IN order to reform our Language, I conceive, My Lord, that a free judicious Choice should be made of such Persons, as are generally allowed to be best qualified for such a Work, without any regard to Quality, Party, or Profession. These, to a certain Number at least, should assemble at some appointed Time and Place, and fix on Rules by which they design to proceed. What Methods they will take, is not for me to prescribe. Your Lordship, and (29) other Persons in great Employment, might please to be of the Number; and I am afraid, such a Society would want Your Instruction and Example, as much as Your Protection: For, I have, not without a little Envy, observed of late, the Style of some great Ministers very much to exceed that of any other Productions.
THE Persons who are to undertake this Work, will have the Example of the French before them, to imitate where these have proceeded right, and to avoid their Mistakes. Besides the Grammar−part, wherein we are allowed to be very defective, they will observe many gross Improprieties, which however authorised by Practice, and grown familiar, ought to be discarded. They will find many Words that deserve to be utterly thrown (30) out of our Language, many more to be corrected; and perhaps not a few, long since antiquated, which ought to be restored, on account of their Energy and Sound.
BUT what I have most at Heart is, that some Method should be thought on for _ascertaining_ and _fixing_
our Language for ever, after such Alterations are made in it as shall be thought requisite. For I am of Opinion, that it is better a Language should not be wholly perfect, that it should be perpetually changing; and we must give over at one Time, or at length infallibly change for the worse: As the _Romans_ did, when they began to quit their _Simplicity_ of Style for affected Refinements; such as we meet in _Tacitus_ and other Authors, which ended by degrees in many (31) Barbarities, even before the _Goths_ had invaded _Italy_.
THE Fame our Writers is usually confined to these two Islands, and it is hard it should be limited in _Time_, as much as _Place_, by the perpetual Variations of our Speech. It is Your Lordship’s Observation, that if it were not for the _Bible_ and _Common Prayer Book_ in the vulgar Tongue, we should hardly be able to understand any Thing that was written among us an hundred Years ago: Which is certainly true: For those Books being perpetually read in Churches, have proved a kind of Standard for Language, especially to the common People. And I doubt whether the Alterations since introduced, have added much to the Beauty or A Proposal for Correcting, Improving, and Ascertaining the English Tongue 5
A Proposal for Correcting, Improving, and Ascertaining the English Tongue Strength of the _English_ Tongue, though they have taken off a great deal from that _Simplicity_ (32), which is one of the greatest Perfections in any Language. You, My Lord, who are so conversant in the Sacred Writings, and so great a Judge of them in their Original, will agree, that no Translation our Country ever yet produced, hath come up to that of the _Old and New Testament_: And by the many beautiful Passages, which I have often had the Honor to hear Your Lordship cite from thence, I am persuaded that the Translators of Bible were Masters of an _English) Style much fitter for that Work, than any we see in our present Writings, which I take to be owing to the _Simplicity_ that runs through the whole. Then, as to the greatest part of our _Liturgy_, compiled long before the Translation of the _Bible_ now in use, and little altered since; there seem to be in it as great strains of true sublime Eloquence, as are (33) any where to be found in our Language; which every Man of good Taste will observe in the _Communion Service_, that of Burial, and other Parts.
BUT where I say, that I would have our Language, after it is duly correct, always to last; I do not mean that is should never by enlarged: Provided, that no Word which a Society shall give a Sanction to, be afterwards antiquated and exploded, that they may have liberty to receive whatever new ones they shall find occasion for: Because then the old Books will yet be always valuable, according to their intrinsick Worth, and not thrown aside on account of unintelligible Words and Phrases, which appear harsh and uncouth, only because they are out of Fashion. Had the _Roman_ Tongue continued vulgar in that City till this (34) Time; it would have been absolutely necessary from the mighty Changes that have been made in Law and Religion; from the many Terms of Art required in Trade and in War; from the new Inventions that have happened in the World: From the vast spreading of Navigation and Commerce, with many other obvious Circumstances, to have made Great Additions to that Language; yet the Ancients would still have been read, and understood with Pleasure and Ease. The _Greek_ Tongue received many Enlargements between the Time of _Homer_, and that of _Plutarch_, yet the former Author was probably as well understood in _Trajan’s_ Time, as the latter.
What _Horace_ says of _Words going off and perishing like Leaves, and new ones coming in their Place_, is a Misfortune he laments, rather than a Thing he approves; But I cannot see why (35) this should be absolutely necessary, or if it were, what would have become of his _Monumentum aere perennuus_.
WRITING by Memory only, as I do at present, I would gladly keep within my Depth; and therefore shall not enter into further Particulars. Neither do I pretend more than to shew the Usefulness of this Design, and to make some general Observations, leaving the rest to that of Society, which I hope will owe its Institution and Patronage to Your Lordship. Besides, I would willingly avoid Repetition, having about a Year ago, communicated to the Publick, much of what I had to offer upon this Subject, by the hands of an ingenious Gentleman, who for a long Time did thrice a Week divert or instruct the Kingdom by his Papers; and is supposed (36) to pursue the same Design at present under the Title of _Spectator_. This Author, who hath tried the Force and Compass of our Language with so much Success, agrees entirely with me in most of my Sentiments relating to it; so do the greatest part of the Men of Wit and Learning, whom I have had the Happiness to converse with; and therefore I imagine that such a Society would be pretty unanimous in the main Points.
YOUR Lordship must allow, that such a Work as this, brought to Perfection, would very much contribute to the Glory of Her Majesty’s Reign; which ought to be recorded in Words more durable than Brass, and such as our Posterity may read a thousand Years hence, with Pleasure as well as Admiration. I have always disapproved (37) that false Compliment to Princes, that the most lasting Monument they can have, is the Hearts of their Subjects. It is indeed their greatest present Felicity to reign in their Subjects Hearts; but these are too perishable to preserve their Memories, which can only be done by the Pens of able and faithful Historians. And I take it to be Your Lordship’s Duty, as _Prime Minister_, to give order for inspecting our Language, and rendring it fit to record the History of so great and good a Princess. Besides, My Lord, as disinterested as You appear to the World, I am convinced, that no Man is more in the Power of a prevailing favorite Passion that Your Self; I mean that Desire of true and lasting Honor, which you have born along with You through every Stage of Your Life. To this You have often sacrificed Your Interest, Your (38) Ease and Your Health: For preserving and encreasing this, you have exposed Your Person to secret Treachery, and A Proposal for Correcting, Improving, and Ascertaining the English Tongue 6
A Proposal for Correcting, Improving, and Ascertaining the English Tongue open Violence. There is not perhaps an Example in History of any Minister, who in so short a time hath performed so many great Things, and overcome so many great Difficulties. Now, tho’ I am fully convinced, that You fear God, honor Your QUEEN, and love Your Country, as much as any of Your Fellow−Subjects; yet I must believe that the Desire of Fame hath been no inconsiderable Motive to quicken You in the Pursuit of those Actions which will best deserve it. But at the same time, I must be so plain as to tell Your Lordship, that if You will not take some Care to settle our Language, and put it into a state of Continuance, I cannot promise that Your Memory shall be preserved above (39) an hundred Years, further than by imperfect Tradition.