...the best way of speaking. If any man was to ask me, which would be supposed to be a perfect stile, or language, I would answer, that in which a man speaking to five hundred people, of all common and various capacities, idiots or lunaticks excepted, should be understood by them all...

...centuries ago Daniel Defoe said, "If any man were to ask me what I would suppose to be a perfect style of language, I would answer that in which a man speaking...various capacities should be understood by them all." Instead of writing to be understood by five hundred people, "all of common and various capacities,"...

...that we might understand one another's meaning. ... If any man was to ask me, which would be supposed to be a perfect style or language, I would answer,...that in which a man speaking to five hundred people, of all common and various capacities, idiots or lunatics excepted, should be understood by them all...

...easily understood is the best. If any man was to ask me, what I would suppose to be a perfect stile or language, I would answer, that in which a man speaking to five hundred people, of all common and various capacities, Ideots and Lunaticks excepted, should be understood by they all,...

...style, he could be writing of the appeal of many forms of popular journalism today: 'If any man was to ask me what I would suppose to be a perfect style...that in which a man speaking to five hundred people, of all common and various capacities, idiots or lunatics excepted, should be understood by them all'...

...easily understood, is the best. If any man was to ask me, what I would suppose to be a perfect stile or language, I would answer, that in which a man speaking to five hundred people, of all common and various capacities, Ideots and Lunaticks excepted, should be understood by them all,...