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News is likewise construed sometimes as a singular, and sometimes as a plural noun. The former usage, however, is far the more general.

“A general joy at this glad news appeared.”—Cowley.

“No news so bad as this at home.”—Shakspeare, Richard III.

“The amazing news of Charles at once was spread.”—Dryden.

“The king was employed in his usual exercise of besieging castles, when the news was brought of Henry’s arrival.”—Swift.

“The only news you can expect from me is news from heaven.”—Gay.

“This is all the news talked of.”—Pope.

Swift, Pope, Gay, with most other classic writers of that age, seem to have uniformly used it as singular.

A few examples occur of a plural usage.

“When Rhea heard these news.”—Raleigh, Hist. World.

“Are there any news of his intimate friend?”—Smollett.

“News were brought to the queen.”—Hume.

The same rule as that just now recommended in regard to the noun means might perhaps be useful here also, namely, to consider the word as singular when only one article of intelligence is communicated, and as plural when several new things are reported.