XI. Ortuocrapny,

Francis Peck was the first critic to remark the
singularity of Milton's Spelling* He notes that he
used bee, hee, shee, mee, wee, livlyhood, then for than,
ther for there, thir for their, vertue for virtue, yeild for
Yield, ancient for antient, Milton lived in what is called

* See pp. 54 ff.
* ‘On Milton's Political Opinions,’ in Lectures and Addresses, p,112.
* New Memoirs of Life and Poet (Works of Milton, Pp. 269),

e

1 Introduction

the early modern period of English literature, when
the language was being reorganized. In spelling, as
in sentence-building and paragraphing, each writer
was a law unto himself. But just as Milton had de-
cided ideas as to the proper length of sentences, so
he tried to spell by rule in a day when there was
no rule. In the system which he devised, and to
which he was generally faithful, the main purpose
seems to have been simplicity. There is an approach
to the modern practice of phonetic spelling in drop-
ping the weak final e, as hear for heare, soon for soone,
son for sonne. He often omits a mute e, as cov’nant,
spok’n, ev’n, alleg’d, certainly for certainely, or a useless
consonantal termination, as general for general, equal
for equall, gospel for gospell, stil for still, especial for
especiall. The snffix ate he shortens to at, as subor-
dinat, privat, prelat. The spelling of preterites and past
participles is unsettled in Milton’s writings, as is that
of words ending in y and ie. He often changed the
final d into ¢ after the dropping of ¢ in verbs ending
in a surd consonant, as stopt, profest, banisht, punisht.

In this treatise we find that the spelling of the
personal pronouns varies. There is such individual
orthography as vertue for virtue, thir for their, meer
for meere, onely for only, then for than, goverment for
government, ly for lie, furder for further, and sent for
scent. The present text of The Tenure of Kings and
Magistrates possesses special interest for the student
of Milton’s system of orthography. It is a copy of
the actual spelling of the first edition, collated with
the second edition, and including the numerous ad-
ditions made in the new issue of the pamphlet in
1650. By mparing the text of the first with that of
the second cdition, we find many alterations in the
spelling. Nearly all these changes tend toward sim-

Orthography li

Plicity, and are in accord with the Principles explained
above, and in his earlier divorce

the first edition
In his careful

First Edition, Second Edition, First Edition. Second Edition.
Gentilisme Gentilism | therefore therfore
still stil patheticall Pathetical
mischiefe mischief drawne drawa
prelates Prelats plaine plain
sonne son mortal] mortal
Britanes Britans custome custom
worse wors
soone soon he

betooke betook fit
certainely certainly kingdomes kingdoms
generall general devill devil
learned lerned private Privat
againe again subordinate subordinat
alleag’d alleg’d sinne sin

equall equal schismes Scisms
sinceritie sincerity

Introduction