Words from Samuel Daniel Here's

Words from Samuel Daniel

Here's a bit of philosoophy from Elizabethan times that might be carefully considered in our own. I particularly like the ultimate conclusion despite the railing of the first part of the paragraph. Daniel basically grasps the idea that language in a living entity, subject to change, to additions and deletions, and ultimately to become something completely other than what it was.

from "A Defense of Rhyme" Samuel Daniel

    Next to this deformitie stands our affectation, wherein we alwayes bewray our selues to be both vnkinde, and vnnaturall to our owne natiue language, in disguising or forging strange or uvnvsuall wordes, as if it were to make our verse seeme an other kind of speach out of the course of our vsuall practise, displacing our wordes, or inuesting new, onely vpon a singularitie: when our owne accustomed phrase, set in the due place, would expresse vs more familiarly and to better delight, than all this idle affectation of antiquitie, or noueltie can euer doe. And I can not but wonder at the strange presumption of some men that dare so audaciously aduenture to introduce any whatsoeuer forraine wordes, be they neuer so strange; and of themselues as it were, without a Parliament, without any consent, or allowance, establish them as Free-denizens in our language. But this is but a Character of that perpetuall reuolution which wee see to be in all things that neuer remaine the same, and we must heerein be content to submit our selves to the law of time, which in few yeeres wil make al that, for which we now contend, Nothing.