Sir Thomas Urquhart, amongst other activities, invented a universal language
; and one of the virtues which was to recommend it to the world's attention was its possessing for every word at least ten synonyms. It must have been a lan- guage peculiarly fitted to Sir Thomas's style. Even out of the English language he wrung a prodigality of ways of saying the same thing over and over again. Scarcely another writer has ever equalled him in profusion of speech. His dream- biography of The Admirable Crichtoun (Pleiad Press, 21s.) keeps up this astonishing riot of language. The writing, in fact, is a good match for the virtuosity of his hero ; for by Sir Thomas's account that noble Scot at the court of Mantua overcame the champions of the world at sword-play, con- founded the world's greatest scholars, disputing with them in twelve languages, in verse or prose, on any subject under the sun ; and found his way irresistibly into the hearts of all the fairest and most virtuous of women. The account is pure fantasia, but it is written with unparalleled gusto.
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