and that other, and ſome will ſay and wait, iny tother, and thy tother: we vſe to ſay, commaundment, why ſhould we be bounde to write it as the Frenche worde is ſpoken commaundement, and infinite others which I doe omit at this time. Nowe calling to mind what hath bene ſayde for wordes, euen the like may be as iuſtly ſayd of letters: for they are miſnamed much from their offices and natures, whereby the deſirous are much the more hindered from learning to reade, though they were neuer ſo willing. For by the former maner the more reaſon a man or woman hath, the latter, and with more trauaile and paine ſhal he or ſhe learne it. And by this following order, the reaſonable will delite therein, for that the eye, the tongue, and the eare, may altogether find it to frame with reaſon: which is the mother and roote of all ſciences and mans workers. And by how much reaſon wanteth in any of them, ſo much doe they want of their perfection. As for example by part of our letters, wherby you may underſtand the like of moſt of the reſt. For H. what reaſon is it to call it ache which we ſpeak when we would expreſſe the griefe of braine, fleſh, or bone, and ſay and write heade ache, &c. where as the nature and office of H. is to signifie the only putting forth of the breath, before or after the pure voyces callde vowels. So as in teaching a reaſonable man, ignorant of letters, as they are now accuſtomed, and aſke him how ſoundeth in his care which is now taught by ſpelling, whereby they muſt make that which is not giuen by the name of the letter to ſounde t, h, r, he will aunſwere teacher, for ſo are your letters taught, as might be thus, te, ache, er, which ſoundes iuſtly, as you teache thoſe letters to be named. But you will ſay, he must know what it ſpelles, which ſpelling is as reaſonable, as to ſay, a Woodcocke, a Snite, and a Curlue, doe make a preſent of Godwittes: yet though they haue all long bils, they differ in ſhape and taſte, and ought to kéepe ſtill their owne names, ſo long as their naturall proportion is ſeene, and ſo of the reſt. It is a ſophiſticall maner of teaching when the letters apart must be named in one ſort, and being put togither, in another, it is a maner of Metamorpoſis, or worke of Circes, ſo to tranſ-
