Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

327. SPEAKING THE GAUNTLET. We Proverbs. 1. Soft hands, and soft brains. have all heard of the practice, that prevails generally go together. 2. Let time be the judge, among some tribes of Indians, called "run- and common sense the jury. 3. Cherish an arning the gauntlet," when a company ar- dent love of nature and of art. 4. The region range themselves in two rows, a few yards beyond the grave, is not a solitary one. 5. Each apart, and their prisoner is obliged to run night--is the past day's funeral: and each morn— between them; when each throws his hatchet its resurrection. 6. Better be exalted by humility, at him; and if he passes through without than brought low by exaltation. 7. Tight-lacing→→ being killed, he is permitted to live. In the is a gradual suicide, and tends to enkindle imimportant exercise, here recommended, each pure desires. 8. Good manners--are always bemember of the class, after making some coming. 9. The candid man has nothing to conproficiency, memorizes and recites, a strong ceal; he speaks nothing but truth. 10. Plate and powerful sentence, and the others try to said-read much; but read not many books. 11. put out, or break down, the one that is Marry in haste; repent at leisure. 12. If you will speaking, by all sorts of remarks, sounds, not keep, you cannot have. 13. Prune off useless Looks, and actions; tho' without touching branches. him: and the gauntlet speaker, girds up the loins of his mind, and endeavors to keep the fountain of feeling higher than the streams: and so long, he is safe; but alas for him, that shrinks into himself, and yields to his

opponents.

But this,-and ills severer-he sustains:
As gold-the fire, and, as unhurt remains:
When most reviled, altho' he feels the smart,
It wakes-to NOBLER deeds-the wounded heart.
The noble mind-unconscious of a fault,
No fortune's frown-can bend, or smiles-exalt:
Like the firm rock-that in mid-ocean-braves

The war of whirlwinds, and the dash of waves:
Or, like a tower-he lifts his head on high-
And fortune's arrows-far below him fly.
328. MCUTHING. Somethink that
words are rendered more distinct, to large
assemblies, by dwelling longer on the sylla-
bles; others, that it adds to the pomp and
solemnity of public declamation, in which
they think every thing must be different
from private discourse. This is one of the
vices of the stage, and is called theatrical,
in opposition to what is natural. By "trip-
pingly on the tongue," Shakspeare probably
means the bounding of the voice from ac-
cent to accent; trippingly along from word
to word, without resting on syllables by the
And, by "mouthing," dwelling on
syllables, that have no accent, and ought
therefore to be pronounced as quickly as is
consistent with a proper enunciation. Avoid
an artificial air, and hold, as it were, the
mirror up to nature. See the difference in
the following, by pronouncing them with
the accent, extending thro' the whole word,
in a drawling tone, and then, giving them
properly: con-jec-ture, encroach-ment, hap-
pi-ness, grat-i-tude, for-tu-nate-ly; which
is very far from true solemnity, which is in
the spirit; not alone in the manner.

way.

Anecdote. A student in college-carried a manuscript poem, of his own composition, to his tutor, for his inspection. The tutor, after looking it over, inquired the author's reason, for beginning every line with a capital letter, "Because it is poetry," said the student. "It is!" said the teacher, "I declare, I should not have thought it."

By frequent use-EXPERIENCE-gains its growth,
But knowledge-flies from laziness and sloth

learn to tolerate nothing ancient, that reason Government. It is time that men should does not respect, and to shrink from no novelty, to which reason may conduct. It is time that the human powers, so long occu pied by subordinate objects and inferior arts, should mark the commencement of a new era in history, by giving birth to the art of improving government, and increasing the civil happiness of man. It is time, that le gislators, instead of that narrow and das tardly coasting, which never ventures to lose sight of usage and precedent, should, guided by the polarity of reason, hazard a bolder navigation, and discover, in unexplored regions, the treasure of public feli city.

Varieties. 1. Did not Mr. Pitt, by the force of his eloquence, raise himself to be the prime minister of England? 2. A rich man's son generally begins-where his father left off; and ends-where his father began pennyless. 3. A proneness to talk of persons, instead of things, indicates a narrow, and superficial mind. The world-may scorn me, if they choose; I care But little for their scoffings: I may sink For moments; but I rise again, nor shrink From doing what the faithful heart inspires will not flatter, fawn, nor crouch, nor wink At what high mounted wealth, or power desires;

I

I have a LOFTIER aim-to which my soul aspires.
Be humble-learn thyself to scan;
Know-PRIDE-was never made for man.

6. Where there is emulation-there will be
vanity; and where there is vanity, there
will be folly. 7 Each man has his proper
standard to fight under, and his peculiar duty
to perform: one tribe's office is not that
of another: neither is the inheritance the

same.

I wander-by the mountain's side,
Whose peaks-reflect the parting day,
Or stoop-to view the river glide

In silvery ripples-on its way.
The turf is green, the sky is blue,

The sombre trees-in silence rest,
Save where a songster-rustles through
The drooping foliage-to his rest;
Yet one thing-wants the pilgrim there-
A kindred soul, the scene to share.

329. REVISION. Before entering on a con- Proverbs. 1. Pride-is the greatest eneiny sideration of the Inflections, and other higher to reason; and discretion-the great opposite of modifications of voice, the pupil is again ear-prule. 2. The wise--shape their apparel to the nestly solicited-to review all the principles, body; the proud-shape their body to their appathat have been brought forward; especially rel. 3. A sound and vigorous mind, in a healthy all that relates to Accent, Pauses, Emphasis, body, is an invaluable possession. 4. Experience and the alphabet of music, or the eight notes; is the mother of the arts. 5. He, is never tired of and, in this revision, be careful not to con- listening, who wishes to gain knowledge. 6. Betfound one principle with another; as stress Economy-is the foundation of liberality, and the ter consider for a day, than repent for a year. 7. with quantity, high sounds with loud ones, parent of independence. 8. Use no tobacco, if you and low ones with feeble. Remember, that would be decent, clean, and healthy. 9. The path stress is a quick blow, or ick-tus of the voice; of literature is more difficult, than that which leads quantity-length of sound; high sounds-on, to fortune. 10. That which is well done, is twice or above the sixth note; loud ones-halloo done. 11. Of a little--take a little. 12. A hasty ing; low sounds-on, or below the third note; man-never wants woe. feeble ones, softly, as from weakness. Practice the examples, till you make them fit you, and produce on yourselves and others, the de

sired effects.

330. I came to the place of my birth, and said; "The friends of my youth-where are they?" And echo answered,-" Where ?" 2. When the Indians were solicited to emigrate to the West, they replied; What! shall we say, to the bones of our fathers-Arise! and go with us into a foreign land?

The truly lovely-
Are not the fair, who boast but of outward grace,
The nought, but beautiful of form and face;
They are the lovely-THEY, in whom unite, [light,
Earth's fleeting charms-with virtue's HEAVENLY
Who, tho' they wither,-yet, with faded bloom-
Bear their all of sweetness-to the tomb.

Notes. 1. Such is the careless and ignorant manner in which many have been permitted to come up, instead of being brought up, that it will often be found necessary to use a variety of means to become divested of bad habits and their consequences. 2. Probably the lungs suffer more than any other part of the body, by being cooped up in a small cavity. To enlarge the chest, side-wise, practice the elevation of the elbows to a horizontal plane

nearly level with the shoulders, and commence gently tapping the breast between the shoulders, the ends of the fingers of both hands

being nearly together; and then, during the exercise, strike back

from the sternum toward each shoulder, drawing the hands farpits, and even out on the arm, without depressing the elbows:

ther and farther apart, till the ends of the fingers reach the arm

try it, and you will see and know.

Anecdote. Flying To; not From. Some years ago, a person requested permission of the Bishop of Salisbury, in England, to fly from the spire of his church. The good bishop, with an anxious concern for the man's spiritual, as well as temporal safety, told him, he was very welcome to fly to the church; but he would encourage no one to fly from it.

THE BUTTERFLY.

Child of the sun! pursue thy rapturous flight,
Mingling with her thou lov'st-in fields of light;
And, where the flowers of Paradise unfold,
Quaff fragrant nectar-from their cups of gold,
There shall thy wings, rich as an evening sky,
Expand-and shut-in silent ecstasy.

