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A TABLE OF THE SIMPLE AND DIPTHONGAL VOWELS, REFERRED TO BY THE FIGURES OVER THE LETTERS IN THE VOCABULARY PLACED BEFORE EACH SECTION OF THIS WORK.

1. à. The long slender English a, as in fåte, på per, &c.

2. &. The long Italian a, as in får, få ther, pa på, mam må.

3. &. The broad German a, as in fall, wall, wå ter.

4. a. The short sound of the Italian a, as in fát, mát, mår ry. 1. è. The long e, as in mè, hère, mè tre, mè dium.

2. 8. The short e, as in mét, lêt, get.

1. 1. The long dipthongale, as in pine, ti tle.

2. 1. The short simple i, as in pin, tit tle.

1. & The long open o, as in no, note, nò tice.

2. 8. The long close o, as in move, prove.

3. 8. The long broad o, as in når, för, ôr; like the broad &

4. 8. The short broad o, as in not, hot, got.

1. d. The long dipthongal u, as in tune, Cù pid.

2. 8. The short simple u, as in tåb, cup, sup.

3. . The middle or obtuse u, as in båll, full, påll.

6. The long broad 8, and the short 1, as in oil.

6. The long broad &, and the middle obtuse ủ, as in thôd, pôând.

PREFACE.

MANY selections of excellent matter have been made for the benefit o. young persons. Performances of this kind are of so great utility, that fresh productions of them, and new attempts to improve the young mind, will scarce⚫ly be deemed superfluous, if the writer makes his compilation instructive and interesting, and sufficiently distinct from others.

The present work, as the title expresses, aims at the attainment of three ob. jects: To improve youth in the art of reading; to meliorate their language and sentiments; and to inculcate some of the most important principles of piety and virtue.

The pieces selected, not only give exercise to a great variety of emotions and the correspondent tones and variations of voice, but contain sentences and members of sentences, which are diversified, proportioned, and pointed with accuracy. Exercises of this nature are, it is presumed, well calculated to teach youth to read with propriety and effect. A selection of sentences, in which va riety and proportion, with exact punctuation, have been carefully observed, in all their parts, as well as with respect to one another, will probably have a muchgreater effect, in properly teaching the art of reading, than is commonly imagined. In such constructions, every thing is accommodated to the understanding and the voice; and the common difficulties in learning to read well, are obviated. When the learner has acquired a habit of reading such sentences, with justice and facility, he will readily apply that habit, and the improvements he has made, to sentences more complicated and irregular, and of a construction entirely dif ferent.

The language of the pieces chosen for this collection, has been carefully regarded. Purity, propriety, perspicuity, and, in many instances, elegance of diction, distinguish them. They are extracted from the works of the most correct and elegant writers. From the sources whence the sentiments are drawn, the reader may expect to find them connected and regular, sufficiently important and impressive, and divested of every thing that is either trite or eccentrick.— The frequent perusal of such composition, naturally tends to infuse a taste for this species of excellence; and to produce a habit of thinking and of composing, with judgment and accuracy. *

That this collection may also serve the purpose of promoting piety and virtue, the Compiler has introduced many extracts, which place religion in the most amiable light; and which recommend a great variety of moral duties, by the excellence of their nature, and the happy effects they produce. These sub

*The learner, in his progress through this volume and the Sequel to it, will meet with numerous instances of composition, in strict conformity to the rules for promoting perspicuous and elegant writing, contained in the Appendix to the Authour's English Grammar. By occasionally examining this conformity, he will be confirmed in the utility of those rules; and be enabled to apply them with ease and dexterity.

It is proper further to observe, that the Reader and the Sequel, besides teaching to read accurately, and inculcating many important sentiments, may be considered as auxillaries to the Authour's English Grammar; as practical illus trations of the principles and rules contained in that work.

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jects are exhibited in a style and manner, which are calculated to arrest the attention of youth; and to make strong and durable impressions on their minds.❤ The Compiler has been careful to avoid every expression and sentiment that migt: gratify a corrupt mind, or in the least degree, offend the eve or ear of innocance. This he conceives to be peculiariy incumbent on every person, who write: for the benefit of youth. It would, indeed, beg.a. and happy improvement in education, if no writings were allowed to come under their notice, but such as are perfectly innocent; and if, on ali proper occasiore, they were encouraged to peruse those which tend to inspire a due reverence for virtue, and en abhorrence of vice, as well as to animate them with sentiments of piety and goodness. Such impressions deeply engraven on their minds, and connected with a their attainments, could scarcely fail of attending them through life; and producing a solidity of principle and character, that would be able to rosiet the darger arising from future intercourse with the worid.

The Au cour has endeavoured to relieve the grave and revious parts of his collection, by the occasional admission of pieces, which anus as well as instract. I, however, any of his readers should think it cracins too great a proportion of the former, it may be some apology to observe. that in the existing publications designed for the perusal of young persons, the preponderance is greatly on the side of gay and amusing productions. Too much attention may be paid to this medium of improvement. When the imagination, of youth especially, is much entertained, the sober dictates of the understanding are regarded with indifference; and the influence of good affections is either feeble or transient. A temperate use of such entertainment seems therefore requisite, to afford proper scope for the operations of the understanding and the heart.

The reader will perceive, that the Compiler has been solicitous to recommend to young persons, the perusal of the sacred Scriptures, by interspersing through his work, some of the most beautiful and interesting passages of those invaluable writings. To excite an early taste and veneration for this great rule of life, is a point of so high importance, as to warrant the attempt to promote it on every proper occasion.

