ABOUT DICTIONARIES.
pro Tex EDITOR 07 TIM "SPECTATOR:1 SIR,—The remarks on "the retrocession of accent" in your entertaining article, "About Dictionaries," in last week's issue remind me of a curious contrast between the opinions of two distinguished Head-Masters of a former day. I remember healing the late Dr. Bradby of Haileybury argue in favour of retrocession in the word "remonstrate." "If you say 'demonstrate," he said, "you should also say remonstrate.' " I have been told by an old Haileyburian that Dr. Bradby even made a point of correcting boys who said "rem6nstrate." No one could have hesitated to consider seriously all that Dr. Bradby said on points of elocution, and therefore on its kindred subject of accentuation, for a more exquisite reader I never heard. To hear him read aloud in a room was an experience. His voice was very quiet and intensely clear, and the unerring taste with which be gave the right value to every word made a kind of music. The oldest story seemed to have a new and thrilling interest. On the other hand, there is a story of Temple of Rugby which is still remembered by Rugbeians of a certain generation. There was a serious friction between the Head-Master and the sixth form. The chosen spokesman of the sixth form bearded Dr. Temple in his study. "I have come to r6monstrate," he began. "Oh! you have come to remonstrate, have you ?" said Temple, putting a profundity of scorn into the retrocession of the accent; "go away, boy ; go away!" The boy went. That was all. It was Temple's whiff of grhe-shot, and it ended
the revolution.—I am, Sir, &o., J. B. A:
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