initial commit of ebook 12358HEADmain

1 files changed, 583 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/12358-0.txt b/12358-0.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12dcca0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12358-0.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,583 @@
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12358 ***
+
+_SOCIETY for PURE ENGLISH_ (_S.P.E_).
+
+
+
+_TRACT No. I_
+
+
+Preliminary Announcement
+
+&
+
+List of Members
+
+Oct. 1919
+
+_At the Clarendon Press_
+
+MDCCCCXIX
+
+
+
+SOCIETY for PURE ENGLISH (S.P.E.)
+
+
+The Society was founded in 1913, and was preparing to enter on its
+activities, when the declaration of war in Aug. 1914 determined the
+Committee to suspend proceedings until the national distraction should
+have abated. They met again after the Armistice in 1918 and agreed to
+announce their first issues for October 1919. Although present
+conditions are not as favourable as could be wished, it would seem
+that the public are disposed to attend to literary matters, and that
+the war has even quickened the interest and increased the number of
+those to whom the special objects of the Society will be most
+intelligible and attractive.
+
+A false start is a misfortune, and recovery from its confusion must
+have an awkward appearance, for which it is needless to make further
+apology or explanation.
+
+
+1. THE TITLE OF THE SOCIETY.
+
+In calling itself the Society for Pure English it was not overlooked
+that the word Pure might carry a wrong suggestion. It should be
+explained that it does not denote, as it is sometimes used to denote,
+the idea that words of foreign origin are _impurities_ in English; it
+rather assumes that they are not; and the Committee, whether wisely or
+unwisely, thought a short title of general import was preferable to a
+definition which would misrepresent their purpose by its necessary
+limitations.
+
+
+2. FINANCIAL.
+
+The founders were originally confident that they could carry on their
+work without asking for any subscription from the members; and
+although the conditions of prices and commodities are now wholly
+changed and altogether unfavourable, they still hope that they may be
+able to keep to their scheme. If the publications of the Society are
+of sufficient merit, their profits should cover the expenses of an
+unsalaried staff; and though it shall be optional for their authors to
+retain a share of such prospective profits, it is hoped that most of
+those who contribute their work will be willing to allow all the
+profits to go into the funds of the Society. In the place of a small
+subscription, which it is as inconvenient regularly to collect as it
+is to pay, the secretary invites donations of any amount, great or
+small, which will be duly acknowledged and deposited in the Society's
+banking account. The sympathetic response to their prospectus warrants
+the belief that more donations will be forthcoming. The Society having
+a finite aim may, after a few years of activity, consider its
+usefulness to be at an end; and if, when it is wound up, it should
+have a balance in hand, the present Committee undertake to pay such a
+balance into the Pension Fund of the Society of Authors.
+
+
+3. PUBLICATIONS.
+
+The Society undertakes to publish a series of tracts on the subjects
+which it is founded to deal with.
+
+It is impossible to foresee the quality or amount of such expert
+contributions; but the Committee intend to issue at least a quarterly
+paper which shall contain a report of proceedings up to date.
+Meanwhile the two first tracts are sent gratis to all the present
+members. Later issues will be announced in the literary journals, and
+members will be expected to buy them unless they shall pre-contract to
+have them supplied as they are issued, which may be done by a donation
+to the Society at the rate of 10s. a year. The tracts will be issued
+by the Oxford University Press.
+
+
+4. MANAGEMENT.
+
+The original Committee will continue to carry on until it is
+convenient to call a meeting of the members to relieve them of their
+responsibility; and it is their plan that the members should
+ultimately decide the constitution of the Society. Meanwhile they
+guarantee the general soundness of the books and publications which
+will be advertised on their pages; but under no circumstances do they
+make the Society responsible for all the opinions of its contributors;
+they desire full discussion of all questions.
+
+
+5. MEMBERSHIP.
+
+The Committee invite the membership of all those who are genuinely
+interested in the objects of the Society and willing to assist in its
+work. They should send application for membership to the Honorary
+Secretary, Mr. L. Pearsall Smith, 11 St. Leonards Terrace, London,
+S.W.3.
+
+
+6. ORIGINAL PROSPECTUS.
+
+The following is a reprint of the original prospectus as issued Oct.
