Lord David Cecil Author Biographer (1 results)

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.'.