Before this, while I was prisoner in Lancaster Castle, the book
called the "Battledore" was published, which was written to show
that in all languages Thou and Thee is the proper and usual form of
speech to a single person; and You to more than one. This was set
forth in examples or instances taken from the Scriptures, and books
of teaching, in about thirty languages. J. Stubbs and Benjamin Furly
took great pains in compiling it, which I set them upon; and some
things I added to it.[133]
[133] Here is the title page to this curious old book which is
now very rare, and is much valued by collectors:
"A Battle-Door for Teachers & Professors to learn Singular
and Plural; You to Many, and Thou to One: Singular One, Thou;
Plural Many, You, Wherein is shewed forth by Grammar, or
Scripture Examples, how several Nations and People have made
a distinction between Singular and Plural, And First. In the
former part of this Book, Called the English Battle-Door, may
be seen how several People have spoken Singular and Plural,
As the Apharsathkites, The Tarpelites, The Apharsites, The
Archevites, The Babylonians, The Susanchites, The Dehavites, The
Elamites, The Temanites, The Naomites, The Shuites, The Buzites,
The Moabites, The Hevites, The Edomites, The Philistines, The
Amalekites, The Sodomites, The Hittites, The Midianites, &c.
Also, in this Book is set forth Examples of the Singular and
Plural About Thou, and You in several Languages divided into
distinct Battle-Doors, or Forms, or Examples; English, Latine,
Italian, Greek, Hebrew, Caldec, Syriack, Arabick, Persiack,
Ethiopick, Samaritan, Coptick or Egyptick, Armenian, Saxon,
Welch, Mence, Cornish, French, Spanish, Portugal, High-Dutch,
Low Dutch, Danish, Bohemian, Slavonian, and how Emperors and
others have used the Singular Word to One; and how the Word You
(to one) came first from the Pope. Likewise some examples, in
the Polonian, Lithvanian, Irish and East-Indian, Together with
the Singular and Plural Words thou and you, in Swedish, Turkish,
Muscovian and Curlandian tongues,--In the latter part of this
Book are contained several bad unsavoury words gathered first for
certain School Books, which have been taught Boyes in England,
which is a Rod and a Whip to the School Masters in England and
elsewhere who teach such Books. Geo. Fox, Jno. Stubbs, Benjamin
Furley.
"London: Printed for Robt. Wilson, and are to be sold at his Shop
at the Signe of the Black-Spread-Eagle and Wind-Mil in Martins le
Grand 1660."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive