and difficult articles of delivery. In all reading, the management of the breath requires a good deal of care, so as not to oblige us to divide words from one another, which have so intimate a connexion, that they ought to be pro nounced with the same breath, and without the least separation. Many a sentence is miserably mangled, and the force of the emphasis totally lost, by divisions being made in the wrong place. To avoid this, every one, while he is reading, should be very careful to provide a full supply of breath for what he is to utter. It is a great mistake to imagine, that the breath must be drawn only at the end of a period, when the voice is allowed to fall. It may easily be gathered at the intervals of the period, when the voice is suspended only for a moment; and, by this management, one may always have a sufficient stock for carrying on the longest sentence, without improper interruptions. Pauses in reading must generally be formed upon the manner in which we utter ourselves in ordinary, sensible conversation; and not upon the stiff artificial manner, which is acquired from reading books according to the common punctuation. It will by no means be sufficient to attend to the points used in printing; for these are far from marking all the pauses which ought to be made in reading. A mechanical attention to these resting places, has perhaps been one cause of monotony, by leading the reader to a similar tone at every stop, and a uniform cadence at every period. The primary use of points, is to assist the reader in discerning the grammatical construction; and it is only as a secondary object, that they regulate its pronunciation. On this head, the following direction may be of use: "Though in reading, great attention should be paid to the stops, yet a greater should be given to the sense; and their correspondent times occasionally lengthened beyond what is usual in common speech.

To render pauses pleasing and expressive, they must not only be made in the right place, but also accompanied with a proper tone of voice, by which the nature of these pauses is intimated, much more than by the length of them, which can seldom be exactly measured. Sometimes it is only a slight and simple suspension of voice that is proper; sometimes a degree of cadence in the voice is required; and sometimes that peculiar tone and cadence which denote the sentence to be finished. In all these cases, we are to regulate our selves by attending to the manner in which nature teaches us to speak, when engaged in real and earnest discourse with others. The following sentence exemplifies the susperding and the closing pauses: "Hope, the balm of life, soothes us under every misfortune." The first and second pauses are accompanied by an inflection of voice, that gives the hearer an expectation of some thing further to complete the sense: the infection attending the 'hird pause signifies that the sense is completed.

The preceding example is an illustration of the suspending pause, in its simple state: the followig instance exhibits that pause with a degree of ca dence in the voice: "If content cannot remove the disquietudes of mankinį, it will at least alleviate them."

The suspending pause is often, in the same sentence, attended with both the rising and the falling inflection of voice; as will be seen in this example: "Moderate exercise', andthabitual temperance, strengthen the constitution."* As the suspending pause may be thys attended with both the rising and the fallng inflection, it is the same with regard to the closing pause: it admits of both. The falling inflectiongenerally accompanies if; but it is not unfrequently connected with the rising inflection. Interrogative sentences, for instance, are often terminated in this manner: as, "Am I ungrateful'?" "Is he in earnest?"

But where a sentence is begun by an interrogative pronoun or adverb, it is commonly terminated by the falling inflection. as, "What has he gained by his folly?" "Who will assist him?" "Where is the messenger'?" "Wher did he arrive?"

When two questions are united in one sentence, and connected by the con unction or, the first takes the rising, the second the falling inflection: as "Does his conduct support discipline', or destroy it' ?"

The rising and falling inflections must not be confounded with emphasis.

The rising inflection is denoted by the acute; the falling, by the grave accent

Though they may often coincide, they are, in their nature, perfectly distinct. Emphasis sometimes controls those inflections.

The regular application of the rising and falling inflections, confers so much beauty on expression, and is so necessary to be studied by the young reader, that we shall insert a few more examples, to induce him to pay greater attention to the subject. In these instances, all the inflections are not marked. Such only are distinguished, as are most striking, and will best serve to show the reader their utility and importance.

"Manufactures, trade', and agriculture', certainly employ more than nineteen parts in twenty of the human species."