Yet, wert thou once a worm, a thing, that crept
On the bare earth, then wrought a tomb, and slept;
And such-is man; soon, from his cell of clay,
To barst a seraph-in the blaze of day.

Providence. If a man lets his hand lie in the ice, it is highly probable Providence will ordain it to be frozen; or if he holds it in the fire, to be burnt. Those who go to sea, Providence will sometimes permit to be drowned; those, on the other hand, who never quit dry ground, Providence will hardly suffer to perish in the sea. It is therefore justly said, "Help yourself, and Heaven will help you." The truth is, that God has helped us from the beginning; the work of the master is completed; and, so far as it was intended to be so, perfect; it requires, therefore, no further extraordinary aids and corrections from above; its further development and improvement in this world is placed in our own hands. We may be good or bad, wise or foolish, not always perhaps in the degree which we, as individuals, might choose, were our wills perfectly free, but so far as the state of the human race, immediately preceding us, has formed us to decide.

Varieties. 1. Is animal, or human magnetism, true? 2. When the spirit is determined, it can do almost anything; therefore, never yield to discouragement in doing, or getting, what is good and true. 3. What temptation is greater, than permitting young persons, and especially young men, in this degenerate world, to handle much money, 4. Exhibit such an that is not their own. example in your dress, conversation, and temper, as will be worthy of imitation. 5. We often hear it said, "that people, and things, are changed." Is it not ourselves that have changed? The heart-makes all around, a mirror of itself.

REAL glory

Springs from the silent conquest of ourselves,
And, without that the conqueror is nought,

But the first slave.

7. Every word, spoken from affection, leaves
an everlasting impression in the mind; every
thought, spoken from affection, becomes a
living creation; and the same also, if not
spoken,-if it be fully assented to by the mind.

When the stem dies, the leaf, that grew
Out of its heart, must perish too.

331. EVERY emotion of the mind has its | Proverbs. 1 use governor, wed rather own external manifestation; so that no one preserve peace, th n gain a victory. 2. It is emotion can be accommodated to another. sometimes a benefi. to grant favors, and at other Observe the native eloquence of a hungry times, to deny ther. 3. An angry person's anchild, when asking for a piece of bread and gry with himself, w en he returns to reason. 4. butter; especially, the third or fourth time; Wherever you are, conform to the usual cusand mark its emphasis, and tones: also the toms and manners of the country. 5. To encourage qualities of voice, with which it expresses its the unworthy, is to promote vice. 6. Ingratitu grief, anger, joy, &c. The manner of each Esteem virtue, tho' in a foe: abhor vice, tho' in a to the benevolent--generally ends in disgrace. 7 passion is entirely different; nor does it ever friend. 8. The more one speaks of himself, the apply one for another; indeed, children in less willing is he, to hear another talked abort. their own efforts, always make the proper 9. Nature--is always content with herself. 164 emphasis, inflections, and gestures; and they Form your opinions of a person, by his questions, are graceful in all, when under the sole influ- rather than by his answers. 11. Say-can wisence of nature. Thus, from nature, unso-dom-e'er reside, with passien, envy, hate, or phistocated, may be derived the whole art of speaking. The author is free to acknowledge, that he has learned more about true eloquence, from children, and the Indians, and his consequent practice, than from all other sources.

332. CICERO-copied, and imitated, every body; he was the very mocking-bird of eloquence, which is his greatest distinction, and glory for who so various as he; who so sweet, so powerful, so simply eloquent, or so magnificently flowing, and each, and all, by turns! His mind was a perfect pan-hurmonicon. Your original writer,-your original character, has no sympathies; he is heartbound, brain-bound and lip-bound; he is truly an oddity; he is like no-body, and no-body is like him; he feeds on self-adoration, or the adulation of fools; who mistake the oracles of pride and vanity, for the inspirations of genius.

