2d. From a fastidious care to avoid this sound, they are pronounced in a separate and analytic manner, which wants fluency and freedom; thus, Ed-u-cate and na-t-ure.

Examples for practice.-Educate education creature feature arduous virtue virtuous fortune spiritual spirituous signature individual gradual graduate naturally. For other errors, see as before.

Error. The sounding of h, when it ought to be silent, as in Humour, hostler, hospital, humble; for 'umour, &c.

For other errors, see as before.

The errors commonly made in the sounds of the other consonants, are mentioned in the lesson and exercises on articulation.

ACCENT.

Accent is the force with which we pronounce the most prominent syllable of a word, as in the syllable man in the word man'fully.

Errors in accent consist in transferring it to syllables on which it is not authorized by present custom, or established usage, as in Con'template for contem'plate, con'tents (noun) for conten'ts; and in giving undue force to unaccented syllables, as in affection for affection.

The former class of errors, is to be corrected by reference to the dictionary, in the manner already mentioned. The following words may serve as specimens of common faults in accent.

Dissyllables, erroneously accented on the first instead of the second syllable: Detail retail recess access. Polysyllables, erroneously accented on the second syllable instead of the first: Acceptable commendable. The accent on the second syllable of these words is entirely obsolete; and the attempt to revive it, although favouring harmony of sound, is in as bad taste as the introduction of obsolete words in writing, or the adoption of antiquated fashion in garments.

Polysyllables, erroneously accented on the first syllable instead of the second: Contemplate compensate extirpate.

The fault of improper force on unaccented syllables, arises from prolonging the vowel in such syllables. This error is illustrated in the incorrect sound of the initial a, as in abandon for abandon. It occurs also in the

5

following and similar words: Attract attraction detract deduce deduct deduction detraction delusive deride derision relate remit remember review addition ;-mispronounced att'ra'ct, de'tra'ct, for attract, detra'ct, &c. This fault should be carefully avoided, as imparting to words, a childish or mechanical accent, in the style of early lessons at elementary schools.

The English language differs from others in no point more strikingly, than in the peculiar force of its accent, which seems almost to absorb the enunciation, in reading or in speaking, particularly the latter. This characteristic is, no doubt, often carried to excess through carelessness and inattention, and produces a faulty obscurity of articulation, in unaccented sounds. But the fault of this extreme, cannot justify the opposite, which terds to equalise accent, somewhat in the manner of the French language. The style of pronunciation becomes, in this way, feeble and inexpressive, by losing the appropriate native prominence of English accent.

THE WORDS The, By, My.

The, before a word beginning with a vowel, should be pronounced with the same sound of e as in Relate: before a word beginning with a consonant, it should have the obscure sound, as in the second syllable of eternal; but never the sound of broad a.

By, in colloquial or very familiar language, may be pronounced short, with a sound of y corresponding to that of i in the word it, and not as sometimes heard, like the e of me. But, generally, the y should be long.

My should always be pronounced with the short sound of i, mentioned above, unless in emphatic expression or in solemn style; and, in the latter, only in phrases directly associated with solemnity, as in the following: 'my God. Familiar phrases, even in serious or solemn style, should retain the short y; thus, My hand, my heart, my mouth,-not my hand, &c.-So also in phrases of address, my lords, my friends, my countrymen, &c.-not mỹ lords, &c. The word myself should never have the long y.

THE TERMINATION ed.

In the reading of the Scriptures, the solemnity and antiquity of the style are supposed by some to require, or at least to authorize, the sounding of e in such words.-This, however, is a matter of taste merely, and should never be extended to other reading.

The preceding illustrations of errors in pronouncing, are intended rather to suggest the necessity of the dictionary exercise already prescribed, than to give a full list of mispronunciations. Many important classes of faults in pronouncing are included in the lesson and exercises in articulation, which it may be useful to repeat, before commencing the exercise from the dictionary. This exercise may be performed, to great advantage, by the use of the slate and pencil; the pupils in a class writing, at the dictation of the teacher, a column or more of words, and on a column opposite, the orthoepy or actual pronunciation of each. It may afford a useful variety in the form of exercise, to write occasionally the orthoepy alone, as a discipline of the ear, or rather of the mind, in quickness and accuracy of attention.

RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS

TO ASSIST THE PUPIL IN AVOIDING ERRORS, &c.

1. WHEN reading you should look forward a little, as you do
when walking, to see what is before you, and what things
will make you pause a little, and where you must stop.
2. Read so slowly that you can speak all the words distinctly, and
*pronounce them correctly; but do not drawl or whine your
words.

3. Do not read as though you were reading or talking to yourself, but as though you were telling something to those who hear

you.

