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. IIII.

This Chapter layeth forth a more full declaration of cer∣taine rules mentioned before, as of (e) in the end of a word of those letters which are not pronounced,* 1.1 and for writing any words of the plurall number.

Schol.

I Remember you told me, the (e) in the end of a word is not pronounced; beside that, it draweth the sylla∣ble long, it also changeth the sound of Letters: I pray which are they?

Ma.

It changeth the sound of these letters u, c, g. when a∣ny of these vowels go before, as au, eu, iu, ou, ac, ic, oc, uc, ag, ug, so iu ag, ig, as in * hau, haue, leu, leue▪ lou▪ loue, so caue, saue, * 1.2 salue, hiue, thriue: so (a) without (c) is sounded like (k) but ace with (e) like ase, as in accord: but place, race; so lic, lice, truc, truce: also ag, age, as stag, stage, so cag cage; so ••••g, huge, deluge, so hang, strange, string, fringe, so larg, large, in most of which (e) doth also draw the syllable long, a•• you saw in

ag, age, hug, huge. Where you must marke, that the sound which (g) hath in age, and huge, being long, in short syllables is made by putting d, before g, as in badg, trudg. So it is also when e, i, or o, come before g, as leg, ledge, rig, ridge, log, lodg; which vowels before g, are neuer long except in leig, sieg, which is the putting in i.

Schol.

But Sir, you haue vsed (e) in the end of many words not sounded, when neither it changeth, sound, nor maketh the syllable long: why is that?

Ma.

Wée sée it indéed often, but rather of custome, (as they say) for * 1.3 beautie than of necessitie, as after (i) but not after (y) as in bie, by; and after two consonants, or a conso∣nant doubled, as in article, angle, barre, chaffe, sonne, where∣as the learned languages neither double the consonant, nor vse such (e) as the Latines say, mel, as, ros, we mell, as, rosse, And sometime we vse not (e) when the word is long, as after (ll) as in all, fall, shall, yea, we vse (as) longer without (e) than asse; with it. Yet sometime we vse (e) after two consonants, to draw the syllable long for difference sake, principally if the end of them be (l) as in cradle, ladle; least they should be pro∣nounced * 1.4 short, like saddl, ladl; which some men would distin∣guish by doubling (dd) as saddle. But it is both vsuall and néedlesse to write bibbl, and chilld; to make them differ from bible, and child. And some pronounce these words, blind, find, behind, short: other blinde, finde, behinde, with (e) long. Which (e) if we should write after some words, it would vtterly ouerthrow the naturall sound, as if we should write hang with (e) thus hange, we must pronounce it like strange, and hence ariseth the difference of the last syllable in hanger, and stranger. So words sounding, as long, song; and ending in ing, as reading, writing, if they should haue (e) would sounded like fringe, hinge; as swing him in a rope, swinge him with a rod, which must not be written with (dg) frindg, as some thinke, as the former examples shew, and these words, fringed, hingell, where (d) is neuer written.

Schol.

If this be custome without reason, what certainty shall I hold?

Ma.

Although it were good and easie both for our owne Country learners, and for strangers, that certaine rules were

knowne and practised, (which thing might easily be done) yet because it lyeth not in vs to reforme, I wish you rather to obserue the best, and follow that which we haue, than to la∣bour for innouation, which wée cannot effect. And let this admonition serue for all customes in the rest.

Schol.

I remember you promised mée to set downe those * 1.5 words which haue other letters besides (c) either not at all, or but little pronounced.

Mast.

I will either set you them downe, or else giue you rules to know them. Marke them therefore as they follow: a 1.6 is not pronounced, when (ea or oa) come together, as in earth, wealth, beautie, abroad, toat, boat. Where (a) doth draw the syllable long, like (e) in the end, as appeareth by these words, Beast, best, bread, bed, goad, god, coast, cost; as if you wrote brede, gode, &c. And hereupon this word yeare, yeere, yere, is diuersly written: yet we say, be-atitude, cre∣ate, cre-a-tor. &c. but creature; and in forreigne proper names, wée commonly pronounce both, as in Ichoshable-ath, Gile-ad▪ Teco-a, Bo-az.

(e) Not pronounced in George, trueth. * 1.7

(i) In shield, field, priest, chief, brief, shrieue, grieue, siege, * 1.8 Maister, their, view, mischiefe, fierce, friese, atchieue, mar∣ueil, reliefe, griefe, biere, adiew, interfier, kirchiefe, lieute∣nant, fruit suit, bruise, bruit.

(o) In people, floud, bloud, yeoman, ieopardy. * 1.9

(u) In guest, guife, buy, guide, prologue, build, tongue, guile, * 1.10 guilty, conduit, league, dialogue, plague, epilogue, sinagogue.

(b) In lamb, comb, thumb, debt, doubt, bdelium. * 1.11

(c) In backe, packe, decke, pecke, licke, sticke, rocke, * 1.12 knocke, hucke, lucke. And all alike: for we vse no short words ending in (e) without (k) so in these that end in ackle, eckle, ickle, ockle, uckle.

