my electoral dominions-it shall be the chief object | it, that I should desire you to come on Saturday,

MY GOOD LORD-The humanity which is not among the least auspicious of your excellent quali-I ties, would, I am persuaded, make you feel for the present distress in which the queen and I are involved, had you not the further incitement of a sincere attachment to us both. The little object we are deploring was known to you, and consequently his merits; therefore you will not be surprised that the blow is strong. We both call on the sole assistant to those in distress, the dictates of religion. I have proposed to the queen, and she approves of *Sic in MS. What was the matter with Dr. Arnold, physically, mentally, or morally, I have not been able to ascertain.

The seven succeeding letters call for no comment.

have gained Frederick, could not be otherwise, as in stature, features, and manner, I never saw two persons so much resemble each other: may the Windsor, the 30th Feb. 1787. younger one do so in the qualities of the heart, which I have every reason to flatter myself. MY LORD-As I am perfectly unacquainted with On Friday I saw Major-General Budé, who told the name of the college, in where young Griffith me the disagreeable giddiness you complained of pursued his studies, and therefore less capable of the last winter is much abated; I trust it will ena-applying to anybody about his character, I take ble you, in the autumn, to ride constantly, as that the liberty of making him the bearer of this letter is the best of all remedies. I hope to hear from in order that he may answer for himself, totally you how you approve of the small tracts I now relying on your goodness that in case he should, send you. after enquiry, not be found what he ought to be, you will forget the application entirely. All I know of him is, that he bears the character of a modest and sober young man, that he behaved extremely well to his mother, who was the Duke of York's nurse, and that he is desirous of being employed in his profession whenever he can. I will now only add, my thanks for your kindness in this affair, and I rejoice to hear that you are a little better, the continuance of which nobody can more sincerely wish than your friend, CHARLOTTE. To the Bishop of Worcester.

Believe me ever, my good lord, yours most affectionately, GEORGE R.

To the Lord Bishop of Worcester.
The next letter requires no explanation.

Windsor, Sept. 2d, 1786.

MY GOOD LORD-Yesterday I received from Birch the design for the reverse of the theological prize medal, which I now communicate to you. The only alterations I have proposed are, that the cross shall not appear so well finished, but of ruder workmanship, and the name of the university as well as the year placed at the bottom as on the other medal.

We have had some alarm in consequence of a spasmodic attack on the breast of Elizabeth, which occasioned some inflammation, but by the skill of Sir George Baker she is now perfectly recovered, and in a few days will resume riding on horseback, which has certainly this summer agreed well

with her.

I am glad to find by a letter, which Mrs. Delany has had from Mr. Montagu, that you are preparing to do the same, as I am certain it will contribute to your health, which I flatter myself is improved by your proposing to attempt it this season.

Believe me ever, my good lord, yours most affectionately, GEORGE R.

To the Lord Bishop of Worcester,

Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire.

We cannot but perceive in the following letter how dear to the king's heart was national education. Would that the present government had the power, or those who exercise authority over the people, the will, to carry out the wishes of this (sometimes called) narrow-minded and bigoted

monarch.

Windsor, July 29th, 1787.

MY LORD-I never wished so much to exercise my power and commands as to-day, but I hope you will believe me, when I say, that this desire does not arise from any tyrannical inclination, but from a real regard for you. The wintery feel of this day makes me desirous of preventing your exposing yourself to-morrow morning at court, where 1 could only see, but not enjoy your company, which pleasure I beg to have any other day, when less inconvenient and less pernicious to your health. CHARLOTTE.

Queen's House, the 17th of January, 1788.
To the Bishop of Worcester.

G. R. Slo, 3 o'clock.
MADAM-I cannot express the sense I have of
your majesty's gracious command to me not to ap-
pear at court to-morrow. But for this once, I hope
your majesty will pardon me, if I am not inclined
to yield obedience to it. I have been so well as to
take an airing this day, which occasioned me to be
from home when the messenger came.
I will,
therefore, with your majesty's good leave, attempt
of the day; and I assure myself the occasion will
to join my brethren to-morrow in the joyful office
give me spirits enough to go through it without
inconvenience-only it is possible, madam, I may
so far take the benefit of your majesty's indulgence
as not to venture into the crowded drawing-room
afterwards. But even this will be a liberty I shall
allow myself very unwillingly.

