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LECTURE III.

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AVING in my former Lectures laid all the fundamental principles of the Art of Reading, and established rules to direct us in the proper exercise of that art; I shall now proceed to confirm the theory by practical observations, and illuftrate the rules by examples. For this purpose, I fhall begin with comments upon the mode of reading the Church-service; which I have pitched upon rather than any other piece of English compofition, because it is the only one publickly and constantly read, and therefore open to every one's observation in judging of the propriety of

those comments.

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There is not any thing which can fhew the low ftate of the Art of Reading amongst us, in a stronger light, than the general complaint, that the service of the church is fo feldom delivered with propriety. At first view, one would be apt to imagine, that in a settled fervice, open to all to be studied and examined at leifure, every one, by fuitable pains, might make himself master of the proper manner of reading it. It is this mistaken notion, which makes the laity fo forward to lay the blame at the door of such of the clergy, as do not perform this part of the office well; attributing it wholly to neglect, and the want of taking proper pains. Whereas the true cause of the defect, is, the erroneous manner in which all are taught to read, by perfons utterly difqualified for the office. They are originally fet wrong upon principle, and yet think themselves right. How is it poffible N there.

therefore, that they fhould fet about amending faults, of which they are not conscious? And when this faulty manner has taken.

root, by custom and a length of years, how difficult, nay impoffible would it be, even supposing they were made conscious of it, to change fuch habits, without the affiftance of skilful perfons, to point out the particulars in which they are faulty, and fhew how they are to be amended. And where are fuch to be found? As to any information they might receive from their friends or acquaintance, they would be but little the better for it; as they probably are as unfkilled in the art, and deficient in the practice, as themselves; even fuppofing they were willing to give them fuch information but it is well known how shy men are upon that head in all articles, unlefs called upon to do fo. And the man who wants fuch information, from a consciousness of his deficiency, is yet reftrained

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ftrained from applying for it, by a false fhame; confidering it as a difgrace.to acknowledge, that he did not know how to read, at that time of life. For this is the light in which they confider it, confound ing under one term, two very distinct things, that of mere reading, and reading well. In learning to read, two very diffe rent ends may be propofed. The one, that of filent reading, to enable us to understand authors, and ftore our minds with knowledge: the other, that of reading aloud, by which we may communicate the fentiments of authors to our hearers with perfpicuity and force. All our pains have been employed in accomplishing the former end; and with regard to the latter, we are either fet wrong by falfe rules, or left wholly to chance. Now if it were known that to arrive at perfection in the art of reading in the latter fenfe, would require much time

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and pains, even fuppofing it were taught by a regular fyftem of rules and skilful mafters; surely it could never be confidered as a difgrace to any one to be deficient in fuch an art, who, far from having precepts to guide, or mafters to teach him, should be misled by false lights, in the very first

principles of the theory, and corrupted by bad examples in the practical part. For the benefit of fuch as are defirous of getting rid of their bad habits, and discharging that important part of the facred office, the reading of the liturgy, with due decorum, I fhall firft enter into a minute examination of fome parts of the service, and afterwards deliver the reft, accompanied by such marks, as will enable the reader, in a short time, and with moderate pains, to make himself mafter of the whole. And though this may feem to be chiefly calculated for the ufe of the clergy, yet it will be found the very

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