New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-16

spoken by the people. He observes that the
church Latin must be very old. and that
naturally il would undergo fewer changes OF pro-
nunciaion than the vulgar speech There IS
force in this consideration. and the whole areu-
ment, copiously illustrated as it is by specinc
examples, will repay careful perusal Inc toi-
lowing little niece of evidence concerning English
Latin is very much TO the point AT the lasV
council in Rome to declare the dogma OF H.
fallibility bishops were gathered from every part
of the EARTH and the language they adopted was
Latin English Latin was, however. quite I'M
Ineligible and the representatives from Eng
land were forced 70 use the Italian pronunciation
in order to he understood. They might as well
have talked Choctaw as English Latin.
In discussion on the pronunciation OF hnglSh
Mr. Story pleads for the restoration OF some al
least of CHANGERS methods, but in the following
sentences he seems TO ne in error. find mould
now almost universally spelled mold in America,
and nothing irritates me more. And why is this {?
Because, forsooth we so write gold and hold,
etc, as if they properly should have the same
pronunciation Surely they should not. Gold
is short; mould is long Here it seems 10 he
forgotten that from the fourteenth TO the eigh-
teenth century gold was pronounced goold
or gould CHANGER gives both "gold" and
"goold," but he uses the latter form far oftener
than the former For instance:
He had OF goold wrought curious pin;
And thereon heng q brooch of goold fui
scheme $50.
"For goold in phisyk is a cordial
Nowadays "goold would probably be accounted
an Irishism, but the truth is that most so-caled
Irishsms are simply suryivals Of seventeenth cen
fury English, and not few Of them were retained
in the England of the eighteenth century.
Mould was formerly pronounced mood ana
we doubt Mr.. Story's acceptance OF that form as
preferable TO mold, even though there may be
no justification for the dropping OF the u Inc
chat about old and new orthoepic and ortho-
graphic standards and changes is. however, iuA
of interest. and If at any time there seems the
least danger that il may degenerate into dryncsS'
some sprghtly and opposite illustration or anec-
dote is injected TO enliven the conversation. We
should deSapr Of any attempt 10 recount inc
variety OF topics preached and considered IN
these truly delightful studio talks, for they en-
brace the hshtest and the gravcst subjects ana
range from the fashions Of the day 10 the problems
Of life At times the language attains 10 CO.
ouepce. and beautiful passages might be cited by
the score. did space permit No more attractive
mode Of presenting the views OF a thouSAti"I
artist upon things in general could, in short,
have been devised. The pretty and convenient
little volumes can ne token up AZ almost any no
uent: and. opened almost anywhere, Will uHiaA-
inrlv afford entertainment, suggestion and lntor-
nation. They should be even more popular than
The ~Roba di Roma OF tie sane author, for they
cover larger variety OF themes, they EXHIBIT
deeper thought and broader culture ana TIER
applcation is general and not particular.