Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-29
Journaiistic Authorities ON English

Cine Dali
In the February Bookman. Mr.. kicn-
ard Burton reproaches Mr. Robert farr
for his heterodoxiss on shall and VIII. si''
Burton pronounces the philosophy OF ,ne
auxlliaries as simple as the fannina'
table he gives; but Mr.. Burton Is appa'
emily ignorant that this table leaves out
all the real difficulties and most OF inc
important doctrine Questions and de-
pendent sentences OF the various forms
comprehend most possibilities OF violating
the acceptd canons; and Mr.. Burton
confidence is evidently based mainly ON
de.iclept unders tandng or the scope VI
his subject.
Again. Mr. Burton tells us that the
difference between shall and will nave
been "perpetuated and adorned by the
choicest and hnppiest writer's for some
600 years" ON the other hand authon-
ties ike Matzner, Abbott. Latham Ener-
son. and Kellner tell US that the as
tinctiOn Is OF very recent origin. ana Oh
not invariable demarcation; and the tesu-
mony Of Blackburn's capital study Is III
substantial harmony with their views
Shakespeare and King James's transla-
,tors certainly lived less than 60 years
ago. yet they did not succeed In master
ing "the very different shadings OF these
auxiliary words.
Finally. Mr.. Burton does mot hesitate
TO say categoricaly that no great Engilsh
stylist can be mentioned VINO does no.
uniformly prove himself master OF .nV
very different shadings gained oy the
proper handling OF these auxiliary vOrus'
we have already been forced to excl
Shakespeare and King James's transla-
tors from the fold of choicest and hap
-. NO
from the number Of great English styl-
istsp various imposters who have so long
hvpnotized critics. Stevenson Is by no
means an uncommon offender in this
particular. In spite OF Mr.. Burtons s eulo-
gtstic exemption: while Arnold. kusKh'
Brooke. Hughes, Myers, Eliot, Synloh"S'
Newman. Thackeray Dickens l.ytloh'
also forfeit their claim, not necessarily
TO general good behavior but absoiute''
10 impeccahility: not one or them -
"faultily faultless"; every one OF tnem -
at times guilty of mshandling that' sc-
cording TO Mr.. Burton, pespe"hs wv
lack of literary experience. no'u my
self ready to furnish citations 10 doupte, >
Why the Bookman should allo" Ns
limited space TO be used by Mr.. Barr ana
Mr. Burton for such purposes, cannot
| divine anv more than | can pretend to
/ GSilmdte Whit Lli ptAh ''"-E~
| categorical assertions. Mr.. Burton Ger
toinlv has a very superficial knowledge
! Of shall and will. Of the development OIL
English USAGE. Of the diction OF Ensilsh
styllsts; and. perhaps, that IS the very
| reason why. In an age that has abjureu
the last supersttl0ns of noble minds-thc
/ divine right OF kings, verbal INSPIRATION
napol infallibiity. and the innate supe-
| rioritv of woman alike-he 'perpetuates
and adorns" and impossible fetch mere
is. neither in instinct nor in set-cohscious
analvtical explanation. and such guaran-
tee of immunity as Mr.. Burtons opu-
! mism assumes. The writer's above specl-
fed do not, IL is true eNempIiy 70
! very trying extent the American and the
| Keltic tendency towards Il WIZ for i
shall" though they DO at all times eN-
emplify it too far to justify proXimate IN
| falllbility; but they freely use 4 "ouu
for IL should" and "wiuu YOU Tor shalI
vou" while you'd is by them used al
most indlfferently with should or 10
/ It's supersedure. in certain forms OF us'
/ pendent sentence. -,,.,.
Apropos Of the Bookman and Ensn7h
maj iournaTs April inquiry of the Poe
,a,,rosto Illustrate the difficulty Of get
ding and keeping any faith once delVere'
Ia any saints The Bookman asks TN
Laureate TO give the construction
seat" I'm who was given seat =
roint another point. of sympatneu
contact with the sun" n college pro
fessor OF Latin ought to nnd common
nlace the conversion or danNe "iu
active 10 subject with passive. the ac
cusative remaining-a phenomenon NhlC'
has has been immemoriai In tnglsn
(see Gil. l.. c., p. 1872 bot uoou' NS
| Or. paragraph ..latkl Ca. no ao.'O'..''
Cir. section 1876; kellner' Eng. SyHlaN
Do. 90. 225: Mason, Eng. Gram. sectiol
~ whitney. Essentials, section SJ
Matzner .. H2) common example
"TIe was asked question" from Il aske
him a question" him being originally da
: tive Matthey Arnold says detters. No
n i00. II was shown the Green river
Hutton (Contemp. Thought ?, 2OD. "
Nediaeyal saint is given credit Ham
mole (ap. Kellner, p. 220. Il fand Jesu
| ,vffeue gale to drinke"; Stevenson (Nrl
puer o. 96. these persons had bee
WHISPERED the promise; Andrews, Il. /
QIist. l.. s., l., l3D, "ail felonies Wer
awarded capital punishment Example
4 can be multiplied indefinitely from
ages and forms Of English. Tor the cor
struction Is natural and unimpeachaDls
m snite OF the 'Bookman's" ignorance
]
see it IN the Sun or elsewhere IN on
. m DIST" The sun. indeed goes 50 "a
with its misappliod prejudices as to den
the validity OF "Mr Reed was presente
with a gavel." merely because the gave
and not Mr. Reed was presented; where
as the double construction OF present ma
never. | believe. been questioned by any
, body: verify the veteran editor her
stands so straight AZ TO bend backwards
, Yet. such is the irony of fac and the tel
dency OF human nature 10 break out eve
amongst the Shakers-as ArtemUs War
puts it-ln his New Haven lecture on Lir
coin. Mr. Dana Is reported In the sun a
, saving, Now we are denied this light
2 an Involuntary. and hence a more signif
cant, tribute to the vitality OF true doc
trine Indeed not only Is the constru'
ton sustained by the consensus Of az
thority and illustrated by every naturt
' writer Of English. but as Mr. Dana
lapse shows il is hopeless 70 try TO elud
II: naturam expelas furca, tsmen uSlu
recurrent. CASklE HARklSON.
Strawberries! Strawberries!