els; as hȣel, hȣer, hȣen, which will in pronunciation be of the very ſame ſound and power, wherein theſe words are now uſed, and therefore is more natural and proper than the common way of writing.
According to this eſtabliſhment, the ſimple Letters will be thirty four, whereof eight are Vowels, and twenty ſix Conſonants, beſides twenty four Dipthongs.
The Greek Letters are ſaid to have been at firſt only 16;Voſſius de Gram. cap. 18. namely, Α, Β, Γ, Δ, Ε, Ι, Κ, Λ, Μ, Ν, Ο, Π, Ρ, Σ, Τ, Υ. To which Palamedes is ſaid to have added the three Aſpirates Θ, Φ, Χ. Epicharmus the Sicilian the double Letters Ζ, ξ, Ψ. Simonides the two long Vowels η and ω. Notwithſtanding which, that Alphabet is ſtill in ſeveral reſpects defective.
What Theodorus Bibliander ſuggeſts in his Tract de ratione communi omnium Linguarum, that all ſounds both articulate, and inarticulate, may ſufficiently be expreſſed by 13 Letters, and an Aſpiration, viz. the five ordinary Vowels, & B, G, D, L, M, N, R, S, is ſo very irrational, that I cannot think it needs any particular confutation.
As for thoſe other new Alphabets that are propoſed by Sir Thomas Smith, Bullokar, Alex. Gill, they do none of them give a juſt enumeration of the ſimple Elements of ſpeech, but what by the mixture of long and ſhort Vowels, which do not differ ſpecifically, together with the inſertion of double Letters, they do too much increaſe the number of them. Beſides that ſome other Letters are left out and omitted.
According to this eſtabliſhment of Letters, if the Lords Prayer or Creed were to be written according to our preſent pronunciation of it, they ſhould be each of them thus Lettered.
The Lords Prayer.
Ỿȣr fadher hȣitſh art in héven, halloëd bi dhỿi nàm, dhỿi cingdỿm cỿm, dhỿi ȣill bi dỿn, in erth az it iz in héven, giv ỿs dhis dai ỿȣr daili bred, and fαrgív ỿs ỿȣr treſpaſſez az ȣi fαrgív dhem dhat treſpaſ againſt ỿs, and lèd ỿs nαt intȣ temptaſiαn, bỿt delíver ỿs frαm ivil, fαr dhỿn iz dhe cingdɩm, dhe pỿȣër and dhe glαri, fαr ever and ever, Amen.
The Creed.
Ỿɩ bɩlìv ɩn Gαd dhe fàdher αlmỿɩtɩ màker αf héven and erth, and in Dzheſỿs Crỿɩſt hɩz onlɩ ſỿn ỿȣr Lαrd, hȣȣ ȣaz cαnsèved bỿɩ dhe holɩ Goſt, bαrn αf dhe Vɩrgin Màrɩ, ſỿffered ỿnder Pαnſiỿs Pỿɩlat, ȣaz crɩȣſifiëd ded and bỿriëd. Hɩ deſſended intȣ hel, dhe thỿrd daɩ hɩ ròſ agaɩn frαm dhe ded. Hɩ aſſended intȣ héven, hȣèr hɩ ſɩtteth at dhe rỿɩt hand αf Gαd dhe fàdher, frαm hȣènſ hi ſhαl cỿm tȣ dzhỿdzh dhe cȣic and dhe ded. Ỿɩ bɩlìv ɩn dhe holɩ Goſt, the holɩ catholɩc tshỿrtſh, dhe cαmmɩαnɩαn αf Saints, dhe fαrgɩvnes αf ſɩnz, de reſỿrrecſion αf dhe bady, and lỿif everlaſting. Amen.
Thus much may ſuffice, concerning the Forms, Eßences, or Powers of the ſeveral Letters.