107
4.3 Development of Onlynecessary discourse task: “Several of the narrator’s adversatives occur appar-
ently in reaction to his awareness of the rules – or somebody’s rules – govern-
ing the composition of narrative poetry” (358).
The situation in Early Modern English is clearly different. Examining the
Early Modern English section of the HC, the Shakespearian corpus, and the
King James Bible , I have found that focusing uses of only are still in the major-
ity and that ‘exceptive’ senses again occur in the combinations but only , save
only , and except only , as well as in only for used prepositionally. However,
‘adversative’ senses of conjunctive only also occur for the fi rst time:^7
(15) a. I ... will endevor myselfe to put it in practise continually. Only here is
the diffi culty how a Schoolemaster may do this ... (1612 Brinsley, Ludus
Literarius or the Grammar of schoole 44 [HC])
b. She is as innocent of all these things as I, or any Man here; only she received
a Letter from my Lord (Cobham), to prepare her (1603 The trial of Sir Walter
Raleigh I, 215 [HC])
c. And he had conveyed all his papers out of the way: only he forgot a drawer
under a table, in which the papers relating to 74, 75, and a part of 76 were
left (1724– 34 Burnet’s history of my own time I, II, 160 [HC])
d. I am able to walk a staff reasonable well, only my knee is not yet recovred
... (1628– 32 Barrington, Letters 97 [HC])
e. not different from the Fashion of our Noblemens Stables, only at the head of
every Stall seems to be a (Dormitory) ... (1672– 81 Fryer, A new account of
East India and Persia I, 187 [HC])
f. but in the fi ght loosing most of his men himself with a few escap’d: only
(Theobald) the Kings brother, and the whole wing which he commanded,
unfortunately cut off, made the Vistory to (Ethelfrid) less intire (1670
Milton, The history of Britain 145 [HC])
g. If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him
be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be
thoroughly healed (1611 King James Bible , Exodus 21.19)
h. And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only
they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar (1611
King James Bible , Numbers 18.3)
i. Only the people sacrifi ced in high places, because there was no house built
unto the name of the LORD, until those days (1611 King James Bible , 1
Kings 3.2)
j. King Henry: And everything lies level to our wish;/ Only we want a little
personal strength ... (1597– 98 Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2 IV.iii.8– 9)
k. Duke: Angelo had never the purpose to corrupt her; only he hath made an
assay of her virtue, to practise his judgement with the disposition of natures
(1604– 05 Shakespeare, Measure for measure III.i.163– 66)
7 Schmidt ( 1874 – 75: s.v. only ) talks of “transposed only ” in cases such as (15k), claiming that it
means ‘only to practise’, and (16d), claiming that it means ‘I only say.’