GOD (who hath ſo well diſpoſed and ordered the courſe of nature in all his creatures,) as hee hath made man his chiefeſt and ſet him ouer all the reſt of his creaturs of the earth, hauing endued him with many graces aboue the reſt, as wiſedome, knowledge, reaſon, vnderſtanding, and the like; euen as ſo many ſprings and riuers iſſuing from the Ocean of his infinit wiſedome: So alſo that nothing might be wanting, nothing ſuperfluous in ſuch a worthy creature, hath giuen him diuers outward meanes and ſences ſo excellent, meete and conuenient, not onely for the nouriſhment and preſeruation of his owne body (as they are likewiſe to other creatures) but alſo as well for the maintenance and increaſe of thoſe inward graces wherewith hee is ſo adorned, as for the imployment of them and ſhewing and ſetting them foorth to other men to whom he hath not giuen the ſame meaſure; whereby he may be glorified of all men as their gracious and glorious Creator, all men may be glorified in him as his chiefeſt creatures: And to that end as he hath giuen man a reaſonable ſoule to iudge and diſcerne, ſo alſo that all his knowledge, all his graces might not lie hid and ſmothered in his owne breaſt, he hath giuen him a voice compoſed with more rareneſſe then in any other of his creatures, wherby he may expreſſe the thoughts of his heart, may praiſe and pray to his God, may teach and inſtruct others in that which hee knoweth aboue other men, may aske aduiſe & councell of others in that he knoweth not, and generally all may communicate and confer together, as well touching ſpirituall matters fit for the ſoule, as concerning all other things neceſſary in our worldly affaires: yet although the voice of man be of ſuch needfull vſe, that without it mans mind were but as in a dungeon, and in perpetuall thraldome of the body for the time of its being in this earthly habitation, if there were no other helpe then tht voice to expreſſe the mind: man could not be the better for any thing that ſhould bee taught or ſpoken of no longer then the very words were ſpeaking, or at the longeſt, but whileſt our weake memories could retaine the very matter ſpoken of, and ſo it might eaſily be foreſeene how ſoone all the labors of vs and our forefathers would periſh, how quickly the wiſe councells, witty and graue ſayings of the learned would be forgotten. The Princes in euery age (though in one and the ſame kingdome) would haue a different kind of ruling, the ſubiects a different courſe of liuing, both the Princes and people a different and new courſe of religion. All our doings, all our ſayings, all our cuſtomes, and all our manners would be buried in obliuion.

Then how vncertaine our eſtates would be, how vncomfortable our ſelues, how dangerous and pernicious it would be for the ſtate of euery common-wealth, all men may eaſily iudge, yet God to preuent theſe inconueniences, for the further benefit of mankind, as hee hath giuen vs a voice to expreſſe the minde vnto the eare, ſo hee hath giuen vs hands to frame letters or markes for the voice to expreſſe the minde vnto the eyes. So that the eyes and eares are as it were the receiuers of meſſage ſent vnto the heart, the hands and voice as deliuerers of meſſage ſent from the heart: And though the voice be a more liuely kind of ſpeech, yet in reſpect it is but onely a ſleight accident made of ſo light a ſubſtance as the ayre, it is no ſooner vttered but it is diſſolued, euery ſimple ſound doth expell and extinguiſh the ſound going before it, ſo that the eare can haue but one touch of the ayre beating vpon it to declare the ſpeech vnto the mind: but the hand though it giue a dumbe and a more dull kind of ſpeech, yet it giues a more durable. A letter is a groſſer ſubstance, and therefore is of more continuance then a ſound: what is once written ſtill continueth though the hand ceaſeth. If the eyes haue not ſatisfied the mind at one view, they may looke on it againe, yea till they haue ſatisfied it's deſire: And by this meanes of noting and charactring of the voice, all things worthy of memory are defended from the iniury of forgetfulneſſe; whereby is left vnto vs from moſt ancient times of our forefathers the moſt holy will of God, beſides many neceſſary doctrines of godly and religious men, many excellent ſayings both diuine and morrall, many humane policies, counſells, and inſtructions, written by wiſe and learned men, together with diuers behoofefull arts and worthy ſciences, which are hereby as in a ſure treaſury preſerued, maintained and daily increaſed to the glory of almighty God, and continuall benefit and comfort of vs and our poſterity. Of theſe two excellent benefits the firſt being naturall, is by nature of euery man with a little vſe eaſily pronounced, the other being artificiall cannot be perfectly framed vntill the true reaſon, order, and