A History of English Language

The appeal to authority, 1650-1800 253
supported by important contemporary opinion. Only a few months before, Addison, in a
paper in the Spectator (No. 135) that echoes most of Swift’s strictures on the language,
observed that there were ambiguous constructions in English “which will never be
decided till we have something like an Academy, that by the best Authorities and Rules
drawn from the Analogy of Languages shall settle all Controversies between Grammar
and Idiom.”
Apparently the only dissenting voice was that of John Oldmixon, who, in the same
year that Swift’s Proposal appeared, published Reflections on Dr. Swift’s Letter to the
Earl of Oxford, about the English Tongue. It was a violent Whig attack inspired by purely
political motives. He says, “I do here in the Name of all the Whigs, protest against all and
everything done or to be done in it, by him or in his Name.” Much in the thirty-five pages
is a personal attack on Swift, in which he quotes passages from the Tale of a Tub as
examples of vulgar English, to show that Swift was no fit person to suggest standards for
the language. And he ridicules the idea that anything can be done to prevent languages
from changing. “I should rejoice with him, if a way could be found out to fix our
Language for ever, that like the Spanish cloak, it might always be in Fashion.” But such a
thing is impossible.
Oldmixon’s attack was not directed against the idea of an academy. He approves of
the design, “which must be own’d to be very good in itself.” Yet nothing came of Swift’s
Proposal. The explanation of its failure in the Dublin edition is probably correct; at least
it represented contemporary opinion. “It is well known,” it says, “that if the Queen had
lived a year or two longer, this proposal would, in all probability, have taken effect. For
the Lord Treasurer had already nominated several persons without distinction of quality
or party, who were to compose a society for the purposes mentioned by the author; and
resolved to use his credit with her Majesty, that a fund should be applied to support the
expence of a large room, where the society should meet, and for other incidents. But this
scheme fell to the ground, partly by the dissensions among the great men at court; but
chiefly by the lamented death of that glorious princess.”
This was the nearest England ever came to having an academy for the regulation of the
language. Though Swift’s attempt to bring about the formation of such a body is
frequently referred to with approval by the advocates of the idea throughout the century,
no serious effort was made to accomplish the purpose again. Apparently, it was felt that
where Swift had failed it would be useless for others to try. Meanwhile, opposition to an
academy was slowly taking shape. The importance of the Proposal lies in the fact that it
directed attention authoritatively to the problems of language that then seemed in need of
solution.
195. Objection to an Academy.
Though the idea of establishing an academy died hard, the eighteenth century showed a
growing skepticism toward it and an increasing attitude of dissent. The early enthusiasm
for the example of France had given place, in the minds of some, to doubts about the
value of the results obtained by the French Academy. As an anonymous writer in 1724
observes, “many say, that they have been so far from making their language better, that
they have spoiled it.” 19 Certainly they had not prevented it from changing. The claim that