+1913:--
+
+Literary education in England would seem in one grave respect to lack
+efficiency, for it does not inspire writers with a due sense of
+responsibility towards their native speech. In most European countries
+men of letters, and the better class of journalists, are trained to
+observe the changes of the language, and to assist consciously in its
+development, being guided by acknowledged principles of tradition and
+taste. But the English language, which is now rapidly spreading over
+the world, is subject to no such guidance, and to very little
+intelligent criticism. There is indeed occasional discussion, both in
+the journals and in table-talk, concerning the choice and use of
+special words and the standards of style; but this is mostly conducted
+by irresponsible persons, who have no knowledge of the history of
+English, and are even without any definite ideal or right conception
+of what the essentials of a good language must be.
+
+It is therefore proposed that a few men of letters, supported by the
+scientific alliance of the best linguistic authorities, should form a
+group or free association, and agree upon a modest and practical
+scheme for informing popular taste on sound principles, for guiding
+educational authorities, and for introducing into practice certain
+slight modifications and advantageous changes.
+
+The promoters of this association (which calls itself the 'Society for
+Pure English') are of course well aware of the danger of affectation,
+which constitutes the chief objection to any conscious reform of
+language. They are fully on their guard against this; and they think
+that the scheme of activity which they propose must prevent their
+being suspected of foolish interference with living developments.
+
+The ideal of their proposed association is both conservative and
+democratic. It would aim at preserving all the richness of
+differentiation in our vocabulary, its nice grammatical usages, its
+traditional idioms, and the music of its inherited pronunciation: it
+would oppose whatever is slipshod and careless, and all blurring of
+hard-won distinctions, but it would no less oppose the tyranny of
+schoolmasters and grammarians, both in their pedantic conservatism,
+and in their ignorant enforcing of newfangled 'rules', based not on
+principle, but merely on what has come to be considered 'correct'
+usage. The ideal of the Society is that our language in its future
+development should be controlled by the forces and processes which
+have formed it in the past; that it should keep its English character,
+and that the new elements added to it should be in harmony with the
+old; for by this means our growing knowledge would be more widely
+spread, and the whole nation brought into closer touch with the
+national medium of expression.
+
+The Society, therefore, will place itself in opposition to certain
+tendencies of modern taste; which taste it hopes gradually to modify
+and improve. Its object will be best exhibited by stating a few
+definite proposals which may be regarded as typical.
+
+I. Literary taste at the present time, with regard to foreign words
+recently borrowed from abroad, is on wrong lines, the notions which
+govern it being scientifically incorrect, tending to impair the
+national character of our standard speech, and to adapt it to the
+habits of classical scholars. On account of these alien associations
+our borrowed terms are now spelt and pronounced, not as English, but
+as foreign words, instead of being assimilated, as they were in the
+past, and brought into conformity with the main structure of our
+speech. And as we more and more rarely assimilate our borrowings, so
+even words that were once naturalized are being now one by one made
+un-English, and driven out of the language back into their foreign
+forms; whence it comes that a paragraph of serious English prose may
+be sometimes seen as freely sprinkled with italicized French words as
+a passage of Cicero is often interlarded with Greek. The mere printing
+of such words in italics is an active force towards degeneration. The
+Society hopes to discredit this tendency, and it will endeavour to
+restore to English its old reactive energy; when a choice is possible
+we should wish to give an English pronunciation and spelling to useful
+foreign words, and we would attempt to restore to a good many words
+the old English forms which they once had, but which are now
+supplanted by the original foreign forms.
+
+Other foreign denizens which are claiming naturalization we would
+encourage on the principle of preferring their more English forms. It
+would plainly be useful for writers to be acquainted with such
+matters; and a list of all such words with their English history would
+be a good example of the sort of academic service which this Society
+might render.
+
+II. The large and necessary importation of foreign words into the
+English language has undoubtedly weakened its ancient word-making
+powers; and while all fantastic and awkward inventions and
+ill-sounding compounds should be avoided, it seems desirable to give
+at least a fair chance to words formed out of English material. Such
+new English words, especially new English compounds, need, it would
+seem, to be used for some little time before we can overcome our
+dislike of them, while terms of Greek and Latin origin, however
+cumbrous and unsuitable they may be, are accepted almost without
+question. We would discourage such unimaginative and artificial
+formations, and on principle prefer terms made of English material,
+which are easily understood and naturally spoken by English-speaking
+people.