diſtinct parts of the former be firſt found out and knowne; the want of knowledge whereof, hath cauſed both in ſpeech and writing, many imperfections and errors, as ſometimes taking one ſimple ſound of mans voice to be two, at other times taking two, three, or fower ſimple ſounds to be but one, and according to that miſtaken order fitting letters for them, whereby writing is thereby in ſome part made defectiue, beſides by many other errors vſed therein, as by miſplacing of letters, contrary to the order wherein they are pronounced, inſerting of ſuperfluous letters, where there is no need, nor any ſound at all expreſſed for them, making one letter ſerue for two different ſounds, ſometimes for one and ſometimes for another; and contrariwiſe, vſing for one and the ſame ſound at ſometimes one letter, at other times another letter, not proper therunto, but to ſome other different ſound in mans voice: by which confuſed order the ſpeech is ſo darkely ſet downe, that our words in ſpeaking ſeeme as a different kind of language to the ſame in writing. So that though by a common vſe and beaten practice euery particular nation can explaine themſelues and pronounce their owne proper ſpeech by their owne manner of writing, yet it is ſo intricate to a ſtranger of another country, that he can neither pronounce their ſpeech by their writing, nor write their ſpeech according to their manner by hearing of it ſpoken, whereby no perfect Dictionary or Grammer hath hitherto been made, that the true order of pronunciation might be taught, either to ſuch as are deſirous of the skill of languages, or to children, or ſuch as are altogether ignorant in reading and writing of their owne mother tongue. Beſides a great inconuenience which by ſome I haue vnderſtood (and doubtleſſe it is likely) to haue happened in the ancient learned tongues, Hebrew, Greeke, and Latine, which though they are written and imprinted in all parts, wherein they are in vſe, by one and the ſame order of letters, yet in vtterance of them in ſpeech, they are ſo diuerſly pronounced, that men of different nations (though therein very learned) cannot one ſuddenly vnderſtand the other in any argument, or conference had betweene them in any of thoſe languages, euery one of them inclining to the manner of pronunciation of their owne country ſpeech. Hence alſo it hath come to paſſe, that notwithstanding all nations of the earth came from one root, our firſt father Adam, and that God had giuen them all the ſame forme of body, the like ſences, and for their voyce all inſtruments alike: (howſoeuer he had disperſed them into ſeuer all parts and habitations) yet the people of one kingdom in their learning of the language of any other nation haue not in many yeers, yea ſome in the whole courſe of their life haue not attained to ſuch exact and perfect pronuntiation therein, nor ſo framed their mouthes in ſpeaking but that they might eaſily be diſcerned and diſcouered to be ſtrangers of another Country: Now therefore ſeeing in other ſciences leſſe vſefull, the profeſſors of them haue ſet them downe in exact propoſitions; I cannot ſee (eſpecially conſidering how neceſſary a thing true pronuntiation is both for the grace of the ſpeech, as for the commodity and aduantage it may beget to the common-wealth as well at home, as in commerce and traffique had in forraine parts with other nations by conferring with them in their own languages) how in this it can be accounted vnneceſſary to ſeeke a meanes whereby to remedy theſe manifold abuſes and imperfections in ſpeech and writing, which are the grounds by which all other knowledges are taught and maintained, That by ſome ruled arte the true pronuntiation of languages might be learned, which hitherto is taught either by roat, or written in ſuch a confuſed manner as cannot but ſeeme vnreaſonable to any mans vnderſtanding, howſoeuer allowed of and approued by continuance of cuſtome. But here perchance I may be charged with preſumption both in reſpect of my ſelfe, and in reſpect of my yeers, in that I profeſſe to be a teacher of a ſcience to others, hauing as it were but newly learned my letters my ſelfe: Whereunto I anſwer, that I learned not this my arte out of the books and workes of learned men, neither would my ſmall meanes afford me to be acquainted with their great volumes, only out of a volume of Gods owne guift and making did I take this ſmall Manuſcript, euen to all men hath he giuen one of the ſame impreſſion, whereby the truth hereof may be examined: yet certainly the vnripeneſſe of my yeeres, and want of other learning, had wholly withheld me from the publiſhing thereof, ſo that it might haue died with my ſelfe and haue benefited no man, had I not cōſidered that euery one of what eſtate, degree, or condition ſoeuer, is bound in ducty to reueale whatſoeuer