How to Write Clearly, written by the Rev. Edwin A. Abbott, is a great paradigm of archaic English language. It was first published in 1876 and gives a lovely example of language as it was nearly 150 years ago. Abbott was an English schoolmaster, becoming headmaster of the City of London School at the tender age of 26. He was educated in mathematics, 'classics' and theology and after his retirement in 1889 he devoted the majority of his time to theological and literary pursuits.