,,conversation4     ,,conversation2     
,,its ,,faults  ,,and  ,,its ,,graces4  
,,compiled ,,by  ,,andrew ,p4 ,,peabody4
         99       99       99       99  
99            ,,boston ,,and            
,,cambridge3           ,,james ,,munroe 
,,and ,,company4            ,m ,,dccc   
,,lv4       ,entered according to ,act  
of ,congress1 in the year #ahee1 by     
,,james ,,munroe ,,and ,,company1   ,in 
the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district   
,court of the ,district of              
,massachusetts4    ,,cambridge3         
,,thurston ,,and ,,torry1 ,,printers4   
,,dedicated            ,,to             
,,american ,,teachers4                  
,,advertisement4   ,,the ,compiler has  
attempted to bring together in this     
little volume the principles which      
should govern conversation among persons
 of true refinement of mind and         
character1 and to point out some of the 
most common and easily besetting        
vulgarisms occurring in the colloquial  
,english of our country and day4 ,part  

,i4 is an ,address delivered before a   
,young ,ladies' ,school1 in             
,newburyport4 ,part ,,ii4 is a ,lecture 
addressed to the ,literary1 ,scientific 
and ,mechanics' ,institution at         
,reading1 ,england4 ,part ,,iii4 is a   
reprint from the fourth ,english edition
 of ,a ,word to the ,wise1 or ,hints on 
the ,current ,improprieties of          
,expression in ,writing and ,speaking1  
by ,parry ,gwynne1 a few passages not   
applicable to the habits of ,american   
society being omitted4 ,part ,,iv4 is   
composed  of selections from two little 
,english books1 entitled1 ,never too    
late to ,learn3 ,mistakes of daily      
occurrence in ,speaking1 ,writing and   
,pronunciation corrected2 and ,common   
,blunders in ,speaking and ,writing4    
,,part ,i4  ,,an ,,address  ,,delivered 
,,before ,,the  ,,newburyport ,,female  
,,high ,,school1  ,,december #ai1 #ahdf1
  ,,by ,,andrew ,p4 ,,peabody4   ,,young
 ,,ladies1  ,you have made me happy by  
your kind invitation to meet you1 and to

 address you on this anniversary4 ,a day
 spent in this room at your annual      
examination1 nearly two years ago1 was a
 season of privilege and enjoyment not  
readily to be forgotten4 ,i had         
previously entertained a high regard for
 your instructor4 ,i then learned to    
know him by his work2 and1 were he not  
here1 ,i should be glad to extend beyond
 a single sentence my congratulations   
with you that you are his pupils4  ,i   
have said that ,i accepted your         
invitation with gladness4 ,yet1 in      
preparing myself to meet you1 ,i find a 
degree of embarrassment4 ,this is for   
you a season of recreation1--a high     
festival2 and ,i am accustomed to use my
 pen and voice only on grave occasions1 
and for solemn services4 ,i know not how
 to add to your amusement4 ,should ,i   
undertake to make sport for you1 my     
awkwardness would give you more mirth   
than my wit4 ,the best that ,i can do is
 to select some subject that is or ought
 to be interesting to you1 and to       

endeavor to blend a little instruction  
with the gayer and more lively notes of 
the occasion4 ,the lesson shall be      
neither tediously long nor needlessly   
grave4  ,i propose to offer you a few   
hints on conversation4 ,how large a     
portion of life does it fill up6 ,how   
innumerable are its ministries and its  
uses6 ,it is the most refined species of
 recreation1--the most sparkling source 
of merriment4 ,it interweaves with a    
never-resting shuttle the bonds of      
domestic sympathy4 ,it fastens the ties 
of friendship1 and runs along the golden
 links of the chain of love4 ,it        
enriches charity1 and makes the gift    
twice blessed4 ,there is1 perhaps1 a    
peculiar appropriateness in the         
selection of this topic for an address  
to young ladies2 for they do more than  
any other class in the community towards
 establishing the general tone and      
standard of social intercourse4 ,the    
voices of many of you already1 ,i doubt 
not1 strike the key-note of home        

