The Universal Character
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Autore: Cave Beck
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Data della SM: 04-15-2012!
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Data FL: 05-01-2012
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Numero FL: Florida-000008-00
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Citazione: Beck, Cave. 1657.The Universal Character (Andy

Drummond, Transcription).FL-000008-00,
Fiat Lingua, . ragnatela. 01
May. 2012.!

!
Diritto d'autore: PD 1657 Cave Beck. Questo lavoro è concesso in licenza

sotto un'attribuzione Creative Commons-
Non commerciale, senza derivati ​​3.0 Unported License.!

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Transcription of the 1657 edition of Cave Beck’s “The Universal Character”.

What’s this all about then?

The idea of a “universal language”, a language that can be understood by all peoples of the
Earth, has been with us for several centuries. There were two periods when the idea
flourished – firstly, at the start of the European Enlightenment era, in the 17th century; e
again towards the second half of the 19th century, when the Socialist and pacifist movements
began to take root.
The very first published attempt at producing a universal language was made by Francis
Lodwick in 1652, when he published his “The Ground-work or Foundation Laid (or so
intended) For the Framing of a New Perfect Language: and an Universall or
Common Writing”. This was a very brief description of a universal language scheme,
running to no more than 19 pages. But it heralded the beginning of a golden era of similar
schemes, which culminated in – and arguably was finished off by – John Wilkins’ “Essay
Towards a Universal Character” of 1668.
In among these various schemes, which largely adopted the ‘philosophical’ approach – Quello
È, the new language was designed from scratch and was constructed to reflect logical,
scientific categories – there were not a few schemes of a more peculiar nature. Principal
among these was that of Cave Beck, an Ipswich schoolmaster, who in 1657 published his
“Universal Character by which all the Nations in the World may understand one
anothers Conceptions, Reading out of one Common Writing their own Mother
Tongues”.

Who was Cave Beck?

An entry in Wikipedia suggests the following:
“Beck was born in London in 1623, the son of John Beck, a baker of the parish of St. John, Clerkenwell.
He was educated in a private school in London run by a Mr. Brathwayte, and on 13 June 1638 was
admitted as a pensioner of St. John’s College, Cambridge. He took the degree of B.A. in 1641, e
subsequently that of M.A., being incorporated in the latter at Oxford on 17 October 1643.
“Beck was headmaster of Ipswich School, Ipswich in Suffolk from 1650 to 1657 – Beck Street in that same
town is named after him. In 1657, he resigned and was replaced by former usher Robert Woodside; he was
subsequently instituted to St. Helen’s, Ipswich or Monksoham (in Suffolk) of which he was also rector. In
1662 he became curate of St. Margaret, Ipswich, and in the same year, by lapse, rector of St. Helen’s,
Ipswich, with St. Clement’s annexed.
“Beck’s date of death is uncertain – however he was certainly alive in 1697, and William Ray, who was
instituted to Monksoham in 1706, was probably his immediate successor.”
We have no reason to doubt the facts as set out above. Certamente, at the time of printing his
‘Universal Character’, he was well-established as a school-master in Ipswich.

Is his work important?

In itself, clearly not. It never ran to a second edition, despite the fact that the author lived
on for another 50 years. His proud statement that, at the same time as the English edition, UN
French edition was also printed, has not been verified – although we must accept it as fact.
Beck’s two major contemporaries in the same field, George Dalgarno and John Wilkins, e
both at Oxford University, had a look at Beck’s work. The former remarked that it was
“nothing else, but an enigmaticall way of writing ye English language.” Wilkins, for his part, tried to
dissuade Beck from pursuing his line of development.
If you were to start creating a new language, Beck’s scheme is not one you’d follow. Ma
how many people knew that, in 1657?
Tuttavia, although it is easily argued that Beck’s work had no effect on posterity – and the
same argument could equally well be made against Dalgarno and Wilkins – the scheme is
important and interesting for its place at the start of a long tradition of development. E
let us not forget that Beck’s book appeared four years before Dalgarno produced his, and a
full eleven years before Wilkins published his monumental tome.

It is easy to make fun of Beck’s work, and we shall do so very shortly. Tuttavia, qualunque cosa
must be viewed within context. In the context of the development of Universal Languages,
Beck is up there with the pioneers. And he took the time to actually develop such a scheme,
unlike (Dire) Sir Thomas Urquhart, who spent a lot of time talking about it, for whatever
motivo, serious or ironical. The structure of his grammar is entirely in the tradition of all
good universal languages – striving for simplicity and logic. That the structure of his
vocabulary was less well-founded is admittedly a failing: but who are we to decide on words
for a basic dictionary? In a hundred years time, will the word for a game-show be relevant?
For a touch-screen? A saloon-car? Oil?

Is his work of interest?

Another question altogether. Look into the nuts and bolts of this work and you get a
curious insight into the development of language itself. A browse through the dictionary of
some 8000 entries will indicate just how much the English language itself has changed over
350 years. There is scarcely a single page which does not contain at least one word which, A
all but the grandest dictionaries, has lost its meaning.
The choice of words for inclusion in the dictionary, and the way in which some are
described, is revealing – revealing either of the concerns and pre-occupations of a bygone
age; or of a particular man of that age. Ci sono, Per esempio, around 120 entries for trees,
180 for “herbs” (or plants), 90 for fish, 80 for birds, 20 for “worms”, and 40-odd for animals
and beasts, 25 of ‘stuffe’ (materials). And at least 16 ‘diseases’ – of which one, slightly oddly,
is the “night-mare”.
And watch out for the way in which the printer frequently loses patience with the endless
tables and lists of words. Prefixes for nouns and adjectives begin to get routinely lost, o
thrown in at random. And while there is a list of errata and corrigenda at the end of the book,
it does not cover half of the errors made. But how polite is the injunction by the printer:
“Reader, be pleased to correct these mistakes with thy pen” !!

Notes on the transcription

The book, when published, ran to 188 printed pages of ‘sextodecimo’ (around 10 cm wide,
15cm high) – i.e. a half of the size of the more standard octavo layout. This constitutes a
rather neat, hand-sized, slim leather-bound volume, easy for travellers or merchants to take
with them for consultation when talking to foreigners…
It was printed in London by Thomas Maxey, for sale by William Weekley at Ipswich. Maxey
was not a minor printer of his day – among his many clients was Izaak Walton. UN
advertisement on the final page of the book suggests also that it might be bought from
‘J.Rothwel at the Fountain in Gold-Smiths-Row in Cheapside, London.’

We decided to transcribe this work for two reasons: in primo luogo, for purely selfish purposes, A
research the man in order to use him and his work in a work of fiction; secondly, produrre
the whole thing much more ‘search-able’. Part of the exercise was to take the transcription
and load it into a database; but even in MS Word or PDF format, words can readily be
found by using standard ‘find’ facilities.
This transcription of Beck’s work has been made mostly using a version held in the Bodleian
Library, Oxford, and available on Google Books. The quality of scanning of some of the
pages of this digital version is quite poor, so an original hard-copy edition, held in
Edinburgh’s National Library of Scotland, was consulted for verification and completion

Every effort has been made to preserve the layout and orthography used in the original
edition, to give some idea of its charm. If there are obvious misprints or missing letters, it is
usually (but not necessarily always) the fault of the original document. Spelling was a bit of a
hit-or-miss affair in the 17th century, and again, most of those mis-spellings which appear in
the transcription are true to the original.
A spin-off from the hard work of transcription was to find ourselves in that dark place
where Beck’s printer must have been on several occasions – despairing of the sheer length of
the dictionary and tempted to take as many short-cuts as possible. Of course, we did not
yield to temptation!

Read and enjoy…

We make some random critical remarks below. They are not intended as harsh criticism;
after all, Cave Beck (oh, magnificent forename !! ) is not here to defend himself. And having
spent a considerable number of nights and days in the company of Mr. Beck, we have a very
soft spot for him. Seek the man behind the work, and we have no doubt that you too will
learn to appreciate this work for what it is – a brave early attempt. Nota, pure, the pride with
which Mr. Beck’s friends rally round to support his efforts – even if not all of them are too
confident in its success: consider Nathaniel Smart’s closing lines…
Sure if the world do but its profit mind,
(Twere strange it should not) thou successe wilt find
How ere it prove, an honourable fall,
From rare attempts, leaves nobl’st scars of all.

…leave some room for doubt! But Cave Beck, MA had loyal friends – let that suffice.