+
+III. Until recent years English writers were in the habit of
+experimenting somewhat freely in language, and to their word-coining
+activity we owe many of our current and most useful terms. But since
+Carlyle there have been until lately few experiments of this kind.
+Many words are added every year to the English vocabulary, but they
+are for the most part the deliberate creations of scientific writers;
+while the very men who should concern themselves with this matter
+stand aloof, and leave it to those who by nature and profession are
+least sensitive to the aesthetic requirements. We would therefore
+encourage those who possess the word-making faculty to exercise it
+freely; and we hope in the future that suggestions from our members
+may help men of science and inventors in their search for new and
+appropriate names.
+
+IV. Although men of letters may occasionally add to the resources of
+the language by word-coinage, their main activity is and must be one
+of selection. They are forced, for the most part, to choose their
+vocabulary from the supplies at hand, and by their choice they do much
+to give prevalence to the words which meet with their approval. Now,
+believing that language is or should be democratic both in character
+and origin, and that its best word-makers are the uneducated, and not
+the educated classes, we would prefer vivid popular terms to the
+artificial creations of scientists. We shall often do better by
+inquiring, for instance, not what name the inventor gave to his new
+machine, but what it is called by the workmen who handle it; and in
+adopting their homespun terms and giving them literary currency, we
+shall help to preserve the living and popular character of our speech.
+
+V. The present spread of education, and the enforcement of a uniform
+and town-bred standard of speech throughout the schools of the
+country, is destroying dialects and local forms with great rapidity.
+These have been studied by specialists, and their value is fully
+recognized; but the attitude of the educated classes towards them is
+still contemptuous or indifferent. This ignorant contempt is to be
+regretted for many reasons. Not only is some knowledge of dialects
+needful for any true understanding of the history and character of our
+language, but the standard speech has in the past derived much
+enrichment and what is called 'regeneration' from the picturesque
+vocabularies of local vernaculars. The drying-up of these sources
+cannot but be regarded as a misfortune. We shall therefore actively
+encourage educated people, and, above all, teachers in country
+schools, to take a more sympathetic interest in the forms and usages
+of local speech. The Scotch Education Board has recently ordered that
+dialect should not be unduly discouraged in Scottish schools, and
+advised that children should be allowed some use of their natural
+speech in class. We hope that this example may be followed all over
+the country. We also believe that a knowledge of provincial
+pronunciation, and a familiarity with the richness and beauty of the
+vowel sounds which it often preserves, especially in the North, would
+be of value to those who speak the standard language, and would
+certainly lead to some correction of the slurred and indistinct way of
+speaking which is now regarded as correct English, and deliberately
+taught as such on the Continent.
+
+VI. As to idiomatic pronunciation involving speech-rhythm. The
+literary taste of the eighteenth century, as typified in Dr. Johnson,
+consciously discredited idioms which it held to be ungrammatical; and
+this error persists. A simple instance is the growing loss of our
+enclitics. The negative _not_ was enclitic after the verb, and this
+gave us our _shan't_, _don't_, _won't,_ &c. Dr. Johnson held the _not_
+to be too important a qualification to leave unaccented. Again, where
+prepositions made a pronoun enclitic, the old accent is perishing.
+_For it_, which used to be pronounced _forrit_ as one word, is now
+generally spoken _faw it_, as two. The result of such conscious
+pedantries is not only a great damage to the rhythmic beauty of our
+older literature, actually teaching the folk to misread the admirable
+prose of our Bible, but it is a bungling interference with the natural
+evolution of our sentences, as we mould them to our convenience. We
+would trust the general ear in such questions of syllabic rhythm, and
+would protect as far as possible the old harmonious cadences of our
+traditional speech.
+
+We have no present intention of engaging in the vexed question of the
+illogical and often absurd orthography of English. Members of the
+Society would perhaps desire some relaxation of these bonds, but we
+think it better to concentrate on other profounder modifications of
+the language which, though of first importance, are receiving no
+special attention. We are aware that proposals for violent change
+often defeat their own end, and make all reform impossible. We shall
+therefore not insist on any doubtful or disputable detail as a rule of
+correctness; but we shall rely on suggestion, believing that we shall
+attain the best results by causing those who lead the fashion to
+consider the problems and think them out for themselves. We are
+convinced that by this means an ideal of self-harmonized speech will
+be gradually approved, and will spontaneously create a better standard
+of national taste, to which the future developments of the language
+may be safely entrusted.