333. There are some, even in this enlightened age, who affect to despise the acquisition of elocution, and other important and useful accomplishments; but such persons are generally very awkward themselves, and dislike the application and practice, that are necessary to render them agreeable and impressive speakers. It is an old adage-that many--despise that, which they do not possess, and which they are too indolent to attain. Remember the fox and the grapes.

Anecdote. A colonel was once com

plaining, that from the ignorance, and inat-
tention of the officers, he was obliged to do the
whole duty of the regiment. Said he, "I am
my own captain, my own lieutenant, my own
cornet, and". "Your own trumpeter,"
said a lady present.

NOW came still evening on, and twilight gray
Had, in her sober livery, all things clad.
Silence-accompanied; for beast, and bird,
They, to their grassy couch, these-to their nest
Were sunk, all, but the wakeful nightingale ;
She, all night long, her amorous descant sung;
Silence was pleas'd. Now glow'd the firmament
With living sapphires: Hesperus, that led
The starry host, rode brightest; till the moon,
Rising in clouded majesty, at length
Apparent queen, unvail'd her peerless light,
and o'er the dark her silver mantle threw.

pride? 12. In a calm sea, every man is pilot. 13.
A good life-keeps off wrinkles.

Debt. There is nothing-more to be
dreaded, than debt: when a person, whose
principles are good, unhappily falls into this
situation, adieu to all peace and comfort
The reflection imbitters every meal, and
drives from the eyelids refreshing sleep. It
corrodes and cankers every cheerful idea
and, like a stern Cerberus, guards each ave-
nue to the heart, so that pleasure does not
approach. Happy! thrice happy! are those,
who are blessed with an independent compe
tence, and can confine their wants within the
bounds of that competence, be it what it may
To such alone, the bread ot life is palatable
and nourishing. Sweet is a morsel, that is
acquired by an honest industry, the produce
of which is permanent, or that flows from a
source which will not fail. A subsistence,
that is precarious, or procured by an uncer-
tain prospect of payment, carries neither
wine nor oil with it. Let me, therefore, again
repeat, that the person, who is deeply involv
ed in debt, experiences, on earth, all the tor-
tures, the poets describe to be the lot of the
wretched inhabitants of Tatarus.

Varieties. 1. Is not a want of purity,
the cause of the fickleness of mankind? 2.
A man's character is like his shadow;
which sometimes follows, and, at others, pre
cedes him; and which is occasionally longer.
or shorter, than he is. 3. Admiration—sig.
nifies the reception and acknowledgment of
a thing, in thought, and affection. 4. We
should have good roads, if all the sinners
were set to mend them. 5. The world is a
hive, that affords both sweets, and poisons,
with many empty combs. 6. All earthly en-
joyments are not what they appear; there
fore, we should discriminate; for some are
sweet in hopes, but, in fruition, sour. 7. Or.
der-is the sweetest, most pacific, regular,
and delightful melody: the first motion is
one, and the end is one: the final end is the
similitude of the beginning.

Self, alone, in nature-rooted fast,
Attends us first, and leaves us-last

[ocr errors]

334. INFLECTIONS. These are the rising Proverbs. 1. As you sow, you shall reap. and falling slides of the voice, terminating 2. Betray no trust, and divulge no secret. 3. Chide on a higher, or lower pitch, than that on not severely, nor punish hastily. 4. Despise none, which it commenced; being continuous from and despair of none. 5. Envy cannot see; igno the radical, or opening fullness of voice, to rance cannot judge. 6. Gossiping and lying, gethe vanish, or terminating point; and not nerally go hand in hand. 7. He, who swears, discrete, as the seven notes are. In the in- distrusts his own word. 8. It is not easy to love tonations, the voice steps up or down, by those, whom we do not esteem. 9. Labor brings discrete degrees; but in the inflections, it pleasure; idleness-pain. 10. Many a true word is spoken in jest. 11. He who serves-is not free glides up or down, by continuous degrees. 12. First come, first served. 13. When gold speaks, The piano, organ, &c., give discrete degrees; all tongues are silent. the harp, violin, &c., continuous degrees. 335. The following sentences may be read, with either the falling, or the rising inflection; and the pupil should determine, from the sense, &c., the object of the question. 1. Is not good reading and speaking a very rare attainment? 2. How are we to recover from the effects of the fall? 3. Are we natually inclined to evil or good? 4. Is it possible for man to save himself? 5. Who is entitled to the more honor, Columbus, or Washington? 6. Which is the more useful member in society, the farmer, or the mechanic? 7. Ought there to be any restrictions to emigration? 8. Will any one, who knows his own heart, trust himself?

