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Darlington.—Asks him to recommend textbooks for the study of Saxon, Early English, and Shakespeare.

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Transcript

Darlington
Ma. 15: 1871

Dear Mr Wright,

You were once so kind as to advise me in the choice of some Books on Early English; a sufficient reason of course for troubling you again!—But pray excuse me, as I have no other re-source. Can you recommend me (1) a Saxon Grammar that is intelligible, & wd throw some light on these studies; (2) a Grammar of the E. E itself; (for the Introduction to Morris’s Book of E. E. specimens is merely tantalising—very crude—(3) Any real authority on the pronunciation of Saxon & E.E.—for instance, céap (a bargain), or beo to be; I am quite at a loss how to pronounce such vowels.

(4) Is there a good E. E. Dictionary—I have Stratman’s†—but it seems to me very deficient.

(5) I shd like a good Dictionary of the Shakespearian period if there be such a thing.—(especially strong in Deriviations).

(6) Is Abbott’s Grammar to Shakespeare a good one?

(7) My Books & I have been separated for some time so excuse the word if wrong.—but you recommended me Mätzlers(?) Specimens of E. English. & I have found it excellent.—Is there a Prose Part out—& is his Grammar of that period closed against an unfortunate ignoramus in German? & of any use in itself?

If you know of any good introduction to the study of E.E. suitable for Boys of 15 or 16—(somewhat less severe than Morris’s) I shd be glad to know it.

I would not have written to you, if I thought that anything touched upon here involved any research on your part—As it is I have only to beg you to excuse me for troubling you again, & to

Believe me, dear Mr Wright,
Your obliged & faithful friend
J Fayle

Wm Aldis Wright Esq
Trin. Coll. Cam.

P.S. | Touching Pronunciation—I have Guest—but have not studied him—At the same time, whilst he deals with metre & mute or pronounced e’s, I do not remember his giving instructions in my difficulty—that of the union of vowels & some consonants as c.