We must here particularly note the article _the_, which is very often elided before a word beginning with a vowel or mute _h_. Hence the scribes frequently write _theffect_ for _the effect_, _tharray_, _thonour_ for _the hon['o]ur_, and so on. Even if they write _the effect_ as two words, we must often read them as one. In one case, we even find _the_ thus treated before an aspirated _h_, as in _th'harneys_, A 2896; however, _harneys_ is, after all, of French origin. Much more curious is the similar treatment of the pronoun _thee_; as in _thalighte_ for _thee alighte_, B 1660. Also, of the pronoun _me_; as in _d['o] m'endyte_, G 32; see _M'_ in the Glossary, p. 157. _Ne_ is usually elided; cf. _nis_, _nam_, _nat_, _nin_, _nof_, &c., in the Glossary; but not in A 631, 3110. Even unaccented _o_ can be elided; in fact, it is very common in the case of the word _to_; so that the scribes often write _tabyde_ for _to abyde_, and the like. This vowel is easily run on to another, as in Italian poetry, without counting as a syllable; as in _So est['a]tly_[77], A 281; cf. _Plac['e]bo answ['e]rde_, E 1520. s. 113. The vowel _i_ blends so easily with a following vowel that we feel no surprise at finding _f['u]rial_ used, practically, as a dissyllable (F 448); _mer['i]dion[`a]l_ treated as if it had but four syllables (F 263); and _sp['e]ciall[`y]_ as if it had but three (A 15). A similar slurring is easily perceived with regard to the _o_ in _['a]morousl[`y]_ (E 1680) and the _u_ in _n['a]turell[`y]_ (B 298). The reader of English poetry must be quite familiar with similar usages. _V['a]l-er-y['a]n_, instead of _Val['e]rian_, in G 350, is a little forced. In many cases of difficulty, the accent is marked in the Glossary. s. 114. SUPPRESSION OF SYLLABLES. We find, not only in Chaucer, but elsewhere, that _light_ or _very weak_ syllables do not always count for the scansion; so that, whilst, on the one hand, we can read _C['a]unterb[`u]ry_ as four syllables, with a secondary accent on _u_ (as in A 27), there is no difficulty in pronouncing it, as many do, as if it were _C['a]unterb'r[`y]_, with the secondary accent on the _y_ (as in A 16, A 22)[78]. It seems hardly necessary to enlarge upon this part of the subject; it is sufficient to say that mere counting of syllables will not explain the scansion of English poetry. Accent reigns supreme, and the strong syllables overpower the weak ones, even to the extent of suppressing them altogether.