Some random remarks on the Alphabetical Dictionary…

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

The dictionary contains approximately 7900 entries, of which 3996 are
“Primitives” – i.e. the ‘roots’ from which other words may be formed. Each
primitive is allocated a sequential number, according to the alphabetical sequence
of the words. All other entries cross-refer back to one of those numbers. Tutto,
questo è, except the ones that do not – see point 9 below

Words are simply allocated a number in the alphabetical order in which they
appear, rather than in terms of frequency of use. The entry first numbered in
this way becomes the “Primitive”. Così, ‘amity’ gets a primary number (166),
but ‘friend’ does not. Allo stesso modo, “made” gets the first entry (2675) while “to
make” has to cross-refer back to “made”. And “more” gets a number (2829),
while “much” does not. There is a Primitive entry for ‘cold’, but not for hot, o
warm: ‘warm’ cross-refers to the entry for ‘lukewarm’. NO. 18 is “abroad” but it
is first mentioned with a “u” prefix ( ‘from’ ) – which is why the same Primitive
is referred to for words relating to home or house !
Perhaps most bizarrely of all: “canibal” gets the Primitive number 873, e
subsequent entries for human, man, woman, president etc all reference 873 !

There is not much logic in the way in which ranges of numbers have been
reserved for subsets of other words. Look, for example, at the lengthy list of
“kin”, which lists every possible combination of family relationship – and even
some that are almost impossible (items 2477ff) . Or the subset of owls (2971).
Or the varieties of hook (2317). Or separate entries for “elephant” and
“elephant’s trunk” (1736/7). “Blew” (blu) as opposed to “blew with specks of
grey” (585/586). And four different kinds of pear (3041ff)

And then there are the long-winded explanations: “cats-tail, a long round thing
growing on nut-trees” (944) which is in distinction from “cats-tail, or water-
touch, an herb” (945). “Hippocras a kind of wine” (2294). “Cilleri wrought on
the heads of pillars” (1063).
You do wonder what actual rationale was used in drawing up the list.

And what about the truly bizarre entries? Do we really need an entry for “gogle-
eyed” (2126) ? For “the longing of a woman with child” (2652) ? E
“saffocation of the mother, a disease” (2840) ?

There is a very strong bias in naming every possible “herb” or tree. In total there
are around 110 entries for trees, 180 for “herbs” (or plants), 90 for fish, 80 for
birds, 20 for “worms”, and 40-odd for animals and beasts, 21 of ‘stuffe’
(materials). And at least 15 “diseases”

There are quite a few repetitions – for example, “paradise” appears twice in short
order – once at (3004) and then again on the next page with a cross-reference
back to the original entry! ‘Syllogisme’ also makes two appearances – once under
the Si- section, but spelled with ‘sy-’; and then again under Sy-.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

The printer at some stage clearly got fed up with repetitious tables and started to
use shorthand. In the dictionary, he abandoned the use of brackets quite early
su, and just went for italics instead.

There are also quite a few printer’s mistakes, some corrected in the Errata, Ma
many not. The nicest example is the ‘robin red-beast’ (3373)

A significant number of entries (around 600) are simply not allocated any
number at all. Oversight? Or awaiting the 2nd edition?

Not a few cross-references are actually wrong. Nota, as one example, the cross-
references back to (1400 – which is ‘a Crow’) from ‘to intrude’ and ‘to obtrude’…

It is perhaps unfortunate that Beck decided not to go the whole hog with his
dictionary. There are actually four sets of words: the dictionary containing 8000-
odd words; a long list (60) of Latin prefixes (super, pre, post, circa etc), which he
decided to keep since their use in Europe was widespread; another list of around
60 artificial monosyllables (sma, sme, smi, smo, smu etc) to denote commonly-used
words or concepts which he had reserved for “expedition in writing” and for use
as combinatory prefixes; e infine, all the points of the compass (thirty-one –
one is missing!), which retain their English names, due to the fact that Dutch and
English sailors are familiar with these monosyllabic terms. Così, to find a word,
you may actually have to hunt through four different lists.

And what about the French edition?
According to Beck, a French
edition/translation of his Universal Character was printed at the same time as the
English edition. We have no reason to doubt this, although we have not
managed to track down a copy of that translation. What it looked like, Beck tells
noi: “If any forreigners, shall please to Publish this Character in their own Countries, in their
Native Tongues, I desire the same course may be taken, which we have observed in the French,
viz. That a double Index be made, one of the Figures in their order set before the words, e
another of the words placed Alphabetically before the Character.” Logically, one would
have hoped that the English edition would have followed that very same pattern,
with a double-index. Alas, non. A Frenchman proudly produces his book, reads
out a number; you turn to your English edition and…spend some time looking
for it! Naturalmente,, it will be argued that the English list is already, at least in the
first edition, in numerical order. But what if new words are added, as they must
be?

Andy Drummond
March 2012

Transcription of the 1657 edition of Cave
Beck’s “The Universal Character”.

Published in London by Tho. Maxey for
sale by William Weekley at Ipswich.

192pp, printed on Sextodecimo,
and bound in leather.

The Universal
CHARACTER
by which all the Nations in
the World may understand
one anothers Conceptions,
Reading out of one Common
Writing their own
Mother Tongues.

AN
INVENTION
Of GENERAL Use,
The Practise whereof may be Attai-
ned in two Hours space, Observing the
G R A M M A T I C A L Directions.

Which CHARACTER is so contri-
ved, that it may be Spoken as well
as Written.

By Cave Beck, M.A.

LONDON,
Printed by Tho. Maxey, for William
Weekley, e
are to be sould at his Shop in Ipswich.
1657

Sapientia, virtute, genere,

Præcellentibus
Nathanaeli Bacon

&

Francisco Bacon, Armigeris.

Fratribus

Amore, Pietate, Dignitate

Conjunctissimis.

Patronis suis Colendissimis.
Hunc
Gratitudinis & Observantiae
Characterem indelebilem.

D.D.

C.B.

Ad Amicum suum in Spectatissimum,
C.B. Scholarcham Ipsvicensum,
De Invento suo Characteristico,
Eucharisticon.

C

onveniunt Regi solium, gens subdita, Sceptrum,
Sitve Monarcha regens, sitve Scholarcha legens.

Corrigit hic teneros, domas & regit alter adultos,
Queis praesunt, timidos, Marte vel Arte greges.
Famaq., pro gestis, magis inclyta cedit utriq.,
Prae Vulgo Regum nonne cluit Macedo?
Magnus ut ille sui Supereminet Ordinis, omnes
Sic tu Becke tui sceptrigeros superas.
Quemq., suum in, dextra Victrici, reddidit Orbem,
Ingenii reddis dexteritate Tuum.
Tanto & Pellæo es Major, me Judice, Mentis,
Quanto acies, ferri pluris habenda acie.
Plaudite Victores victi, doctiq., Magistri,
Becko, qui populos, saecula, vosque docet.
Arte sua, Linguam unam orbi solus dedit Anglus,
Anglis Cor unam, Quis dabit Arte sua?

Ja. Portus,
A.M.

A
His friend the Authour
Of the
U N I V E RS A L CHARACTER,

Upon his design.

B

ut can it be? Then let no envious breath,
So rare a project Criticise to death,

Then let the world, with common votes decree,
That this for common good Enacted be:
This is no Empsons project to ingross,
Trading for private gain, and publick loss;
No gain for Publicans from hence, nor feare
We should of Dutch, or Spanish Plantiffs here.
This is a design that sets forth like the Sun,
For universal good, its course to run;
Here Logarithmes, ‘yond what Napier findes,
That teach by Figures to Uncypher minds,
And make our hands officious to help out,
Of tongues confusion, made at Babels rout.
Now minds may quite their self-disguising dress,
Of French, Olandese, Spanish, for a free converse,
While hands speak for our tongues. But ah! My
friend
Will ovr divisions agree t’attend,
Alas confounded in our selves, we hate,

We love, we cherish, excommunicate
Divisions, and all divided be,
‘Bout all that should reduce to unitie;
Were I a Poet (Poets wonders do)
I might from stories make a charm or two,
To ope mens ears attention to engage,
To this thy project by a fair presage.
A King of Egypt once, to make conclusion,
Which was the Common tongue, ‘fore tongues
Confusione,
Put children to a Goat to Nurse, then tried
What they could speak, Beck, Beck, they only cryed,
As if they meant to say, it was but vain
To try what was [lost]; but to retrive again
One common speech should be thy work O Beck,
Say Poets did they not this work fore-speak?
When non-sense Babel-building spoyl’d they say,
Each builder ran t’his sack in which his pay,
His garlick and his utensils did lie,
They though confounded yet united cry,
Give me my Sack, since when Sack is the name,
Alone that is all tongues remains the same,
A common pawn to give us hope to see,
When common thoughts of private gain, might be
A means to help us senses to unite
Into one tongue, again at least to write
The same; that divers Languages no longer may,
Upon our trading such Embargoes lay,
Sure if the world do but its profit mind,
(Twere strange it should not) thou successe wilt find
How ere it prove, an honourable fall,
From rare attempts, leaves nobl’st scars of all.

Nath. Accorto
M.A.