336. The inflections-may, perhaps, be better understood, by contrasting them with the monotone; which is nearly one continued sound, without elevation, or depression, and may be represented by a straight horizontal line, thus ; In the use of the inflections, the voice departs from the monotone, and its radical, in a continued elevation or depression, two, three, five, or eight notes, according to the intensity of the affirmation, interrogation, command, petition, or negation; which are the five distinctive attributes of the vital parts of speech.

337. SOME OF MAN'S CHARACTERISTICS. His position is naturally upright; he has free use of both hands: hence, he is called the only two-handed animal: the prominence of his chin, and the uniform length of his teeth, are peculiar: he is, physically, defenceless, having neither weapons of attack nor of defence: his facial angle is greater than that of any other animal; being from 70° to 90°: he has generally the largest brains: he is the only animal that sleeps on his back: the only one that laughs and weeps; the only one that has an articulate language, expressive of ideas: and he is the only one endued with reason and moral sense, and a capacity for religion; the only being capable of serving God intelligibly.

MILTON.

Thy soul-was like a star-and dwelt apart;
Thou hadst a voice-whose sound was like the sea,
Pure-as the naked heavens, majestic, free.
So didst thou travel--on life's common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet-thy heart
The lowliest duties-on herself did lay.

Anecdote. Don't know him. Lord Nelson, when a boy, being on a visit to his aunt's, went one day a hunting, and wandered so far, that he did not return, till long after dark. The lady, who was much alarmed by his absence, scolded him severely; and among other things said; I wonder Fear did not drive you home. "Fear," replied the lad, "I don't know him."

Progress of Society. Whoever has attentively meditated-on the progress of the human race, cannot fail to discern, that there is now a spirit of inquiry amongst men which nothing can stop, or even materiall control. Reproach and obloquy, threats ar i persecution, will be in vain. They may imbitter opposition and engender violence, but they cannot abate the keenness of research. There is a silent march of thought, which ne power can arrest, and which, it is not difficul to foresee, will be marked by important events. Mankind were never before in the situation in which they now stand. The press has been operating upon them for several centuries, with an influence scarcely perceptible at its commencement, but by daily becoming more palpable, and acquiring accelerated force, it is rousing the intellect of nations; and happy will it be for them, if there be no rash interference with the natural progress of knowledge; and if by a judicious and gradual adaptation of their institutions to the inevitable changes of opinion, they are saved from those convulsions, which the pride, prejudices and obstinacy of a few may occasion to the whole.

Varieties. 1. A good wife — is like a snail. Why? Because she keeps in her own house: a good wife is not like a snail. Why? Because she does not carry her all on her back: a good wife is like a town clock. Why? Because she keeps good time: & good wife is not like a tow a clock. Why? Because she does not speak so loud, that all the town can hear her: a good wife is like an echo. Why? Because she speaks when spoken to: a good wife is not like an echo. Why1 Because she does not tell--all she hears. Ye maidens fair-consider well, And look both shrewd, and sly, Ere rev'rend lips, make good the knot, Your teeth-will ne'er untie

Proverbs. 1. The remedy is often vors than the disease. 2. To him that wills, ways are seldom wanting. 3 A well-balanced mind-will resist the pressure of adversity. 4. Be always on your guard, against the advices of the wicked, when you come in contact with them. 5. Blessed is he, that readeth, and understandeth what he readeth. 6. Take it for granted, there can be no excellence, without labor. 7. The rich man is often a stranger to the quiet and content of the poor man. s. Beware of gathering scorpions, for this, or the future world. 9. There is no general rule, with

