To Stanley and Joan Bennett

This book has grown out of a practice which was at first my necessity and later my hobby; whether at last it has attained the dignity of a study, others must decide.

The old psychologists gave man five 'outward', and five 'inward', wits (or senses). The five outward wits are what we call the five senses today .... The five inward wits were originally memory, estimation, fancy, imagination, and common wit (or common sense).

A few re-readings in cold blood will often make this quite easy.

About 100,000 words. Thirteen chapters -- 1. Introduction, 2. Nature (with Phusis, Kind, Physical etc.), 3. Sad (with Gravis), 4. Wit (with Ingenium), 5. Free (with Eleutherios, Liberal, Frank etc.), 6. Sense (with Sentence, Sensibility and Sensible), 7. Simple, 8. Conscience and Conscious, 9. World, 10. Life, 11. I dare say, 12. At the fringe of language. 1959 Preface -- "This book is based on lectures given at Cambridge during the last few years and is primarily addressed to students ... The point of view is merely lexical and historical. My words are studied as an aid to more accurate reading and chosen for the light they throw on ideas and sentiments."