To my intimate and ingenious Friend, Mr. BECK,
upon his UNIVERSAL CHARACTER,
serving for all Languages.

S

peech is the Index of the mind: Loe, Qui
The Index of Speech, the dumb Interpreter,
The Iliads in a Nut-shell; Tongues in Brief;
Babel revers’d; The traveller’s Relief;
Ferry of Nations Commerce; her you may
Passe known, to all the unknown parts – Away,
Post me this letter to some Spanish Don,
To th’ Cham, or Seignour, or to Prester-John;
They all now know my Sense, or her’s the key:
The Chart of Dialects, right Cosmo-graphie.
The Heavenly Orbs and we commune just so,
We all their matters by Learn’d Figures know.

Great Bacon’s Soul, my Friend, divides with thee,

He found the Plat, and Thou the Husbandrie.
More there have talk’d on’t too. So I hear say
Of the North passage. But who cuts the way?
Nature, that fram’d so rare an one of thee,
Thought thee most fit for this Epitome :
The Galaxie of Languages; where pack
A thousand lights of words all in one track.
Mithridate with-the-score-of-tongues, recall
Thy pains, and praise; now here is one and all.
Twere strange if this Prophetick year, wch brought [1656]
Such Expectation, should have nothing wrought :

Now see another Deluge come, and then
The world, as was of old, new fac’d agen;
Langauges swallow’d up, the Ark a flote,
Carrying within’t something of every note.
Launch forth my Friend. But stay, take a short stop,
Let me be dead before this see the Shop,
Should thy plot take, my Beck, I fear henceforth,
To loose my Library as nothing worth.

Jos. Waite,
M.A.

To the
R E A D E R

T

his last century of years, tanto
hath been the discourse and
expectation of learned men,
concerning the finding out of an
Universal Character, which if happily
contrived, so as to avoid all Equivocal
parole, Anomalous variations, e
superfluous Synonomas (with which
all Languages are encumbred, e
rendred difficult to the learner) would
much advantage mankind in their
civil commerce, and be a singular
means of propagating all sorts of
Learning and true Religion in

the world: Such a characters being to
be Learned in as few weeks, as the
Latin tongue usually requireth years
to be perfect in, which is the only
Language many ages have in vain
laboured to make common, but hath
proved attainable to few, save such as
have dedicated a great part of their
lives to the study of it.

For the remedy of which evil, IL
Invention of some easie Character
hath been judged necessary, Quale
might be a Clew to direct us out of
this Laborinth of Languages. E
Invitations have been made to such
an Enquiry from the Learned (piccius
L.Bacon, D.Wilkins), abroad & A
casa, who have demonstrated the
possibility thereof, & the probability
of the worlds ready acceptance of it;
which will forget its old practise, if it

refuse any benefit, though it uses not
to be sollicitous of thanking the
Autore.

instructed

The Egyptians of old, had a Symbolical
way of writing by Emblems, e
pictures, which might be read by
in their
other Nations
Wisdom, but was so hard to learn,
and tedious on the practice, Quello
Letters soon justled them out of the
loro
Besides, most of
mondo.
Hieroglyphicks
COSÌ
Catachrestical, (the Picture shewing
one thing to the eye, and a quite
different sense imposed upon it) Quello
they justifi’d the Painter who drew a
misshapen Cock upon a Sign-board,
and wrote under it, [this is a Bull].

erano

Quello
the Chinois have a general
Carattere, which serves themselves
e
though of
different Languages, is affirmed by

their neighbours,

some that have been there, e
brought home scraules of it, Quale
are such for their fashion, that an
European with his one Eye (Quale
they afford him) would think they
shut both theirs (they so much boast
Di) when they drew the shapes of
those Characters; there being no
proportion or Method observed in
their form, which causes them to
spend many years, beginning in their
childhood, in learning of it, and that
may be the Reason none of our
Travellers have been able to bring
away any competent skill in that way
of writing. All which inconveniences,
I trust, will appear in a great measure,
avoided by the present Character
commended to the practise of the
mondo, which will be evident to such
the Grammatical
COME
Indicazioni, the fundamentals whereof,
in an Hour or two, may be perfectly

read over

Learned; by observing whereof
(without further study) the Reader
IL
may make present use of
following Alphabetical Dictionary,
taking out the Characters of any
things of Notions, he would expresse,
or expounding to himself any thing
written in this character, and so save
the charges of hiring Interpreters:
Besides, avoiding the danger of being
mis-understood, or betrayed by
his
mis-relating
Truch-men,
expressions to Foraign Ears.

forewarn any from
I need not
attempting to imprint the Dictionary
in his memory, which were to go
about making a Rope of Sand. But to
expect within a few Months, a small
Treatise, in the nature of Comenius’s
Janua, set forth with the Vulgar
Language on one side, e il

In

Character on the other, by which a
child of ten years old, learning five
sentences a day, may in four months
space be perfect
the whole
Carattere. An elder Industry may
double the number, and consequently
in half the time be master of it, for it
have lesse than five thousand words,
they will be comprehended in 500
sentences, allowing ten words to a
sentence, one with another.

It is a Character will fright no Eye with
an unusual shape, there being nothing
more generally known among men,
all looking upon the figures, e
reading them in their own Language,
for the uses of Artithmetick, and also,
for secret Writing, it is the most
common Character whereby men
indeavour to hide their Conceptions
from an intercepting hand.

Meditating whereof, it pleased God to

indeavouring

suggest to me, Quello
it might be
improved to an Universal use, Quale
Pensiero, hath many years struggled
within me, Ma
A
Esso, I have been made
suppresse
somewhat
of Davids
sensible
experience, that the brest is a bad
hearth to rake up fire in. I refer the
Consideration of these things, to the
Judicious, & the successe to God,
whose Gospel, if by this means it be
more propagated in the world, by an
opportunity of discovering
IL
Glorious Truths thereof, unto such
from whom hitherto it hath been
locked, I shall judge this pains of
mine happily bestowed.

To his Ingenious Friend upon his
Universal Character

E

ou have unti’d the Riddle, Sir, e
purg’d
Those Knotty doubts, Curiosity ere

urg’d,
While by your Art the miracle is brought
To us from Pentecost, and we are taught
By your Character, that the Tongues which set,
Like fire o’ th’ Speakers, th’ Hearers intellect
Enkindled too; since thus while what you write
In ours, by Parthian, Mede, and Elamite,
Is own’d their dialect : nor stick you hear,
But nobly you confute too, those severe
Censors of English speech, wh’object the want
Of Grammer in it, and out do that vaunt
Of sweet tongued Sidney, who ‘bout to resel
That Cavillation, wittily did tell
We that way were repriev’d from Babels Curse,
Not learning speech at School, but from the
Nurse;
But you in this your Art do shew, that we
Have Grammer too, and speak it nat’rally
BENE, should this Age neglect it, loud tongued
storia,
Checking their silence, will ring out your glory.

Ben Gifford

The Scheme of the Art, which is to be learn-
ed by heart after the Grammer is read over.

N

ouns are known by the Letters p,Q,r,X, set
before the Arithmetical figures.

Instead of Cases, the Vowels a,e,io,o,u are set

after the Nouns and Participles, Consonants.

The Feminine are known by the letter f,

added to the Syllabical Cases.

The Vowels a, e, i beginning a Syllable and
having the Consonants b,c,d,f,g,l set after
loro, expresse the three Persons of the
Pronounes, and the six Tenses of the Verbs.

The Consonants l & m, prefixed to those
Syllables, make the Imperative, and Potential
Moods.

The Infinitive present being writ with plain
figures, without any letter or mark before them,
is made the Theme, or Root of all.

The Passive Voice is distinguished from the
Active, by a line drawn over the head of one of
the figures.

The Plural Number is known by an [s] set

after the figures.

Numbers are distinguished

from words

written with the same figures by a crosse.

Derivative Adverbs, have the letter t, set

before their figures.

Whatsoever Syllable begins with s, or t, is a

Conjunction, or Syllabical Composition.

CHAP. IO.

T

he Grammer of this invention hath
four parts, Orthography, Etymology,
Syntaxis, Prosody.

Orthography sheweth with what Character
every word is to be written, they are ten,
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0, with a letter or syllable set
before, or behind each word for distinction of
parts of Speech, Cases, Numbers, Genders,
Persons, Tenses, Compositions, Conjunctions,
of which the second part if Grammer teacheth.

The Points of distinction of words and
clauses in a sentence, are the same with those of
common use, viz a comma [ , ] which in this Art
must be put at the end of every word, A
prevent the confounding of the figures.

The middle of a sentence, if it be long, may be
marked with a colon [ : ] but the end of a
sentence must have a full period [ . ]
a Question

an
Interrogation point after the last word of the
Domanda, così [ ? ]

asked, put

Quando

È

A point of Admiration is added as a sign of

wonder [ ! ]

Anche, when two words are drawn together, UN

line is put betwixt them, called Hyphen [ – ] COME
sin-revenging, grace-confirming.

