CHAP. I.

OF GRAMMAR, AND THE PARTS.

*Grammar is the art, of true and wellspeaking a language: the writing is but an Accident.

The parts of Grammar are

which is.

the true notation of words.

the right ordering of them.

Etymology,t) Syntax, A word is a part of speech, or note, whereby a thing is known, or called; and consisteth of one or more syllabes.

§ A syllabe is a perfect sound in a word, and consisteth of one or more letters.

A letter is an indivisible part of a syllabe, whose prosody, or right sounding is perceived by the power; the orthography, or right writing, by the form.

**Prosody and orthography, are not parts of grammar, but diffused like the blood and spirits through the whole.

*Ful. Cæsar Scaliger. de caus. Ling. Lat. Grammatici unus finis est rectè loqui. Neque necesse habet scribere. Accidit enim scriptura voci, neque aliter scribere debemus, quàm loquamur.-Ramus in definit. pag. 30.

Grammatica est ars benè loquendi.

Veteres, ut Varro, Cicero, Quinctilianus, Etymologiam in notatione vocum statuêre.

Dictionis natura prior est, posterior orationis. Ex usu veterum Latinorum, Vox, pro dictione scriptâ accipitur: quoniam vox esse possit. Est articulata, quæ scripto excipi, atque exprimi valeat: inarticulata, quæ non. Articulata vox dicitur, quâ genus humanum utitur distinctim, à cæteris animalibus, quæ muta vocantur: non, quòd sonum non edant; sed quia soni eorum nullis exprimantur propriè lite rarum notis.-Smithus de rectâ, et emend. L. Latin script.

§ Syllaba est elementum sub accentu. Scalig., lib. 2.

Litera est pars dictionis indivisibilis. Nam quamquam sunt literæ quædam duplices, una tamen tantùm litera est, sibi quæque sonum unum certum servans.-Scalig.

Et Smithus, ibid. Litera pars minima vocis articulatæ.

Natura literæ tribus modis intelligitur;

CHAP. II.

OF LETTERS AND THEIR Powers.Ħ

In our language we use these twenty and four letters, A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. K. L. M. Ñ. O. P. Q. R. S. T. V. W. X. Y. Z. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. k. 1. m. n. o. p. q. r. s. t. v. W. x. y. Z. The great letters serve to begin sentences, with us, to lead proper names, and express numbers. The less make the fabric of speech.

Our numeral letters are,

nomine, quo pronunciatur; potestate, quâ valet; figurâ, quâ scribitur. At potestas est sonus ille, quo pronunciari, quem etiam figura debet imitari; ut his Prosodiam Orthographia sequatur.-Asper.

**Prosodia autem, et Orthographia partes non sunt; sed, ut sanguis, et spiritus per corpus universum fusæ.-Scal. ut suprà. Ramus, pag. 31. tt Litera, à lineando; undè, linere, lineaturæ, literæ, et lituræ. Neque enim à lituris literæ quia delerentur; priùs enim factæ, quàm deletæ sunt. At formæ potiùs, atque ovoías rationem, quàm interitûs, habeamus.-Scal. ibid.

Litera genus quoddam est, cujus species primariæ duæ vocalis et consonans, quarum natura, et constitutio non potest percipi, nisi priùs cognoscantur differentiæ formales, quibus factum est, ut inter se non convenirent.-Scal. ibid.

§§ Literæ differentia generica est potestas, quam nimis rudi consilio veteres Accidens appellârunt. Est enim forma quædam ipse flexus in voce, quasi in materiâ, propter quem flexum fit; ut vocalis per se possit pronunciari: Muta non possit. Figura autem est accidens ab arte institutum; potestque attributa mutari. Jul. Cæs. Scal. ibidem. De vi, ac potestate literarum tam accuratè scripserunt Antiqui, quàm de

* A vowel will be pronounced by itself: a consonant not without the help of a vowel, either before or after.

The received vowels in our tongue are, a. e. i. o. u.

+ Consonants be either mutes, and close

throat wide opened, the tongue bent back from the teeth, as in

all, small, gall, fall, tall, call. So in the syllabes where a consonant followeth the 7, as in

salt, malt, balm, calm.

[Literæ hujus sonus est omnium gentium

W and Y have shifting and uncertain seats as shall be shown in their places.

quâvis aliâ suæ professionis parte. Elaborârunt in hoc argumento Varro, Priscianus, Appion, ille, qui cymbalum dicebatur mundi: et inter rhetores non postremi judicii, Dionysius Halicarnassæus, Caius quoque Cæsar, et Octavius Augustus. Smith. ibid.

Ramus.

Dionysius ait a esse, evpwvótatov, ex plenitudine vocis.

Teren. Maurus.

