The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 3Browne, Thomas, Sir
Religion
The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 3
Browne, Thomas, Sir
Christianity; Ethics; Religion and medicine
Now of this account the French will be able to make nothing; the modern
Danes and Germans, though from several words they may conjecture at the
meaning, yet will they be much to seek in the orderly sense and
continued construction thereof, whether the Danes can continue such a
series of sense out of their present Language and the old Runick, as to
be intelligible unto present and ancient times, some doubt may well be
made; and if the present French would attempt a Discourse in words
common unto their present Tongue and the old _Romana Rustica_ spoken in
Elder times, or in the old Language of the Francks, which came to be in
use some successions after _Pharamond_, it might prove a Work of some
trouble to effect.
It were not impossible to make an Original reduction of many words of no
general reception in _England_ but of common use in _Norfolk_, or
peculiar to the East Angle Countries; as, _Bawnd_, _Bunny_, _Thurck_,
_Enemmis_, _Sammodithee_, _Mawther_, _Kedge_, _Seele_, _Straft_,
_Clever_, _Matchly_, _Dere_, _Nicked_, _Stingy_, _Noneare_, _Feft_,
_Thepes_, _Gosgood_, _Kamp_, _Sibrit_, _Fangast_, _Sap_, _Cothish_,
_Thokish_, _Bide owe_, _Paxwax_: of these and some others of no easie
originals, when time will permit, the resolution may be attempted; which
to effect, the Danish Language new and more ancient may prove of good
advantage: which Nation remained here fifty years upon agreement, and
have left many Families in it, and the Language of these parts had
surely been more commixed and perplex, if the Fleet of _Hugo de Bones_
had not been cast away, wherein threescore thousand Souldiers out of
_Britany_ and _Flanders_ were to be wafted over, and were by King
_John's_ appointment to have a settled habitation in the Counties of
_Norfolk_ and _Suffolk_.
But beside your laudable endeavours in the Saxon, you are not like to
repent you of your studies in the other European and Western Languages,
for therein are delivered many excellent Historical, Moral and
Philosophical Discourses, wherein men merely versed in the learned
Languages are often at a loss: but although you are so well accomplished
in the French, you will not surely conceive that you are master of all
the Languages in _France_, for to omit the Briton, Britonant or old
British, yet retained in some part of _Britany_, I shall onely propose
this unto your construction.
* * * * *
_Chavalisco d' aquestes Boemes chems an freitado lou cap cun taules
Jargonades, ero necy chi voluiget bouta sin tens embè aquelles. Anin à
lous occells, che dizen tat prou ben en ein voz L' ome nosap
comochodochi yen ay jes de plazer, d' ausir la mitat de paraulles en el
mon._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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