A Parenthesi is used when any words are put
between the parts of a sentence, thus marked ( )

CHAP. II.

E

tymology teacheth the differences if
the parts of speech and the forming
of them.

There are seven parts of speech: Noune,

Pronoun, Verbe, Participle.

Adverb, Conjunction, Preposition.
Nota, we reckon the Interjections among the

Adverbs, as doe the Greek Grammarians.

A Noun is a word, signifying a thing without

difference of time, as life, sweet.

Nota, whatsoever word in our English tongue
hath the particle [UN, or the] before it is a Noune,
COME [a man][, [the house]: a Noun is either a
Substantive, or an Adjective.

A Noun Substantive, is that which of itself is
sufficient to expresse its signification, without
the addition of another word, COME [man, strength.]
A Substantive is either Proper, or Common.
Nota, all proper Names of Men, Countries,
Cities, Rivers, &c sound and signifie very like to
all Nations, they may be writ in the usual letters
so that we need not devise Characters for them,

but common Nounes have in most Languages
as many several Appellations, as there are
several Languages in the world, to remedy
which confusion this Character is invented.

An Adjective

is that which requireth a
Substantive to be joined with it, to shew its
signification, as when we say (bianco) we must
add or understand (milk or snow) or some other
Substantive.

Nounes have two numbers, the singular
which signifies one, as a book, and the plural
which signifies more than one as (Libri).

There are two Genders, the Masculine, e
the Feminine, the Masculine as [a man] IL
Feminin as [a woman] living substances, only
distinguish Gender.

Other Nouns both abstract, and Concrete, COME
(coldnesse, cold) need no distinction of Gender.
Observe diligently several sorts of Nounes, di

the letters which distinguish them as followeth.

p Noun Subst. personal male p3, a man
abater, or he that abateth, personal female pf
pf3 a woman abater, or she that abateth.

r Noun Subst. real as r3, an abatement 3.
x Substantive, Active, COME (x3) an abating, o
the action of abating, which is more plain in the
parole (arming the Active Substantive) e
armes the Real Substantive, the one signifies
the action of arming, and the other the
Weapons themselves.

q A Noun Adjective hath a (Q) set before its

Carattere, as q317 bold.

Là

is one declension, or manner of
indeed are all
declining of Nouns, Quale
Aptotes, and vary not their Character, but have
the five vowels instead of Cases set after their
Characteristica letter.

Singulariter
Nominative an Abater
Genitive (Di) an Abater
Dative to an Abater
Accusative (a or the) Abater
Vocative (o) Abater
Ablative (from an) Abater

Pluraliter
Nominative, the Abaters
Genitive, (Di) the Abaters
Dative to the Abaters
Accusative, the Abaters
Vocative (o) Abaters
Ablative, from the Abaters

p3
pa3
pe3
pi3
po3
pu3

p3s
pa3s
pe3s
pi3s
po3s
pu3s

The Feminins add f, to the vowels, COME
Nom. pf3, Gen. paf3, Dat. pef3, &c

Nota, that the

letter s set behind the

Carattere, is a token of the plural number.

Nota, the Nominative and the Accusative
Case, differ not
in signification, only the
Nominative is set before the Verb, and the
Accusative after it. But if the Nominative be
put after the Verb, it will serve as well (as in the
Latine and Greek Nouns, the Nominative and
Accusative are often alike).

Nota, the signs, or prepositions, In, con,
through, &c have several marks which must be

taken out of the first Chapter of Compositions,
and set to the Nouns and Verbs in composition.
Note it is unnecessary to vary Adjectives, di
Case, or Gender, as our English tongue doth
non, and the Latine and Greek in many Aptotes.
It is therefore convenient that the sign of the
Case be prefixed to the Substantive, & that the
adjective be put after the substantive; but such
as are curious may decline them like the
Substantives, adding the vowels to their letter.

Nouns are capable of degrees of comparison,

as q317 bold.

Comparative, qq317 Bolder, or more bold.
Superlative, qqq317, Boldest, or most bold.
All numbers are written with their usual
Characters, only that they may be known from
the words written with the like figures, a cross
must be set above, under, before, or behind the
figure, as 3 plain signifies to abate.

The Substantive numeral Cardinal,
a tray (as ternio)
The Adjective Cardinal three

The Adverb thrice

Appertaining or belonging to three
as tertian
The Adjective ordinal, terzo
The Adverb ordinal, thirdly
The Distributive, three by three
Compounded with fold, as threefold, or treble

+
r3

+
q3

+
t3

+
tuc3

+3
t+3
3+
3
+

The Character of Arithmetical Fractions are
retained.

CHAP. III.

Of a Pronoun.

UN

Pronoun is a part of Speech, used in
shewing or rehearsing.

The Pronouns being very few, Ma
of most frequent use, are all set down
hear: The principal, are the three Primitive
Persons, IO, thou, or you, and he, which are
expressed by the Vowels, UN,e,io, and these
Pronoun Vowels set before the letters they are
in Verbs and
compounded with, Quale
Participles are b,c,d,f,g,l. For when the Vowels
are put after the letters p,Q,r,X, they signifie the
Cases of several sorts of Nouns, as was taught
in the former Chapter.

Pronouns are declined just like the Nouns.

Singulariter
Nominative, IO
Gen, of me
Dat. to me
Accus me
Ablat. From me

Pluraliter
Nominative, we
Gen. of us
Dat. to us
Accus. Us
Ablat. From us

UN
paa
pea
pia
pua

COME
paas
peas
pias
puas

Pronouns have no Vocatives, but thou, and my, and our.

The Derivative Pronouns are distinguished from
their primitives by an (h) set before them, In

Composition with Nouns: They are
così
written, My, or mine Abatement, har3. Thy
Abatement, her3. His Abatement, hir3, whose
Plurals are Our, Your, Loro, as our Abatement
hars3, your Abatement, hers3, their Abatement,
hirs3.

Demonstrative Pronouns are (Questo, and That,
or It, and Self, or Same) which are thus written.
Sing. This Abatement, hor3. Plu. Questi
Abatements hor3s, which is sometimes called
[Esso] as huac3, I abated it.

There is also that Personal, as hup3 That
abater, e [Questo] personal as hop3 This Abater.
When a word is compounded with [self, o
same] as I myself, the same man it must have
the letter z set to it as az I myself.
The relative is thus declined,

Nominative, Quale
Gen. whose, or of whom
Dat. to which, or to whom
Accus. Which, or whom
Ablat. From which, or from whom

v
va
ve
vi
vu

Nota, some times [Quello] signifies [Quale] COME
(he that loveth, or which loveth) and then it
hath the same Character. But sometime [Quello] È
a Conjunction, COME [speak that I may hear] per
whose Character consult the Dictionary.

Nota, Quando [soever] is compounded with a
Relative, then the v may be doubled (as in Latin
quisquis) whatsoever [vv].

CHAP. IV.

Of a Verb and Participle.

UN

Verb is a part of Speech which
signifies to do, to suffer, to be. Esso
hath two voices the Active and the
Passive, whatsoever signifies to do, is called
Active,
that which denoteth
suffering, is called Passive, COME [to be beaten].

to beat]

[COME

Nota, Verbs Neuter, COME [to Be], set alone, Sono
declined like the Active, which Verb [Be] in our
English tongue prefixt to Participles, formeth
the Passive Verbs, as I am beaten, I was beaten,
I shall be beaten, &c.

All Verbs have one General Conjugation in
both voices, and four Moods, and six Tenses or
Times.

The Indicative Mood affirms or denies any

action, o passione, COME [I abate].

The Imperative mood commands, intreats, o

exhorts, COME [abate thou].

The Potential Mood hath those signs may,
can, might, could, would, or should, set before
the Verb, COME [I may abate].

The Infinitive Mood signifies to do or suffer,
without any difference in Number or Person,
and therefore is written with plain figures, e

in this Art is made the root from whence all
other words are derived, COME [to abate 3].

The Tenses of the Verbs follow.

b The Presentense, COME
Imperfect Tense
c
Preterperfect tense
d
Pluperfect tense
f
1st Future
g
2nd Future
l

I abate or do abate
I abated or did abate
I have abated
I had abated
I will abate
I shall abate

ab3
ac3
ad3
af3
ag3
al3

An Example of the Verbs in both Voices.
Indicative Mood, Presentense

Sing.

I abate

thou abatest

ab3

Plural We abate

ab3s

eb3
ye abate
eb3s

he abates, o
abateth
ib3
they abate
ib3s

Sing.

