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Carew, Richard, 1555-1620

"The Survey of Cornwall And an epistle concerning the excellencies of the English tongue"

Neither can any Tongue, as I am perswaded,
deliver a Matter with more Variety than ours, both plainly, and by
Proverbes and Metaphors: for example, when we would be rid of one,
we use to say, Be going, trudge, packe, bee faring hence, away shift;
and by Circumlocution, Rather your Roome than your Companie,
lets see your backe, come againe when I bid you, when you are called,
sent for, intreated, willed, desired, invited; spare us your place,
another in your stead, a ship of salt for you, save your credite,
you are next the doore, the doore is open for you, there is no body
holdeth you, no body teares your sleeve, &c. Likewise this
word FORTIS, we may sinonymize after all these fashions, stout,
hardy, valiant, doughty, couragious, adventrous, &c.
And in a word, to close up these proofs of our Copiousnesse,
look into our imitations, of all sorts of Verses affoorded by any
other Language, and you shall finde that Sir PHILIP SIDNEY,
M. PUTTENHAM, M. STANIHURST, and divers more have made use how
farre we are within compasse of a fore-imagined possibilitie in
that behalfe.


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