of every parent, was totally absent in him. 4. Seeing he thus merited the royal favour (15), the premier conferred a peerage upon him. 5. The Omnipotent Disposer of events (33) will, in His own good time and way, make up this loss to you. 6. The sailor affirmed he was quite willing to incur the danger (26). 7. This meritorious deed (23) was performed by a marine called Askew. 8. In many of the courts in Bethnal Green, most of the poor people live in complete indigence (30). 9. Some years ago, there lived in the extreme north of this island, a poor man, depending on his own labour for a precarious subsistence (34), who had once been Lord Mayor of London. 10. All should be engaged in the pursuit of virtue (21). 11. Extreme felicity (38) is not attainable in this world. 12. May I ask, sir, if you answered in the negative? You may, sir, for I distinctly said No. Ex. 18. 1. The gentleman that you met (7) at the Academy last year, a highly talented man (20), is dead. 2. The accepted signification of the word (31) is not what you think it is. 3. Propositions (11) of a highly advantageous nature have been made to the consul. 4. Dr. Busby, one of the best masters Woburn School ever had, who imparted knowledge with much simplicity (9), used to warn his boys not to waste their time in the perusal of novels (5). 5. The doctor writes to say that his patient is convalescent (18). 6. The farmer requested that I would bring (10) a few packets of seeds with me when I came. 7. Both native and European delight in exchanging offices of friendship (19). 8. Some of the Parsee merchants in Hindostan are said to be exceedingly opulent (17). 9. To assume a position (27) which is untenable is the part of a fool. 10. The cooper got at last into such a rage that he could not repress his sentiments (13). 11. You need say no more about it; I know it to be wrong (6). 12. The commissary general will, at the expiration of four years (8), retire upon a pension. 13. That juvenile pupil (24) who was sent to England to be educated in the house of Dr. Jones, a highly talented man (20), a man also of noble sentiments (32), thought it no sin to waste a great portion of his time in the perusal of novels (5). EXTRACTS FROM OUR BEST WRITERS, FROM MANDEVILLE TO GIBBON. N turning the following passages from old into modern English, the chief aim of the pupil must be to make the language as clear and precise as possible. It will, of course, be necessary to sacrifice the pleasant and homely ring of the old writers; and in some cases it may be requisite to recast the whole sentence. The rhythm of the sentences will also have to be altered, and the old-fashioned connectives left out. The modern tendency is to employ as few connectives as possible, and to leave them to be mentally supplied by the reader. SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE. A.D. 1356. Very nearly the original spelling. IN that contree (the lond of Bacharie) ben (are) many griffounes, more plentee than in ony other contree. Sum men seyn (say) that thei han (have) the body upward as an egle, and benethe as a lyoun, & treuly thei seyn soth (truth) that thei ben of that schapp (shape). But o (one) griffoun hath the body more gret and is more strong thanne viij lyouns, of such lyouns as ben o this half (our half of the globe); and more gret & strongere, than an c. egles, such as we han amonges us. For o griffoun there will bere, fleynge to, his nest, a gret hors, gif (if) he may fynde him at the poynt, or ij oxen yoked to-gidere, as thei go at the plough. For he hath his talouns so longe and so large and grete upon his fete, as though thei were horns of grete oxen or of buffaloes or of kine; so that men make cuppes of them, to P drynken of and of their ribbes and of the pennes of their winges, men maken bowes fulle stronge, to schote with arwes (arrows) and quarelle (dart). Ex. 1.-Turn the above into modern English. Mandeville's pointing is pretty good; but the last sentence must be broken up into two. At the poynt seems to mean in a convenient place, or taken at unawares. DESCRIPTION OF BRITAIN. JOHN DE TREVISA. 1387. It is recommended that the pupil read this passage aloud to himself. The spelling is slightly altered. IN Brytayn are many wondres, nevertheless foure are most wonderfol. The furste is at Pectoun: thar bloweth so strong a wynd out of the chinks of the earth that yt casteth up ageyn clothes that they casteth in. The secunde is at Stonhenge, bysydes Salesbury, thar grete stones and very huge are rered on hygh as it were gates; nevertheless it is noght clerly known nother (neither) parceyvet how and wherefore they are so rered and so wonderly hanged. The third is at Sherdhol: thar is gret holoness under earth; oft meny men have been therynn and walked about withynne and seen ryvers and streemes, but nowhare could they find no end. The fourth ys that ther is a gret pond that combyneth thre score ylonds covenable (convenient) for men to dwelle yn, that pond is surrounded aboute with sixscore rocks, upon every rock ys an egle hys nest; and thre score ryvers runneth into that pond, and none of tham alle runneth into the se bot one. Ex. 2.-Translate the above into nineteenth century English. The sentences as they stand contain too much, and are not compact enough. UTOPIA. SIR THOMAS MORE, 1516. THE chiefe and almoste the only office of the Syphograuntes * is to see and take hede that no manne sit idle: but that eurye one applye his owne craft with earnest diligence. And yet for all that, not to be wearied from earlie in the morninge to late in the euenninge with continuall worke, like labouringe and toylinge beastes. For this is worse than the miserable and * The name of a magistrate in Utopia; there were two hundred Syphogrants in each town, each presiding over thirty families. |