{137} There is an excellent account of this “refugee French” in Weiss’ _History of the Protestant Refugees of France_. {138} [Thus the Shakespearian word _renege_ (Latin _renegare_), to deny (_Lear_ ii, 2) still lives in the mouths of the Irish peasantry. I have heard a farmer’s wife denounce those who “_renege_ [_renaig_] their religion”.] {139} With all its severity, there is some truth in Ben Johnson’s observation: “Spenser, in affecting the ancients, writ no language”. In this matter, however, Ben Jonson was at one with him; for he does not hesitate to express his strong regret that this form has not been retained. “The _persons_ plural” he says (_English Grammar_, c. 17), “keep the termination of the first _person_ singular. In former times, till about the reign of King Henry VIII, they were wont to be formed by adding _en_; thus, _loven_, _sayen_, _complainen_. But now (whatsoever is the cause) it hath quite grown out of use, and that other so generally prevailed, that I dare not presume to set this afoot again; albeit (to tell you my opinion) I am persuaded that the lack hereof, well considered, will be found a great blemish to our tongue. For seeing _time_ and _person_ be as it were the right and left hand of a verb, what can the maiming bring else, but a lameness to the whole body”? {140} [The two words are often popularly confounded. When a good woman said “I’m _afeerd_”, Mr. Pickwick exclaimed “_Afraid_”! (_Pickwick Papers_, ch. v.). Chaucer, instructively, uses both in the one sentence, “This wyf was not _affered_ ne _affrayed_” (_Shipman’s Tale_, l. 400).] {141} Génin (_Récréations Philologiques_, vol. i. p. 71) says to the same effect: “Il n’y a guères de faute de Français, je dis faute générale, accréditée, qui n’ait sa raison d’être, et ne pût au besoin produire ses lettres de noblesse; et souvent mieux en règle que celles des locutions qui ont usurpé leur place au soleil”. {142} A single proof may in each case suffice: “Our wills and fates do so _contráry_ run”.--_Shakespeare._ “Ne let _mischiévous_ witches with their charms”.--_Spenser._ “O argument _blasphémous_, false and proud”.--_Milton._ [These archaisms are still current in Ireland.]