PREFACE DEDICATORY. 



endeavoured me to write first over all the 

 said book of ' Polychromcon,' and some- 

 what have changed the rude and old 

 English, that is to wit, certain words which 

 in these days be neither used nor under- 

 standon." 



In 1654, a little less than 200 years 

 later, when Evelyn visited Beverley in 

 Yorkshire, he was shown over the church 

 by a woman who spoke the language of 

 Queen Mary's days.* This shows that 

 our language was continually changing as 

 civilization advanced, and that even in the 

 provinces, people, in towns and cities at 

 least, had begun to discard their ancient 

 dialect, and adopt a mode of speech founded 

 on a more recent model. To changes like 

 these Waller alludes : 



But who can hope his lines should long 

 Last, in a daily changing tongue ? 



It is my belief, that the evidence of 



* Diary, sub anno 1654. 



