contraction of the two Vowels into one, as is observable among the Peasants
of France, and those of Picardy, who retain very much of Antiquity, which
seems to be agreeable with the manner of speech among the Ancient French,
who delighted to shorten and contract their words as much as possible, that
they might make up a Language altogether as free as their humour, some of
the most remote of these would instead of _Ker_ pronounce _Cher_ by a
change of that firm and surly letter into one more easy and soft as we yet
find it Customary in the remains of some of the Ancient Romans, and then
after all by the turn of a Vowel into a Dipthong, from _Cher_ is form'd
_Choir_, which now begins to be out of date altho its Composit _dechoir_ be
still of plausible and commendable use. Thus 'tis that _Cadere_, _Cader_,
_Caer_, _Car_, _Ker_, _Cher_, _Choir_, and _Dechoir_ make up but one intire
chain and connexion, yet all to very little purpose if any one of the
degrees by chance should have been wanting.

For this reason altho I consider every Language in its greatest perfection,
yet for clearing its originall in rendring this sequel of words more open
and palpable I have been oblidg'd to make numerous reflections upon the
older forms of speech as well as Orthographie, by which a better discovery
may be made of all the varieties that occure in pronunciation, as also of
the severall medlies and Gibrish of the Provinces of Each Empire that speak
the same Language, but most of them in a singular fashion.

So that it is most certain that that Language which is most quaint and
polite is very often the lesse pure and most debaucht, if we make an æquall
judgment from its originall which is the most unquestionable rule: Upon
which account the dialects of Province, Gascogne, Languedoc, and that which
is known by the name of the Antient Gauls is infinitely lesse alter'd and
distanc't from its original, then the Languages of the Court and Nobility,
who take a pleasure in receding from the Latin: Those of Lombardy and