WCP5630

[1] [p. 66]

W.E. GLADSTONE TO A. R. WALLACE

Hawarden Castle, Chester

October 18, 1895.

Dear Sir, —

Your kindness in sending me your most interesting article draws on you the inconvenience of an acknowledgement.

My pursuits in connection with Homer, especially, have made me a confident advocate of the doctrine that there is, within limits, a connection in language between sound and sense.

I would consent to take the issue simply on English words beginning with st. You go upon a kindred class in sn. I do not remember a perfectly innocent word, a word habitually used in bonam partem, and beginning with sn, except the word "snow," and "snow" as I gather from Schnee, is one of the worn-down words.

May I beg to illustrate you once more on the ending in p. I take our old schoolboy combination: hop, skip and jump. Each motion an ending motion; and to each word closed with p compare the words run, rennen, courir, currere. [2] [p. 67]

But I have now a new title to speak. It is deafness; and I know from deafness that I run a worse chance with a man whose mouth is covered with beard and moustache.

A young relation of mine, slightly deaf, was sorely put to it in a University examination because one of his examiners was secretal in this way.

I will not trouble you further except to express, with misgiving, a doubt on a single point, the final f.

In driving with Lord Granville, who was deaf but not very deaf, I had occasion to mention to hime the Duke of Fife. I used every effort, but in no way could I contrive to make him hear the word.

I break my word to add one other particular. Out of 27,000 odd lines in Homer, every one of them expressed, in a sense, heavy weight or roce; the blows of heavy-armed men on the breastplates of foes... [illegible] and the like.

— With many thanks, I remain yours very faithfully,

W. E. GLADSTONE

P.S.— I should say that the efficacy of lip-expression, undeniably, is most subtle, and defies definite description.