Quote of the month

"All the pains we bestow upon a language, when it is sufficiently perfect for all the uses of it, serve only to disfigure it, to lessen its real value, and incumber it with useless rules and refinements, which embarrass the speaker or writer."

(Joseph Priestley, A Course of Lectures on the Theory of Language and Universal Grammar. 1762.)

Witticisms and strokes of humour

A poor Fellow condemned told the late Justice Burnet it was very hard to be hang’d for stealing a Horse. “No, Friend”, said the Judge: “you are not hang’d for stealing a Horse; but that Horses may not be stolen."

(Robert Baker, Witticisms and strokes of humour. 1766: 50)