compreſſion of the breath in framing of them. Though not only the Europæan Nations do at this preſent expreſs them by this mixture of (H,) but it was likewiſe the opinion of the Antients, as may appear; becauſe before thoſe Letters θ, φ, χ, were invented by Palamedes, the Grecians were wont to expreſs the power of them, by adding the aſpiration H, to Τ, Π, Κ.Voſſius de Gram. cap. 16. Yet 'tis very plain, that each of theſe Conſonants eſteemed to be aſpirated, are ſimple Letters; becauſe in the prolation of them, the ſame ſound doth ſtill continue, and therefore they ought not to be reckoned amongſt the mixed Letters.
2. Double Conſonants are ſuch as are compounded of ſome of the other Letters, and for the Compendium of writing, are in ſeveral Languages expreſſed by ſingle Characters, and reckoned in the Alphabet as if they were diſtinct ſpecies of ſimple Letters. Such are in the Latin Alphabet Q, X, and the double Letter Z, whoſe power is the ſame as DS, or TS. To which Claudius Cæſar would have added an Antisigma in this form (ϽϹ) which ſhould have had the power of the Greek ψ, or PS. Scaliger de de Cauſis L. L. cap. 21.
As for the Letter Q, 'Tis commonly granted to be a Compound of C and U; Voſſius Gram. cap. 27.for which reaſon, in many ancient Books, the letter V was not written after Q, as being involved in it: ſo qis, qæ, qid. But what kind of V this ſhould be, is much debated. Some would have it to be the Conſonant, against which Joſeph Scaliger argues, that then it would not be pronounceable, being of near affinity to F, qfis, for quis. Diatribe de varia literarum pronuntiatione. But upon conſideration, it will be found to be the Letter ȣ coaleſcing into a Dipthong with the ſubſequent Vowel, cȣam, being the ſame with quam.
What the true Original is of (J) Conſonant, and that power which we give to (Ch) in the words Charity, Cheeſe, Choſen, Chink, &c. is a queſtion men have much differed about. 'Tis evident that neither of them are ſingle Letters, becauſe in the prolation of them, we do not end with the ſame ſound with which we begin. As for that Conjecture, that I Conſonant may be expreſſed by dzy,Alex. Gyll. Gram. cap. 1. dzyindzyer, Ginger, dzyudzy, Judge, or elſe that this ſound is compounded of the Conſonants dy, as dyoy for joy, dyentle, gentle, lodying for lodging. D' Wallis Gram. And ſo for the power that we aſcribe to Ch, that it may be ſufficiently expreſſed by Ty, as ortyard, for Orchard, rityes, for riches: Theſe I think need not any particular refutation. It ſeems to be plain, that J Conſonant is a Compound of D, and Zh; and Ch of T, and Sh.
As for the other three Conſonants, that are reckoned in the common Alphabet, K, W, Y, enough hath been ſaid to prove them unneceſſary. If C be uſed alwaies in its proper power (as every Letter ought) then K muſt needs be ſuperfuous; and therefore the Welſh who uſe C only for one kind of ſound, have no K. And as for the Letters W, Y, their power is the ſame with that of the Vowels ȣ, and ɩ, as will evidently appear when they are rapidly pronounce before any other Vowel by way of Dipthong, ſo as to make but one Syllable; ȣɩ wee ȣarr warr, ſȣim ſwim, ɩes yes, ɩoke yoke, ɩȣth youth. The words young and younker being originally of the Dutch, are by them written junk junker.
And as for the Aſpirations, wheele, where, when, &c. our Forefathers the Saxons, did antiently prefix the Aſpirations before the vow-
