a paize, a pretty neat book of fome kind, usefull in their future ftudies. This method fixes the attention of children extremely to the orthography of words, and makes them good fpellers very early. It is a fhame for a man to be fo ignorant of this little art in his own language, as to be perpetually confounding words of like found and different fignifications; the confioufnefs of which defect makes fome men, otherwise of good learning and understanding, averfe to writing even a common letter.

Let the pieces read by the scholars in this clafs be short; fuch as Croxal's fables and little ftories. In giving the leffon, let it be read to them; let the meaning of the difficult words in it be explained to them; and let them con over by themselves before they are called to read to the master or usher; who is to take particular care that they do not read too faft, and that they duly obferve the stops and paufes. A vocabulary of the most usual difficult words might be formed for their ufe, with explanations; and they might daily get a few of those words and explanations by heart, which would a little exercise their memories: or at least they might write a number of them in a small book for the purpose, which would help to fix the meaning of those words in their minds, and at the same time furnish every one with a little dictionary for his future use.

THE SECOND CLASS

To be taught reading with attention, and with proper modulations of the voice; according to the sentiment and fubje&t.

Some short pieces not exceeding the length of a Spectator, to be given this clafs for leffons (and fome of the easier Spectators would be very suitable for the purpose). These leffons might be given every night as tasks; the scholars to ftudy them against the morning. Let it then be required of them to give an account, first of the parts of fpeech and conftruction of one or two fentences. This will oblige them to recur frequently to their grammar, and fix its principal rules in their memory. Next, of the intention of the writer, or the scope of the piece, the meaning of each sentence, and of every uncommon word. This would

early acquaint them with the meaning and force of words, and give them that molt neceffary habit, of reading with

attention.

The mafter then to read the piece with the proper inodulations of voice, due emphafis, and fuitable action, where action is required; and put the youth on imitating his

manner.

Where the author has ufed an expreffion not the beft, let it be pointed out; and let his beauties be particularly remarked to the youth.

Let the leffons for reading be varied, that the youth may be made acquainted with good styles of all kinds in profe and verfe, and the proper manner of reading each kindfometimes a well-told flory, a piece of a fermon, a general's fpeech to his foldiers, a fpeech in a tragedy, fome part of a comedy, an ode, a fatire, a letter, blank verfe, Hudibraftic, heroic, &c. But let fuch leffons be chofen for reading, as contain fome ufeful inftruction, whereby the understanding or morals of the youth may at the fame time be improved.

It is required that they fhould firft ftudy and understand the leffons, before they are put upon reading them properly; to which end each boy should have an English dictionary, to help him over difficulties. When our boys read English to us, we are apt to imagine they understand what they read, because we do, and because it is their mother tongue. But they often read as parrots speak, knowing little or nothing of the meaning. And it is impoflibe a reader fhould give the due modulation to his voice, and pronounce properly, unless his understanding goes before his tongue, and ! makes him mafter of the fentiment. Accuftoming boys to read aloud what they do not firft underfland, is the cause of thofe even fet tones fo common among readers, which, when they have once got a habit of using, they find so difficult to correct; by which means, among fifty readers we fcarcely find a good one. For want of good reading, pieces publifhed with a view to influcace the minds of men, for their own or the public benefit, lofe half their force. Were there but one good reader in a neighbourhood, a public orator might be heard throughout a nation with the fame advan

tages, and have the fame effect upon his audience, as if they ftood within the reach of his voice.

THE THIRD CLASS

To be taught fpeaking properly and gracefully; which is near a-kin to good reading, and naturally follows it in the tudies of youth. Let the fcholars of this clafs begin with learning the elements of rhetoric from fome short system, fo as to be able to give an account of the most useful tropes and figures. Let all their bad habits of speaking, all offences against good grammar, all corrupt or foreign accents and all improper phrases, be pointed out to them. Short speeches from the Roman or other history, or from the parliamentary debates, might be got by heart, and delivered with the proper action, &c. Speeches and fcenes in our beft tragedies and comedies (avoiding things that could injure the morals of youth) might likewise be got by rote, and the boys exercised in delivering or acting them; great care being taken to form their manners after the trueft models.

