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love, loving.

The other is all one with the time past.

The passive is expressed by a syntax, like the times going before, as hereafter shall appear.

A person is the special difference of a verbal number, whereof the present, and the time past, have in every number three.

The second and third person singular of the present are made of the first, by adding est and eth; which last is sometime shortened into z or s.

The time past is varied, by adding in like manner in the second person singular est, and making the third like unto the first.

The future hath but only two persons, the second and third ending both alike.

The persons plural keep the termination of the first person singular. In former times, till about the reign of King Henry VIII., they were wont to be formed by adding

This-same, that-same, yon-same, yonderen; thus, same, self-same.

CHAP. XVI.

OF A VERB.

Hitherto we have declared the whole etymology of nouns; which in easiness and shortness, is much to be preferred before the Latins and the Grecians. It remaineth with like brevity, if it may be, to prosecute the etymology of a verb. A verb is a word of number, which hath both time and per

loven, sayen, complainen. But now (whatsoever is the cause) it hath quite grown out of use, and that other so generally prevailed, that I dare not presume to set this afoot again: albeit (to tell you my opinion) I am persuaded that the lack hereof well considered will be found a great blemish to our tongue. For seeing time and person be, as it were, the right and left-hand of a verb, what can the maiming bring else, but a lameness to the whole body?

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And by reason of these two differences, a verb is divided two manner of ways. First, in respect of persons, it is called personal, or impersonal.

Personal, which is varied by three persons; as

love, lovest, loveth.

being indeed the most usual forming of a verb, and thereby also the common inn to lodge every strange and foreign guest. That which followeth, for anything I can find (though have with some diligence searched after it), entertaineth none but natural and home-born words, which

Impersonal, which only hath the third though in number they be not many, a person; as

behoveth, irketh. Secondly, in consideration of the times, we term it active, or neuter. Active, whose participle past may be joined with the verb am; as

I am loved, thou art hated. Neuter, which cannot be coupled ; as pertain, die, live.

This therefore is the general forming of a verb, which must to every special one hereafter be applied.

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loved'st, for lovedest;

rub'd, rubbed; took'st, tookest. Exception of the time past, for ed, have d or t; as

licked, lickt; leaved, left;

gaped, gap't; blushed, blush't. Some verbs ending in d, for avoiding the concourse of too many consonants, do cast it away; as

lend, lent; spend, spent; gird, girt. Make, by a rare contraction, is here turned into made. Many verbs in the time past, vary not at all from the present; such are cast, hurt, cost, burst, &c

CHAP. XVIII.

OF THE SECOND CONJUGATION. And so much for the first conjugation,

hundred and twenty, or thereabouts; yet in variation are so divers and uncertain, that they need much the stamp of some good logic to beat them into proportion. We have set down that, that in our judgment agreeth best with reason and good order. Which notwithstanding, if it seem to any to be too rough hewed, let him plane it out more smoothly, and I shall not only not envy it, but, in the behalf of my country, most heartily thank him for so great a benefit; hoping that I shall be thought sufficiently to have done my part, if in towling this bell, I may draw others to a deeper consideration of the matter: for, that after much painful churning, this only touching myself, I must needs confess, would come, which here we have devised.

the present into the time past, by the only The second conjugation therefore turneth change of his letters, namely, of vowels alone, or consonants also.

Verbs changing vowels only, have no certain termination of the participle past,' but derive it as well from the present, as the time past: and that other-while differing from either, as the examples following do declare.

The change of vowels is, either of simple vowels, or of diphthongs; whereof the first goeth by the order of vowels, which we

also will observe.

Ana is turned into oo.

Pres. shake, shakest, shaketh. Pl. shake, shake, shake.

Past. shook, shookest, shook. Pl. shook, shook, shook.

Inf.

Fut. shake, shake. Pl. shake, shake. shake. Part. pre. shaking.

Part. pa. shaken.

