2) With Chaucer(who pronounces besides the French words in French manner) the syllable ion is to be pronounced as two syllables(having the accent on-ön); for instance:

«And maken al this lamentacioun.) Th. Knght. T. 77. From Shakspeare we compare:

«And lét us sweär our résoluütiön.“ J. C. II, 1. Spencer has in his The Faerie Queene):

Whose yielded pride and proud submission, Still dreading death when she had markéd long, Her heart gan melt in great compassion,

And drizzling tears did shed for pure affection.)

See also Canto X, 46. It is the same case with ér in soldier, earlier; marriage; conscience; partial; similarly the e is pronounced in: surgéon, vengéance, sergéant, créature, pléasure, tréasure.

Necessity of versification has also induced Shakspeare to employ some contractions

and lengthenings of words, when pronounced in verse; they are however written at their proper length.

I. Contraction in pronouncing.

1) The words(with th): either, neither, rather, whether, other; and likewise: ever, ——————

never, even, over and others are contracted into one syllable*†). For instance:

———

Either léd or driven, âs we point the way.“ J. C. IV, 1.

—

2) The words: being, having, power, prayer, spirit are contracted. For instance: —— Being crössed in cönference by some sénatérs»(Note the French pro- ——

nunciation of this word). J. C. I, 2. 3) Sometimes two syllables of different words are to be read as one. For instance: «The ambitious écean swéll and räge und foãm.) J. C. I, 3.

4) Er, el, and le final is often dropped or softened. For instance: Repört should rénder him hourly tö your eär.) Cymb. III, 4.

5) Unaccented syllables of polysyllables may be almost ignored. Thus in: barbarous, remedy, implements, messengers, conference, majesty, necessary, sacrificers, innocent, sanctuary, innatural. Similarly polysyllabic names are shortened at the end of the line. For instance: Polixenes, Hermione, Cleömenes, Cätherine, Antönio, Férdinand, Pröspero, Eglamond, Cordélia, Ophélia, Valéria, Claudio, Angelo, Dörmio, Römeo, Horätio, Bückingham, Nicolas, Northumber- land, Märgaret, Albany, Göneril, Emilia, Antony, Ptõlemy, Méntague; sometimes also in the middle of the line. There is altogether great licence taken in versification with proper names.

*) Compare Chaucer, Morris, Introduction, Metre 4.