I am, with all possible respect, madam, your majesty's most obliged and most obedient servant, R. W.

Windsor, June 8th, 1788.

MY GOOD LORD-Having learned from Dr. Langford that he sets out to-morrow for Worcester, I cannot omit so favorable an opportunity of enquiring after your health. I shall to-morrow attend the speeches at Eton, as I wish from time to time to show a regard for the education of youth, on which most essentially depends my hopes of an advantageous change in the manners of the nation. You may easily imagine that I am not a little MY GOOD LORD-Having had rather a smart anxious for the next week, when. Frederick will bilious attack, which, by the goodness of Divine return, from whom I have great reason to expect | Providence, is quite removed, Sir George Baker has much comfort. The accounts of the three at Got-strongly recommended to me the going for a month tingen are very favorable; the youngest has writ- to Cheltenham, as he thinks that water efficacious ten to me to express a wish to be publicly examined on such occasions, and that he thinks an absence by the two curators of that university on the commemoration in September, when it will have subsisted fifty years. I have taken the hint, and have directed all three to be examined on that solemn occasion. I ever remain, my good lord,

Yours most affectionately, GEORGE R. The Lord Bishop of Worcester, Hartlebury Castle.

from London will keep me free from certain fatigues that attend long audiences; I shall therefore go there on Saturday. I am certain you know the regard that both the queen and I have for you, and that it will be peculiarly agreeable to us to see you at Hartlebury. I shall certainly omit the waters some morning to undertake so charming a party; but that you may know the whole of my schemes, be

sequence of which is that the sermon is brought by
its author, whom I hope you will approve of.
Kew, the 7th Feb., 1789.

sides getting that day a breakfast there, I mean to remind you that feeding the hungry is among the Christian duties, and that, therefore, when I shall visit the cathedral on the day of the sermon for the benefit of the children of the clergy of the three choirs-which Dr. Langford, as one of the stewards, in whose behalf you spoke to the Bishop of Bath

MY LORD-The bearer of this is the young man

will get advanced to Wednesday the 6th of August, and Wells. Would you be so kind, with your (as I shall return on the 10th to Windsor)-I shall usual goodness, to direct him what further steps he hope to have a little cold meat at your palace before must take to be introduced to the bishop, and also I return to Cheltenham on Friday the 8th. I shall to give him good advice about his future conduct also come to the performance of the "Messiah," in life? In doing that you will greatly oblige and shall hope to have the same hospitable assistYour sincere friend, ance; both days I shall come to the episcopal palace sufficiently early that I may from thence be in the cathedral by the time appointed for the performances in the church. The post waits for my letter, I therefore can only add that I ever remain, with true regard and, I may say, affection,

My good lord, truly your good friend, GEORGE R. To the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Worcester, Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire.

Cheltenham, July 25th, 1788.

Queen's House, the 8th of April, 1789.
To the Bishop of Worcester.

CHARLOTTE.

From Fraser's Magazine.

PHONETICS.

THE daughters of Pelias, we are told, thinking that it would be very nice if their old father could be made young again, without a word of apology cut him into fragments and boiled him up in a caldron, just to see what would come of it. Nothing, however, did come but a kind of horrible soup.

MY GOOD LORD-Imagining you would like to hear how the visit to Gloucester had succeeded, I deferred writing till I returned from thence. It is These young ladies were the prototypes of impossible for more propriety to have been shown Messrs. Pitman and Ellis, the ingenious inventors than both by the bishop and Mr. Holdfast. His of the "Phonetic System," and apostles of the speech in his own name and that of the dean and "Spelling Reform;" and it must be owned that chapter and clergy of the diocese was very proper, the moderns do not yield to their classical originals, and he seemed not to object to my having an answer. either in the dogmatic precision with which they I thought it right to command the dean and chapter lay down what the subject which they take in hand for the new regulation, by which a more constant attendance is required, and hoping that it would ought to be, or in the uncompromising spirit with stimulate the rest of the clergy to what is so essen- which they set about making it so, or in entire distial a part of their duty. The cathedral is truly regard of the question whether the reforms they beautiful. I am to attend Divine service there on propose to effect are not inconsistent with the prinSunday. To-morrow is the visit to Croombe, which ciples and conditions on which the object of them enables me to fix on Saturday, the 2d of August, depends for existence. Your true enthusiastic for visiting Hartlebury Castle, where any arrange- doctrinaire disdains to consider such trifles as the ments for the 6th at Worcester may be explained. laws of nature, whether organic or spiritual; human All here are well, and insisted on seeing yesterday the room Dr. Hurd used to inhabit at Gloucester; feelings, customs, and prejudices, go for nothing the bishop was obliged to explain Lord Mansfield's with him; still less does he condescend to calculate prediction on the mitre over the chimney. Had whether the advantage of his amendment will comthey always been so properly bestowed, the dignity of the church would have prevented the multitude