conversation2 and you are fast          
approaching an age when you will take   
prominent places in general society2    
will be the objects of peculiar regard2 
and will1 in a great measure1 determine 
whether the social converse in your     
respective circles shall be vulgar or   
refined1 censorious or kindly1 frivolous
 or dignified4 ,it was said by a wise   
man of antiquity1--,only give me the    
making of songs for the people1 and ,i  
care not who makes the laws4 ,in our    
unmusical age and land1 talking occupies
 the place which songs did among the    
melody-loving ,greeks2 and he who could 
tune the many-voiced harp of the social 
party1 need crave no higher office or   
more potent sway4  ,permit me now to    
enumerate some of the characteristics of
 graceful1 elegant1 and profitable      
conversation1 commencing with the lower 
graces1 and passing on to the higher4   
,let me first beg you1 if you would be  
good talkers1 to form and fix now1 7for 
you can do this only now17 habits of    

correct and easy pronunciation4 ,the    
words which you now miscall1 it will    
cost you great pains in after life to   
pronounce aright1 and you will always be
 in danger of returning inadvertently to
 your old pronunciation4 ,there are two 
extremes which you ought equally to     
shun4 ,one is that of carelessness2 the 
other1 that of extreme precision1 as if 
the sound of the words uttered were     
constantly uppermost in the mind4 ,this 
last fault always suggests the idea of  
vanity and pedantry1 and is of itself   
enough to add a deep indigo hue to a    
young lady's reputation4  ,one great    
fault of ,new ,england pronunciation is1
 that the work is performed too much by 
the outer organs of speech4 ,the tones  
of the voice have but little depth4     
,instead of a generous play of the      
throat and lungs1 the throat almost     
closes1 and the voice seems to be formed
 in the mouth4 ,it is this that gives   
what is called a nasal tone to the      
voice1 which1 when denied free range    

through its lawful avenues1 rushes in   
part through the nose4 ,we notice the   
nasal pronunciation in excess here and  
there in an individual1 while           
,englishmen and ,southerners observe it 
as a prevailing characteristic of all   
classes of people in the ,northern      
,states4 ,southerners in general are    
much less careful and accurate in       
pronunciation than we are2 but they more
 than compensate for this deficiency by 
the full1 round tones in which they     
utter themselves4 ,in our superficial   
use of the organs of speech1 there are  
some consonants which we are prone to   
omit altogether4 ,this is especially the
 case with g in words that end with ing4
 ,nine persons out of ten say singin    
instead of singing4 ,i know some public 
speakers1 and many private ones1 who    
never pronounce the t in such words as  
object and prospect4 ,very few persons  
give the right sound to r final4 ,far is
 generally pronounced as if it were     
written fah4 ,now1 ,i would not have the

 full ,hibernian roll of the r2 but ,i  
would have the presence of the letter   
more distinctly recognized1 than it     
often is1 even by persons of refined and
 fastidious taste4  ,let me next beg you
 to shun all the ungrammatical          
vulgarisms which are often heard1 but   
which never fail to grate harshly on a  
well-tuned ear4 ,if you permit          
yourselves to use them now1 you will    
never get rid of them4 ,i know a        
venerable and accomplished lawyer1 who  
has stood at the head of his profession 
in this ,state1 and has moved in the    
most refined society for half a century1
 who to this day says haint for has not1
 having acquired the habit when a       
schoolboy4 ,i have known persons who    
have for years tried unsuccessfully to  
break themselves of saying done for did1
 and you and ,i for you and me4 ,many   
well-educated persons1 through the power
 of long habit1 persist in saying shew  
for showed1 while they know perfectly   
well that they might1 with equal        

propriety1 substitute snew for snowed2  
and there is not far hence a clergyman1 
marvellously precise and fastidious in  
his choice of words1 who is very apt to 
commence his sermon by saying1 ,i shew  
you in a recent discourse4 ,a false     
delicacy has very generally introduced  
drank as the perfect participle of      
drink1 instead of drunk1 which alone has
 any respectable authority in its favor2
 and the imperfect tense and perfect    
participle have been similarly          
confounded in many other cases4 ,i know 
not what grammar you use in this school4
 ,i trust that it is an old one2 for    
some of the new grammars sanction these 
vulgarisms1 and in looking over their   
tables of irregular verbs1 ,i have      
sometimes half expected to have the book
 dashed from my hand by the indignant   
ghost of ,lindley ,murray4 ,great care  
and discretion should be employed in the
 use of the common abbreviations of the 
negative forms of the substantive and   
auxiliary verbs4 ,can't1 don't1 and     