Schol.

Why may we not say that (k) is not pronounced in these aswell as (c)?

Mast.

It differeth not much which: for although that (k) doth end our English words when they be long: as in bake, cake, seeke, speake, like, looke, duke: yet these that we make short, the Latines make the same sound in (c) as lac, nec, dic, sic, hoc, duc, when we say, lacke, necke, dick, sick, hock, duck.

(g) In signe, resigne, ensigne, flegme, raigne, soueraigne, Gascoigne. * 1.13

(h) In Christ, mirth, Ghost, Iohn, whole, scholler, eunuch, chronicle, authority, anchor, choler, chrystall, Rhene, rhe∣nish, * 1.14 rhetoricke, abhominable, melancholy. So in forreigne proper names, as Thomas, Achaia, Cheaanath, Zacharias, Zichri, Chios, Aristarchus. So those that end in arch, as Monarch: but in the beginning seldome, as Archangell; therefore commonly writ Arkangell.

(gh) Comming together except in Ghost, are of most men but little sounded, as might, fight, pronounced as mite, fite; * 1.15 but in the end of a word some Countries sound them fully, o∣thers not at all: as some say, plough, slough, bough: other, plou, slou, bou, Thereupon some write burrough, some bor∣row; but the truest is both to write and pronounce them.

(n) In solemne, hymne. * 1.16

(p) In Psalme, receipt, accompt. * 1.17

(s) In Isle. * 1.18

(t) Is alwaies written, but little sounded before (ch) when * 1.19 the syllable is short, not hauing another consonant next, be∣fore, as in catch, stretch, ditch, botch, smatch, except in rich, which, much; in which, custome hath preuailed against rule: But if the syllable be long, or hath another consonant with (ch) then (t) is not written, as in attach, reproch, couch, b••lch, bench, &c.

Here againe obserue, that custome hath preuailed against reason, else why should (a) be written in boar, boat, rather than in dore, dote, or (i) in fruite, rather than brute? But to know whan to write them, and when not, you shall find all that may bréed doubt, set downe in the table at the end of the book, where you may aske councell, as your doubts shall arise, and not for those sorts onely, but for any other hard or doubt∣full word not mentioned before in this booke.

In such rules of writing, you must not onely vnder∣stand the first originall word but all deriua∣tions rising from them. Note that •• long sounde••, as in Se not as Sea, is al∣wayes written wi••h ea. Words of the plural number

Schol.

You told me, you would obserue something more in words ending in es; I pray you what is it?

Mast.

Well remembred it is this: words ending in (es) are most of the plurall number, and are made of the singular by adding (s) for where it is not néedfull to vse (e) in the end of the singular number, it shall not be néedfull to vse es in the

plurall, as in iewels, ingines: except the singular end in a vo∣wel, or in (w) put for (••) as in flies pies, toes, crowes. Ther∣fore shall you find hands, things, words, more vsuall in the ex∣actest writers, than handes, thinges, wordes, w^t (e) although both wayes be common: and this maketh the difference be∣twixt mils and miles, tuns and tunes, curs and cures: and not by writing them being short, with the consonant doubled, as milles, tunnes, curres, which is néedlesse though vsuall, vn∣lesse it be sometime for difference of words, as to make Sonnes differ from the sound of the latine word sons.

Schol.

Are there then neuer more syllables in the plurall number, than in the singular.

Mast.

Yes sometime, as when the singular number endeth in ce, ch, gd, dg, s, or sh, As in graces, places, churches, cages, hedges, noses, fishes. And this maketh the difference betwixt gags for the mouth, and gages for a Uessell. Note also, that if the singular number end in (f) it is turned in the plurall into (u) as wife, knife, calfe, whose plurals are wiues, kniues, calues.

Schol.

Doe all words of the plurall number end in es?

Ma.

No, for we may say lice, mice, men, b••••thren, oxen, teeth, feet, kine: and many other. And sometime the singular and plurall are both one; as one sheepe, ten sheepe, one mile, twenty mile, or miles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of (e) in the end of a word.
• * 1.2

  Here u, with e, hath the sound of a consonāt. And (ee) as (se) and when short words ••nd in (c) we vse to adde (k)
• * 1.3

  Especially a••∣ter, and is as in esp••e, argue.
• * 1.4

  Whereas some would make such words as able, two sylla∣bles, and that e in the end, makes bl, to be as it were a syl∣lable, I can see no reason for it.
• * 1.5

  A letter not pronounced.
• a 1.6

  The joyning of these kind of vowels may be called im∣proper dip∣thongs, be∣cause one of them •••• little heard.
• * 1.7

  (e)
• * 1.8

  (i)
• * 1.9

  (o)
• * 1.10

  (u)
• * 1.11

  (b)
• * 1.12

  (c)
• * 1.13

  (g)
• * 1.14

  (h)
• * 1.15

  (gh)
• * 1.16

  (n)
• * 1.17

  (p)
• * 1.18

  (s)
• * 1.19

  (t)