L I B. VI. Of the Advancement of Learning. 16 a 



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whereof we Ipeakj belongs only to fweetnefs and haiihnefs of founds, 

 of which fome are common 5 for there is no Tongue but in (bme fort 

 (huns the too much overture of concurrent Vowels, and the afperities 

 of concurrent Confonants. There are other refpedive founds which 

 are pleafing, or unpleafing to the ear, according to the temper of di- 

 vers Nations. Tkc Greeks Tongue is full of Diphthongs 5 the Latin is 

 far more fparing 5 the Spanifh Tongue hates fmall-founding Letters, 

 a.nd prefently changeth them into Letters of a middle tone j the Tongues 

 derived from the Goths delight in Alpirates 5 there are innumerable of 

 this nature, but perchance thefe are more than enough. 



III. But the meafitfc of words hath brought us forth an iraraenfe Body 

 of Art, namely Poejle 5 not inrefpeft of the Matter (of which we have 

 (poken before} but in refpedt of ftile, and the form of words, as Metre 

 or Ferfi:, touching which the Art is very fmall and brief, but the ac- 

 cefs of Examples large and infinite. Neither ought that Art Cwhich the 

 Grammarians call Profodia) to be only reftrain'd to the kinds and raea- 

 furesof Verfe j for their are Precepts to beannext, what kind of Verfs 

 beft fitteth every Matter or Subjedl. The Ancients applied Heroicai 

 Verfe to Hijiories and Laitdatorks ; Elegies to Lamentations ; fa.mhicks 

 to InveUives ; Lyrickj to Songs and H)mns. And this Wifdom of the 

 Ancients is not wanting in the Poets of later Ages, in Mother-tongues 5 

 only this is to be reprehended, that fome of them too (ludious of Anti- 

 quity have endeavoured to draw Modern Languages to Ancient Mea- 

 fiires (aiSHeroicli,Elegiack^^Sa^hicl{_^ and the reft) which the Fabrick, 

 and compofition of thofe Languages, will not bear, and withal is no 

 left harfh unto the ear. In the Matters of this Nature the Judgement 

 of Senfe is to be preferr'd before Precepts of Art, as he faith, 



— C(sn£ FercuU nojlra "^^^J 



MallemConvivis quumplacHiffeCoquis. 



Nor is this Art^ but the abufe of Art, feeing it doth not perfetS, but per- 

 verts Nature. As for Poejie (whether we fpeak^of Fables, or Metre) it isy 

 as we havcfaid before, as a Luxuriant Herb brought forth without feed, 

 and fprings up from thejlrength and rank»efs of the foyl. IVherefore it 

 runs along every where, and isfo amply fpread, as it were a fuperfluous la- 

 hour to be curious of any Deficients therein j the care therefore for this 

 is taken already. 



§ As for the Accents of Words, there is no need, that we fpeak of Co 

 foiall a matter ^ unlefs, perchance, (bme may think it worth the noting, 

 that there hath been exadt obfervations macie of the Accents of Words, 

 but not of the Accents of Sentences j yet this, for moft part, is the gene- 

 ral Cuftom of all men, that in the clofe of a Period they let fall their 

 voice, in a demand they raiie it, and many fiich like ufages. 



§ As for Writing, that is perform'd either by the vulgar Alphabet, 

 which is every where receiv'd 5 or by a fecret and private Alphabet, 

 which men agree upon between themfelves, which they call Cyphers. 

 But the Vulgar Orthography hath brought forth unto us a Controverfie, 

 and Queftion, namely, whether words flwuld be written as they are fpo- 

 ^en, or rather after the ufnal manner. But this kind of writing, which 

 feems to be reformed, which is, that writingfiould be confonant to fpeak:- 

 ing, is a branch of unprofitable fubtilties 5 for frommncjation h felf 



Y every 



