"What is old is new, again."

[Wilson Gray]

The author names a total of seven articles. Then he writes,

"This _latter_ article ..."


I've seen this (mis)use of "latter" here and there in contemporary
writings, causing me to consider it to be a new development driven, as
usual, by the efforts of the quasi-literate to emulate their betters
by attempting to write above their natural station in society. :-)
However, the instance quoted above was penned in 1871.

Youneverknow.

--
-Wilson
–––
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"––a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
–Mark Twain

Once we recognize that we do not err out of laziness, stupidity,
or evil intent, we can uncumber ourselves of the impossible burden of
trying to be permanently right. We can take seriously the proposition
that we could be in error, without necessarily deeming ourselves
idiotic or unworthy.
–Kathryn Schulz

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org