I abated,
or did
abate
ac3

Plural We abated

ac3s

Imperfect tense

thou abatedst

he abated

ec3
ye abated
ec3s

ic3
they abated
ic3s

Sing.

I have
abated
ad3

Preterperfect tense
thou hast
abated
ed3
ye have abated

Plural We have
abated
ad3s

ed3s

he hath abated

id3
they have
abated
id3s

Sing.

I had
abated
af3

Plural We had
abated
af3s

Pluperfect tense
thou hadst
abated
ef3
ye had abated

he had abated

if3
they had abated

ef3s

if3s

First Future tense

Sing.

I will abate

ag3

Plural We will
abate
ag3s

thou wilt
abate
eg3
ye will abate

he will abate

ig3
they will abate

eg3s

ig3s

Sing.

I shall
abate
al3

Plural We shall

abate
al3s

Second Future tense
ye shall abate

he shall abate

el3
ye shall abate

il3
they shall abate

el3s

il3s

Imperative Mood Present

Sing.

Plural

Sing.

Plural

Let me
abate
lab3
Let us
abate
lab3s

Let me have
abated
lad3
Let us have
abated
lad3s

abate thou

leb3
abate ye

abate he, o
him abate
lib3
let them abate

leb3s
Perfect Tense
Let you
have abated
led3
Let you &c

lib3s

Let him have
abated
lid3
let them &c

led3s

lid3s

Note in this Mood [ l ] is put before the
A
letters of
Characteristical
distinguish them from the Indicative. E [ m ]
is the mark of the next Mood.

the Tenses,

Sing.

I may or can
abate
mab3

Potential Mood Present
thou maist or
canst abate
meb3
ye &c

Lui &c

mib3
they &c

Plural We may or can

abate
mab3s

meb3s

mib3s

Imperfect tense

Sing.

I might or
could abate
mac3

Plural We might or
could abate
mac3s

thou &c

Lui &c

mec3
ye &c

mic3
they &c

mec3s

mic3s

Sing.

First Perfect Tense
thou &c

I might have
abated

Lui &c

mad3

Plural We might have
abated

med3

ye &c

mid3

they &c

mad3s

med3s

mid3s

Second Perfect Tense
thou &c

Sing.

I would have
abated
maf3

Plural We would have

abated
maf3s

Sing.

Plural

I should have
abated
malf3
We should
have abated
malf3s

mef3
ye &c

melf3
ye &c

mef3s

mif3s

Third Perfect Tense
thou &c

Lui &c

mif3
they &c

Lui &c

milf3
they &c

melf3s

milf3s

First Future

Sing.

Plural

I would abate
mag3
We would
abate
mag3s

thou &c
meg3
ye &c

Lui &c
mig3
they &c

meg3s

mig3s

Sing.

Plural

Second Future
ye &c
mel3
ye &c

I should abate
mal3
We should
abate
mal3s

Lui &c
mil3
they &c

mel3s

mil3s

Infinitive Mood

Present tense, to abate
Perfect tense, to have abated
Future, to abate hearafter

3
3d
3g

Nota, The Passive voice is formed like the Active
moods and tenses, only setting a distinguishing line

_
over the head of the Character, as 3
to be abated, COSÌ
that we need not have set down any Type of this
voice, but for the help of such as never learned, o
have forgot their Accidence.

Indicative Mood, Present Tense
I am
abated
_
ab3
Noi siamo
abated
_
ab3

thou art
abated
_
eb3
ye are abated

s

_
s
eb3
Perfect

he is abated

_
ib3
they are abated

_
ib3

s

Sing.

Plural

Sing.

I was
abated
_
ac3

Plural We were
abated
_
ac3

s

thou wast
abated
_
ec3
ye were
abated
_
ec3

s

he was abated

_
ic3
they were
abated
_
ic3

s

Pret. Perfect

Sing.

I have been
abated
_
ad3

Plural We have been

abated
_
ad3

s

thou hast
&c
_
ed3
ye have
&c
_
ed3

s

Sing.

Plural

I had been
abated
_
af3
Noi &c
_
af3

s

Plu.
thou &c

_
ef3
ye &c
_
ef3

s

Sing.

Plural

I will {be}
abate{d}
_
ag3
Noi &c
_
ag3

s

First Future
thou &c

_
eg3
ye &c
_
eg3

s

Second Future
thou &c

Sing.

Plural

I shall {be}
abate{d}
_
al3
Noi &c
_
al3

s

_
el3
ye &c
_
el3

s

he hath &c

_
id3
they &c

_
id3

s

Lui &c

_
if3
they &c
_
if3

s

Lui &c

_
ig3
they &c
_
ig3

s

Lui &c

_
il3
they &c
_
il3

s

Sing.

Plural

Imperative Mood Present Tense
Let me be
abated
_
lab3
Let us be
abated
_
lab3

Let thou be
abated
_
leb3
Let ye be
abated
_
leb3

s
Preterperfect Tense

s

Let him be
abated
_
lib3
Let them be
abated
_
lib3

s

Sing.

Let me have
been abated

_
lad3

Let you
have been
abated
_
led3

Let ye &c

Let him have
been abated

_
lid3
Let them &c

Plural

Sing.

Plural

Plural

Sing.

Plural

Let us have
been abated
_
lad3

_
s
led3
Potential Mood Present
thou maist &c

s

I may or can be
abated

_
mab3
Noi &c

_
mab3

s

_
meb3
ye &c
_
meb3

s

Imperfect

Sing.

I might or could
be abated

_
mac3
Noi &c

thou
&c
_
mec3
ye &c

_
mac3

s

_
s
mec3
First Perfect Tense
thou &c

I might have
been abated

_
mad3
Noi &c

_
mad3

s

_
med3
ye &c
_
med3

s

_
lid3

s

Lui &c

_
mib3
they &c
_
mib3

s

Lui &c

_
mic3
they &c
_
mic3

s

Lui &c

_
mid3
they &c

_
mid3

s

Sing.

Plural

Sing.

Plural

Second Perfect Tense
thou &c

I would have
been abated

_
maf3
Noi &c
_
maf3

s

_
mef3
ye &c
_
mef3

s

Third Perfect Tense
thou &c

I should have
been abated

_
malf3
Noi &c

_
malf3

_
melf3
ye &c
_
s
melf3
s
First Future

Lui &c

_
mif3
they &c
_
mif3

s

Lui &c

_
milf3
they &c

_
milf3

s

Sing.

I would be
abated

thou &c

Lui &c

Plural

Sing.

_
mag3
Noi &c

_
mag3

_
meg3
ye &c
_
s
s
meg3
Second Future
ye &c

I should be
abated

Plural

_
mal3
Noi &c
_
mal3

_
mel3
ye &c
_
s
s
mel3
Infinitive Mood
Presen{t} tense, to be abated
Perfect tense, to have been
abated
Future, to be abated hereafter

_
mig3
they &c

_
mig3

s

Lui &c

_
mil3
they &c
_
mil3

s

_
3
_
d
3

_
g
3

Nota, instead of Impersonals in English, IL

pronoun [Esso] is before Verbs, COME [it pleased God]

their Character
Characteristical letters as hub3, it abateth.

is hu before

the Tenses

Nota, Verbs are capable of being compared, as the
Nouns were, by doubling and trebling their Tenses
Characteristical letter, COME
Present Positive
Compositive
Superltive
And so for all other Tenses.

b3
abateth
bb3 more abateth
bbb3 most abateth

A Participle is a part of speech, partaking of
the nature both of a Noun, and a Verb, from a
Noun it borrows Gender and Case, from a Verb
Tense and signification.

boi3
doi3

There are six Participles, three of the Active,
and three of the Passive signification. IL
Active are these:
Participle of the present Tense, abating
Participle of perfect Tense, he which
hath abated
Future Tense, about to abate, or he
that will abate
Passive
Participle of the present Tense,
abated, or he that is abated
Preterperfect Tense, he which hath
been abated
Future, to be abated hereafter, or he
which will be abated

_
boi3

_
doi3

_
goi3

goi3

Nota, the Participles may at pleasure be made
of any Tense of the Indicative, or Potential
Mood.

They are declined as the Nouns and pronouns

were before.

Sing.

Plu.

Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Accus.
Vocat.
Abl.

&c

boi3
ba3
be3
bi3
bo3
bu3
boi3s

CHAP. V.

Of Adverbs, Conjunctions, e
Prepositions

UN

n Adverb is a part of speech, joyned
to Verbs or Nouns (whence some call
loro
them Adnouns)

to qualifie

signification, COME [I justly punish, wilfully blind].

Adverbs are known by the letter t set before

their Character, as t3 abatingly.

Most derivative Adverbs in English, end in ly

COME [wisely, foolishly].

They may be compared by doubling, e

trebling their letters, as t3 tt3 ttt3.

