8. +Modern English, 1603-1900.+-- The grammar of the language was fixed before this period, most of the accidence having entirely vanished. The vocabulary of the language, however, has gone on increasing, and is still increasing; for the English language, like the English people, is always ready to offer hospitality to all peaceful foreigners-- words or human beings-- that will land and settle within her coasts. And the tendency at the present time is not only to give a hearty welcome to newcomers from other lands, but to call back old words and old phrases that had been allowed to drop out of existence. Tennyson has been one of the chief agents in this happy restoration. CHAPTER II. THE HISTORY OF THE VOCABULARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 1. +The English Nation.+-- The English people have for many centuries been the greatest travellers in the world. It was an Englishman-- Francis Drake-- who first went round the globe; and the English have colonised more foreign lands in every part of the world than any other people that ever existed. The English in this way have been influenced by the world without. But they have also been subjected to manifold influences from within-- they have been exposed to greater political changes, and profounder though quieter political revolutions, than any other nation. In 1066 they were conquered by the Norman-French; and for several centuries they had French kings. Seeing and talking with many different peoples, they learned to adopt foreign words with ease, and to give them a home among the native-born words of the language. Trade is always a kindly and useful influence; and the trade of Great Britain has for many centuries been larger than that of any other nation. It has spread into every part of the world; it gives and receives from all tribes and nations, from every speech and tongue. 2. +The English Element in English.+-- When the English came to this island in the fifth century, the number of words in the language they spoke was probably not over +two thousand+. Now, however, we possess a vocabulary of perhaps more than +one hundred thousand words+. And so eager and willing have we been to welcome foreign words, that it may be said with truth that: +The majority of words in the English Tongue are not English+. In fact, if we take the Latin language by itself, there are in our language more +Latin+ words than +English+. But the grammar is distinctly English, and not Latin at all.