28 FEBRUARY 1903, Page 16

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR." J SIR,—We are told

by a very positive gentleman who writes in the Spectator of February 21st that it is not good English to use " acquaint " in the sense of to inform a person of a thing. It is never wise to express an opinion as to what is or what is not good English before consulting the " New English Dictionary " and examining the credentials of the word under discussion as displayed in those authoritative columns. If any one will take the trouble to look up the word "acquaint" in that Thesaurus omnius Anglicitatis he will see that the word in the above sense was good enough English for Shakespeare, Fielding, Sheridan, Sir W. Scott,