Magazine, that is low Learning, too high for the Capacity of the Vulgar; Or the Schooler School’d. viz, Babel pull’d down, and Confusion Confounded. The latter Survey of the English Letters, and ways of Amendment, where things are too much amiss to be excus’d, only referring all to the good will of those that are willing to amend their perceiv’d mistakes and unwilling to fall into their former Errors again.

Q. Horatij Flacci, Epistolarum Liber secundus.
Ad Augustum Epist. I. Paulo post initium. Si meliora dies, ut vina poemata reddit
Scire velim: Pretium chartis quotus arrogat annus.
Scriptor abhinc annos centum qui decidit, inter
Perfectos veteresque, referri debet, an inter
Viles atque novos? Excludat jurgia finis.
Est vetus atque probus centum qui perficit annos.
Quid? Qui deperiit minor uno mense vel anno.
Inter quos referendvs erit veteresne poetas.
An quos & præsens & postera respuat ætas?
Iste quidem veteres, inter ponetur honeste.
Qui vel mense brevi vel toto est junior anno.
Utor permisso; caudaque pilos ut equina
Paulatim vello, & demo unum, demo etiam unum.
Dum cadat.—— The Second Book of Epistles of Quintus, Horatius, Flaccus.
The First Epistle unto the Emperour Augustus Cæsar,
in whose days our Saviour Christ was Born. Thus English’d. There is a thing I fain would know,
As Age doth make Wines better; Whether to Papers it doth so,
And what’s Writ on’t with Letter, And what Age gives a Reverence
To Papers, I would know: If Authors Credits got by Tense
Of Hundred Years or mo? An Ancient currant Author then,
And Hundred Years is Old? Or is he of the Slight Gown men,
That Writ then as ’tis told? Set down the time that strife may cease:
And hundred Years is good, If one Month short, or Year he bears,
Doth he slick in the Mud? No, for one Month or Year, we grant,
And very honestly too; He shall be counted Ancient
Without so much ado. What you do grant, I’m very free
To use now at my pleasure: Another Month, or Year, d’ ye see
I’ll bate, as I have leasure; So Hair by Hair, from the Mare’s Tail
I’ll pull, as well I may. So what is good, is quickly stale,
Though Writ but t’ other day.

That we make something to discoure upon further, I’ll take an Example or two from the two Tables, wherein one Sound is Spell’d diverse ways, and again the same Letters make diverse Sounds.

FIrst then, âz, dayes, praise, phrase, gaze.

A. Asia, day, fair, wear, heir.

E. Phebe, key, the, sea, yea, weigh, either, holy.

I. Why, I, high, try, tie, buy.

O. Who, know, bow, toe, tow, dough.

U. True, dew, Hugh, neuter, give, you, gaol, jaylor, goal, John, gives dat; gives compedes, gill of fishes, gill of water, ague, plague, anger, and danger, guard, reguard, spring, a well, spring of steele, jet, and ginger, and finger, ghost, god, and Ghurmes, and age, ages, cares.

Our Children are not Witches, that they should guess to Read right by the Letter, such stuff as this, and the Masters are no very great Conjurers, to perceive nothing; what contradictions they make ’em swallow.