"He who resigns the world, has no temptation to envy', hatred, malice', anger; but is in constant possession of a serene mind; he who follows the pleasures of it, which are, in their very nature, disappointing, is in constant earch of care, solicitude', remorse', and confusion."

"To advise the ignorant', relieve the needy', comfort the afflicted', are dudes that fall in our way almost every day of our lives."

"Those evil spirits, who, by long custom, have contracted in the body habits of lust' and sensuality; malice', and revenge'; an aversion to every thing that is good', just', and laudable', are naturally seasoned and prepared for pain and misery."

I am persuaded, that neither death', nor life'; nor angels', nor principalijes', nor powers'; nor things present', Lor things to come'; nor height', nor depth; nor any other creature', shall be able to separate us from the love of God."

The reader who would wish to see a minute and ingenious investigation of the nature of these inflections, and the rules by which they are governed, may consult Walker's Elements of Elocution.

SECTION VIII.

Manner of reading Verse.

WHEN we are reading verse, there is a peculiar difficulty in making the pauses justly. The difficulty arises from the melody of verse which dictates to the ear pauses or rests of its own; and to adjust and compound these properly with the pauses of the sense, so as neither to hurt the ear, nor offend the understanding, is so very nice a matter, that it is no wonder we so seldom meet with good readers of poetry. There are two kinds of pauses that belong to the melody of verse: one is the pause at the end of the line; and the other, the cæsural pause in or near the middle of it. With regard to the pause at the end of the line, which marks that strain or verse to be finished, rhyme renders this always sensible; and in some measure compels us to observe it in our pronunciation. In respect to blank verse, we ought also to read it so as to make every line sensible to the ear; for, what is the use of melody, or for what end has the poet composed in verse, if, in reading his lines, we suppress his numbers, by omitting the final pause; and degrade them, by our pronunciation, into mere prose? At the same time that we attend to this pause, every appearance of sing-song and tone, must be carefully guarded against. The close of the line where it makes no pause in the meaning, ought not to be marked by such a tone as is used in finishing a sentence; but, without either fall or elevation of the voice, it should be denoted only by so slight a suspension of sound, as may distinguish the passage from one line to another, without injuring the meaning.

The other kind of melodious pause, is that which falls somewhere about the middle of the verse, and divides it into two hemistichs; a pause, not so great as that which belongs to the close of the line, but still sensible to an ordinary ear. This, which is called the casural pause, may fall, in English heroic verse, after the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th, syllable in the line. Where the verse is so constructed, that this casural panse coincides with the slightest pause or division in the sense, the line can be read easily; as in the two first verses of Pope's Messiah:

"Ye nymphs of Solyma"! begin the song;

"To heav'nly themes", sublimer strains belong."

But if it should happen that words which have so strict and intimate a con nexion, as not to bear even a momentary separation, are divided from one auo her by this cæsural pause, we then feel a sʊnt of struggle between the ev

and the sound, which renders it difficult to read such lines harmoniously. The rule of proper pronunciation in such cases, is to regard only the paus which the sense forms; and to read the line accordingly. The neglect of the cæsural pause may make the line sound somewhat unharmoniously; but the effect would be much worse, if the sense were sacrificed to the sound. instance, in the following lines of Milton:

"What in me is dark,

86 Illumine; what is low, raise and support."

For

The sense clearly dictates the pause after illumine, at the end of the 3d sylla ble, which in reading, ought to be made accordingly; though, if the melody only were to be regarded, illumine should be connected with what follows, and the pause not made till the fourth or sixth syllable. So in the following line of Pope's Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot.

"I sit, with sad civility I read."

The ear plainly points out the caesural pause as falling after sad, the 4th syl lable. But it would be very bad reading to make any pause there, so as to separate sad and civility. The sense admits of no other pause than after the second syllable sit, which therefore must be the only pause made in reading this part of the sentence.

