on the Englifh Alphabet. 159 
fimple found, from a mere opening of the mouth, 
which creates a vowel. 
Secondly; fhould any one draw a right-line 
through a given fpace, and inftantaneoufly glance 
off, and continue the line in another direétion, it 
would no longer be a fimple right-line ; it would be 
be two contiguous right-lines; and the refult would 
be fome fort of angle. 
And, thus, if any other pofition fhould. follow, 
with whatever velocity, and during the inftant of 
pronouncing any certain vowel, give thereto a 
different tendence or infleétion, the found produced 
would not be a fimple found; therefore, not a 
mete vowel; it would be a compound of two 
vowels; and therefore a diphthong.* 
Such is our letter I, as pronounced in clime, time, 
&c> for it is a compound of two vowels; the firft of 
which cannot be exactly expreffed, but by the 
fhort found of the open A, or of the O in Joy—the 
fecond has the true found of the continental I, or 
Englifh 
*« Diphthongus ita folet difiniri 4 Grammaticis, ut fit 
** fyllaba ex duabus vocalibus conflata: fonum retinentibus, 
** Ego vero malim dicere, In unam mixtam vocem coeun- 
* tibus (nam alioquin quando diftin&te funt vocalium 
~ voces, du fyllabae nafcantur neceffe eft) aut hoc certé 
* addiderim definitioni, Qu« raptim et uno {piritu pro- 
“ ferri poffunt.” 
Beza De Veteri et Germ, Pron. Grexc, Ling, 
