CHAPTER IV. PERSPICUITY IN WORDS, CONTINUED.-PURITY. § 31. PURITY. By purity is meant the employment of such words and. idioms as are sanctioned by the best contemporary usage. In order to write pure English, it is necessary to avoid the use of all old words that have become obsolete; and all new words that are strange and unfamiliar. It is further necessary that there be no departure from the best idiomatic style of expression. The study of words belongs to philology rather than rhetoric, but a brief consideration of this subject, in so far as it relates to purity of style, will not be out of place in this work. § 32. OBSOLETE WORDS. In the history of a language great changes are found to be constantly occurring. Authors arise who develop its capabilities and establish a standard of excellence. But language has in itself a growth which is quite independent of literature, and it soon passes beyond the usage of any one age. Some words cease to be employed, and the author of one period becomes obscure to the reader of another. Many words once familiar become unintelligible, or at least difficult of comprehension. These are called obsolete. Of these, however, many are only obsolete in common conversation or in ordinary prose literature; and though not in general use, they are, nevertheless, understood without difficulty. These offer important limitations as to the degree to which words become obsolete. A definition of the term may be given as follows: Obsolete words are those which are no longer used in good prose literature or in common conversation. Of such the following may be taken as examples: "peradventure," "anon," "astonied," "erst," "hight," "cleped," "yclept," "whilom," "iwis" or "I-wis," "erewhile," "ne," "list," "wist," "wight," wight," "twain," “eke," "yea,” “verily.” $ 33. OBSOLETE TERMINATIONS AND MEANINGS. In addition to this, there are certain terminations of words which have become obsolete. These are chiefly in "en" and "eth," the one being an old form of the plural, and the other a well-known verbal inflection. Certain compounds of the pronoun with the substantive verb may also be considered as obsolete in this sense, as, "'tis," "'twas," "'twere." Another class may be found in words which have changed their signification, in which case it is the meanings and not the words that are obsolete. Thus "admirable" once meant "surprising ;" "to be amused" meant "to be occupied ;" "brave" meant "gaudy;" "caitiff," "captive;" "chimney," "stove ;" "corpse," a "person;""desire," "regret ;" "equal," "impartial ;”. “ explode," "to hiss off;" "generous," "high-born;" "imp," a "scion" (of nobility); "lively," "living;" "mediterranean," "inland;" "novelist," an "innovator;" "pomp," a "procession;" "spice," a "sort;" "table," a "picture" "wit," "intelligence." 66 § 34. OBSOLETE WORDS USED IN RELIGIOUS LITERATURE. Certain important limitations are, however, to be observed on this subject, for in some departments of composition words are freely admitted which are obsolete in general prose. The first of these departments is that of religious literature, which is largely modified by the English Bible. This is essentially an ancient book. It has gone through many versions, namely, those of Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, the Bishops' Bible, Cranmer's, and that of King James, which is at present used. Most of these were revisions of preceding editions, rather than new translations, and retained many words and phrases which had been used before. The version of King James is of a more antique cast than the prose of the contemporary writers of that age. This great English book has had a circulation far surpassing that of any work ever published in the language; it has served as a perpetual storehouse for allusion, quotation, and reference; and its most ancient forms of speech are as familiar to all as the most modern colloquialisms. Now in re ligious works of all kinds, constant reference is made to this English Bible. Its words are not only quoted directly, but are also appropriated and incorporated with the phraseology of other writers. On this account an antique character pervades the larger portion of our religious literature, and words are freely used here which on no account would find admission into a magazine article, a newspaper editorial, or any work in general prose composition. Besides the English Bible there is the Book of Common Prayer, whose influence over language and literature has been of a similar character. The tendency to make use of obsolete words in religious writing is seen still more strikingly in the whole vocabulary of prayer. Deity is addressed in those forms of speech which the associations of the past, the usage of the English Bible and Prayer-book, and the phraseology of religious writings have combined to invest with deep solemnity and venerable antiquity. $ 35. OBSOLETE WORDS USED IN POETRY. An exception is also to be made in favor of poetry, for the free use of obsolete words forms part of what is called poetic license. Poetry requires a different phraseology from prose, a language in