To improve the young mind and to afford some assistance to tutors, in the arduous and important work of education, were the motives which led to this production. If the Authour should be so successful as to accomplish these ends, even in a small degree, he will think that his time and pains have been well employed; and will deem himself amply rewarded.

In some of the pieces, the Compiler has made a few alterations, chiefly verbal, to adapt them the better to the design of his work.

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Entroduction.

a Pro-pri-e-ty, prò-prl'-è-tè, exclusive
right, justness
Im-por-tant,
tous, weighty

Im-pôr'-tânt, momen

c At-tain-ment, at-tane'-ment, acquisition

d Pro-duc-tive, pro-dåktiv, fertile, generative

e Es-sen-tial, és-sên'-shål, necessary,
important

ƒ Mi-pute-ly, mé-nute'è, exactly
g In-ac-cu-rate, în-âk'-ku-råte, not ex-

act

shin, the act of imparting

q Au-di-ence, àw'-je-ense, the act of
hearing, persons collected to hear
r Doubt-less, doůt'-lês, unquestiona-
bly

s Ex-tra-or-di-na-ry, êks-tror'-de-nár-é,
eminent, unusua

t Ex-cel-lence, êk'-sêl-lênse, state of excelling, eminence

u Art, art, science, skill

v Am-ply, am'-plè, largely, liberally
Re-ward, re-ward', a recompense, to
recompense, to repay

h Con-cep-tion, kôn-sẻp'-shůn, preg-x nancy, idea

i Re-sult, rè-zålt', to follow as a conse-y

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Ex-er-tion, egz-ér'-shẳn, the act of exerting, effort

Nec-es-sary, nês'-sês-£êr-rè, needful,
requisite

Pause, påwz, a stop, suspense
Em-pha-sis, êm'-fa-sis, a remarkable
stress laid upon a word,

b At-tain-a-ble, at-tane'-a-bl, that may

be obtained

Im-i-ta-tive, im'-è-tå-tiv, inclined to copy

d Ut-ter-ance, it'-tår-Anse, pronuncia

tion

Je Ac-cu-rate, ak'-ků-råte, exact, without defect

If Com-prise, kom-prize', to contain, include

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD READING.

TO read with propriety" is a pleasing and important attain ment: productived of improvement both to the understanding, and the heart. It is essentiale to a complete reader, that he minutely perceive the ideas, and enter into the feelings of the author, whose sentiments he professes to repeat: for how is it possible to represent clearly to others, what we have but faint or inaccurates con-ceptions of ourselves? If there were no other benefits resulting from the art of reading well, than the necessity it lays us under, of precisely ascertaining the meaning of what we read; and the

NOTE. For many of the observations contained in this preliminary tract, the author is indebted to the writings of Dr. Blair, and to the Encyclopedi.. Britannica.

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habit thence acquired,* of doing this with facility,' both when reading silently and aloud, they would constitute a sufficient compen sation" for all the labour we can bestow upon the subject. But the pleasure derived to ourselves and others, from a clear communication of ideas and feelings; and the strong and durable impressions made thereby on the minds of the reader and the audience, are considerations, which give additional importance to the study of this necessary and useful art. The perfect attainment of it doubtless requires great attention and practice, joined to extraordinary natural powers: but as there are many degrees of excellence in the art," the student whose aims fall short of perfection will find himself amply" rewarded for every exertion he may think proper to make.

To give rules for the management of the voice in reading, by which the necessary pauses, emphasis," and tones, may be discovered and put in practice, is not possible. After all the directions that can be offered on these points, much will remain to be taught by the living instructor: much will be attainable by no other means, than the force of example influencing the imitative powers of the learner. Some rules and principles on these heads, will, however, be found useful, to prevent erroneous and vicious modes of utterance; to give the young reader son:e taste of the subject; and to assist him in acquiring a just and accurate mode of delivery. The observations which we have to make, for these purposes, may be comprised under the following heads: PROPER LOUDNESS OF VOICE; DISTINCTNESS; SLOWNESS; PROPRIETY OF PRONUNCIATION; EMPHASIS; TONES; PAUSES; and Mode of readING VERSE.

SECTION I.

a En-deav-our, ên-dêv'-år, to labour to
a certain purpose
b Oc-cu-py, ok'-ku-pl, to possess, em-
ploy

c Tal-ent, tål'-ent, faculty, power

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Or-di-na-ry, or'-de-nå-rè, common, usual

Trans-gress, trans-grès', to violate, to pass over, offend

d As-sis-tance, as-sis'-tânse, help, fur-m Ve-he-ment, vè'-hè-mênt, forcible,

therance

e Man-age-ment, mân'-idje-ment, con-n duct, administration

f Ap-proach, ap-pròtsn', to draw nearo g Con-found, kôn-föůnd', to mingle, perplex

h Va-ri-e-ty, vá-ri'-è-tè, change, diversity

ardent

El-e-va-tion, êl-è-và-shin, exaltation, dignity

De-press-ion, dè-prêsh'-in, the act of pressing down

p Har-mo-ny, hår'-mo-ně, just proportion, concord

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i Ren-der, rên'-dår, to restore, translate, make

r

j Per-se-vere, per-sè-vère', to persist in

Mo-not-o-ny, md-nôt'-td-nè, want of
variety in cadence
Req-ui-site, rêk'-wè-zit, necessary,
any thing necessary

PROPER LOUDNESS OF VOICE.

THE first attention of every person who reads to others, doubt

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