OF ASIATICK WORDS, 



9 



Let me now proceed, not prefcribing rules for 

 others, but explaining thofe which I have prefcribed 

 for myfelf, to unfold my own fyftem, the convenience 

 of which has been proved by careful obfervation and 

 long experience. 



It would be fuperfluous to difcourfe on the organs 

 of fpeech, which have been a thoufand times difiec'ted, 

 and as often defcribed,by muficians or anatomifts ; and 

 the feveral powers of which every man may perceive, 

 either by the touch or by fight, if he will attentively 

 obferve another perfon pronouncing the different 

 claffes of letters, or pronounce them himfelf diftinclly 

 before a mirror : but a fhort analyfis of articulate 

 founds may be proper to introduce an examination of 

 every feparate fymbol. 



All things abound with err our, as the old fearchers 

 for truth remarked with defpondence : but it is really 

 deplorable that our firlt ftep from total ignorance 

 mould be into grofs inaccuracy $ and that we mould 

 begin our education in England with learning to read 

 the five vowels, two of which, as we are taught to pro- 

 nounce them, are clearly diphthongs. There are, in- 

 deed, five fimple vocal founds in our language, as in 

 that of Rome, which occur in the words an innocent bull) 

 though not preciiely in their natural order; for we have 

 retained the true arrangement of the letters, while we 

 capricioufly disarrange them in pronunciation; fo that 

 our eyes are Satisfied, and our ears difappointed. The 

 primary elements of articulation are the fojt and hard 

 breathings, the fpiritus lenis and fpiritus a/per of the 

 Latin grammarians. If the lips be opened ever fo little 

 the breath fuffered gently to pafs through them, and 

 the feebleft utterance attempted, a found is formed of 

 fo fimple a nature, that, when lengthened, it continues 

 nearly the fame, except that, by the leafl acutenefs in 

 she voice, it becomes a cry, and is probably the firft 

 (bund uttered by infants: but if, while this element is 



articulated, 