A Conjunction, is a part of speech, joyning
words and sentences together, COME [e, se] they
are few, but of frequent use, and therefore they
are expressed by Monosyllables set before the
words they couple with, are to be found in the

Dictionary, and in the last leaf of the Book they
are all set together.

A Preposition is a part of speech, set before
other parts, COME [per, against, con] and because
the Latin Prepositions are in common use in
most Vulgar Languages, by reason of many
words borrowed from the Latin, COME [Postscript,
sottoscrivi, &c] therefore we have retained such
of these Prepositions as are generally known, Ancora
for the help of the Vulgar, their signification in
English is set before them in an ALPHABETICAL
order.

Above
About
Di nuovo
Secondo
After
Against, o [ant] as Anatagonist
Among
Away, or a, as to avert, or turn away,
or from
Before, or ante, as antedate
Before, or in presence, as before the
Judge
Behind
Beneath
Beside
Between
Beyond
Di, or through
in Efficient, o
Di,
senso, COME [slain by the sword]
Di, or beside, COME [he went by the
porta]
In comparison of

instrumental

Supra
Circa
Rif
Juxta
Inviare
Ant, or an
Inter
tu

Pre
Coram

Inviare
Sub
Preter
Inter
Trans
Per
Cum

Cis

Pra

Contro

pri
ant, o [an]

Sub
Dis
ex

Preter
procul
Pro
Pre
tu
ex
In
In
inter

Contro, or Com, or Co, or Col, COME
consent, commit, co-habit, colloquy
Concerning
Counter, or countermand, or contra,
signifies against
Down
Dis, as dislike
Ex, COME [to extract] signifies from, o
Di, or out of
Except, o [saving] or besides
Far from
Per, or Pro, as Proconsul
Per, or before
Da, [the sign of the Ablative case]
Forth
In
Into
Inter, COME [Intermit]
Of [signifying pertaining to a thing] is a sign of the
Genitive Case, as the wisdome of God
[Of] sometimes signifies [from] COME, Lui
received money of me, that is, from
me.
(Of) sometimes signifies
(smitten of God)
Over, signifying above, as over my
head
Over or beyond, as crosse over the
river
Out, or out of
Per, as to perspire
Pre, as to premise
Privily
Rif, as restore
Nota, (Rif) must be set after the word it is
compounded with, to distinguish it from Re the sign
of the Dative Case, of real substantives. All other

(di) COME

Cum

Supra

trans

ex
per
pre
clam
Rif

tu

super
cis
trans

prepositions should be set befor the word they
compound.
On, or upon
(On this side)
Dall'altra parte
(A) the sign of the Dative Case
(A) before a Verb, is a sign of the Infinitive Mood
presente
Insieme
Towards
Under
Up, COME (go up)
(Up) sometimes signifies (out) as he
drinketh up the wine
Upon, or on
Unto, the same as To
With, signifiying together, COME (Lui
dined with me
A volte (con) signifies (against) COME
(to withstand) he fought with me)
(With) instrumental, as he fought with
a sword
(Without) negativo, as without money
(Without) as without the Town
Within

Contro
Erga
Sub
supra
ex

super

Contro

ant

Cum

NO
Extra
Intra

For expedition in Writing, in Imitation of the Learned
Tongues, Observe those Compositions :

Desiderative —- (na) as na3 to desire to abate

Imitative ——–(na) as ne3 to abate in imitation

Inceptive——–(ni) as ni3 to begin to abate, Quale
the English sometimes expresse by (grow), as I
grow old.
Negative——–(NO) as no3 not to abate
Factive, or Causative —- (nu) as nu3 to make or
cause to abate

For other Compositions, look the last leaf of the
Book.

CHAP. VI.

Of Syntaxe

S

yntaxe is the joyning together of two, o
more words in a sentence, and this is
either Concord, or Government.

There are three Concords, the first, between
the Nominative Case and the Verb; the second,
between the Substantive and the Adjective; e
the third between the Antecedent and the
Relative (Quale), and that when it signifies
Quale, whose, and whom.

the question,

To know all which, note, when you have a
Verb Adjective or relative, ask the question
Chi, or whom, Che cosa? And the word answering
sentence and
In
A
proposition, shall be the Nominative of the
Verb, the Substantive to the Adjective, and the
Antecedent to the Relative; as in this Example:
(I love the Great God which made me.) If the
question be asked, who loveth? The answer is, IO,
and that gives the Nominative Case to the Verb.

Quello

In secondo luogo, if the Substantive to great be

demanded, the Answer is, Dio;

And thirdly, the answer to the Question, Chi
made me? Shews the Antecedent to the Relative
Quale.

Nota, Howsoever the words in a Sentence be
placed for Elegancy, or the Idiom of any
Language, they must be reduced to a plain
Grammatical order,
their Syntax or
construction may be known. And therefore it is
advised such as practise this Character, would
write plain and orderly, according to the
Indicazioni.

Quello

Nota, Nouns and Verbs being

Infatti
Aptotes, affix the signs to them as hath been
taught, and there can be no mistake in this
scrivere.

If two, or more Nouns come together,
belonging to one thing, the latter is put in the
same Case with the former, (as Jesus Christ, IL
Lord our Righteousnesse); here Christ, e
IL
all
and Righteousnesse,
Lord,
Nominative Case, by Apposition to Jesus.

Sono

Nota, in the English Tongue an ’s put to the
Singular Number, is a sign of the Genitive Case
set before the word that governs it, COME (Mio
Father’s Friend) is Equipollent to the Friend of
my Father).

Nota, The sign of the Tense, by the English,
is sometime set before the Nominative Case to
the Verb, especially in Questions, COME (doth your
Father live?) (shall I abate?) let me abate; but in
this Character the sign of the Tense must be

always set to the Verb, as al3? shall I abate?
Lab3 let me abate.

CHAP. VII.

Of Prosody

teacheth how

P

rosody
to speak and
pronounce this Character, for which
purpose one Common Name must be
given to each figure, and those are Ten
the English
Monosyllables borrowed from
names of the figures, which are thus to be
pronounced:

1,
su,

7,
sen,

2,
pure, o
[A]

5,
fi

3,
tre,

6
sic

4,
per,
o
[fo]
[and in the Plural Number 6s [six]
0.
o.

9,
nin,

8,
A,

Nota, when the Consonants prefix’d to the
figures, are set alone without Vowels to spell
them with, they are thus pronounced:

bee, cee, dee, fee, gee, lee, mee, nee,
pee, qee, ar, soi, tee, vau, wee xee.
Nota, when two Vowels happen together,
which must be pronounced as two Syllables,
Grammarians set two pricks over their heads,
which they call Diæresis, COME [pii him].

Nota, the Vowels (to prevent forreigners
mistake, who pronounce them differently from
noi) must be thus pronounced a, COME [man], e, COME
[IL], io, ending as syllable, COME [35 trefi] to be
pronounced as the word [eye], io, before a
Consonant is short, COME (lip), O, ending a word,
COME [Crow] 34 trefo, o before a Consonant,
sounds short, COME [upon], 12 onto, tu, COME [under].
The Dipthong oi, to be pronounc’d as [boy].

_
The Passive mark of figures, as ab3

, must be

pronounced, ab lintre.

For the Accent, or syllable to be raised in each

word, observe:

Primo, If a word be of two syllables, the Accent

is in the first, as 34 tréso.

Secondo, If the word be a Polysyllable, IL
Accent must be in the Antepenultima, or last
syllable but two, (if the Penultima, or last but
one have a Vowel next after it) as 3481,
trefóraton, but if the Penultima have two
Consonants following it, the Accent must be on
it as 3812, treatónto.

For other Polysyllables liberty may be taken
of pronouncing them, as shall seem most
pleasant to the ear, as 347 may be pronounced
tréfosen, or trefósen.

Numerals crosse must be called Cruce, as 3+

the cruce tree.

Note this Character thus pronounced, will
sound like Greek, having divers of its sweetest
Cadencies, and is capable of Rhetorical, e
Poetical figures. Look an example of writing

and speaking the first Commandment, at the
end of the Book.

Take notice that the Grammer and Dictionary
is already Translated into the French Tongue,
for the use of that Nation, other Languages will
be hastned.

If any forreigners, shall please to Publish this
Character in their own Countries, in their
Native Tongues, I desire the same course may
be taken, which we have observed in the
francese, viz. That a double Index be made, uno
of the Figures in their order set before the
parole, and another of the words placed
Alphabetically before the Character.

And that care be taken no alteration be made
of the Figures. And what additions shall be
judged necessary of words omitted in this
Edition, that they be propounded to publick
debate, whether necessary or no, and being
Demonstrated to be such, they may be taken in
by publick Consent in after Editions.

Nota, If you would find any derived word in
the Dictionary, which you will know by putting
[A] before it, COME [sodden] cometh from to seeth
and by the Grammatical directions supply marks
of Derivation.