4. Read to any person, as loudly as you would speak if talking to him.

Page.

5. Avoid reading rapidly and carelessly, as you approach the end of a sentence.

71

6. Sit or stand erect when you read. Leaning the head and shoul-
ders forward causes the voice to sound badly.
7. Be careful to learn and remember the stops and marks so well,
that you will know their meaning whenever you meet them.
8. If a dash, stars or dots, stand for a whole word, call that word
blank.

9. Do not read easy lessons too fast: but always think of what you
are reading, and read as though you were attending to it
carefully.

10. Be careful that you do not repeat your words in reading; once reading a word correctly, is enough.

11. Avoid the common error of omitting the letter ƒ in the word of.
It should be sounded distinctly like v.
12. Read questions as you would ask them: and let your voice fall
at the end of answers to questions..

13. Both Poetry and Prose, that relate to religious subjects, should be read more slowly, distinctly and seriously, than what relates to other subjects.

144

14. In reading humorous pieces, or such as excite laughter and merriment, the reader must not laugh..

155

15. Above all things, while you are reading or talking, avoid thinking of yourself. Think of the subject upon which you are reading.

16. Avoid the habit of being obliged to make coughing or other unpleasant noises, just as you are beginning to read.

17. The habit of reading as though you were in a hurry, and wanted to get along fast, must be avoided.

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18. Avoid running your words together, so as to make two or more words sound like one.

178

19. When you do not know how to pronounce a word, or are obliged, for any other reason, to hesitate while reading, do not cough. Stop silently, till you are ready to proceed.

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20. In order to make your reading appear as much as possible like
good speaking or conversation, it is necessary to look at the
persons to whom you read, when you can do so without
making mistakes..

21. When you look at the persons to whom you are reading, look
at them as you would if you were talking to them.
22. When an author has made imperfect rhymes, you must not mis-
pronounce the words, in order to make the rhymes good.
Read correctly what is written. If it sounds improperly, the
fault will not be yours.

Page.

23. The custom of reading rapidly and with inattention, such passages as have been committed to memory, must be avoided. 24. Read attentively, so that you will be able to give a good account of everything you read.

25. It is a poor excuse for any fault to say, "I forgot to do right." Remember and be willing to do correctly whatever has been taught you, and you will become a good reader.

26. When you are alone, think of your faults: when you are with others, correct those faults. This applies to reading, and to all things that you do.

27. As we cannot read well what we do not understand, we need to study what seems difficult, and look in a dictionary for all hard words, whenever found..

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195

198

201

207

213

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28. As soon as you can understand by a dictionary how words should be pronounced, you should be in the habit of consulting it that you may avoid all errors.

...

29. As Blank Verse has no rhymes, great care must be had in reading it, that no pauses are made at the ends of the lines except what the sense requires.

30. General Rules for reading the Scriptures, may be found at
page
31. Where the word saying or said is immediately followed by what
is said, the voice must not fall, and there must be no longer
pause than what is common at a comma.
32. In reading the Sacred Scriptures, we should be still more care-
ful than in reading anything else, to avoid abbreviating or
clipping the words, or crowding them together. They should
be read distinctly and deliberately..

33. Although the Sacred Scriptures are to be read slowly and very
seriously, yet a drawling manner and all unnatural tones are
to be avoided. .

34. Do not name the number of the verses before you read them, unless it is by direction of the Teacher.

35. In reading the various names of the SUPREME BEING, great care should be taken to pronounce them distinctly and with reverence, but, as before mentioned, the custom of giving them an unnatural and drawling pronunciation, must be always avoided.

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233

234

237

242

252

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36. When a word ends with s, and the next word begins with s, or has much the sound of's, the first word must be pronounced very distinctly before you begin to pronounce the second... 263

THIRD BOOK.

LESSON I.

RULE. When you are reading, you should look forward a little, as you do when walking, to see what is before you, and what things will make you pause a little, and where you must stop.

LITTLE EDWARD.

1. LITTLE Edward thought much about the Lord, and tried to do right. When he was only four years old, he did not like to go to bed without saying his prayers. It was a very pleasant sight, after he had eaten the bread and milk from his little porringer, and had his night-gown tied nicely, to see him kneel by his mother's side, and lisp his evening hymn, and the Lord's Prayer.

2. He loved his father dearly, and when his mother told him that God was his Father in Heaven, he also loved Him; and when he repeated his prayer, he really wished that the Lord would do good to his father, and mother, and himself, and all persons.

3. It was a pleasure to look in Edward's face; for he had so much sweetness and innocence in him, that it shone out at his eyes; and they were so clear, and bright, and blue, that his countenance was like the sky in a happy summer's morning.