AUTHORITY IN ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION. 549 



rhymes of Dryden and Pope. It is further evident from the rhymes 

 of the poets of the latter half of the eighteenth century that this 

 archaic pronunciation persisted almost down to the beginning of the 

 last century. This pronunciation was regarded by the orthoepists as 

 antiquated and vulgar, and they did not fail to denounce it in strong 

 terms, warning against its use. In 1773 Kenrick records with mingled 

 regret and disgust that it would appear affected to pronounce such words 

 as boil, join and many others otherwise than as ' bile ' and ' jine.' But 

 toward the close of the eighteenth century the present pronunciation 

 began to prevail and ' the banished diphthong,' as Nares records with 

 triumphant delight, ' seemed at length to be upon its return.' This 

 same orthoepist informs us, and we may well believe him, that it was 

 the authority of the poets, who had pilloried the offensive pronunciation 

 in their verse, that retarded the progress of the received sound of the 

 diphthong which finally triumphed. 



The early lexicographers were divided on the pronunciation of 

 vase. Indeed, two centuries have not sufficed to unite their successors 

 in perfect harmony on this question. The word to-day vacillates be- 

 tween four received pronunciations. The great unwashed pronounce 

 vase to rhyme with base and case. Some pronounce the word as if 

 written ' vaz ' with ' the broad a.' Others, associating it with its 

 French equivalent, pronounce the word ' vauze.' Others still pro- 

 nounce it so as to rhyme with amaze and gaze. Of these four pronuncia- 

 tions the first is the most prevalent to-day, as it also was two centuries 

 ago. According to the Century Dictionary, the word was introduced 

 into English during the latter half of the seventeenth century, and 

 after the analogy of words of its class, it would naturally be pronounced 

 so as to rhyme with case and base. But the recency of the word and its 

 familiar association with art have given rise to the attempt to make it 

 conform to the analogy of the French pronunciation and sound it as if 

 written ' vauze.' The early occasional spelling of the word as vause 

 doubtless contributed somewhat to the extension of this latter pro- 

 nunciation. This French pronunciation, says the Century, is now 

 affected by many. It is worth while to remark, however, that while 

 the Century recognizes the French pronunciation, it still gives the 

 preference to the old historic pronunciation, viz., that rhyming with 

 case and base. 



Now, in the eighteenth century some of the orthoepists favored one 

 pronunciation and some another. Sheridan, Scott, Kenrick, Perry and 

 Buchanan declared for the pronunciation rhyming with case and base. 

 On the other hand, Smith, Johnston and Walker expressed themselves 

 in favor of ' vaze.' Walker says that he has uniformly heard it so 

 pronounced, but adds the significant remark that the word is pro- 

 nounced according to the French fashion ' sometimes by people of re- 