This form do the verbs take, wake, forsake, and hang follow; but hang in the time past maketh hung, not hangen.

Hereof the verb am is a special exception, being thus varied:

Pr. am, art, is. Pl. are, are, are; or be, be, be, of the unused word be, beest, beeth, in the singular.

Past. was, wast, was; or, were, wert, were. Pl. were, were, were.

Fut. be, be. Plur. be, be. Inf. be.

Part. pr. being.

Part. past. been.

Ea maketh, first, e short:

Pr. lead. Past. led. Part. pa. led. The rest of the times and persons, both singular and plural, in this and the other verbs that follow, because they jump with the former examples and rules in every point, we have chosen rather to omit, than to thrust in needless words.

Such are the verbs, eat, beat (both making participles past; besides et and bet, or eaten and beaten), spread, shead, dread, sweat, shread, tread.

Then a, or o, indifferently; break.

Pr.

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fly.

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flew.

Par. pa. flyne or flown.

Pr.

draw.

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Pr.

give.

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Par. pa.

This form cometh oftener than the three former; as snow, grow, throw, blow,

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So shine, strive, thrive.

And as y severally frameth either e or o; so may it jointly have them both.

Pr.
Past.

Par. pa.

ryse.

rise, or rose.

rise, or risen.

To this kind pertain, smyte, wryte, byde, ryde, clymb, dryve, clyve.

Sometimes into the diphthong ay and ou;

as

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A general exception from the former conjugations. Certain verbs have the form of either conjugation; as

hang, hanged, and hung.

So cleave, shear, sting, climb, catch, &‹

CHAP. XXI.

OF ADVERBS.

Thus much shall suffice for the etymology of words that have number, both in a noun and a verb: whereof the former is but short and easy; the other longer, and wrapped with a great deal more difficulty. Let us now proceed to the etymology of words without number.

A word without number is that which without his principal signification noteth kinds, an adverb and a conjunction. Whereof there be two not any number.

An adverb is a word without number that

is joined to another word; as well learned,

he fighteth valiantly,

he disputeth very subtlely.

So that an adverb is as it were an adjective of nouns, verbs, yea, and adverbs also

themselves.

Adverbs are either of quantity or quality. Of quantity; as

enough, too-much, altogether.

Adverbs of quality be of divers sorts: First, of number; as once, twice, thrice. Secondly, of time; as to-day, yesterday, then, by and by, ever, when.

Thirdly of place; as here, there, where, yonder.

as

Fourthly, in affirmation, or negation;

I, or ay, yes, indeed, no, not, nay. Fifthly, in wishing, calling, and exhort

ing:

Wishing; as O, if.

Calling; as ho, sirrah. Exhorting; as so, so; there, there. Sixthly, in similitude and likeness; as

so, even so, likewise, even as.

To this place pertain all adverbs of quality whatsoever, being formed from nouns, for the most part, by adding ly; as just, justly; true, truly;

strong, strongly; name, namely. Here also adjectives, as well positive as compared, stand for adverbs:

When he least weeneth, soonest shall he fall.

Interjections, commonly so termed, are in right adverbs, and therefore may justly

lay title to this room. Such are these that follow, with their like; as

ah, alas, woe, fie, tush, ha, ha, he. st, a note of silence: Rr, that serveth to set dogs together by the ears: hrr, to chase birds away.

Prepositions are also a peculiar kind of adverbs, and ought to be referred hither. Prepositions are separable or inseparable. Separable are for the most part of time and place; as

among, according, without, afore, after, before, behind, under, upon, beneath, over, against, besides, near. Inseparable prepositions are they which signify nothing, if they be not compounded with some other word; as

re, un, in release, unlearned.

CHAP. XXII.

OF CONJUNCTIONS.

A conjunction is a word without number, knitting divers speeches together: and is declaring, or reasoning. Declaring, which uttereth the parts of a sentence: and that again is gathering, or separating. Gathering, whereby the parts are affirmed to be true together which is coupling, or con

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