of sectaries.

Believe me ever your most affectionate friend,
GEORGE R.

To the Lord Bishop of Worcester, Hartlebury Castle.

pensate for the inconvenience of change, or the returns be equal to the outlay. Pelias "ought" to be made young; the English language "ought" to be written phonetically; and therefore about it without delay.

The mysterious inscription which excited so much MY LORD-When I was last night with the astonishment in the Strand about a year ago, intiking, he inquired very anxiously after you, and mating that No. 344 was the "Ofis" of the Fonetic seemed pleased to hear of your having been at Kew Nuz, probably conveyed to most of our readers their to inform ourself after him. He also gave me the first intimation of the existence of the Great Phosermon for you of Mr. Thomas Willis, and ordered netic Movement, and of the fact that a considerable me to send it as soon as possible, and to express how much he wished to know your opinion about number of her majesty's subjects indulged in the it. I am likewise to introduce this new acquaint- apparently harmless luxury of writing, printing, ance of ours to you, which I shall do by a letter and reading English by means of a new alphabet through him, and I hope, nay, I am pretty sure, and a new system of spelling. The school, howthat you will like him, as he really is a very modest ever, had been founded some time previously-inman, and by his conduct in this house gains every-deed the publication of a newspaper* for its especial body's approbation. I am sorry to hear that your visit at Kew should have proved so painful to you as to give you the gout, but hope to hear that it is not a very severe attack.

CHARLOTTE.

MY GOOD LORD-This letter was wrote yesterday, but no opportunity found to send it; the con

*As this journal is now defunct we need not say much about it. Besides being, of course, the " organ of the Spelling Reform," it advocated " Progress" and Education, and talked "Liberal" politics. Among the many cool assumptions (by the way) of the party calling itself by that name of Liberal (not the least of which is the appropriation of the title) must be reckoned their pretence of being the champions of the cause of education against

use implied as much-and it has now attained a popularity and spread to an extent which, though they will astonish no one who recollects such names as Joanna Southcote, Thom, or Mormon Smith, and such things as the earthquake panic and galvanic rings, yet make it worth while to devote a few pages to a serious consideration of the matter.

Phonetic Spelling is apparently the authorized exponent of his case to the exoteric world; we shall, therefore, take this work as our text-book, referring, however, occasionally to other publications of the school, which, we presume, if not actually from the hand of the same author, contain, at all events, representations of his views and arguments by which he is willing to abide.

In looking over this Plea, the first remark of the student (which he will find occasion to repeat about once for every page) will be, that it affords a striking illustration of the truth of the observation that rhetoric is one of those arts which come best by nature, and that its most telling tricks are used far more frequently, and far more effectively, by those who have only eagerness and self-reliance for their prompters, than by the most accomplished

an enthusiast endeavoring to convince the world that his own peculiar hobbyhorse is a thoroughbred Arabian. He will unconsciously exemplify twice as many of Aristotle's stock of Ovuμαтα as anybody would dare to avail himself of in cold blood. How he will exalt the importance of his own grand plan! how he will misstate and omit the objections to it! how cleverly he will contrive

