To these may be added the Gerunds of all Verbs whose Infinitives end in any of the Liquids, preceded by a Vowel or Diphthong, and that are accented on the last save one: for the Gerunds being form'd by adding the Syllable ING to the Infinitive, the Liquid that was their final Letter, comes thereby to be between two Vowels; and the Accent that was on the last save one of the Infinitive, comes to be on the last save two of the Gerund: And therefore the Vowel or Diphthong, that precedes the Liquid, may be cut off; by means whereof the Gerund of three Syllables comes to be but of two, as from Travel, Travelling, or Trav'ling; from Endeavour, Endeavouring, or Endeav'ring, &c.
But if the Accent be on the last Syllable of such a Verb, its Gerund will not suffer such an Elision: Thus the Gerund of Devour must always be three Syllables, Devouring, not Dev'ring; because all Derivatives still retain the Accent of their Primitives, that is, on the same Syllable: and the Accent always obliges the Syllable on which it is, to remain entire.
The Gerunds of the Verbs in OW, accented on the last save two, suffer an Elision of the O that precedes the W; as Foll'wing, Wall'wing.
The Particle It admits of an Elision of its Vowel before Is, Was, Were, Will, Would; as 'Tis, 'Twas, 'Twere, 'Twill, 'Twould, for It is, It was, &c.
It likewise sometimes suffers the like Elision, when plac'd after a Word that ends in a Vowel; as By't for By it, Do't for Do it: Or that ends in a Consonant after which the Letter T can be pronounc'd; as Was't for Was it, In't for In it, and the like: But this is not so frequent in Heroick Verse.
The Particle Is may lose its I after any Word that ends in a Vowel, or in any of the Consonants after which the Letter S may be sounded; as she's for she is: The Air's for the Air is, &c.
To (sign of the Infinitive Mood) may lose its O before any Verb that begins by a Vowel; as T' amaze, t' undo, &c.
To (Sign of the Dative Case) may likewise lose its O before any Noun that begins with a Vowel; as t' Air, t' every, &c. But this Elision is not so allowable as the former.
Are may lose its A after the Pronouns Personal, We, You, They; as We're, You're, They're: And thus it is that this Elision ought to be made, and not as some do, by cutting off the final Vowels of the Pronouns Personal; W'are, Y'are, Th'are.
Will and Would may lose all their first Letters, and retain only their final one, after any of the Pronouns Personal; as I'll for I will; He'd for He would; or after Who, as who'll for who will; who'd for who would.