The English schoole-master teaching all his schollers, of what age soever, the most easie, short, and perfect order of distinct reading, and true writing our English-tongue, that hath euer yet beene knowne or published by any. And further also, teacheth a direct course, hovv any vnskilfull person may easily both vnderstand any hard English words, ... Deuised for thy sake that wantest any part of this skill, by Edward Coote, Master of the Free-schoole in Bury St. Edmond.

CHAP. IX.

This Chapter teacheth plaine rules, how to diuide truely the longest and hardest English word that you shall find.

Schol.

I Haue al ready with ease and cer-tain-ly, learned to know how ma-ny syl-la-bles are in a-ny word, so soone as I sée it: yet know I not how to diuide them truly.

Mast.

Mark then these rules fol-low-ing, and you shall * 1.1 neuer faile. The first is is, if you ••aue two vowels come to∣ge-ther, both fully pro-noun-ced, and no Dip-thong, you must put the for-mer of them in the for-mer s••l-la-ble, and the latter of them to the syl-la ble following, as in tri-al mu-tu-al, say-ing, try ump••, E phra-im. Likewise when the same con-so-nant is dou-bled, they must be di-ui-ded in like man∣ner, as ab bot, ac cord, ad-der, let-ter, dif-fer, com-mon, ne ces si••tie, &c. * 1.2 except when they are néed-les-ly dou-bled in words of the plu-rall number, as in plumme••, whipps, hills, cragges, for plums, hils, whips crags.

Schol.

What meane you by the plurall number?

Mast.

When na-••ing a thing, wée speake of mo than one, as one whip, we call the sin-gu-lar num-ber, because it spea∣keth but of one; and whips we call the plurall number, be∣cause it speaketh of mo than one. * 1.3

Schol.

But what shall I doe, when I find but one con-so∣nant be-twixt two vo-wels.

Mast.

a 1.4 You must put the consonant vnto the vo-well fol∣low-ing him, as in o-ver, enough, v-sed, be-cause, re-port, de-li uer, re-ioy▪ced, di li-gent, re-ge-ne-ra-ti-on, except in some compound word.

Schol.

What kind of words be they?

Mast.

When two seuerall words which wée call simple words are joyned together, as in saue-gard, two syllables, not sa-ue-gard, thrée syllables, b 1.5 because it is made or com∣pounded of two seuerall words, saue and gard; so where-of, there-in, here-out, vn-e-ven, lame nesse, wisely. Where you must note, that if the last part be an addition onely, and sig∣nifie nothing, c 1.6 as (nes) in lame-nes, we call that a deriua∣tiue word, and not a word compounded. Also (x) is put to the vowell before him, as in ox en, ex-er-cise, ex-or-eists, the reason is, because d 1.7 hath the sound of two con-so∣nants, (cands) and (cs) cannot begin a syllable.

Schol.

What i•• there come two diuers con-so-nants be∣twixt two vowels.

Mast.

Then if they be such as may, they must be joyned: for those that begin a word, must begin a syllable in any part of the word.

Schol.

How then shall I know which are Consonants may begin a word, and therefore must be joyned?

Mast.

If you turne backe to the third Chapter of the first book, they are set downe together: but because I would haue you very perfect in these letters, I will giue you of euery one an example; as blesse, crew, child, clap, cre••p, draw, dwell, fl••m, fret, glasse, grat, grace, know, play, praise, scab, shall, skip, flowe, smart, snuf, spend, squib, stand, sway, that, trap, twain, when, wrought.

Schol.

I pray you now giue examples, how these must be ioyned in words of mosyllables.

Ma.

Marke then diligently there: restore, not thus, res∣tore, because (st) may begin a syllable: it must not thus, rest-ore, because a Consonant (if there be any) must begin the syllable; so in re▪fraine, ex-e crable, and such like: but in god-ly, sel dome, trum-pet, lod god, mor-ning, &c. the middle Consonants must bée diuided, because none of these (dl, ld, mp, dg, rn) can begin a word, therefore can they not be∣gin a syllable. Againe, you may not spell thus: lodg-ed, be∣cause (g) may begin a word.

Schol.

Is then the same reason to bée obserued, if there * 1.8 come thrée or moe Consonants together in the middest of a word?

Ma.

Yea, altogether: For as many Consonants as can, must be joyned, and the rest diuided.

Schol.

How many Consonants may come in the beginning of a word?

