Page:The king's English (IA kingsenglish00fowlrich).pdf/213

Rh to write a narrative in it. He gives us, however, all that he knows, without much reference to particular periods; it may not be good ancient English, but, come what may, it shall not be good modern. This, it need scarcely be said, is not fair play: the recreation is all on the writer's side. Archaism is, no doubt, very seductive to the archaist. Well done (that is, negatively done), it looks easy; and to do it badly is perhaps even easier than it looks. No very considerable stock-in-trade is required; the following will do quite well: Prithee–quotha–perchance–peradventure–i' faith–sirrah –beshrew me–look ye–sith that–look to it–leave prating–it shall go hard but–I tell you, but the more part–fair cold water—to me-ward—I am shrewdly afeared–it is like to go stiff with me–y' are–y' have—it irks me sorely—benison–staunch-gyves–yarely–this same villain–drink me this–you were better go; to these may be added the indiscriminate use of 'Nay' and 'Now (by the rood, &c.)'; free inversion; and verb terminations in -st and -th. Our list is largely drawn from Stevenson, who, having tried negative archaism with success in Treasure Island, chose to give us a positive specimen in The Black Arrow. How vexatious these reach-me-down archaisms can become, even in the hands of an able writer, will be seen from the following examples of a single trick, all taken from The Black Arrow.

It is like a child with a new toy.