The Queen's English vs The Dean's English [pp. 558-585]

584 TI~e Queen's r~~iI~~ vs. [OCTOBER
rudis indigestaque moles; his Plea for the Queen's English
exhibits proofs of his want of qualification for the office he has
assumed. LIe discards the "so-called universal rules of English,"
and tells his young readers, "the less ~ou know of them, the less
you turn your words right or left to observe them, the better."
Yet in deference to Mr. Moon's criticisms and in obedience to
these rules he has changed nearly thirty passages.* We promised to give proofs of the Dean's errors in grammar and in
rhetoric; we have not space to notice them at length. We
had noted a considerable number, but must refer our readers
to Mr. Gould, who gives a list of nearly sixty errors of greater
or less importance.t
Every one who has had even a superficial acquaintance with
our schools and colleges knows that scarcely any branch of
education is more neglected than the study of our vernacular
tongue. Young men can neither spell correctly nor write
grammatically, and the deficien~y is as great and the evil is as
crying in this department as in the classical instruction of
many of our schools and academies. It is taken for granted
that men will know how to spell and to write their own langunge without any instruction. Not in America only is this
the case, but in England also, where there are loud complaints
about the neglect of the study of their own language and literature. Not only are degrees conferred upon men who cannot
translate their diplomas; but Senior Wranglers, First Classmen, and others,go forth from tlie universities with the ability
to write faultless Latin prose or perfect Greek Iambics, while
they are unable to write even a letter in grammatical English.
More attention is paid to the subject of English composition in
the colleges of this country than in those of England, but it is
impossible for them to remedy the deficiencies of the earlier
stages of education. The thorough study of the classical languages need not interfere with attention to our own in the
academy, and every college should have a Chair of the English
Language and Literature.
Hear the conclusion of the whole matter. We should correct oflr own mistakes if we are to instruct others with authority;
* See The Dean's English, p. 126, sqq. f See Good English, p. 132, sqq.