"Shame and Woe to us, if w' our Wealth obey."—Cowley.
But these and the like contractions are very rare in our most correct poets, and indeed ought 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 with 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 it is 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,
"And th' hasty Troops march'd loud and cheerful down."—Cowley.
But if the h aspirate be followed by another e, that of the particle the may be cut off; as,
"Th' Heroick Prince's Courage or his love."—Waller.
Th' Hesperian Fruit, and made the Dragon sleep."—Waller.
CHAPTER II.
OF RHYME.
Section I.—What rhyme is, and the several sorts of it.