syllab; it wer both more orthographical
and easier for the learner, for c and k are sa sib, _tha_t the ane is a
greek and the other a latin symbol of one sound. In this art it is alyke
absurd to wryte that thou reades not, as to read that thou wrytes not.
6. We use alsoe, almost at the end of everie word, to wryte an idle e.
This sum defend not to be idle, because it affectes the voual before the
consonant, the sound quherof many tymes alteres the signification; as,
hop is altero tantu_m_ pede saltare, hope is sperare; fir, abies, fyre,
ignis; a fin, pinna, fine, probatus; bid, jubere, bide, manere; with
many moe. It is true that the sound of the voual befoer the consonant
many tymes doth change the signification; but it is as untrue that the
voual e behind the consonant doth change the sound of the voual before
it. A voual devyded from a voual be a consonant can be noe possible
means return thorough the consonant into the former voual. Consonantes
betuene vouales are lyke partition walles betuen roomes. Nothing can
change the sound of a voual but an other voual coalescing with it into
one sound, of q_uhi_lk we have spoaken sufficientlie, cap. 3, to
illustrat this be the same exemples, saltare is to hop; sperare to hoep;
abies is fir; ignis, fyr, or, if you wil, fier; jubere is bid; manere,
byd or bied.
7. Yet in sum case we are forced to tolerat this idle e; 1. in wordes
ending in c, to break the sound of it; as peace, face, lace, justice,
_et_c.; 2. behind s, in wordes wryten with this s; as false, ise, case,
muse, use, _et_c.; 3. behind a broaken g; as knawlege, savage, suage,
ald age. Ther may be moe, and these I yeld because I ken noe other waye
to help this necessitie, rather then that I can think anye idle symbol
tolerable in just orthographie.
OF THE ACCENTES OF OUR TONGUE.
Cap. 9.
1. Seing that we fynd not onelie the south and north to differ more in
accent then symbol, but alsoe one word with a sundrie accent to have a
diverse signification, I com_m_end this to him quho hes auctoritie, to
com_m_and al printeres and wryteres to noat the accented syllab in
everie word with noe lesse diligence then we see the grecianes to noat
their's.
2. Cicero, in his buik de Oratore ad Brutum, makes it a natural harmonie
that everie word pronunced be the mouth of man have one acute syllab,
and that never farther from the end then the third syllab, quhilk the
grammareanes cales to the same end the antepenul
|