some sort of its own. A poetic dialect exists in all languages, but in English it is more strongly marked and more copious than in any other; and, among other peculiarities, it is distinguished by the possession and use of many of those words which are considered obsolete in general prose. For poetry requires the largest possible vocabulary, it strains the resources of language to the uttermost, and if an old word may best express the poet's meaning, it is made use of without hesitation. The causes of this may be found in the general characteristics of poetry, which may be stated as follows: 1. The style is more exalted. Subjects are treated of which would not be considered at all in any other way. For instance, prose could not be applied to such themes as the Divina Commedia or the Paradise Lost. 2. The thought is more vivid and intense. Lyrical poetry has a high impassioned character altogether diverse from the nature of sober prose, and its effects are commensurate with C that character. This may be illustrated by a literal translation into English prose of such a poem as the French "Marseillaise." 3. The exigencies of metre demand an unlimited supply of words in order to make the verse run smoothly, and yet secure the highest poetic excellence of expression. 4. The exigencies of rhyme require for the poet the same liberty. Thus we shall find that the very words which are not allowable in general prose are welcome to poetry, and this may be seen from the following examples: "Whilom in Albion's isle there dwelt a youth Who ne in virtue's ways did take delight; "I who erewhile the happy garden sang.”—MILTON. “Eagerly I loved to borrow from my books surcease of sorrow.”—Poe. "As his corse to the ramparts we hurried."-Wolfe. "Iris in all the senate There was no heart so bold."-MACAULAY. The use of obsolete terminations is still more conspicuous in poetry. The poets discard the modern terminations in the hissing "s," and cling to the musical old endings in "en" and "eth;" or, rather, it would be more correct to say that they use either form with equal liberty. The result is, however, that all the beautiful and expressive words and euphonious endings that have ever existed in the language are cherished by the poets; and so it has been said that those forms of speech which have died in the world of prose go up to live forever in the heaven of poetry. $ 36. OBSOLETE WORDS USED IN CERTAIN KINDS OF FICTION. Another exception is to be noted in works of fiction, where there is an attempt to represent an earlier period. Here the first aim is verisimilitude, and the writer must avail himself of everything that contributes to this. To imitate the language of a given period in a general way is often an effectual means of securing the truth of resemblance; and hence many obsolete words make their appearance, used by the imaginary characters of the age to which they belong. The old words and the old idioms then appear with good effect. Yet even here these words must be used correctly, and not too extensively. The abuse of this liberty is seen in the inferior order of so-called historical novels, where the writer, undertaking to handle a subject to which he is unequal, interlards the dialogue of his characters with obsolete words and formulas selected at random from the works of old authors. $ 37. ARCHAISM. To this employment of obsolete words in the departments of literature above mentioned the term archaism is applied; and this may be defined as the intentional use of the older words and terminations of a language. § 38. MANY OBSOLETE WORDS RETURN INTO GENERAL USE. The use of obsolete words in general prose literature is not of common occurrence, nor, when it happens, is it to be considered as a very serious offence. It is, in fact, somewhat difficult to say what words are really obsolete, and what are not; for religious literature and poetry have so familiarized old words to the reader that they are seldom obscure, and their employment becomes a question of taste, rather than of perspicuity or of grammatical purity. In fact, obsolete words are regarded with much favor by many of the best writers of the present day. Increased attention to the study of early English has led to a very general effort to revive the use of many words. Accordingly a large number may be found which have actually come back into prose literature after a temporary banishment. These words have held their own in poetry and in religious literature, and thus have easily returned to general prose. We may see in a comparatively recent period the revival of such words as "benison," "malison," "outrance," "pleasaunce," "guerdon," and others of a like nature. Nor is this revival confined to our own time, although it is certainly more extensive now than ever before. Obsolete words have been introduced in former periods, as may be seen from a few brief statements. In Spenser's day objections were made to such words as dapper," "scathe," "askance," "embellish," "forestall," "fain," and others which soon came into general use. In the seventeenth century the following words of Chaucer |