But it is after Mr. White has been bitten by the _oestrum_ of Shakspearian pronunciation that he becomes thoroughly contradictory of himself, especially after he has taken up the notion that "Much Ado about Nothing" is "Much Ado about Noting," and that the _th_ was not sounded in the England of Shakspeare. After that, his theory of rhetorical variety seems to become that of Geoffroy, "_dire, redire, et se contredire_." First he tells us, (Vol. II. p. 94,) that "the old form 'murther' should be retained because it is etymologically correct, and because it was the uniform orthography of the day, [a hasty assumption,] _and the word was pronounced in accordance with it_." Next, (in order to sustain his anti-_th_ theory,) he says, (Vol. III. p. 227,) that "the last syllable of 'murder,' then written _mur_th_er_, _seems to have been pronounced somewhat like the same syllable_ of the French _meurtre_." He assures us (Vol. III. p. 340) that _raisin_ was pronounced as we now pronounce _reason_, and adds, "The custom has not entirely passed away." Certainly not, as any one who knows Thackeray's "Mulligan of Ballymulligan" is aware. But Mr. White (having forgotten for a moment his conclusion that _swears_ was anciently _sweers_) quotes (Vol. V. pp. 399-400) from the "Haven of Health" as follows:--"Among us in England they be of two sorts, that is to say, great _Raysons_ and small _Raysons_" (the Italics are our own). In "Love's Labor's Lost," he spells Biron _Birone_, (Chapman spelt it _Byron_,) as being nearer the supposed pronunciation of Shakspeare's day; but finding it rhyming with _moon_, he is obliged also to assume that _moon_ was called _mown_, and is severe on Mr. Fox for saying _Touloon_. He forgets that we have other words of the same termination in English for whose pronunciation Mr. Fox did not set the fashion. The French termination _on_ became _oon_ in _bassoon, pontoon, balloon, galloon, spontoon, raccoon_, (Fr. _raton_,) _Quiberoon, Cape Bretoon_, without any help from Mr. Fox. So also _croon_ from (Fr.) _carogne_,--of which Dr. Richardson (following Jamieson) gives a false etymology. The occurrence of _pontoon_ in Blount's "Glossographia," published before Mr. Fox was born, shows the tendency of the language.[K] Or did Mr. Fox invent the word _boon_? [Footnote K: Let us remark, in passing, that the spellings "Berowne," "Petruchio," and "Borachio" are strong indications that the manuscript copies of the plays in which they occur were dictated to an amanuensis.] The pronunciation of words in Shakspeare's time is a matter of no particular consequence, except that it may be made the basis of conjectural emendation. This consideration gives the question some importance, and, as error is one of those plants which propagate themselves from the root, it is well to attempt its thorough eradication at the outset. Autolycus sings,-- "If tinkers may have leave to live, And bear the sow-skin _bowget_;