Ma.

Thrée and no more: therefore, if in the midst there come foure, or mo, they must be diuided, although foure may end a syllable, as in words.

Schol.

How shall I be sure, which thrée may be joyned?

Ma.

They are all set downe in the beginning of the fift Chapter of the first book. But for more plainnesse sake, I will giue euery one of them an example, whereof wée haue an ordinary English word, as scraps, skrew, shrink, stroke, spilt, spring, thrall, twhi••e.

Schol.

Giue an example for diuiding of these words, wherein many consonants come together.

Mast.

One or two may serue, if you remember what hath béen taught. As for this word con-straine, you may not say co-nstraine, nor cons-traine, const-raine, nor constr-aine, but con-straine, because (ns) cannot begin a syllable (str) can, therefore it must begin it; so im-ploy, King-dome, destructi∣on, ac-know-ledge, trans-gresse, &c. And this rule must you carefully still-practice, that you may readily giue the reason in all such words, why euery consonant must goe to this syl∣lable rather than to that. But still looke, as before, that so••le compound words must be markt, as mis-take, dis-like, trans∣pose, with-out, through-our, &c. Which if they had béene simple words, we must haue spelled them thus, mi-stake, di∣slike, tran-spose, as yée haue learned, because in composition euery word must haue his owne letters, not mingled with o∣ther.

Schol.

But Sir, some men spell deriuatiue words thus: speak eth, strength en-ing otherwise than you haue taught.

Mast.

I know it well: yet because if such words should be so spelled, we must for them frame new rules, (which were to bring a néedlesse oppression on childrens memories:) and that the former rules can bring no inconuenience, in any word, therefore follow them without feare or doubt. And thus may you, by this that you haue learned, spel truly certainly, & with judgment, any English word, that can be laid before you.

Schol.

[Object.] Although all men will grant that these rules must of necessity bring a spéedy course of readi••g to as many as are of yéeres able to discerne, yet many will not easily beléeue that little children can conceiue them, and make vse of them; and then they will rather bring confusion than profit.

Mast.

[Answ.] But experience hath taught the contrary: for a child of an ordinary capacity, will, and hath easily conceiued these rules, being orderly taught. But discretion must be vsed, not to trouble them with any new rule, before they be perfect in the old. The words of art here vsed are not aboue eight, in all; the most of them I would haue the child learne, while he is learning to spell, in the first booke, as I haue giuen d••∣rection there in the beginning: which words there, and rules

héere being orderly taught, as is prescribed, neuer by (the blessing of God) doubt of a comfortlesse successe: therefore I wish that no man with a preindicate opinion, doe reiect them, before he hath made good tryall vpon some ordinary wits: but would haue all such as teach to reade, that they would make their Schollers as perfect in the rules of these thrée Chapters as may bée, being of the chiefest necessity and vse: the other that follow, because some of them be more hard, containing onely difference of sounds of our English letters and other obseruations for true writing, if your child be very young or dull, trouble him with vnderstanding no more of them than he is fit to containe and vse: yet let him learne to reade them all: for it were granted, that he could vnderstand none of them, no, nor some of the former; yet while he reades them, he learneth as much, and goeth on as fact, as by reading any other matter. For I demand what he vnderstands, when hée readeth a Chapter in the Bible? Yet will no man deny him profit by reading. And this hath made me longer by the one halfe for plainnesse sake, than otherwise I might, knowing that in practising to reade, he looseth not his labour.

Although these three Chapters be of greatest vse for Readers, yet let your Scholler dili∣gently reade the rest. For although he doe not vnder∣stand some of the rules fol∣lowing at the first reading, yet he may at the second.

Notes

• * 1.1

  For the la•• to syllable must no•• be∣gin with a vo∣wel, except the former end in a vowell. Doubleconso∣nants.
• * 1.2

  The plurall number I will now leaue di∣uiding those syllables which I haue taught by rule, the better to bring Schollers to present prac∣tice.
• * 1.3

  One Conso∣nant.
• a 1.4

  Because the former syllable cannot end with a Conso∣nant, except the syllable following be∣gin with a con∣sonant.
• b 1.5

  We call that simple, that is not compoun∣ded.
• c 1.6

  The syllable will keepe the same letters, as when he was simple.
• d 1.7

  Therefore (x) is called a double con∣sonant. Two conso∣nants.
• * 1.8

  Three, or moe Consonants,