"Wh' expose to Scorn and Hate both them and it."—Cowley.
"Wh' expose to Scorn and Hate both them and it."—Cowley.
"Wh' expose to Scorn and Hate both them and it."—Cowley.
"Wh' expose to Scorn and Hate both them and it."—Cowley.
And the preposition in like manner; as,
"B' unequal Fate and Providence's Crime."—Dryden."Well did he know how Palms b' Oppression speed."—Cowley.
"B' unequal Fate and Providence's Crime."—Dryden."Well did he know how Palms b' Oppression speed."—Cowley.
"B' unequal Fate and Providence's Crime."—Dryden."Well did he know how Palms b' Oppression speed."—Cowley.
"B' unequal Fate and Providence's Crime."—Dryden.
"Well did he know how Palms b' Oppression speed."—Cowley.
And the pronouns personal, he, she, they, we; as,
"Timely h' obeys her wise Advice, and straitTo unjust Force sh' opposes just Deceit."—Cowley."Themselves at first against themselves th' excite."—Cowley."Shame and Woe to us, if w' our Wealth obey."—Cowley.
"Timely h' obeys her wise Advice, and straitTo unjust Force sh' opposes just Deceit."—Cowley."Themselves at first against themselves th' excite."—Cowley."Shame and Woe to us, if w' our Wealth obey."—Cowley.
"Timely h' obeys her wise Advice, and straitTo unjust Force sh' opposes just Deceit."—Cowley.
"Timely h' obeys her wise Advice, and strait
To unjust Force sh' opposes just Deceit."—Cowley.
"Themselves at first against themselves th' excite."—Cowley.
"Themselves at first against themselves th' excite."—Cowley.
"Shame and Woe to us, if w' our Wealth obey."—Cowley.
"Shame and Woe to us, if w' our Wealth obey."—Cowley.
But these and the like contractions are very rare in our most correct poets, and indeed ought wholly to be avoided, for 'tis a general rule that no vowel can be cut off before another, when it cannot be sunk in the pronunciation of it: and therefore we ought to take care never to place a word that begins with a vowel after a word that ends in one (muteeonly excepted), unless the final vowel of the former can belost in its pronunciation, for to leave two vowels opening on each other, causes a very disagreeable hiatus. Whenever therefore a vowel ends a word, the next ought to begin with a consonant, or what is equivalent to it; as ourwandhaspirate plainly are.
For which reason it is a fault in some of our poets to cut off theeof the particle the; for example, before a word that begins by anhaspirate; as,
"And th' hasty Troops march'd loud and cheerful down."—Cowley.
"And th' hasty Troops march'd loud and cheerful down."—Cowley.
"And th' hasty Troops march'd loud and cheerful down."—Cowley.
"And th' hasty Troops march'd loud and cheerful down."—Cowley.
But if thehaspirate be followed by anothere, that of the particle the may be cut off; as,
"Th' Heroick Prince's Courage or his love."—Waller.Th' Hesperian Fruit, and made the Dragon sleep."—Waller.
"Th' Heroick Prince's Courage or his love."—Waller.Th' Hesperian Fruit, and made the Dragon sleep."—Waller.
"Th' Heroick Prince's Courage or his love."—Waller.
"Th' Heroick Prince's Courage or his love."—Waller.
Th' Hesperian Fruit, and made the Dragon sleep."—Waller.
Th' Hesperian Fruit, and made the Dragon sleep."—Waller.