The New York herald., 1921-10-16

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l..yT is possible to travel ,wice
around the world on different
L lines of progress, and wherever
we set foot we shall be standing In
countries where English is the domi-
nant language. British terri
tory aggregates 12,7S0,3S0 square
miles. with a population of 441, ,440, 900;
United States territory aggregates
3.57465s square miles, with a popula-
ton of los, ,000, ,00O Adding these items
we find that the English speaking
peoples dominate 16,225.03S square
miles. inhabited by a population of
| SAG, ,410,O0O The entire land surface of
the earth is credibly estimated at
SIS, ,699,315 square miles and the popu-
lation at something over 100000, 900
Thus more than one-fourth of the land
surface of the globe and more than
one-third of it's population are under
the dominion of the English speaking
peoples. The number of people speak
ing English as their vernacular has
been credibly estimated at 10000, 900.
Never before in the whole march of
time did any one language have such
wide ascendancy over the inhabited
Garth"
| DIR. Fernald had prepared this book
after many years Of research. Others
of his works took precedence in publi-
cation because he desired to give the
best and most complete history Of the
English language which vast expert
ence and much study could make pos
sible.
"'Some time before I die he had
told his associates, I am going to
| write book which will show that the
English language is aohat it is because
of the acdy it came into being. No one
can fully grasp the meaning and COM
pletely master the use of the English
language without knowing the history
of English as a language.
He began this book more than ten
years before his death and gave it the
benefit of "all the ideas created in the
most mature yet active years of his
literary life"
| Language is the expression of a
peoples life, brimming with the
achievements of all its past, and
reaching on with shaping and moldine
power to the generations yet to be
Language molds the thought of those
who speak it, exalting or degrading y
and DR.. Fernald adds: mo scholar of
any race considers himself highly ed
ucated unless, for instance. he can
read in the original the plays Of
| Shakespeare"
In the opening pages of the book
the reader finds himself in England
during the years $3.50 B. c. Yes. it
| is historical. but not the dry history
OF the pedants. Those who know their
ancient history and their history Of
England find that he has only hit the
high places" He shows how historical
events aid or hinder the growth Of the
language.
A chapter is devoted to "Thc Eng
lish Bible" The Anglo-Saxon transla-
ton of Matthew xiii. made before 1000
A.. d. one might take for prescription
hastily written by one of our learned
physicians:
Il. On than daege than haelende
ut gangendum of huse he saet with
tha sac"
] In 1888 a revision of John Wyclif's
translation of the Bible rendered this
same verse:
a. In that day Jhesus going out of
the hous sat besids the see"
About 200 years later appeared
William Tyndale's translation Of the
Bible:
81. The same daye went Jesus out
off the housse, and sat by the see
syde."
DR.. Fernald goes on to tell Of the
preparation of the king James
Bible" and why. with its forty-seven
| eminent scholars acting as translators,
| this version lis rich with all the best
| treasures of the previous versions and
revisions.
"The English Bible is full of pas
sages where the very word of words
has been chosen, and no other could
he substituted without loss. .
The flexible, abundant English proves
itself at home in every scene.
descriptions of the beauty and wonder
CT nature are unsurpassed. .
The language that is so facile in mar
rative is mighty splendid. majestic in
description. Where can we parallel
it's sublimity?"
| The book is one of the most inter-
estfng we have read both in the au-
| thor's own contribution of scholarship
| in readable form and in the quotations
| from rare old books not accessible to
| the general reader.
VIVIAN RADCLIFFE.
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