Nota, The same Character is applied to most
words of the same signification, and therefore
when the order of figures seems disturbed in the
Dictionary, know, those figures were set before
or after to some word of the same sense: E
that they may be the better distinguished, those
repeated figures are of a lesser size then the
altro.

Nota, Not only proper names need no
Carattere, (as was observed above) but also
many Apellatives, Terms of Art, COME [Antithesis],
officine Medicines, COME [Mithredate] and Divers
Plants and Animals, as Arecca, Bonasirs &c.
have but one name in most Languages, e
therefore we have spared annexing Characters
before them.

THE
ALPHABETICKAL
DICTIONARY

A before B

to abandon
to abase
to abash
to abate
an abbott
to abbette
to abbreviate
to abut, o
border
an abecedary
to abhor
to abide or stay
to abide or bear
an abysse
to abjure
capace
to abolish
abortive
above
to abound
Di
abroad
to abrogate
to be abrupt
absent

1
412
2
3
p 4
5
nu 6

7
p 8
9
10
11
r 12
u 13
q 14
15
16
Supra
17
Circa

ur 18

15

19
q 20

to absolve
to abstaine
an abstract
abstruse
absurd
to abuse

21
22

16

q 23
q 24
tel 25

A before C

An Academy
to accent
to accept
accesse, o
admission
accessory
an accedent
A
accommodate
to accomplish
to accompany
to account
to accord
accoutrement
according to
to accumulate
to accuse
to accustom

26
27
28
r 29

q 30
r 31

32
33
34
35
36
r 37
Juxta
38
39
40

to acheive
to acknowledg
an acorn
to acquaint
to acquire
to acquit
an acre
an action in
Legge
an act
acrimony
acute

21

r 29

A before D

An adage
an adamant
to add
an adder
adders tongue, herb
an addice, o
cooper’s instrument
to addict
to addresse
to adhere
adjacent
an adjective
adieu, or farewel
to adjourn
addle
adjument
an adjunct
to adjure
an adjutant
to administer

13
p 63

q 52

41
42
tar 43
44
45

r 46

r 47
r 48
q 49

r 50
r 51
52
r 53
r 54

55
56
57
58
q 59

leb 60
61
q 62
r 63
q 64

65

29

an admiral
to admire
to admit
to admonish
an adoe, or stir
to adopt
to adore
to adorn
to advance
an advantage
to adventure
advent
an adverb
an adversary
adversity
to advertize
to advise
adulation
adultery
to adumberate
an advocate
an advowson of a
Church-living
adust, or burnt
to aestivate

248

A before F

Affable
affairs, or businesse
to affect, or love
to affect in curiosity
to affiance
affinity

p 66
67

68
69
70
71
72
73
r 74
75
r 76
r 77
p 78
r 79
80
81
r 82
r 83
84
p 85

r

86

87

q 88
r 89
90
91
92
r 93

to affirm
to afflict
affluence
to afford
to be affraid
after
after-noon

94
95

r 17

96
97
post
post 98

A before G

Di nuovo
against
over against
agarick
an agath [calcolo]
an age
to aggravate
aggregate
agile
to agitate
an aglet
an agnail
ago, or since
an agony
to agree
agrestical
agrimony [herb]
an ague

38

36

A before H I K L

Ah !
to aide
to aile
to aime
aire
to Ake
an aker
alacrity

63

46

re
ante
t 99
r 100
101
r 102
103

q 104
105
r 106
r 107
t 108
r 109

q 110
r 111
r 112

ah!

113
114
r 115
116

r 117

to alarm
alabaster
to allay
ahimè !
an albe
albeit
alamode [a silk]
Alcaron
alchymy
an alembick
an Alderman
ale
alleanza
algid
to alienate
aliment
all [the whole]
to alledge
an allegory
alleluia [herb]
an alley
an aldar-tree
alicunde [tree]
to allot
alisander [herb]
to allow
alkikengi
to allure
to allude
an almanack
Almes
almighty
an almond tree
almost

118
r 119
120
t 121
r 122
Sab
r 123

r 124
r 125
P 126
r 127

193

q 128
nu 129
r 130
r 131
132
r 133
r 134
r 135
r 136

137

r 190

r 300
96

138
139
r 140
r 141
q Seb 142
r 143
sib

r 145

ab 437
2

r 8

allots
aloft, or high
solo
aloof, or far
an alphabet
already
Anche
an altar
to alter
Sebbene
altitude
altogether
allum
alwayes
alzourn [herb]
I am
to amate
amaranchus [herb]
to amaze
ambage
an ambassage
amber
amber-grease
ambiguous
ambition
to amble
an ambodexter
an ambush
Amen
to amend
to amerce, or fine
an amesse or Priests
Robe
amiable

r 144
q 145
q 146
procul

so 147
Sid
r 148
149
Sab

Seb
r 150
Sob
151

152
nu 153
r 154
r 155
r 156
r 157
q 158
r 159
160
p 161
r 162
amen
162
163

r

164
q tig

q 90

an amethist
amity
amort
amorous
to amount
among
amphisbona
analogy
to analyse
anacardium
anathema
anarchy
an anatomy
an ancestor
an ancient, or ensign
the anchor
an ancle
e
an andiron
an angel
angelica (herb)
anger
to angle
an angle
anguish
an animal
to animate
anise (herb)
alicunde tree
an ancle
animadvert
annals
to annihilate
to annexe

r 179

64

r 165
r 166
167

168
Inter
r 169
r 170
171
172
r 173
no 174
r 175
r 176
r 177
r 178
r 179
et
r 180
p 181
p 182
r 183
184
r 185
r 186
r 187
188
r 189
r 190

191
r 192
193

r 192

r 186

anniversary
annotation
to annoy
to anoint
anon
un altro
at another time
to answer
an ant
an anthem
an antecedent

St Anthonies fire
to anticipate
an antilope
antimony
an antick
antidote
antiquity
antipathy
antipodes
antithesis
an anvile
ansia
any
any where
apace
apart
an ape
an aphorism
apocalypse
apocripha
an apology
an apoplexy
an apostate

q 194

195
196
sac
sec
t 197
198
r 199
r 200
201
pre
r 202
203
204
r 205
r 206
r 207
r 208
r 209

r 210

soc
t 211
t 212
t 213
e 214
r 215
r 216
r 217
r 218
r 219
p 220

r 50

r 52

19

2

an apostle
an aposteme
an apothegme
an apothecary
to appal
apparrel
to appeach
to appeale
to appear
to appease
an appendix
to appertain
the appetite
to applaud
an apple tree
the apple of the eye
an apricock tree
to apply
to appoint
to apprehend , o
arrest
an apprentise
to approach
to appropriate
to approve
April v. moneth
appurtenance
an apron
apt
aray, or apparel
to set in aray
to arbitrate
an arbour
archangel (herb)
an archangel

76

r 224

r 224

p 221
r 222

p 223

r 224

225
226
nu 227

228
r 229
230
r 231
r 232
r 233
234
235

236
p 237

nu 238
239

r 240
q 241

242
243
r 244
245

p 181 tag

see sign

an arch of a bridge
an archer
ardent
arecca tree
argent
argentine (herb)
to argue, or dispute
to argue,or convince
arid
aries
arithmetick
aristocrazia

an Arke
an arme
an armhole
an arm of the sea
arms or cognisance
armoniack (herb)
an army
to arraign
aromatical
arras (cloth)
arrears
to arrest
armozine (stuff)
to arrive
to arrogate
an arrow
the arse
the arse-hole
arsmart (herb)
arsnick, or orpine
an art
an artechoke

236

r 247

r 246
p 247
b 248

r 249
r 250
251
252
q 253

r 254
255
sarc
r 256
r 257
r 258
r 259
r 260
r 261
r 262
263
q 264
r 265
r 266

r 267
268
269

r 270
r 271
r 272
r 273
r 274
r 275

an artery
an article, or joynt
artillery
aruspicy

138 serc

r 276
r 277
r 278

A before S,T,V,W

t 213

Aus
as if, (or as though)
as well as
as soon as, o
(Quando)
to ascend
to ascertain
to ascribe
an ash (tree)
ashes
aside
to aske
askew, or asquint
an aspe (tree)
aspect
asperity
aspersion
an aspick
to aspire
asquint
to assay
to assault
assarabeck (herb)
to assassinate
an asse
to assemble
to assent
assentation
to assert
assiduity

36
r 32
94

159
q 285

sad
sed
sid

sod
279
280
281
r 282
r 283

284
q 285
r 286
r 287
r 288
r 289
r 290

291
292
293
294
r 295
296

297

235

21
nu 280

120
nu 153

63
34

to assign
to assimilate
an assize
to assist
to associate
alisander (herb)
to assoil
to assure
to assume
to asswage
to astonish
astringent
an astrolabe
astrology
astronomia
astroloche (herb)
A
to atcheive
an atheist
atrocity
to attach
to attain
to attaint
to attempt
to attend, o
hearken
to attend, or waite
to attest
attire
to attenuate
to attone
atriplex (herb)
an atturney
to attribute
to availe, or profit

