was not only widely held but earnestly proclaimed. It was not merely held and proclaimed, too, by some of the best and wisest who wrote in the English tongue, but by those of similar character who wrote in the various cultivated tongues of continental Europe.' 'Men know nothing of the historical development of the words and grammatical forms they were in the habit of using. For the anxiety entertained about the speech in previous centuries there is, therefore, explanation, even if it does not amount to justification.'
"The experience of the past furnishes a most significant corrective to those who look upon the indifference, manifested by the public to their warnings and to the awful examples they furnish as infalliable proof of the increasing degeneracy of the speech. It would save them hours of unnecessary misery were they to make themselves acquainted with the views of prominent men of former times, who felt as they did and talked as foolisly."
Swift is the most eminent representative of the professional purists. In the Tatler (No. 230) of 1710 he complained of "continual corruptions of the English tongue." He inveighs against such clippings as can't, mobb, and novelties as sham, banter’ bully; but he confessed afterwards that his attempts had failed. I have done my utmost for some years past, to stop the progress of mobb and banter, but
