Raymond Brown wrote:
>At 8:40 pm -0500 14/3/02, Elliott Lash wrote:
>>In a message dated Thu, 14 Mar 2002 4:21:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>>Raymond Brown <ray.brown@...> writes:
>[snip]
>>> But, yes, anyone who aspires to become a true artist must needs learn
the
>>> skills of his crafts first.
>>
>>[SNIP]
>>
>>Must needs? I thought that was only a 19th century construction!
>
>Ah, we Sussexmen are a bit behind the times ;)
It's certainly a (literary only) archaism to older American ears like mine;
quite likely utterly unknown to many of the Younger Generation (Mr. E. Lash
excluded!) 8-)))
>It's not unfamiliar to me; but the alternative form "needs must" does sound
>a bit weird :)
The memory alert is ping-ing, and the image of a wicked Max Beerbohm cartoon
involving IIRC Roger Fry (now obscure 19th C. critic) is wavering on the
screen, captioned: "We needs must love the Highest".