There is a very numerous class of half-educated, novelty-seeking, and somewhat self-satisfied individuals, who are sure to be caught by the specious appearance of a proposal like the present, and who seize with delight an opportunity of at once exercising their ingenuity, making themselves a little conspicuous, showing their independence of character and contempt of prejudice, and adding another to the thousand proofs of their superiority to their ancestors; this class, which the cheap press of modern times enables the promoters of any plausi-professors of the science of persuasion. Listen to ble scheme that admits of being called a reform to get at easily, will always furnish a certain amount of believers and followers to anybody who thinks it worth while to seek them; but undoubtedly the principal cause of the temporary success (as it must, comparatively speaking, be called) of the present agitation is to be attributed to the personal character of its originators, the energy and devotion with which they carry it on, and the great care and completeness to hook it on to some question of great and uniwith which their system is composed. It is evidently the work of accomplished men, thorough believers in their own invention, and as likely, perhaps, to draw water in a sieve as anybody now living. Looking at all these circumstances in connection with the natural proneness of mankind to amuse themselves about the details or application of any ingenious invention, and to take the foundations of it for granted, the amount of popularity which has been attained by Phonetics is perhaps not more than might have been expected. We must say, however, that Mr. Ellis' assertion that " 100,000 copiz" of phonetic publications are now disposed of "per anum" (a statement which the reader may translate as he thinks proper) is altogether incredible, unless we are to reckon as a separate phonetic publication each copy of a number of little explanatory handbills, sold at the rate of six or more for a penny, under the title of Penny Packets.

But it is time that we should give the reader who is still antiquated enough to require such information, some notion of what the "Spelling Reform" really is, and on what grounds its adoption is urged. Mr. Ellis is the principal literary champion of the phonetic cause, and his Plea for

the tories, which they always talk of as though it were an universally admitted fact. If a return could be made of the political opinions of all the founders and supporters of schools and colleges, past and present, in the British isles, we fancy it would tell a very different tale. To be sure your whig talks about it a good deal the most.

* Among the believers in phonetics, whose adhesion cannot be accounted for by placing them in the above category, are Dr. Latham, who has written two letters in the Athenæum for February, 1849, and three in the Educational Times for May, June, and August, 1849, in support of the scheme; and the author of an article in the Westminster Review for April, 1849. It is not often that men of this stamp care much for any crotchets except their own. Phonetic writing, however, (though not this particular form of it) is an old crotchet of Dr. Latham.

versal importance, so as to gain for his "little bark" the advantage of "pursuing the triumph" of the thundering three-decker!

Mr. Ellis really abuses these privileges of the hobbyhorseman ; but we will not dwell at present on the complaints which we are entitled to make on this subject. Contenting ourselves, therefore, with protesting that the "heteric objections to phoneticism" which the author undertakes to state, and then proceeds to demolish with such complacency, are not our objections, or at any rate not a fair representation of them, and that the facts respecting the great irregularity of the present spelling, which he proves with such a vast array of tables and calculations, are facts which we are ready to admit without any proof at all, being particularly obvious and undeniably, we will proceed at once to the root of the matter.

The foundation on which the phonetic system mainly rests is this dogma-that it is inconsistent

tables and calculations above referred to, because whether
Although we do not care to criticize minutely the
they be accurate or not the facts which they profess to
prove must, of course, be admitted, yet we must warn the
reader that he cannot rely implicitly on them; Mr. Ellis
is too eager to prove his case to be quite fair, and often
counts the same objection two or three times over in dif-
ferent forms. For instance, in the tables showing how
many different ways there are of expressing the same
sounds in heteric spelling, we find, 1. that ow sometimes
stands for u, as in bellows, (which Mr. Ellis treats as
though it should be pronounced bellus, which it certainly
should not be); 2. that ws sometimes stands for simple s,
as in bellows; 3. that wo is sometimes mute. Thus this
This
single redundant w does duty three times over.
way of counting is ingenious, but not original; it is a
plagiarism from the sailor's wife, who had to account for
the appearance of a little stranger only three months after
her husband's return from a five years' voyage.
all right, Bill," she said. "You see there's been three
months of days, that's three; and three months of nights,
that 's six; and three months you've been back, you
know!"

