(1.) “Unaccented syllables are generally short:  as, ’admire, boldness, sinn~er.’  But to this rule there are many exceptions:  as, ’als=o, ex=ile, gangr=ene, ump=ire, f=oretaste,’ &c.

(2.) “When the accent is on the consonant, the syllable is often more or less short, as it ends with a single consonant, or with more than one:  as, ‘Sadly, robber; persist, matchless.’

(3.) “When the accent is on a semi-vowel, the time of the syllable may be protracted, by dwelling upon the semi-vowel:  as, ‘Cur, can, f~ulfil’ but when the accent falls on a mute, the syllable cannot be lengthened in the same manner:  as, ‘Bubble, captain, totter.’”—­L.  Murray’s Gram., 8vo, p. 240; 12mo, 193.

(4.) “In this work, and in the author’s Spelling-book, the vowels e and o, in the first syllable of such words as, behave, prejudge, domain, propose; and in the second syllable of such as pulley, turkey, borrow, follow; are considered as long vowels.  The second syllables in such words as, baby, spicy, holy, fury, are also considered as long syllables.”—­Ib., 8vo, p. 241.

(5.) “In the words scarecrow, wherefore, both the syllables are unquestionably long, but not of equal length.  We presume therefore, that the syllables under consideration, [i.e., those which end with the sound of e or o without accent,] may also be properly styled long syllables, though their length is not equal to that of some others.”—­Murray’s Octavo Gram., p. 241.

OBS. 19.—­Sheridan’s “infallible rule, that no vowel ever has a long sound in an unaccented syllable,” is in striking contrast with three of these positions, and the exact truth of the matter is with neither author.  But, for the accuracy of his doctrine, Murray appeals to “the authority of the judicious Walker,” which he thinks sufficient to prove any syllable long whose vowel is called so; while the important distinction suggested by Walker, in his Principles, No. 529, between “the length or shortness of the vowels,” and “that quantity which constitutes poetry,” is entirely overlooked.  It is safe to affirm, that all the accented syllables occurring in the examples above, are long; and all the unaccented ones, short:  for Murray’s long syllables vary in length, and his short ones in shortness, till not only the just proportion, but the actual relation, of long and short, is evidently lost with some of them.  Does not match in “matchless,” sad in “sadly,” or bub in “bubble,” require more time, than so in “also,” key in “turkey,” or ly in “holy”?  If so, four of the preceding positions are very faulty.  And so, indeed, is the remaining one; for where is the sense of saying, that “when the accent falls on a mute, the syllable cannot be lengthened