There is another mode of dividing some verses, by introducing what may be called demi-cæsuras, which require very slight pauses; and which the reader should manage with judgment, or he will be apt to fall into an affected sing-song mode of pronouncing verses of this kind. The following lines exemplify the demi-cæsura:

"Warms' in the sun", refreshes' in the breeze,

"Glows' in the stars", and blossoms' in the trees;

"Lives' through all life"; extends' through all extent,
"Spreads' undivided", operates unspent.'

Before the conclusion of this introduction, the complier takes the liberty to recommend to teachers, to exercise their pupils in discovering and explain. ing the emphatic words and the proper tones and pauses, of every portion assigned them to read, previously to their being called out to the performance. These preparatory lessons, in which they should be regularly examined, will unprove their judgment and taste; prevent the practice of reading without attention to the subject; and establish a habit of readily discovering the meanng, force, and beauty of what they pcrule.

PART I.

PIECES IN PROSE

CHAPTER I.

SELECT SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS.

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SECTION I.

ILIGENCE, industry, and proper improvement of time, are material duties of the young.

The acquisition of knowledge is one of the most honourable occupations of youth.

Whatever useful or engaging endowments we possess, vir. tue is requisite, in order to their shining with proper lustre. Virtuous youth gradually brings forward accomplished and flourishing manhood.

Sincerity and truth form the basis of every virtue.

Disappointments and distress are often blessings in dis

guise.

Change and alteration form the very essence of the world. True happiness is of a retired nature and an enemy to pomp

and noise.

In order to acquire a capacity for happiness, it must be our first study to rectify inward disorders.

Whatever purifies, fortifies also the heart.

From our eagerness to grasp, we strangle and destroy pleasure.

A temperate spirit, and moderate expectations, are excellent safeguards of the mind, in this uncertain and changing state. There is nothing, except simplicity of intention, and purity

NOTE.-In the first chapter, the compiler has exnibited sentences in a great rariety of construction, and in all the diversity of punctuation. If well prac tised upon, he presumes they will fully prepare the young reader for the various pauses, inflections, and modulations of voice, which the succeeding pieces require."

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of principle, that can stand the test of near approach and strict examination.

The value of any possession is to be chiefly estimated, by the relief which it can bring us in the time of our greatest need. No person who has once yielded up the government of his mind, and given loose rein to his desires and passions, can tell how far they may carry him.

Tranquillity of mind is always most like.y to be attained, when the business of the world is tempered with thoughtful and serious retreat.

He who would act like a wise man, and build his house on the rock, and not on the sand, should contemplate human life, not only in the sunshine, but in the shade.

Let usefulness and beneficence, not ostentation and vanity, direct the train of your pursuits.

To maintain a steady and unbroken mind, amidst all the shocks of the world, marks a great and noble spirit.

Patience, by preserving composure within, resists the im pression which trouble makes from without.

Compassionate affections, even when they draw tears from our eyes for human misery, convey satisfaction to the heart. They who have nothing to give, can often afford relief to others, by imparting what they feel.

Our ignorance of what is to come, and of what is really good or evil, should correct anxiety about worldly success. The veil which covers from our sight the events of succeeding years, is a veil woven by the hand of mercy.

The best preparation for all the uncertainties of futurity, consists in a well-ordered mind, a good conscience, and a cheerful submission to the will of heaven.

SECTION II.

THE chief misfortunes that befall us in life, can be traced to some vices or follies which we have committed.

Were we to survey the chambers of sickness and distress, we should often find them peopled withe victims of intemperance and sensuality, and with the children of vicious indo lence and sloth.

To be wise in our own eyes, to be wise in the opinion of the world, and to be wise in the sight of our Creator, are three things so very different, as rarely to coincide.

Man, in his highest earthly glory, is but a reed floating on .e stream of time, and forced to follow every new direction of the current.

The corrupted temper and the guilty passions of the bad,