Have, may lose its two first Letters after I, You, We, They; as I've, You've, We've, They've.
Not, its two first Letters after can; as Can't for Can not.
Am, its A after I: I'm for I am.
Us, its U after Let: Let's for Let us.
Taken, its K, as Ta'en: for so it ought to be written, not ta'ne.
Heaven, Seven; Even, Eleven, and the Participles Driven, Given, Thriven, and their Compounds, may lose their last Vowel, as Heav'n, Forgiv'n, &c. See the foregoing Section, p. 13.
To these may be added Bow'r, Pow'r, Flow'r, Tow'r, Show'r, for Bower, Power, &c.
Never, Ever, Over, may lose their V; and are contracted thus, Ne'er, E'er, O'er.
Some Words admit of an Elision of their first Syllable; as 'Tween, 'Twixt, 'Mong, 'Mongst, 'Gainst, 'Bove, 'Cause, 'Fore, for Between, Betwixt, Among, Amongst, Against, Above, Because, Before. And some others that may be observ'd in reading our Poets.
I have already, in the 3d Section of this Chapter, spoken of the Elision of the e of the Particle The before Vowels: But it is requisite likewise to take notice, that it sometimes loses its Vowel before a Word that begins by a Consonant, and then its two remaining Letters are joyn'd to the preceding Word; as To th' Wall, for To the Wall; By th' Wall, for By the Wall, &c. But this is scarce allowable in Heroick Poetry.