§ =121.= Modern English accentuation deviates little from that of the Old English and Middle English; the inflexional endings, however, play a much less important part; further, in many cases the Romanic accentuation of Middle English is still in existence, or at least has influence, in words of French or Latin origin. This is evident from many deviations in the rhythmic accentuation of such words from the modern accentuation which we here regard as normal, though it is to be noted that in the beginning of the Modern English epoch, i.e. in the sixteenth century, the actual accentuation in many cases was still in conformity with the earlier conditions. Only these real and apparent anomalies are noticed here. We have first to consider the =Romanic endings= _-ace_, _-age_, _-ail_, _-el_, _-ain_, _-al_, _-ance_, _-ence_, _-ant_, _-ent_, _-er_, _-ess_ (Old French _-esse_), _-ice_, _-ile_, _-in_, _-on_, _-or_, _-our_, _-une_, _-ure_, _-y(e)_ (in disyllabic words). As the final _e_ has become mute, all these endings are monosyllabic. In the works of the earlier Modern English poets some words ending in these syllables are only exceptionally used with the accent on the last syllable according to the Old French or Middle English accentuation, the Modern English accentuation being the usual one; others are employed more frequently or even exclusively with the earlier accentuation, e.g. _paláce_ Sur. 174, _bondáge_ Wyatt 224, _traváil_ Sur. 82, Wyatt 19, _certáin_ ib. 179, _mountáin_ Sur. 37, _chieftáin_ ib. 112, _cristál_ Wyatt 156, _presénce_ ib. 81, _grievánce_ ib. 55, _penánce_ ib. 209, _balánce_ ib. 173, _pleasánt_ ib. 130, _tormént_ (subst.) ib. 72, _fevér_, _fervóur_ ib. 210, _mistréss_ ib. 109, _richés_ ib. 209, _justíce_ ib. 229, _servíce_ ib. 177, _engíne_ Sur. 130, _seasón_ ib. 149, _honóur_ ib. 166, _armóur_ 148, _colóur_: _therefóre_ Wyatt 6, _terrór_: _succóur_ ib. 210, &c., _fortúne_: _tune_ ib. 152, Sur. 115, _measúre_ Wyatt 125, _natúre_: _unsúre_ ib. 144, _glorý_: _mercý_ ib. 208. In almost all these cases and in many other words with the same endings this accentuation seems to be due to the requirements of the rhythm, in which case level stress must be assumed. § =122.= It is the same with many other disyllabic words, especially those both syllables of which are almost of equal sound-value and degree of stress, as in cases in which two different meanings of one and the same word are indicated by different accentuation, a distinction not unfrequently neglected in the metrical treatment of these words.