74 on orthography. Fune 6s. 
circle, whetein the Bee operates, in blending the use- 
ful, with the agreeable branches of knowledge, I, 
fhall offer to the public my lucubrations. 
It is well known that the pronounciation of every 
language is very liable, to alteration, from many 
causes ; such as the eventual connection with foreign 
countries, for example, the accent that the inhabitants 
of those parts.of Ireland, where Englith is spoken, 
have acquired, has been got from the conyersation and 
mixture of the aboriginal natives,—the. caprices of 
fafhion, which being, as I have read in the Bee, 
built upon the. weaknefs and folly of mankind, will 
rule with eternal sway,—the affectation. of popular 
orators and players, many of whom gain their repu-- 
tation ‘by being remarkable, and having something 
new about them,—and. others of a similar nature. 
There is a very prevailing. opinion, which, being 
plausible, is the more dangerous, that the spelling of 
words fhould. be accommodated@: to their pronounci- 
ation. This opinion. I have it in view to refute. 
When: orthography was. invented; the characters 
which were to denote certain words would have 
powers to,exprefs the sounds by which these words. 
were-articulated, and the inventors would endeavour 
to make these powers be- as nearly the same in one 
word as another ;, but, from the great nicety in the 
distinction betwixt sounds, nearly similar indifferent 
words, he would. be obliged, in order not to swell 
his alphahet to an inconvenient magnitude, to make 
the same character exprefs sounds somewhat differ- 
ent in different words, such as was and all. 
The orthography being thus establifhed, every 
person would have in his mind.a distinct idea of the 
