B

• Omnes Vocales ancipites sunt; (i. e.) modò longæ, modò breves: codem tamen modo sempèr depicta, (nam scriptura est imitatio sermonis, ut pictura corporis. Scriptio vocum pictura. Smithus) et eodem sono pronunciatæ. Nisi quòd vocalis longa bis tantum temporis in effando retinet, quàm brevis. Ut

rectè cecinit ille de vocalibus.

Temporis unius brevis est, ut longa duorum.

A

• Literæ hujus sonus est omnium gentium ferè communis. Nomen autem, et figura multis nationibus est diversa. Scalig. et Ramus.

Dionysius ait a esse, evQwvóτatov, ex plenitudine

vocis.

A, prima locum littera sic ab ore, sumit,
Immunia, rictu patulo, tenere labra:
Linguamque necesse est ità pandulam reduci,
Ut nisus in illam valeat subire vocis,
Nec partibus ullis aliquos ferire dentes.

E

Triplicem differentiam habet: primam, mediocris rictus: secundam, linguæ, eamque duplicem; alteram, interioris, nempè inflexa ad interius cælum

CHAP. III.

OF THE VOWELS.

All our vowels are sounded doubtfully. In quantity, (which is time) long or short. Or, in accent, (which is tune) sharp or flat. Long in these words, and their like:

Debating, congeling, expiring, oppōsing, endūring. Short in these: Stomaching, severing, vanquishing, ransoming, picturing..

Sharp in these: háte, méte, bíte, nóțe, pále.
Flat in these: hat, mèt, bìt, not, pull.

A

• With us, in most words, is pronounced less than the French à; as in

art, act, apple, ancient.

But when it comes before 1, in the end of a syllabe, it obtaineth the full French sound, and is uttered with the mouth and 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 l, as in

salt, malt, balm, calin.

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.

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 transierit herì. 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.

Example in mé, seé, agreé, 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 máde, stéme, stripe, óre, cúre, which else would sound, màd, 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.

It is mere silent in words where is coupled with a consonant in the end; as whistle, gristle, brittle, fickle, thimble, &c.

Or after v consonant, as in

love, glove, move.

Where it endeth a former syllabe, it soundeth longish, but flat; as in

dérive, prépare, résolve.

Except in derivatives, or compounds of 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 more 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.

I

Porrigit ictum genuino propè ad ipsos
Minimumque renidet supero tenus labello.

Terent.

I vocalis sonos habet tres: suum, exilem: alterum, latiorem proprioremque ipsi e; et tertium, obscuriorem ipsius u, inter quæ duo Y græcæ vocalis sonus continetur: ut non inconsultò Victorinus ambiguam illam quam adduximus vocem, per Y scribendam esse putarit, Optimus.

Scalig.

Ante consonantem I sempèr est vocalis.

t

Ante vocalem ejusdem syllaba consonans.

Apud Hebræos I perpetuò est consonans; ut apud Græcos vocalis.

W

x

Ut in Giacente, Giesù, Gioconda, Giustitia. * O pronunciatur rotundo ore, linguâ ad radices hypoglossis reductâ. o píxpov, et à péya, unica tantùm nota, sono differenti.