THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2787, 23 January 1872, Page 2

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

At the distribution of prizes to pupils attending the Bishop’s School, Nelson, the other day, Bishop Suter made the following observations, which' are deserving of remembrance :—Boys, I wish you to remember that we have received, each one of us, a precious inheritance in the English language, it is the common property of every one, and it is every one’s duty to hand it on as pure, and as free from anomalies and drawbacks as when he received it. In no part of the world ought better English to be spoken than in New Zealand, as the greater number of its original colonists were highly educated men, or men who proceeded from well-educated families, and there is not tfye same danger, of the introduction of slang words arising from social traditions as there is in some other countries. But I have some fear lest polktion reach “ the well of English undetiled and the quarter in which I see danger is in the direction of America—not cultivated, intellectual America—but an America of a vulgarity to which I trust we may never be allowed to descend. I deprecate the introduction of a literature which scarcely deserves the name, which is obliged to resort to the gross and ignorant expedient of raising ft smile by its vices ami its bad spelling.

see it very frequently in our newspapers no; I cannot understand what the educators of our popular style of reading and expression—the editors of our papers are aiming at in giving us so much of their style ot writing and speaking, condescending to quote and invest them with the dignified influences of a proverbial authority. I can only suppose that they do this in the same way that the Spartans made their Helot slaves drunk, that their youths night avoid so sottish and degrading a state. I suppose therefore, that they bring so much of this American literature and phraseology before ue to deter us from affecting it and following it. Is it, however, true that our sense of humour and wit has so departed from us that our chief joke is a badly-spelt word . I trust that you boys will put away from you all slang words and bad spelling, as uugentlemanly and degrading. As much as possible, abstain from the use of n^ er ’ jections. It has been well said by Max Muller that language and gran mar are founded upon the downfa'l of interjections. A profusion of interjections, whether uttered in conversation or spread thickly over the written page, is a mark of a low and vulgar taste, and degrades man to the level of the beast that perishes, whose language is for the most part interjectional. The thought of this may sometimes save us from indulging in an ignorant and woudor-struck character of exclamation, and will be a help to condemn the most objectionable form of interjectional speech—profane and vulgar swearing which, if it be meant, is blasphemous, if unmeaning is equally degrading. After all the discussions as to the origin of man, his power of continuing sounds at pleasure to express his own ideas is that which elevates him above and distinguishes him from the beasts, whose only language is the interjectional grunt, as of the pig, and the bow-wow, as of the dog. With regard to the best style of English writing, the last- mail brought out some letters of Mr Ruskin on the subject. Mr Ruskin, who is a master of English style, has recently told us the secret of his success in writing English. He was in the habit, when a boy, of learning by heart large portions of the Holy [Scriptures, especially of the Old Testament, and his chief books for reading at the most impressible period of his youth were “Robinson Crusoe ” and “Pilgrim’s Progress,” This fact was a great encouragement to those who had Beit 1 er time nor the means of jel assical authors, inasmuch as by equally simple means others could attain the same results in wi iting English. All boys should make it a maiter of conscience to use the best and purest form of expression for anything they might wish to say, and after a time, the habit of correct and elegant speaking would be formed, and all slovenly expressions be eschewed.