338. INFLECTIONS. An anecdote may serve to present this important branch of our subject, in a light easy to be understood by all. An elderly gentleman asked the author, if he thought it possible for him to learn to sing? He was answered in the affirmative, provided he loved music, and was anxious to learn. His voice was quite flexible, and varied, in conversation, and he used all the notes of the scale, except two. It was thought, upon the spur of the moment, to get the old man a little angry, (and after-out exceptions. 10. Every light-is not the sun. wards beg his pardon,) in order to induce 11. Never be angry-at what you cannot help. him to slide his voice through the octave: the effort was successful; and with much feeling, which was directed by the Judge, to bring in Anecdote. Use of Falsehood. A jury, he again asked, "Do you say sir, that (1) I— can learn to sing? an old man like me?"sion and plea, returned a verdict of "Not a certain prisoner guilty, on his own confescarrying his voice from the first to the eighth Guilty," and offered, as a reason, that they note, on 1, sing, and me. Just then a friend knew the fellow to be so great a liar, they came in, to whom he observed, with incred- did not believe him. ulous surprise, mingled with a little contempt,-"He says I can learn to sing:" and his voice fell from the eighth to the first note,

on 1.

Talent. One man, perhaps, proves miserable in the study of the law, who might have flourished in that of physic, or divinity; an

might have been serviceable to his country at the plough; and a third-proves a very dull and heavy philosopher, who possibly would have made a good mechanic, and have done well enough at the useful philosophy of the spade or anvil.

Varieties-in the Uses of Inflections. 1. Is genuine repentance founded in love, or fear? 2. Can we intentionally offend a per son, whom we truly love? 3. Have not angel

339. No one can read the following sen-other-runs his head against the pulpit, who tence of ors, even in the common manner, without any regard to inflections, and not give the word before or, the rising inflection, and the one after it, the falling inflection; and the reader's ear must be the judge. Good, or bad; true, or false; right, or wrong; this, or that; boy, or girl; man, or woman; male, or female; land, or water; over, or under; above, or below; before, or behind; within, or without; old, or young; strength, or weakness; fine, or coarse; one, or two;ic, as well as satanic beings, once been men, you, or I; well, or ill; kind, or unkind; black, or white; red, or green; rough, or smoothe; hard, or soft; straight, or crooked, long, or short; round, or square; fat, or lean; swift, or slow; up, or down. If the reader does not satisfy himself the first time, let him practice on these phrases till he loes.

and women, on some of the countless earths in the universe? 4. Has any one actual sin, till he violates the known will of God, and wilfully sins against his own conscience? 5. How can the Red men be forgotten, while so many of the states, territories, mountains, rivers and lakes, bear their names? 6. Since decision of character can be acquired 340. READING. The purposes of reading by discipline, what is the best method to acare three: the acquisition of knowledge, as- quire it? The firm resolve―to obtain that sisting the memory in treasuring itp, and knowledge, necessary for a choice, and then the communication of it to others: hence, to do what we know to be right, at any, and we see the necessity of reading aloud. The every peril. 7. What places are better adap ancient Greeks never read in public, but recited than theatres, in their present degrada ted from memory; of course, if we wish to succeed as they did, we must follow in their footsteps. How much better it would be, if clergymen would memorize those portions of the Bible, which they wish to read in public! But it may be said, that the task would be a severe one: true, but how much more effect might be produced on themselves and others: and then to have a large part, or the whole, of that blessed book, stored up in the mind, for use here and hereafter!

[ocr errors]

The business that we love, we raise betime.
And go to with delight.

tion, to teach the theory and practice of fash
ionable iniquity? 8. What is a more faith-
ful, or pleasant friend, than a good book?
When you mournfully rivet-your tear-laden eyes,

That have seen the last sunset of hope-pass away,
On some bright orb, that seems, through the still sapphire aty
In beauty and splendor, to roll on its way:

Oh remember, this earth, if beheld from afar,
Would seem wrapt in a halo-as clear and as bright
As the pure silver radiance-enshrining yon star,
Where your spirit—is eagerly soaring to-night
And at this very moment, perhaps, some poor heart,
That is aching and breaking in that distant sphere,
Gazes down on this dark world, and longs to depart
From its own dismal home, to a brighter one here

« ElőzőTovább »