236
43

234

291

41

298
r 299

r 300

301

b 302
r 303
304 serc
304 tem
r 305
saf

nop 306
r 307

308

309

310
311

nu 312

r 313
p 314

p 35

94

avant, o (away)
avarice
audacity
audience
an auditor, o
accomptant
to avenge
to averre
to avert
to augment
an augre
agury
an aunt, See kinred
to avoid
to avouch, o
warrant
auspitious
austero
authentick
an author
authority
autumne
to awe
away, or avaunt
to awake
away, or from
aware v beware
away, or absent
to award, or judge
awkward
an awle

t 315

t 315

q 20

A before X Y Z

t 315
r 316
r 317
r 318

319

320
321
r 322
serc 323

324

325
q 326
q 327
q 328
p 329
r 330
r 331
332

333

334

335
q 336
r 337

281

74

Axicoca

an axe
an axle tree of a
Coach &c
aye, or ever
azure colour

B before A

A babe, or infant
a bay, or puppet
to babble
a bable, or toy
a baboon
a bachiller
a back
to back-slide
to back-bite

r 260

bacon
Cattivo
a badge, o
cognisance
a badge, or token
a badger, o [grigio]
a bag
a bag-pipe
bag and baggage
a bay for ships
to baile
a bailiff
to baite [a bear &c]
a baite [for fish]
baize cloth
to bake
bale, or sorrow

r 338
r 339

sob
r 340

p 341
r 342
343
r 344
r 345
p 346
r 347
348
349
post
r 350
q 351

r 352
r 353
r 354
r 355
r 356
r 357
358
p 359
360
r 361
r 362
363
r 364

r 388

to balke
a ball
bald
the ball of the eye
to ballance
the beam of the
balance
the tongue of the
balance
the hole wherein the
tongue of the
balance turns
balm tree
balme-gentle [herb]
a band [of souldiers]
a neck-band
a hat-band
bane
banes of matrimony
a banner
bannaras [a tree]
to bang
to banish
a bank
a banker, or mony
changer
a banket
a bankrupt
to banne, or curse
to baptise
a balm tree
to barbe
baratta [a beast]
barbarous
a barbell [fish]

365
r 366
q 367
r 368
269

r

370

r

371

r

372

r 373
r 374
r 375
r 376
r 377
r 378
r 379

380
381
r 382

P

383
r 384
p 385
386
387
r 388
389

q 390
r 391

r 463

barbs, or trappings
bare
to bargain
a barge
to bark
a barke [little ship
barly
barm, or yest
a barn
a barnacle [bird]
a baron
a bar
a barrel
barren
a barricado
a Barrester, o
Counseller at Law
a barretter, o
troublesome knave
a wheel-barrow
a barrow hog
to barter
bartram (herb)
base
a basear prop
a base [fish]
bashful
a bashaw
sweet basil (herb)
a Basilisk, o
Cockatrice
a Basilisk [a Gunne]
Basil tree

r 392
q 393
394
r 395
396
r 397
r 398
r 399
r 400
r 401
p 402
r 403
r 404
q 405

P

406

P

407
r 408
r 409
410
r 411
q 412
r 413
r 414
q 415

r 416
t 417

r 418
r 419

1135

r 344

a basket
a bason
a basse
a bastard
to baste meate
a Bat bird
a bat, or club
to bathe
a battel
a battle-door
a battle-axe
battlements
to batter
a bavin
a bauble
a baud
to baul
a bay tree
a bay colour
a bay [for ships] r 437
to bee
a beason
a bead
a beadle
a beagle [dog]
a beake of a bird
a beam
a beam of the sun
a beane
to bear, or carry
to bear or suffer
to bear, or bring
forth a child
a bear (beast)

r 420
r 421
r 422
r 423
424
r 425

426
r 427
r 428
r 429
r 430
431
r 432

p 433
434
r 435
q 436

437
r 438
r 439
p 440
r 441
r 442
r 443
r 444
r 445
446
447
448

r 449

380

bearfoot (herb)
a beard
a beard of corn
a beast
to beat
beatitude
bellezza
Bdellium
Perché
to beckon
to become
a bed
a trundle-bed
the beds head
the bedstead
the bed side
a shed in a garden
bed-rid
a bee
to bee
a humming bee
a beech (tree)
beese
beare
a beire (for the
dead)
beastnings the first
milk coming after
birth
a beetle (fly)
a paving-beetle
beets [herb]
to befal
before
to beg
to beget

437

31

506

to begin
to beguile
to behave
to behead
behind
to behold
beholding, o
obliged
it behoveth
a beldam
to beleaguer
to believe
to belch
a bell
to bellow
bellows (to blow)
a belly
a belly-worm
a belly-god
to belong
below
a belt
a bench
to bend
beneath
benediction
a benefice, o
spiritual promotion
a benefit
benevolence
benignity
benjamin (herb) 615
496
benison
to benum

228

476
477
478
479

post

480

b

481
b 482
pf 483
484
485
486
r 487
488
r 489
r 490
r 491
r 492

sub
r 493
r 494
495
sub
r 496
r 497

r 498
499
r 500

nu 501

r 450
r 451
r 452
r 453

r 554
r 455

sef
456
457
r 458
r 459
r 460
r 461
r 462
r 463
q 464
r 465

r 466
r 467
r 468
r 469
r 470

r

471
r 472
r 473
r 474

prae

475

502
503
504
r 505
506

sif
sof

r 507
pre 508
qqq 509
510
511
512

suf
513

r 514
r 515

inter

r 516

r 517
r 518
r 519
520

521

31

484

to bequeath
to beray
to bereave
a berry
to beseech
to besiege
Oltretutto, or except
Oltretutto, o
Inoltre
a besome
to bespeak
best
to bestow
to bet
to betake
to betide
betimes, or early
to betray
to betroth
better
betony [herb]
bettail [ herb]
between
a beaver, or food
betwixt meals
a bever [beast]
the bever of an helm
a bevy
to bewaile
to beware
to bewitch
to bewray
bezar-stone
beyond

503

334

92
qq 509

ultrans

B before I

To bible
bib on a childs brest
a bib, or sucking
bottle
the bible
to bicker
to bid, or command
to bid, or invite
bigamy
big
a biggin
a bile
a bill, or catalogue
a bill hook
a bill of a bird
a billet (of wood)
to billet, or quarter
a bilberry tree
to bind
bindweed (herb)
a binne, or hutch
a birch tree
birds onion (herb)
birds foot (herb)
a bird
a birdgander bird
a birt, or turbot
birth
birth-wort
a bishop
a bisket

302

r 442

522
r 523

r

524
r 525
526
527
528
r 529
q 530
r 531
r 532
r 533
r 534

r 535
536
r 537

r 538
r 539
r 540
r 531
r 542
r 543
543
r 544
r 545
r 546
p 547
r 548

Bisixtil, or leap year
a bitch
to bite
the bit of a bridle
bitumen
bitter
a Bittern (bird)

r 549
rf 550
551
r 552
r 553
q 554
r 555

B before L

343

To blab
a blabberlip
nero
black and blew
black vine (herb)
a black bird
a blackberry tree
nero (Quello
shoemakers use)
the blade on an herb
the blade of a sword
blades (yarn-
winders)
the blade of the
shoulder
a bladder
a blaine
to blame
to blanch
blandiloquy
a blanck
a blanket
to blaze, or publish
a blaze of fire
a blazing star

smi r 556
q 557
q 558
r 559
r 560
r 561

r

562
r 563
r 564

r

565

r

566
r 567
r 568
569
570
571
r 572
r 572
573
r 574
r 575

smo 569

496

p 285
tal 587

to blazon
to blaspheme
to blast
a blast of wind
a bleak (fish)
to bleach
a blemish
a bleare eye
to bleat
to bleed
to blesse
blew
blew with specks of
grigio
blind
blind nettle (herb)
parblind
a blinkarer
blindman buff
blisse
a blister
blithe
a block
a block-head, o
dunse
a block-house
a blossome
to blot
sangue
blood-letting
a blood-stone
bloodwort
to blowe
a blow, or stripe

576
577
578
r 579
r 580
581

r 582
583
584

q 585

Q

586
q 587
r 588
q 589

r 590
r 591
q 592
r 593

P

594
r 595
r 596
597

r 598

r 599

r 600

r 584

surc r 584

576

601
q 602
603
604
r 605
r 606
607
r 608
r 609
r 610
r 611
r 612
613
r 614
r 615
r 616
r 617
r 618
619
q 620