For their farther improvement, and a little to vary their ftudies, let them now begin to read hiftory, having got by heart a fhort table of the principle epochas in chronology. They may begin with Rollin's ancient and Roman hiftories, and proceed at proper hours, as they go through the fubfe quent claffes, with the best hiftories of our own nation and colonies. Let emulation be excited among the boys, by giving weekly, little prizes, or other small encouragements, to those who are able to give the best accounts of what they have read, as to times, places, names of perfons, &c. This will make them read with attention, and imprint the hiftory well in their memories. In remarking on the history, the mafter will have fine opportunities of instilling instruction of various kinds, and improving the morals, as well as the understandings of youth.

The natural and mechanic history, contained in the Spectacle de la Nature, might alfo be began in this class, and continued through the fubfequent claffes by other books of the fame kind; for, next to the knowledge of duty, this kind of knowledge is certainly the most useful, as well as the moft entertaining. The merchant may thereby be enabled

better to understand many commodities in trade; the han dicraftsman to improve his bufinefs by new inftruments, mixtures and materials; and frequently hints are given for new manufactures, or new methods of improving land, that may be fet on foot greatly to the advantage of the country.

THE FOURTH CLASS

To be taught compofition. Writing one's own language well, is the next necessary accomplishment after good speaking. It is the writing-master's business to take care that the boys make fair characters, and place them freight and even in the lines; but to form their style, and even to take care that the ftops and capitals are properly difpofed, is the part of the Engish master. The boys should be put on writing letters to each other on any common occurrences, and on various fubjects, imaginary bufinefs, &c. containing little ftories, accounts of their late reading, what parts of authors please them, and why; letters of congratulation, of compliment, of request, of thanks, of recommendation, of admonition, of consolation, of expostulation, excuse, &c. In these they should be taught to exprefs themselves clearly, concifely and naturally without affected words or high flown phrafes. All their letters to pafs through the master's hand, who is to point out the faults, advise the corrections, and commend what he finds right. Some of the best letters published in our own language, as Sir, William Temple's, thofe of Pope and his friends, and fome others, might befet before the youth as models, their beauties pointed out and explained by the mafter, the letters themselves tranfcribed by the scholar.

Dr. Johnson's Ethices Elementa, or First Principles of Morality, may now be read by the scholars, and explained by the mafter to lay a folid foundation of virtue and piety in their minds. And as this claís continues the reading of hiftory, let them now, at proper hours, receive fome farther inftruction in chronology, and in that part of geography (from the mathematical mafter) which is neceffary to underftand the maps and globes. They should also be acquainted with the modern names of the places they find mention

ed in ancient writers. The exercises of good reading, and proper speaking, still continued at fuitable times.

FIFTH CLASS

be

To improve the youth in compofition, they may now, fides continuing to write letters, begin to write little effays in profe, and fometimes in verse; not to make them poets, but for this reafon, that nothing acquaints a lad fo fpeedily with variety of expreffion as the neceffity of finding fuch words and phrafes as well fuit the measure, found and rhime of verfe, and at the fame time well exprefs the fentiment. These effays should all pafs under the master's eye, who will point out their faults, and put the writer on correcting them. Where the judgment is not ripe enough for forming new effays, let the fentiments of a Spectator be given, and required to be cloathed in the fcholar's own words; or the circumftances of fome good ftory; the scholar to find expreffion. Let them be put fometimes on abridging a paragraph of a diffufe author: fometimes en dilating or amplyfying what is wrote more closely. And now let Dr. Johnson's Noetica, or Firft Principles of Human Knowledge, containing a logic, or art of reafoning, &c. be read by the youth, and the difficulties that may occur to them be explained by the mafter. The reading of history, and the exercises of good reading and just speaking, still continued.

SIXTH CLASS.

In this clafs befides continuing the ftudies of the preceding in hiftory, rhetoric, logic, moral and natural philofophy, the best English authors may be read and explained; as Tillitfon, Milton, Locke, Addison, Pope, Swift, the higher papers in the Spectator and Guardian, the best translations of Homer, Virgil and Horace, of Telemachus, Travels of Cyrus, &c.

Once a year let there be public exercifes in the hall; the trustees and citizens prefent. Then let fine gilt books be given as prizes to fuch boys as diftinguish themselves, and excel the others in any branch of learning, making three