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Thoſe Letters are called Vocales, Vowels, in pronouncing of which by the Inſtruments of ſpeech, the breath is freely emitted; and they are therefore ſtiled Apert or open Letters. Theſe may be diſtin­guiſhed either, 1. Formally, by their ſeveral Apertions, and the man­ner of configuration in the inſtruments of ſpeech required to the fra­ming of them, which conſtitutes the diſtinct ſpecies of Vowels; or 2. Accidentally, by the quantity of time required to their prolation, by which the ſame Vowel is made either long or ſhort.

There are (I conceive) eight ſimple different ſpecies of Vowels, eaſily diſtinguiſhable, whoſe powers are commonly uſed. I cannot deny, but that ſome other intermediate ſounds might be found; but they would, by reaſon of their proximity to thoſe others, prove of ſo difficult diſtinction, as would render them uſeleſs; theſe eight ſeem­ing to be the principal and moſt remarkable periods, amongſt the de­grees of Apert ſounds.

As for the third of the Labials, the u Gallicum, or whiſtling u, though it cannot be denied to be a diſtinct ſimple vowel; yet it is of ſo laborious and difficult pronunciation to all thoſe Nations amongſt whom it is not uſed (as to the Engliſh) eſpecially in the diſtinction of long and ſhort, and framing of Dipthongs, that though I have enumerated it with the reſt, and ſhall make proviſion for the expreſſion of it, yet ſhall I make leſs uſe of it, than of the others; and for that reaſon, not proceed to any further explication of it.

It will be difficult to expreſs the ſeveral powers of theſe Vowels by writing; Pronuntiation being ſuch a thing, quae nec ſcribitur, nec pin­gitur, nec hauriri eam fas eſt, niſi vivâ voce.Lipſius de rect. Pronuntiatione L. Lat. cap. 3. And therefore the beſt way for the explaining of them, is by ſuch known words as may be given for the inſtance of each of them. And as for the figure or wri­ting of thoſe four, which are not commonly eſteemed to be diſtinct ſpecies of Vowels, I ſhall make choice to repreſent them by ſuch Cha­racters, as may ſeem leaſt ſtrange. What kind of power or ſound that is, which is peculiar to each of theſe ſeven Vowels, may be eaſily underſtood by theſe following Inſtances:

α ${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}}$	Short	Bot-tom	Fol-ly	Fot	Mot	Pol	Rod
	Long	Bought	Fall	Fought		Paule	Rawd
a ${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}}$	Short	Batt	Val-ley	Fatt	Mat	Pal	Rad-nor
	Long	Bate	Vale	Fate	Mate	Pale	TRade
e ${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}}$	Short	Bett	Fell	Fet	Met	Pell	Red
	Long	Beate	Veale	Feate	Meate	Peale	Reade
i ${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}}$	Short	Bitt	Fill	Fitt	Mit-ten	Pill	Rid
	Long	Beete	Feele	Feete	Meete	Peele	Reede
o ${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}}$	Short
	Long	Bote	Foale	Vote	Mote	Pole	Rode
ȣ ${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}}$	Short		Full	Fut		Pul
	Long	Boote	Foole	Foote	Moote	Poole	Roode
ỿ ${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}}$	Short	But	Full	Futt	Mutt-on	Pull	Rudd-er
	Long