J. G., A Refutation of the Apology for Actors (1615)
Date
1615
Author
Book title
A Refvtation of the Apology for Actors. Diuided into three briefe Treatises. Wherein is confuted and opposed all the chiefe Groundes and Arguments alleaged in defence of Playes: and withall in each Treatise is deciphered Actors, 1. Heathenish and Diabolicall institution. 2. Their ancient and moderne indignitie. 3. The wonderfull abuse of their impious qualitie
Publication place
London
Printer
W. White
Publisher
Thomas Langley
Text type
printed book
Genre
Hard-word, term-of-art, and dialect dictionaries, glossaries, and definitions
Subject area
poetry
Summary
Definition of plays (p. 39); criticism of English as corrupted by foreign words (pp. 41-42)
Extent
41-42
Word-group
type: alphabetical
Word-entry
type: logical
sample: Secondly, hee [M. Actor] sheweth (and to the disgrace of his mother-tongue) that our English was the rudest language in the world, a Gally-mafry of Dutch, French, Irish, Saxon, Scotch, and Welsh, but by Play-Poets it hath beene refined. But doth he not forget, that whiles they adde Greeke, Lattine, and Italian, they make a great mingle-mangle. Nay, before the Conquest by Bastard William that the French came in, our English tongue was most perfect, able to expresse any Hebruisme, which is the tryall of perfection in Languages, and now it will very hardly expound a Greeke Lecture. For after that the French had once corrupted it, it was but of late yeares that it could recouer a common Dialect againe. Since which againe it hath indeed beene more refined, but thereby it is become more obscure, and vsed amongst few, for the simple vulgar people cannot vnderstand it: And a plaine man can scarce vtter his mind, for want of Phrases, (as I may say) according to the fashion. But what refinednesse is in our language, it's not from Poets, but from other learned mens writings, from whom they borrow all the refined words they haue. (pp. 41-42)
sample: Secondly, hee [M. Actor] sheweth (and to the disgrace of his mother-tongue) that our English was the rudest language in the world, a Gally-mafry of Dutch, French, Irish, Saxon, Scotch, and Welsh, but by Play-Poets it hath beene refined. But doth he not forget, that whiles they adde Greeke, Lattine, and Italian, they make a great mingle-mangle. Nay, before the Conquest by Bastard William that the French came in, our English tongue was most perfect, able to expresse any Hebruisme, which is the tryall of perfection in Languages, and now it will very hardly expound a Greeke Lecture. For after that the French had once corrupted it, it was but of late yeares that it could recouer a common Dialect againe. Since which againe it hath indeed beene more refined, but thereby it is become more obscure, and vsed amongst few, for the simple vulgar people cannot vnderstand it: And a plaine man can scarce vtter his mind, for want of Phrases, (as I may say) according to the fashion. But what refinednesse is in our language, it's not from Poets, but from other learned mens writings, from whom they borrow all the refined words they haue. (pp. 41-42)
STC
12214
Catalog
Kennedy, Arthur Garfield. A Bibliography on Writings on the English Language from the Beginning of Printing to the End of 1922. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1927.
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Other editions
STC 12213 (also 1615)