+
+These proposals will be distributed and privately circulated from hand
+to hand. Sympathizers, especially writers and teachers, who find
+themselves in agreement with the main principles of the Society, and
+are willing, as far as convenience and current usage allow, to promote
+its aims by their example, can, for the present at least, join it by
+invitation from one of its members.
+
+There will be no money subscription to this Society. A list of
+members, with their addresses, will be printed under the Society's
+initials; and this will be from time to time posted to all members,
+who may also obtain copies of the proposals to show to friends.
+
+With so little machinery, it may be inquired how it is expected to
+accomplish anything. The idea is that all members will be guided by
+the principles of the Society, and committed by their membership to
+_active_ promotion of its objects, one of which will be enrolment of
+recruits. Many of our members will be in a position to influence
+public opinion directly and daily. The fact that there will be a body
+of united opinion seems to us all that is needed: it is only required
+to marshal the forces.
+
+Should the Society find sufficient support, it would be proposed that
+a small journal or occasional fly-leaves should be printed, in which
+questions of literary usage could be discussed in detail. The printing
+and distribution of useful papers by members able to help in this way
+could be easily arranged for by a small committee, which would be
+formed for dealing with this and other activities of the Society.
+
+
+7. ORIGINAL COMMITTEE.
+
+HENRY BRADLEY
+
+ROBERT BRIDGES
+
+SIR WALTER RALEIGH
+
+L. PEARSALL SMITH
+
+
+8. REPRINT OF LIST OF MEMBERS, 1914.
+
+(* deceased)
+
+Rev. E.A. ABBOTT, D.D., &c.
+
+LASCELLES ABERCROMBIE
+
+W.A. AIKIN
+
+J.G. ANDERSON, Editor, Modern Language Teaching
+
+S.O. ANDREW, Head Master, Whitgift Grammar School, Croydon
+
+*Rt. Hon. Sir WILLIAM R. ANSON, Bt., D.C.L., M.P., Warden, All Souls
+College, Oxford
+
+Rt. Hon. A. J. BALFOUR, LL.D., F.R.S., M.P., &c.
+
+*Very Rev. H. C. BEECHING, D.D., Dean of Norwich
+
+BERNHARD BERENSON
+
+GORDON BOTTOMLEY
+
+A.C. BRADLEY, LL.D., F.B.A.,
+
+HENRY BRADLEY, F.B.A., Ph.D., Joint Editor, Oxford English Dictionary,
+&c.
+
+CLOUDESLEY BRERETON
+
+ROBERT BRIDGES, F.R.C.P., LL.D., &c., Poet Laureate
+
+H.H. BRINDLEY, M.A.
+
+JAMES BRITTEN, K.S.G.
+
+GILBERT CANNAN
+
+T. COBDEN-SANDERSON
+
+W.A. CRAIGIE, LL.D., &c., Joint Editor, Oxford English Dictionary
+
+WALTER DE LA MARE
+
+G. LOWES DICKINSON
+
+JAMES MAIN DIXON, L.H.D.
+
+HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON, LL.D., &c.
+
+HUGH E. EGERTON, Beit Professor of Colonial History, Oxford
+
+J. FITZMAURICE-KELLY, F.B.A., Litt.D., &c.
+
+*JAMES ELROY FLECKER
+
+W. WARDE FOWLER, D.Litt., &c.
+
+Rt. Hon. Sir EDWARD FRY, G.C.B., F.R.S., &c.
+
+ROGER FRY
+
+WILFRED WILSON GIBSON
+
+LADY GLENCONNER
+
+EDMUND GOSSE, C.B., LL.D., &c.
+
+Rev. CECIL GRANT, Head Master, St. George's School, Harpenden
+
+H.J.C. GRIERSON, Professor of English Literature, Aberdeen
+
+W.H. HADOW, D.Mus., Principal, Armstrong College, Newcastle
+
+THOMAS HARDY, LL.D., O.M.
+
+Miss JANE HARRISON, LL.D., &c.
