* சிந்தனைக் கட்டுரைகள்
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mind of my Tamil brethren the importance of keeping Tamil pure and improving its culture in our own independent line. Scholars aiming at a refined culture must, like all great poets and prose- writers, keep themselves away from the touch of slang and vulgar-
ity.
Here may step in some brahmins who, ever watching for an opportunity to cry down Tamil, put forth the worn-out argument that the Tamil is not as sufficiently rich as to express without the help of Sanscrit all the ramifications of modern thought brought into existence by English, and that even when English loathes not to adopt as many words as it needs, from various languages all over the world, it is against the principle of expediency of contest for keeping Tamil pure and intact. But it is most unreasonable to bring in the case of English in an argument that vitally affects Tamil, without taking into account the conditions under which English de- veloped. The races that speak English reached a civilized stage only very lately, that is only within the last three or four centuries at most. Before that time they were less civilized and consequently the language they spoke was in a continuous state of flux. Just compare the language of caedmon, of Langland of chaucer, of shakespeare, of Milton, and of Tennyson, one with the other, and see to what great an extent the language of one poet differs from that of another. At the time of Shakespeare the English language rose to such a height of change that one who is familiar only with it, is rendered unable to understand the same as was used in its preceding stages. The history of England tells us in what great disorder the condition of its people had been through what horrible, destructive, and sanfuinary conflicts and combats they had passed, as wave after wave the invasions of not one but different races came from Europe, and after what an immoderate degree of com- motion and boiling they attained to a settled order of social and political life. All the troubles they underwent are reflected, as in a mirror, in the change and transformation which the English lan- guage went through. But no such troubles on so extensive a scale came to the ancient Tamils, as far as we can glean information on the point from their olf literary works. No doubts is it true that