A, prima locum littera sic ab ore, sumit,
Immunia, rictu patulo, tenere labra:
Linguamque necesse est ità pandulam re-
duci,

Ut nisus in illam valeat subire vocis,
Nec partibus ullis aliquos ferire dentes.]

E

Is pronounced with a mean opening the mouth, the tongue turned to the inner roof of the palate, and softly striking the upper great teeth. It is a letter of divers note and use; and either soundeth, or is silent. When it is the last letter, and soundeth, the sound is sharp, as in the French i. Example in mé, seé, agree, yé, shé; in all, saving the article thè.

Where it endeth, and soundeth obscure and faintly, it serves as an accent to produce the vowel preceding: as in made, stéme, stripe, óre, cure, which else would sound, mad, stèm, strip, òr, cùr.

It altereth the power of c, g, s, so placed, as in hence, which else would sound henc; swinge, to make it different from swing; use, to distinguish it from us.

is

It is mere silent in words where coupled with a consonant in the end; as whistle, gristle, brittle, fickle, thimble, &c. Or after v consonant, or double s, as in love, glove, move, redreses, crosse, losse. Where it endeth a former syllabe, it soundeth longish, but flat; as in,

dérive, prépare, résolve. Except in derivatives, or compounds of

Vocalium nomina simplici sono, nec differente à potestate, proferantur.

Consonantes, additis vocalibus, quibusdam præpositis, aliis postpositis.

nantes,

the sharp e, and then it answers the primitive or simple in the first sound; as agreeing, of agree; foreseeing, of foresee; being, of be.

Where it endeth a last syllabe, with one or mo consonants after it, it either soundeth flat and full; as in

descent, intent, amend, offend, rest, best. Or it passeth away obscured, like the faint i; as in these,

written, gotten, open, sayeth, &c. Which two letters e and i have such a nearness in our tongue, as oftentimes they interchange places; as in

enduce, for induce: endite, for indite: her for hir.

[Triplicem differentiam habet: primam, mediocris rictus: secundam, linguæ, eamque duplicem; alteram, interioris, nempè inflexæ ad interius cœlum palati; alteram genuinos prementis. Tertia est labri inferioris,

Ramus, lib. 2.

Duas primas Terentianus notavit ; tertiam tacuit.

Terentianus 1.

E, quæ sequitur, vocula dissona est priori; quia deprimit altum modico tenore rictum, et remotos premit hinc, et hinc molares.

Apud latinos, e latiùs sonat in adverbio benè, quàm in adverbio here: hujus enim posteriorem vocalem exiliùs pronunciabant; ità, ut etiàm in maximè exilem sonum transîerit heri. Id, quod latiùs in multis quoque patet: ut ab Eo, verbo, deductum, ire, iis, et eis: diis, et deis: febrem, febrim: turrem, turrim: priore, et priori: Ram. et Scalig.

Et propter hanc vicinitatem (ait Quinct.) e quoque loco i fuit: ut Menerva, leber, magester: pro Minerva, liber, magister.]

I

Is of a narrower sound than e, and uttered with a less opening of the mouth, the tongue brought back to the palate, and striking the teeth next the cheek-teeth.

divi-ning, requí-ring, repl-ning.

For, a consonant falling between two vowels in the word, will be spelled with the latter. In syllabes and words, composed of the same elements, it varieth the sound, now sharp, now flat: as in

give, give, alive, live, drive, driven,
title, title.

But these, use of speaking, and acquaintance in reading, will teach, rather than rule.

I, in the other power, is merely another letter, and would ask to enjoy another character. For where it leads the sounding vowel, and beginneth the syllabe, it is ever a consonant; as in

James, John, jest, jump, conjurer, perjured. And before diphthongs; as jay, joy, juice, having the force of the Hebrew's fod, and the Italian's Gi.

chosen, hósen, hóly, fólly;
open, óver, note, thróte.

In the short time more flat, and akin to as

cosen, dosen, mòther brother, love, pròve.

In the diphthong sometimes the o is sounded; as

ought, sought, nóught,
wróught, mów, sów.

But oftener upon the u; as in sòund, bòund, hòw, nòw, thòu, còw.

In the last syllabes, before n and it frequently loseth [its sound]; as in person, action, willow, billow. It holds up, and is sharp, when the word, or syllabe; as in

gó, fró, só, nó.

ends

Except into, the preposition; two, the numeral; dò, the verb, and the compounds of it; as undo, and the derivatives, as doing. It varieth the sound in syllabes of the same character, and proportion; as in shove; glove, grove.

It never endeth any word for the nakedness, but yieldeth to the termination of the diphthong ew, as in new, trew, knew, &c., or the qualifying e, as in sue, due, and the like.

When it leadeth' a silent vowel in a syllabe it is a consonant; as in save, reve, prove, love, &c. Which double force is not the unsteadfastness of our tongue, or incertainty of our writing, but fallen upon us

Voltus, vultus; vultis, voltis.