+
+*HORACE HART, Hon. M.A., Controller of the University Press, Oxford
+
+MAURICE HEWLETT
+
+F.J.H. JENKINSON, Litt.D., Librarian, Cambridge University
+
+W.P. KER, F.B.A., Professor of English Literature, University College,
+London
+
+W.M. LINDSAY, F.B.A., LL.D., &c., Professor of Humanity, St. Andrews
+
+R.W. MACAN, D.Litt., &c., Master of University College, Oxford
+
+DESMOND MACCARTHY
+
+J.W. MACKAIL, LL.D., &c.
+
+FREDERICK MANNING
+
+E. MARSH, C.M.G.
+
+ALAN MOORE, M.B.
+
+NORMAN MOORE, F.R.C.P.
+
+*F.W. MOORMAN, Ph.D., Professor of English Language and Literature,
+Leeds
+
+WALTER MORRISON
+
+GILBERT MURRAY, D.Litt., LL.D., F.B.A., Regius Professor of Greek,
+Oxford
+
+*Sir JAMES A. H. MURRAY, D.C.L., &c., Editor, Oxford English
+Dictionary
+
+HENRY NEWBOLT
+
+Rev. A. SMYTHE PALMER, D.D.
+
+Rt. Hon. Sir FREDERICK POLLOCK, Bt., D.C.L., &c.
+
+Miss ETHEL PORTAL
+
+Sir ARTHUR QUILLER-COUCH, Litt.D., &c., Professor of English
+Literature, Cambridge
+
+Sir WALTER RALEIGH, Professor of English Literature, Oxford
+
+Rev. G. H. RENDALL, Litt.D.
+
+BRUCE L. RICHMOND
+
+FRANK ROSCOE
+
+Sir RONALD ROSS, K.C.B., F.R.S.
+
+W.H.D. ROUSE, Litt.D., &c., Head Master, Perse Grammar School,
+Cambridge
+
+GEORGE SAINTSBURY, LL.D., &c., Professor of Rhetoric and English
+Literature, Edinburgh University
+
+E.B. SARGANT
+
+JOHN SARGEAUNT
+
+*Miss EDITH SICHEL
+
+J.A. SMITH, Waynflete Professor of Moral and Metaphysical Philosophy,
+Oxford
+
+G.C. MOORE SMITH, Litt,D., Professor of English Language and
+Literature, Sheffield
+
+L. PEARSALL SMITH
+
+J.A. SPENDER, Editor, Westminster Gazette
+
+CHRISTOPHER STONE
+
+LADY STRACHEY
+
+*R.J.E. TIDDY, University Lecturer in English, Oxford
+
+R.C. TREVELYAN
+
+Rev. A. W. UPCOTT, D.D., Head Master, Christ's Hospital
+
+HUGH WALPOLE
+
+Mrs. HUMPHRY WARD
+
+T. HERBERT WARREN, D.C.L., LL.D., &c., President of Magdalen College,
+Professor of Poetry, Oxford
+
+Mrs. WHARTON
+
+H.C.K. WYLD, B.Litt., Professor of English Language and Philology,
+Liverpool University
+
+ISRAEL ZANGWILL
+
+
+9. ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.
+
+Hon. MAURICE BARING
+
+ARNOLD BENNETT
+
+Prince ANTOINE BIBESCO
+
+R.W. CHAPMAN
+
+HAROLD COX
+
+A. CLUTTON-BROCK
+
+W.M. DIXON, Professor of English Literature, Glasgow
+
+OLIVER ELTON, Professor of English Literature, Liverpool
+
+E.M. FOSTER
+
+F.G. FOWLER
+
+H.W. FOWLER
+
+G.S. GORDON, Professor of English Literature, Leeds
+
+Miss MAUD HAVILAND, Newnham College
+
+C.H. HERFORD, Litt.D., Professor of English Literature, Manchester
+
+PERCY LUBBOCK
+
+GEOFFREY MADAN
+
+P.E. MATHESON
+
+H.S. MILFORD
+
+J.C. SQUIRE
+
+Rev. H.F. STEWART, B.D.
+
+Miss C.L. THOMSON
+
+Mrs. M.L. WOODS
+
+J. WRIGHT, D.C.L., F.B.A., Professor of Comparative Philology, Oxford
+
+Mrs. JOSEPH WRIGHT
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Society for Pure English Tract 1 (Oct
+1919), by Society for Pure English
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12358 ***