The Particles In, Of, and On, sometimes lose their Consonants, and are joyn'd to the Particle The in like manner; as i'th', o'th', for in the, of the.
In some of our Poets we find the Pronoun His lose its two first Letters after any Word that ends in a Vowel; as to's, by's, &c. for to his, by his, &c. Or after many Words that end in a Consonant, after which the Letter S can be pronounc'd; as In's, for's, for In his, for his, &c. This is frequent in Cowley, who often takes too great a Liberty in his Contractions; as t' your for to your, t' which for to which, and many others; in which we must be cautious of following his Example: But the contracting of the Pronoun His in the manner I mention'd, is not wholly to be condemn'd.
We sometimes find the Word Who, contracted before Words that begin by a Vowel; as,
Wh' expose to Scorn and Hate both them and it.Cowl.
And the Preposition By in like manner; as,
B' unequal Fate, and Providence's Crime.Dryd.
Well did he know how Palms b' Oppression speed.Cowl.
And the Pronouns personal, He, She, They, We; as,
Timely h' obeys her wife Advice, and strait
To unjust Force sh' opposes just Deceit.Cowl.
Themselves at first against themselves th' excite.Cowl.
Shame and Woe to us, if w' our Wealth obey.Cowl.
But these and the like Contractions are very rare in our most correct Poets, and ought indeed wholly to be avoided: For 'tis a general Rule, that no Vowel can be cut off before another, when it cannot be sunk in the pronunciation of it: And therefore we ought to take care never to place a Word that begins by a Vowel, after a Word that ends in one (mute E only excepted) unless the final Vowel of the former can be lost in its Pronunciation: For, to leave two Vowels opening on each other, causes a very disagreeable Hiatus. Whenever therefore a Vowel ends a Word, the next ought to begin with a Consonant, or what is Equivalent to it; as our W, and H aspirate, plainly are.
For which reason 'tis a Fault in some of our Poets to cut off the e of the Particle The, for Example, before a Word that begins by an H aspirate; as