[O pronunciatur rotundo ore, linguâ ad radices hypoglossis reductâ. o μíκpov, et péya, unicâ tantùm notâ, sono differenti. Profertur, ut w.

Ut oo, vel ou Gallicum. Una quoniam sat habitum est notare forma, Pro temporibus quæ gremium ministret

usum.

Igitur sonitum reddere voles minori, Retrorsùs adactam modicè teneto linguam, Rictù neque magno sat erit patere labra, At longior alto tragicum sub oris antro Molita, rotundis acuit sonum labellis.

Terent. Differentiam parvi valdè distinctam Franci tenent: sed scripturâ valdè confundant. O, scribunt perindè ut proferunt. At & scribunt modò per au, modò per ao, quæ sonum talem minimè sonant, qui simplici, et rotundo motu oris proferri debet.

Quanta sit affinitas (o) cum (u) ex Quinct. Plinio, Papyriano notum est. Quid enim o et u, permutatæ invicem, ut Hecobe, et Notrix, Culchides, et Pulixena, scriberentur ? sic nostri præceptores, Cervom, Servomque u et o litteris scripserunt; Sic dederont, probaveront, Romanis olim fuêre, Quinct. lib. 1.

Deinque o, teste Plinio apud Priscianum, aliquot Italiæ civitates non habebant ; sed loco ejus ponebant u, et maximè Umbri, et Tusci. Atque u contra, teste apud eundem Papyriano, multis Italiæ populis in usu non erat; sed utebantur ; unde Romanorum quoque vetustissimi in multis dictionibus, loco ejus o posuerunt: Ut poblicum, pro publicum; polcrum, pro pulcrum; colpam, pro culpam.]

V

Is sounded with a narrower and mean compass, and some depression of the middle of the tongue, and is like our i, a

[Quam scribere Graius, nisi jungat Y, nequibit

Hanc edere vocem quoties paramus ore,
Nitamur ut U dicere, sic citetur ortus
Productiùs autem, coëuntibus labellis
Natura soni pressi altiùs meabit.

Et alibi.

Terentian.

Græca diphthongus ov, literis tamen nostris vacat,

Sola vocalis quod u complet hunc satis

sonum.

Ut in titulis, fabulis Terentii præpositis. Græca Menandru: Græca Apollodoru, pro Mevavdpov, et 'Anoλλodóρov, et quidem, ne quis de potestate vocalis hujus addubitare possit, etiam mutis animalibus testimonium Plautus nobis exhibuit è Peniculo Menechmi ME. Egon' dedi? Pe. tu, tu, inquam, vin' afferri noctuam,

Quæ tu, tu, usque dicat tibi; nam nos jam nos defessi sumus.

Ergò ut ovium balatus ra literæ sonum : sic noctuarum cantus, et cuculi apud Aristophanem sonum hujus vocalis vindicabit. Nam, quando u liquescit, ut in quis, et sanguis, habet sonum communem cum gracâ, x' wπое' à KókкVE ELTTOL KÓKKU. quando Coccyx dixit Coccy.

Et

W

Is but the V geminated in the full sound, and though it have the seat of a consonant with us, the power is always vowelish, even where it leads the vowel in any syllabe; as, if you mark it, pronounce the two uu, like the Greek ov, quick in passage, and these words,

oy-ine, qv-ant, ou-ood, ou-ast, sov-ing, sov-am; will sound, wine, want, wood, wast, swing,

swam.

So put the aspiration afore, and these words,

hov-at, hov-ich, hov-eel, hov-ether; Will be, what, which, wheel, whether. In the diphthongs there will be no doubt, as in draw, straw, sow, know.

Nor in derivatives, as knowing, sowing, drawing.

Where the double w is of necessity used, rather than the single u, lest it might alter the sound, and be pronounced knoving, soving, draving;

As in saving, having.

[Ut Itali proferunt Edoardo in Edouardo, et Galli, ou-y.

Suävis, suädeo, etiam Latini, ut Sop-avis, &c. At quid attinet duplicare, quod simplex queat sufficere? Proindè W pro copiâ Charactêrum non reprehendo, pro novâ literâ certè non agnosco. Veteresque Anglo-Saxones pro eâ, quando nos W solemus uti, figuram istius modi p solebant conscribere, quæ non multùm differt ab eâ, quâ et hodiè utimur simplici, dum verbum inchoet.-Smithus de rect. et amend. L. A. Script.]

may, say, way, joy, toy, they. And in the ends of words; as in

deny, reply, defy, cry.

Which were pronounced
capel, cane, cild, cyrce.

chapel, chance, child, church.

It is sounded with the top of the tongue, striking the upper teeth, and rebounding

[Litera Androgyne, naturâ nec mas, nec