of orthografy, and to a vast number of uhhistorical, illogical, and unsientific forms, a large proportion of which stil persist, in spite of the efforts of later and riper scolars—including the foremost English lexicografers—to introduce reforms. Words that hav greatly alterd in pronunciation since Johnson's day continue to be speld as Johnson speld them; and the change and growth of our flexible language has faild to be recorded by an orthografy that owes much of its inflexibility to his influence.
Ineffectiv Protests
Individual protestants against this unsientific rigidity of English spelling continued to arize, but their protests wer little heeded; because those competent to speak with authority wer few in number, and wer generally too remote from the public ear to make their voices heard; because they spoke in opposition to prevailing custom and belief; and because they lackt organization and suitable channels of expression. In their publisht works they wer compeld to follow the "office rules" or to pay their own printing bils, which few of them could afford to do. There has been little improvement in this respect to the present day.
Benjamin Franklin Urges Reform
Benjamin Franklin, practical printer and filosofer, utterd his protest against the irrationality of English spelling in a "Scheme for a New Alphabet and Reformed Mode of Spelling" (1768), and later went so far as to compile a dictionary based thereon, and to hav special tipes cast for printing it. He thought he was "too old to pursue the plan", however, and the work was never printed.
