good rather than for his own; and therefore he ought to have the thought of their capacities and needs constantly in mind. Nor will it do to regard them as learned people, but simply as people of ordinary education and intelligence such as we meet every day; then, if he makes himself thoroughly understood, the more highly educated will understand along with the rest, and, if their culture is genuine, they will be the last to be offended at the simplicity which adapts itself to all. It is only halfculture that despises simplicity.

1.

Rules in the Interest of the Reader. Not only in the actual endeavor to adapt words to the wants of common minds, but in the writer's general self-culture as well, the following rules will be of service.

5. Use the simplest words that the subject will bear.

Some subjects, being of profound. character or closely reasoned, make it necessary for the writer to employ in considerable proportion hard and unusual words, because it is by such words, mostly, that fine shadings and distinctions of meaning are obtained. But even in such cases it is best to work for the utmost possible simplicity and to keep the proportion of erudite words small; while in the case of most subjects the thoughts and illustrations may be kept so close to common life as to require only everyday expression. Plain occasions demand only plain language.

reader may be stimulated to study out its difficult terms, and thus the subject may make up in vigor what it loses in plainness. Besides, hard words may be so set off by easier ones as to be largely explained by the mere association.

ILLUSTRATIONS. - Thus, it might be advisable, for learned readers or for the sake of precision in terms, to speak of "the immanence and the transcendence of God"; but for ordinary people and everyday occasions the phrase, even though understood, has a formal sound that removes it from men's common interests and leaves them indifferent. Consider how much more likely the writer would be to reach the latter class by describing simply how "God is in all his works and yet also above them."— Note, too, how much better in every useful quality is the sentence "Buy once, buy twice," than, “A single commission will ensure a repetition of orders," and the sentence, "They made up their minds to settle in a healthier spot," than, "They concluded to occupy a location more salubrious." 1

Writers are often exhorted to use Saxon words instead of words derived from Latin or Greek. The advice is on the whole good, because it is in the Saxon element of the language, which, being the oldest, comes down from the most primitive times, that the words expressing simple relations, words of the home, of the family, of daily pursuits, are mostly found. We use such words, however, not because they are Saxon, but because they are simple.

NOTE. In some instances the Latin expression has become the more familiar. We do not say, for example, "againbite of inwit," though the phrase is Saxon; we say, more simply, "remorse of conscience." Nor would it be so simple to use the Saxon expression, "the unthoroughfaresomeness of stuff," as to say "the impenetrability of matter." These examples, however, are rather exceptional, and applied, it will be noticed, to theological and scientific matter, which has developed its vocabulary in later times.

As a rule, Saxon words, coming as they do from the simpler ages of history, express simpler things and are shorter. They build up the native framework of the

1 These latter two examples are taken from Meiklejohn, "The English Language," p. 215. A question of taste is here involved, which will be discussed later; see below, Rule 11, page 40.

language, too; the pronouns, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, are of Saxon origin.

Words of classical origin - Latin or Greek — which were introduced later in order to be the vehicle of men's deeper and more educated thoughts, are as a class more precise, more learned, longer, and for these reasons do not come so closely home to men's "business and bosoms."

ILLUSTRATIONS.

- Thus, notice how much more distant and formal it is to speak of "parental relations" than to say "a father's love," "a mother's love." How much better it is to say,' "The dearest spot on earth is home," than to say, The most valued locality on the superficies of the terrestrial globe is the ancestral residence." Yet all these latter words are good in their place; matter could be found wherein these words would be more strictly true to the idea than Saxon.

The only rule that can be laid down for these classes of words, as classes, is, use each for what it is worth, and let your need of exactness or of simplicity determine, rather than derivation. And do not use a pretentious word for a common-place thing. Work for plain expressions rather than for unusual; use, in fine, the simplest words that the subject will bear.

6. Prefer idioms to bookish terms.

By an idiom is meant a word, or more commonly a turn of expression, peculiar to the language. Idioms cannot be literally translated into another language, and not infrequently they are irregular in grammar, difficult to "parse" clearly. But they have the quality of being racy and rugged, and they belong to the strong and homely elements of the language; hence they are useful in the interests of naturalness and simplicity.

The term bookish defines itself. There is a good deal of tendency among inexperienced writers to smooth off their sentences by substituting for homely idioms words that are finer, more regular, more "like a book." But so

to do deprives language of much of its life and vigor.

ILLUSTRATIONS. Here, placed side by side, are some idioms and their equivalents in more formal language. It will be noticed that these equivalents are not incorrect or in any way objectionable, except that they often have a more artificial and pretentious sound, while their usage is no better established or more reputable than that of idioms.

"In these days,” it is said,1 “criticism is wisely learning to look less for academic qualities of art and style and more for the original touch of nature which makes the whole world kin"; and one result of this is that people value more than formerly the idiomatic ruggedness of common speech.

7. Be slow to use foreign and technical words.

Observe, the writer is not here bidden to abstain from such terms altogether. Such a prohibition would be too sweeping; for occasions rise, which a writer of taste and skill can be trusted to recognize, when the use of unnaturalized words from a foreign language, or of terms peculiar to some science or art, will add both grace and exactness

1 By William Watson, Excursions in Criticism, p. 57.

to the style. But when the use of them is merely careless, or made to show off one's knowledge of such terms, it is insincere and transgresses the purity of the language.

ILLUSTRATIONS. Cardinal Newman, writing for university students, can say, "A great writer is not one who has a copia verborum," or, "He is master of the two-fold logos, the thought and the word," because these terms will be readily understood by his audience, and really grace and enrich his thought. But to describe a self-confident man in society thus: " Having acquired the savoir faire, he is never afraid of making a faux pas, but, no matter what is the subject of conversation, plunges at once in medias res," is merely to air one's knowledge of foreign phrases that have been thrown about until they are almost like slang, while the subject is not beyond the simplest English to describe.

Observe that unnaturalized foreign words, when they are employed, are printed in Italics, and accordingly, as written, are underlined.

Technical terms will do for those who are qualified to think in such language and understand it; but for ordinary readers and occasions they are to be regarded with much caution. Especially should we be chary of such words as are creeping every day from the vocabulary of medicine. and science and business into the newspapers and crowding out words already in good use for the same things.

ILLUSTRATIONS. - Inanition for starvation; tumefied for swollen; the balance of the day, for the remainder (or rest) of the day; as per my letter, for according to my letter; posted for informed; cardiac disease, for disease of the heart.

II.

Exercises in adapting Words to Reader. It is to be borne in mind that words are here separated into classes merely for purposes of study and drill, and that