Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 2.djvu/48

xlii before any words beginning with y; nor should it be placed before words commencing with u, when sounded exactly in the same manner; if we write a youth, we should also write  a use.

"In like manner an  never precedes words commencing with w nor should it therefore the vowel o, when it forms the same sound. Thus the word, one, has the same sound as if written, won, and yet it has been the custom to write  such an one. In both cases contrary to the usage of speech.

"When words begin with the letter h, they are preceded sometimes by a, sometimes by an; and this by an invariable rule in speaking. When the h or aspirate, is sounded, the article a is used; as a house, a horse: when the h is mute, an is employed; as, an hour, an honour; pronounced as if written an our, an onnur. And yet in all books published of late years, the article an precedes all words beginning with h alike as an house, an horse, &c. Surely the printers ought to reform this abuse, when they have such an obvious rule to guide them. They have nothing to do but to follow the established mode of speech, whereof printing ought, as nearly as possible, to be the transcript.

"I have also taken the liberty of changing throughout an affected use of the third persons singular in verbs, by employing the termination eth, long since become obsolete, as, loveth, readeth, writeth, instead of loves, reads, writes. This habit seems to have been caught from his professional use of the Church Service, the Bible, sermons, &c. for in the early editions of his first publications, it had not obtained; nor