‘The scientific movement had another result: it led to the cultivation of a plain style of writing, and a suspicion of the ornaments of rhetoric. After a century or more had been spent in the pursuit of eloquence in English, there were people in the late 17th century who began to suggest that eloquence was a bad thing. Earlier, there had been an anti-rhetorical movement among the puritans: preachers like William Perkins (1558-1602) cultivated a simple style of preaching, free from ornament, while anti-puritans like John Donne cultivated a high rhetorical style. But in the later 17th century it was above all the natural scientists who advocated plainness and led the attack on rhetoric.’
Barber, Charles. Early Modern English. London: André Deutsch, 1976, p. 131.
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Picture: Cover of Charles Barber's Early Modern English. (2nd ed.) Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1976.
One of my friends at Canterbury Christ Church University had to study this book during his english degree. I think it is quite a popular choice of book amongst students of english literature. Have you read it or is it something that you plan to take a look at in the future?
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