res that I should here
treat of the Syntax; but our language has so little inflection, or
variety of terminations, that its construction neither requires nor
admits many rules. Wallis, therefore, has totally neglected it; and
Jonson, whose desire of following the writers upon the learned
languages made him think a syntax indispensably necessary, has
published such petty observations as were better omitted.

The verb, as in other languages, agrees with the nominative in number and
person; as, Thou fliest from good; He runs to death.

Our adjectives and pronouns are invariable.

Of two substantives the noun possessive is in the genitive; as, His
father's glory; The sun's heat.

Verbs transitive require an oblique case; as, He loves me; You fear him.

All prepositions require an oblique case: as, He gave this to me; He took
this from me; He says this of me; He came with me.

* * * * *

PROSODY.

It is common for those that deliver the grammar of modern languages, to
omit the Prosody. So that of the Italians is neglected by Buomattei;
that of the French by Desmarais; aad that of the English by Wallis,
Cooper, and even by Jonson, though a poet. But as the laws of metre are
included in the idea of grammar, I have thought proper to insert them.

PROSODY comprises orthoepy, or the rules of pronunciation; and orthometry,
or the laws of versification.

Pronunciation is just, when every letter has its proper sound, and every
syllable has its proper accent, or, which in English versification is the
same, its proper quantity.

The sounds of the letters have been already explained; and rules for
the accent or quantity are not easily to be given, being subject to
innumerable exceptions. Such, however, as I have read or formed, I
shall here propose.

1. Of dissyllables, formed by affixing a termination, the former syllable
is commonly accented, as childish, kingdom, actest, acted, toilsome, lover,
scoffer, fairer, foremost, zealous, fulness, godly, meekly, artist.

2. Dissyllables formed by prefixing a syllable to the radical word, have
commonly the accent on the latter; as to beget, to beseem, to bestow.

3. Of dissyllables, which are at once nouns and verbs, the verb has
commonly the accent on the latter, and the noun on the former syllable; as,
to descant, a descant; to cement, a cement; to contract, a contract.

This rule