H.W. Fowler (1858–1933). The King’s
English, 2nd ed. 1908.
Preface
The compilers of this book would be wanting in courtesy if they did not
expressly say what might otherwise be safely left to the reader's discernment:
the frequent appearance in it of any author's or newspaper's name does not mean
that that author or newspaper offends more often than others against rules of
grammar or style; it merely shows that they have been among the necessarily
limited number chosen to collect instances from.
The plan of the book was dictated by the following considerations. It is
notorious that English writers seldom look into a grammar or composition book;
the reading of grammars is repellent because, being bound to be exhaustive on a
greater or less scale, they must give much space to the obvious or the
unnecessary; and composition books are often useless because they enforce their
warnings only by fabricated blunders against which every tiro feels himself
quite safe. The principle adopted here has therefore been (1) to pass by all
rules, of whatever absolute importance, that are shown by observation to be
seldom or never broken; and (2) to illustrate by living examples, with the name
of a reputable authority attached to each, all blunders that observation shows
to be common. The reader, however, who is thus led to suspect that the only
method followed has been the rejection of method will find, it is hoped, a
practical security against inconvenience in the very full Index.
Further, since the positive literary virtues are not to be taught by brief
quotation, nor otherwise attained than by improving the gifts of nature with
wide or careful reading, whereas something may really be done for the negative
virtues by mere exhibition of what should be avoided, the examples collected
have had to be examples of the bad and not of the good. To this it must be added
that a considerable proportion of the newspaper extracts are, as is sometimes
apparent, not from the editorial, but from the correspondence columns; the names
attached are merely an assurance that the passages have actually appeared in
print, and not been now invented to point a moral.
The especial thanks of the compilers are offered to Dr. Bradley, joint editor of
the Oxford English Dictionary, who has been good enough to inspect the
proof sheets, and whose many valuable suggestions have led to the removal of
some too unqualified statements, some confused exposition, and some positive
mistakes. It is due to him, however, to say that his warnings have now and then
been disregarded, when it seemed that brevity or some other advantage could be
secured without great risk of misunderstanding.
The Oxford English Dictionary itself has been of much service. On all
questions of vocabulary, even if so slightly handled as in the first chapter of
this book, that great work is now indispensable.
H. W. F.
F. G. F.
Preface to the Second Edition
In this edition new examples have been added or substituted here and there.