"It's

66

and absurd that a written language should do any- the old system is branded as the heteric. Hencething but represent accurately the sounds made in forth every one who knows how to pronounce a speaking that language; because, as Dr. Latham word will know how to spell it; and every one concisely puts it, "alphabetic writing has only one who sees how a word is spelt will know how to function, namely, to represent." This position pronounce it. This sounds plausible and ingenbeing admitted, it is not difficult to show that the ious; but a little consideration will show that existing orthography is very far from performing the whole scheme is based on an entire misapprethat "function ;" and in order the more to over- hension of the real nature of the case. The plan whelm it with ridicule and infamy, it is invariably is, in fact, as it has been well described, one" for spoken of as if it were a code deliberately com- the speedy and effectual abrogation of the English posed in its present form by a set of idiots who | language"-an expression at which Mr. Ellis is intended it to be purely phonetic, but from igno- not a little angry, and says, "for abrogation, read rance and stupidity made it what it is. Thus preservation," (Plea, p. 65 ;) nevertheless he himMr. Ellis says, even its most determined support- self describes it in another place as one which will ers allow that it was intended to be alphabetical.” "revolutionize the whole of our literature," (p. (Plea, p 11.) "The present alphabet, considered 82,) which comes to pretty nearly the same thing. as the groundwork of a system of orthography Now, to begin at the beginning, What is the in which the phonetic principle prevails, is an English language? The English language, like entire failure." (p. 25.) "The heteric fancy for all other languages sufficiently civilized to have a using o and u [in women, busy] to express our literature, is, as now existing, two-fold; there is sound of i, is very singular.” (p. 32.) "It would spoken English and written English. Whether have shown much more wisdom in the person who the written English originated in an attempt to first chose the spelling island if he had adopted the represent spoken English phonetically or not, is an orthography ighland, as the word is pure Anglo-historical question which, whatever its importance, Saxon," &c. "Another learned Theban, whose cannot affect the fact above stated. mind was bent on his own Boeotia, treated us to the magnificent orthography rhyme," &c. (p. 93.)

A written word, we say, is a fact and a thing, just as much as a spoken word is a fact and a thing. The written English language is now, and has been since its birth, a distinct existing Entity, quite independent of, however closely allied with, the spoken English language; it would remain exactly what it is if all mankind were to be henceforth deaf and dumb. It is quite conceivable, nay probable, that a complete written language

Dr. Latham, in his letter mentioned above, talks in the same tone. “To mix up etymology, (he says,) and to give the history of a word as well as its sound, is no proper function. On the contrary, it is an intention which can only be fulfilled at the expense of the representation," &c. "To distinguish between similar words, and to give fixation to a language, are equally irrelevant intentions,|might have been composed, (though, of course, it founded upon the notion that there are so many ambiguities and obscurities in the spoken language as to render a special apparatus of conventional rules in spelling indispensable," &c.

as much as the spoken one; it is not (nor ever was, from the moment it began to exist) merely the shadow of the other; it is something else, and something more. The fact that our language is in its origin phonetic, has, we repeat, nothing to do with the question, and affords no reason for urging that therefore we "ought" to write phonetically now; the proposal, in fact, involves just such a practical bull as M. Ledru Rollin made in one of his too-famous circulars, when he said that the republic having originated in a revolution, the government of France ought thenceforth to be conducted on revolutionary principles; i. e. that resistance to authority was to be the basis of authority.

would not have been alphabetical,) if mankind had never had the gift of speech at all. This being the case, a written language must, like every other reality, be governed by its own laws, or by none; From all this it is concluded that it is only a it must grow and vary in its own way, or not at return to just principles and practice to discard al-all. It has its history, its use, its meaning, just together this arbitrary code, and adopt a system of spelling which shall be purely and simply a representation of sounds. For this purpose it is necessary, in the first place, to have a new alphabet; for the old one is so anomalous and unsymmetrical, presenting on the one hand several ways of writing down similar sounds, while on the other hand there are many more vocal and consonantal sounds in the language than it possesses single vowels and consonants to typify, as to be quite inadmissible into the pure and simple temple of regenerated English. A new alphabet Messrs. Pitman and Ellis, in the years 1843 to 1847, accordingly composed and perfected, having a separate type for every distinct vocal and consonantal sound, and one only; and they propose that English words should in Is it possible that a language can exist as a future be written by means of this alphabet, with literary language which has no literary standard of reference only to their sounds, "from which it correctness? We affirm that it is impossible, and will follow that the letters in a word will deter- that such a condition is inconsistent with the laws mine the sound of a word, and the sound of a of its being. Certainly there never yet was a word will determine its letters, with mechanical language both written and spoken of which the certainty." This they call phonetic spelling; written was the slave of the spoken; if one is to *See Part II. of the Penny Packets, sold at the Pho-be the slave of the other, we should rather propose that the positions should be reversed; for a writ

netic dépôts.