The tenth Chapter, of the quantity of English sillables.
THe Greekes in the quantity of their sillables were farre more lecentious then the Latines, as Martiall in his Epigramme of Earinon witnesseth, saying, Musas qui colimnus seueriores. But the English may very well challenge much more licence then either of them, by reason it stands cheifely vpon monasillables, which in expressing with the voyce, are of a heauy cariage, and for that cause the Dactil, Trybrack, and Anapestick are not greatly mist in our verses. Butr aboue all the accent of our words is dilligently to be oseru'd, for chiefely by the accent in any language the true value of the sillables is to be measured. Neither can I remember any impediment except position that can alter the accent of any sillable in our English verse. For though we accent second of Trumpington short, yet is it naturally long, and so of necessity must be held of euery composer. Wherefore the first rule is to be obserued, is the nature of the accent, which we must euer follow.
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