Richard Carew, The Excellency of the English Tongue (ca. 1605)
Date
1605ca.
Author
Book title
The Excellency of the English Tongue
Transcription source
British Library MS Cotton F. XI
Text type
manuscript
Genre
Treatises
Summary
An essay defending English from criticism.
Language
headwords: English
explanations: Ennglish
explanations: Ennglish
explanations: Ennglish
explanations: Ennglish
Word-group
type: other
Word-entry
type: other
sample: The Italyan is pleasante but without synewes, as to to stillye fleeting water, The French, delicate but ouer nice as a woman scarce daring to open her lipps for feare of marring her Countenaunce, The Spanishe maiesticall, but fullsome, runninge to much on the .O. and terrible like the deuill in a playe, The Dutch. manlike but withall very harshe, as one ready at euery worde to picke a quarrell. Now wee in borrowing from them, geue the strength of Consonantes to the Italyan, the full sounde of <…> wordes to the ffrench, the varietye of terminacions to the Spanish, and ye mollifieinge of more vowells to the Dutch, And soe (like bees) gather the honye of their good properteis and leaue the dregges to themselfes,
sample: The Italyan is pleasante but without synewes, as to to stillye fleeting water, The French, delicate but ouer nice as a woman scarce daring to open her lipps for feare of marring her Countenaunce, The Spanishe maiesticall, but fullsome, runninge to much on the .O. and terrible like the deuill in a playe, The Dutch. manlike but withall very harshe, as one ready at euery worde to picke a quarrell. Now wee in borrowing from them, geue the strength of Consonantes to the Italyan, the full sounde of <…> wordes to the ffrench, the varietye of terminacions to the Spanish, and ye mollifieinge of more vowells to the Dutch, And soe (like bees) gather the honye of their good properteis and leaue the dregges to themselfes,
Other editions
"The Excellencie of the English Tongue." In William Camden. Remains. 1614. John Legate for Simon Waterson. 36–44. STC 4522.