may be beneficiall to his country; aſſuring my-ſelfe that God doth not giue either knowledge or riches to any priuate perſon meerly for his owne particular vſe, but imploieth thoſe on whom he beſtoweth ſuch guifts, as Ciſternes and conduits to conuey and impart them likewiſe to others. Yet he therein ſo prouideth that themſelues alſo be neuer empty. This conſideration therefore cauſed me to thinke it were far better, though with boldneſſe to ſet foorth that portion of knowledge which God had giuen me, then with a diſtard-like feare for the cauſes afore remembred to conceale the benefit; Hauing therefore laboured to finde out the true ground of the ſpeech, that the manifold errors therein might be made manifeſt, and ſo auoided. To the intent I might in ſuch ſort as God had enabled me, doe ſome-what for the common good of my Country, and adde ſomething to my profeſſion, I haue framed this ſmall treatiſe of pronuntiation, and digested it into two parts. In the firſt by certaine propoſitions applying my ſelfe to ſet foorth the elements and parts of the voice: In the ſecond part appointing for euery ſimple ſound in mans voice ſundry letters and characters, that the voice being thereunto once committed may by any (who ſhall know the vſe of them) without any other expoſitor or inſtructor be aptly and truly pronounced vpon view of the writing, how ſtrange ſoeuer the language be: yet ſeeing my intent and purpoſe herein is not, that I would any waies goe about, or deſire to alter the order of letters, which of ſo long time hath been vſed and allowed of, wherein ſo many worthy works haue been imprinted, knowing that could not be brought to paſſe without much difficulty, and greater preiudice then my ſimple iudgement can diſcerne. I would not therefore that any man ſhould ſo much looke into or reſpect the characters which I herein vſe, or the manner of the new placing, diſpoſing, or naming of them, as the mateer and ſcope whereto I intend them, which is, that I might with the eaſieſt way and meeteſt order, ſo paint out euery part of mans voice, that euery one might be ſeuerally diſcerned from other, and that the pronunciation of euery different language which hitherto is chiefly taught by word of mouth, might in a more certain māner be dedeciphered with the pen, wherby any that are deſirous that way, may not only the ſooner learne the experience of any forraine language, but may alſo with more eaſe, and in a ſhorter time attaine to the true pronuntiation thereof. For albeit any man in teaching of his owne country language, doth by his owne ſpeech giue the very true and abſolute touch of pronuntiation, yet by reaſon of the ſwiftneſſe of the voice, vnwonted compoſition of the parts thereof and dull apprehenſion of the eares, the ſame is not eaſily and read ly perceiued to a ſtranger: but the ſimple and diſtinct parts, and members of the whole voice (which are the grounds of all languages) being once certainly knowne, and caſt into viſible letters, (howſoeuer the order of an vnknown language doth diuerſly diſperſe and mix them together) the eye by it's quicke and ſharpe ſight doth ſuddenly apprehend them, and thereby teach the mouth of one altogether ignorant, & vnacquainted with ſuch language as aptly and truly to pronounce it, as any one to whom the ſame is naturally the ſpeech, wherein he hath been alwayes trained and inſtructed, from the very time of his infancy, (this only excepted, that the vnaccuſtomed mixture of the ſounds of the voice may at firſt cauſe a more ſlow vtterance.) And, for that cauſe hauing gathered together diuers letters and characters of ſundry ſorts and formes, I found none ſo meet (in reſpect of the accents which are neceſſarily to be placed ouer them) as thoſe which were ſhorteſt, and of an equall length, and ſo hauing my ſelfe framed ſome few, I took the reſt to make vp my number, and as the beſt for my purpoſe out of the Roman and Secretary letters, but haue not ſo vſed, and placed them in the ſame ſence and order as they were formerly in their owne Alphabets; but haue diuerſly diſpoſed of them accordingly as ſeemed fitteſt for my vſe, and the order of the worke did beſt require; And touching ſuch places wherein I haue bin compelled in reſpect of the order of the worke to ſpeak of matters incident to muſick, for that they are not much pertinent to this art of pronuntiation, I haue therefore but lightly and briefly touched them, referring ſuch matters to the teachers and profeſſors of that ſcience.

And thus hauing ſhewed the occaſion order, and intent of this my treatiſe, being the fruit of wearied times between other labors, I cōmit it to the view & practiſe of thoſe, that ſhall think it meet for their vſe or experience, leauing theſe few verſes to plead my excuſe, if any errors haue hapned by reaſon of my great want of learning.