be ways found out to fix it for ever, or at least till we are invaded and made a conquest by some other state; and even then our beft writings might probably be pre

any