charitie, cherrie, of quhilk hereafter.




OF OUR ABUSING SUM CONSONANTES.

Cap. 5.


1. Now I am cum to a knot that I have noe wedg to cleave, and wald be
glaed if I cold hoep for help. Ther sould be for everie sound that can
occur one symbol, and of everie symbol but one onlie sound. This reason
and nature craveth; and I can not but trow but that the worthie
inventoures of this divyne facultie shot at this mark.

2. But, contrarie to this sure ground, I waet not be quhat corruption,
we see, not onelie in our idiom, but in the latin alsoe, one symbol to
have sundrie soundes, ye, and that in one word; as, lego, legis.

3. First, to begin with c, it appeeres be the greekes, quho ever had
occasion to use anie latin word, quharein now we sound c as s, in their
tymes it sounded k; for Cicero, thei wryt Kikero; for Cæsar, Kaisar; and
Plut., in Galba, symbolizes principia, πρινκιπια.

4. This sound of it we, as the latines, also keepe befoer a, o, and u;
as, canker, conduit, cumber. But, befoer e and i, sum tymes we sound it,
with the latin, lyke an s; as, cellar, certan, cease, citie, circle,
_et_c.