bidde icc thatt hett write rihht,
Swa sum thiss boc himm taechethth;
All thwerrt utt affterr thatt itt iss
Oppo thiss firrste bisne,
Withth all swilc rime als her iss sett,
Withth alse fele wordess:
And tatt he loke well thatt he
_An boc-staff write twiggess_,[47]
Eggwhaer thaer itt uppo thiss boc
Iss writenn o thatt wise:
Loke he well thatt hett write swa,
Forr he ne magg noht elless,
On Englissh writenn rihht te word,
thatt wite he well to sothe.

s. 175. _The order of the alphabet._--In the history of our alphabet, we
have had the history of certain changes in the arrangement, as well as of
the changes in the number and power of its letters. The following question
now presents itself: viz., Is there in the order of the letters any
_natural_ arrangement, or is the original as well as the present succession
of letters arbitrary and accidental? The following facts suggest an answer
in the affirmative.

The order of the Hebrew alphabet is as follows:--

_Name._ _Sound._

1. _Aleph_ Either a vowel or a breathing.
2. _Beth_ B.
3. _Gimel_ G, as in _gun_.
4. _Daleth_ D.
5. _He_ Either a vowel or an aspirate.
6. _Vaw_ V.
7. _Zayn_ Z.
8. _Kheth_ a variety of K.
9. _Teth_ a variety of T.
10. _Yod_ I.
11. _Caph_ K.
12. _Lamed_ L.
13. _Mem_ M.
14. _Nun_ N.
15. _Samech_ a variety of S.
16. _Ayn_ Either a vowel or ----?
17. _Pe_ P.
18. _Tsadi_ TS.
19. _Kof_ a variety of K.
20. _Resh_ R.
21. _Sin_ S.
22. _Tau_ T.

Let _beth_, _vaw_, and _pe_ (b, v, p) constitute a series called series P.
Let _gimel_, _kheth_, and _kof_ (g, kh, k') constitute a series called
series K. Let _daleth_, _teth_, and _tau_, (d, t', t) constitute a series
called series T. Let _aleph_, _he_, and _ayn_ constitute a series called
the vowel series. Let the first four letters be taken in their order.

1. _Aleph_ of the vowel series.
2. _Beth_ of series P.
3. _Gimel_ of series K.
4. _Daleth_ of series T.

Herein the consonant of series B comes next to the letter of the vowel
series; that of series K follows; and in the last place, comes the letter
of series T. After this the order changes; _daleth_ being followed by _he_
of the vowel series.

5. _He_ of the vowel series.
6. _Vaw_ of