The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-11-25
FRANK e. GORRELL.
a Year in advance
9uctical.
THE ENGLESv E..iHGJ-IGE.


As no discussion Of citn.r Il PEOPLE or It
| language j. Of any value unless il has for il
| n"sI7 the history ANA origin of both. so Tar, II
| least, as these can I've known, before entering
upon series OF lapers GA The st-'dy and Ms" t.
| EnSiIsE, s!.nl! dyvotca. NE spa" TO an outline
q. ih" origin, history aud linguistic G!aIIOl shi,
o: that tongue.
lhavc dee ded to Il Ike up this work for sevcrs
| reasons; Il NUN e. O! my Icl!OW-teacLcrS have
| requested il: the EUpe that such series Of
| studies. brought 70 the direct attention of hDtf
! the teachers and punIis oil Hartford by publ
| cation III one OF her ICading Journals :, viii sTiu.
mate the enthusiasm Of al! workers IN this
! direction, and arouse deeper interest III study
not only intensely practical, bat exceedingly
| fascinating ana beautiful: the consciousness
! that too few OF us apDrt ciHtC ~ we Ourrt, the
| pleasure OF such work. or the wonderful stores
! OF knOwiC 'gc that lie EiidCu il the devious
| highways and by-ways along which our great
| mother tongue has come to its present magni-
| ncett power ahu beauty; the GohNIctloh' mai
| y, that Slcn work ana lnNcStgullOn as have
| already performed III this trld have been OF
| meal culabc benefit 10 myself, aud such as |
snail yet be, in the preparation OF my articles,
| obliged to DO will add generously 10 NY own
| scanty store of useful knowledge
| In performing the task before me | w il take
pains to avoid wearyiug those who may READ,
with mere skeleton OF dry facts and Stats les:
| my desire being to attract others TO, rather
| than repel them FROM the work before us.
The English language, Ike ali others, IS not
perfect but it is u..dOubt> dIy the product of Il
mCSU wonderful combination OF events. cir
cumstances and elements,-ul leading from
remote ages of social, political and intellectual
darkness, up to the almost finished elegance of
our own nineteenth century.
Many people uSeI he Engiish language as they
use the electricity. the sunlight all of Gods
great gifts without knowing or caring to know
where they come from, or how they work
Gods mighty miracles.
To EtOW Il RGH we must know his gencalCyi-
cal tree-roOt, etem and branch. Tor gen(rario. s
back; TO kHO1C our beloved English. we must
travel down the more than 900, years through
which iC has come from IT'S tar OFF Eeathen
origin.
1 he real study of any language does not con-
sist in merely learning its pronunciation. its in
Elections. or even its grammatical and rhetOIi-
cal structure; but in going down first 10 its
formative stages. and inVeStigat ny its cOa-
position, its Developments. sources of life and
growth.
The term composite" as frequently applied
to English, is certainly not Inappropriate. The
word "mOngrel." indeed, cuunUt be called
SlanderouS; yet for some reasons we have just
cause to be proud of that very mult-SOurce
quality which some people affect to sncer at.
Those who do this, must net forget that for
variety i'll modes of expression, neXibIlity OF
diction, magnitude Of V, Cabulary, and tran
ScendGnt power of Imagery IT has neither
superior nor equal.
Its resources are inexhaustibIe, because it
has laid tribute upon almost every dead and
living tongue, drawing from each OF these
whatever was necessary to make absolutely
perfect its power of expressing every thought
and conception of the human mind.
Give me, of every language, first my vigor-
English,
NloEcu WIN lslpOIlcu WGiilil, fJCH III us Hdlur-
al mines,
Grand in us rhythmical cadence, simple for
household employment,
Worthy the poets song, fit for the speech OF
man,
Instruments blending together yield the divin-
est OF music,
Thou hast the sharp clean edge and the down.
right bow of the Saxon,
Thou the IuAjestlcal march and stately pOmp
OF the Latin;
Thou the euphonious swell, the rhythmicGl
roll OF the reek;
Thine is the elegant Suavity caught from SON.
OrOuS Italian:
Thine the ckiVaric obCisanCc, the courteous
grace of the Norman;
Thine the Teutonlc Germans inbOrn cultural
strength.
Fitted co. every use like great maicstica
river,
BlenL..e ny various streams, stately thou
lowest along,
Thou not prsOneG in fixed rules, thou art |
20 slave to GRAMMAR;
Thou art an earle uncagcd, ScOrnlnX the pCrcn
and the chain.
Therefore ii = that praise thee ana never can |
Cciss from rejoicing,
Give is varying music. the flow Of its free
meditation.
Play pn she SOFT flute Of love. blow toe IoUd |
trumpet Of war,
sins VIVA hc high sa>quialtro, or drawing It's |
fun d.&p,snn,
>E;iiI" all the air with the gral& storm OF is |
pedals sni stops.