Page:The king's English (IA kingsenglish00fowlrich).pdf/156
Among these...I would be inclined to place (3) those who acquiesce in the phenomenalism of Mr. Herbert Spencer.—Daily Telegraph.
As one of the founders of the Navy League, I would like (3) to ask the favour of your well-known courtesy...—Times.
I would be glad (3) to have some account of his behaviour.—Richardson.
I would like (3) also to talk with you about the thing which has come to pass.—Jowett.
But give your definition of romance. I would like to hear it (3).—F. M. Crawford.
These are typical of thousands of paragraphs in the newspaper....We would (3) wish for brighter news.—Westminster Gazette.
I have already had some offers of assistance, and I would be glad (3) to receive any amount towards the object.—Times.
Some examples follow that have not this excuse; and the first two deserve comment—the first because it results in serious ambiguity, the second because it is possibly not wrong.
The two fleets present seven Russian battleships against four Japanese—less than two to one; two Russian armoured cruisers against eight, and seven Russian torpedo-boat destroyers against an indefinite number of the enemy. Here we will (3) not exaggerate in attributing to the Japanese three or four to one.–Mahan.
With will, the meaning must be: We won't call them three or four to one, because that would be exaggeration. But the meaning is intended to be: We will call them that, and it will be no exaggeration. Shall is absolutely necessary, however, to make it bear that interpretation.
This character who delights us may commit murder like Macbeth, or fly the battle for his sweetheart as did Antony, or betray his country like Coriolanus, and yet we will rejoice (3) in every happiness that comes to him.—W. B. Yeats.
It is possible that this is the use of will described as the 'habitual' use—he will often stand on his head—under Rule 1. But this is very rare, though admissible, in the first person of the present. We shall rejoice, or simply we rejoice, would be the plain way of saying it.
If this passion was simply painful, we would (3) shun with the greatest care all persons and places that could excite such a passion.—Burke.