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Lord David Cecil Author Biographer (1 results)
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[ I take a great interest in the small points of style : Lord David Cecil, author and scholar.] Typed Letter Signed, responding to linguistic strictures by V. H. Collins, who annotates the letter.
Published by 24 May On letterhead of 7 Linton Road Oxford, 1954
Seller: Richard M. Ford Ltd, London, United Kingdom
Seller Rating:
Manuscript / Paper Collectible
An interesting letter, revealing some of Cecil's views on the art of writing. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Vere Henry Collins (1872-1966), was an author and grammatical stickler, and Cecil has clearly been on the receiving end of a ticking off. 2pp, 4to. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged, with creasing and a short closed cut at the foot. He begins by stating that he found Collins s letter very interesting : I take a great interest in the small points of style. He agrees with some of Collins s strictures , in particular that about the exclamation mark. As a matter of fact I didn t put any exclamation marks, they were put in by the newspaper. However, I am partly responsible, for I didn t notice them in the hurry of looking through the proof at the last minute. He responds to another question of punctuation, before stating: I do not take the view that no sentence should begin with and . It may be necessary to begin one with and , in order to convey the precise modulation of thought in the mind of the author. He continues: You are wrong in thinking "whether or not" unnecessary. I wished to give the impression of the controversy raging in the Norton household - with Caroline saying the children should go to stay with her brother, and George Norton maintaining that they should not do so - this could not be conveyed so well by simply using the word "whether". He proceeds to explain his disagreement with Collins s point regarding consternated , commenting: I note that you quote Fowler [H. W. Fowler, author of Modern English Usage ] as an authority. Believe me, he is no such thing. His books are lively and vigorous, but they reveal him as a man who does not understand much about the art of writing. Almost every rule he propounds has been broken by great writers. After conceding Collins s points on slips in punctuation , he concludes: You are surely right to protest against slipshod writing; but you should remember that the writing of English is a flexible art. The letter carries numerous pencil annotations by Collins, including - concerning the point about sentences beginning with and - Nor do I nor does any sensible person . And on the question of Fowler: No argument. There is not a glaring error in grammar or style of which an example could not be found in a famous writer. The quality of their [?], like Homer, nods. .