haven't1 are admissible in rapid        
conversation on trivial subjects4 ,isn't
 and hasn't are more harsh1 yet         
tolerated by respectable usage4 ,didn't1
 couldn't1 wouldn't1 and shouldn't1 make
 as unpleasant combinations of          
consonants as can well be uttered1 and  
fall short but by one remove of those   
unutterable names of ,polish gentlemen  
which sometimes excite our wonder in the
 columns of a newspaper4 ,won't for will
 not1 and aint for is not or are not1   
are absolutely vulgar2 and aint1 for has
 not or have not1 is utterly            
intolerable4  ,nearly akin to these     
offences against good grammar is another
 untasteful practice1 into which you are
 probably more in danger of falling1 and
 which is a crying sin among young      
ladies1--,i mean the use of exaggerated1
 extravagant forms of speech1--saying   
splendid for pretty1 magnificent for    
handsome1 horrid for very1 horrible for 
unpleasant1 immense for large1 thousands
 or myriads for any number greater than 

two4 ,were ,i to write down1 for one    
day1 the conversation of some young     
ladies of my acquaintance1 and then to  
interpret it literally1 it would imply  
that1 within the compass of twelve or   
fourteen hours1 they had met with more  
marvellous adventures and hair-breadth  
escapes1 had passed through more        
distressing experiences1 had seen more  
imposing spectacles1 had endured more   
fright1 and enjoyed more rapture1 than  
would suffice for half a dozen common   
lives4 ,this habit is attended with many
 inconveniences4 ,it deprives you of the
 intelligible use of strong expressions 
when you need them4 ,if you use them all
 the time1 nobody understands or        
believes you when you use them in       
earnest4 ,you are in the same           
predicament with the boy who cried      
,,wolf so often1 when there was no wolf1
 that nobody would go to his relief when
 the wolf came4 ,this habit has also a  
very bad moral bearing4 ,our words have 
a reflex influence upon our characters4 

,exaggerated speech makes one careless  
of the truth4 ,the habit of using words 
without regard to their rightful        
meaning1 often leads one to distort     
facts1 to misreport conversations1 and  
to magnify statements1 in matters in    
which the literal truth is important to 
be told4 ,you can never trust the       
testimony of one who in common          
conversation is indifferent to the      
import1 and regardless of the power1 of 
words4 ,i am acquainted with persons    
whose representations of facts always   
need translation and correction1 and who
 have utterly lost their reputation for 
veracity1 solely through this habit of  
overstrained and extravagant speech4    
,they do not mean to lie2 but they have 
a dialect of their own1 in which words  
bear an entirely different sense from   
that given to them in the daily         
intercourse of discreet and sober       
people4  ,in this connection1 it may not
 be amiss to notice a certain class of  
phrases1 often employed to fill out and 

dilute sentences1 such as1 ,i'm         
sure1--,i declare1--,that's a           
fact1--,you know1--,i want to           
know1--,did you ever8--,well6 ,i        
never1--and the like4 ,all these forms  
of speech disfigure conversation1 weaken
 the force of the assertions or         
statements with which they are          
connected1 and give unfavorable         
impressions as to the good breeding of  
the person that uses them4  ,you will be
 surprised1 young ladies1 to hear me add
 to these counsels1--,above all things1 
swear not at all4 ,yet there is a great 
deal of swearing among those who would  
shudder at the very thought of being    
profane4 ,the ,jews1 who were afraid to 
use the most sacred names in common     
speech1 were accustomed to swear by the 
temple1 by the altar1 and by their own  
heads2 and these oaths were rebuked and 
forbidden by divine authority4 ,i know  
not why the rebuke and prohibition apply
 not with full force to the numerous    
oaths by goodness1 faith1 patience1 and 

mercy1 which we hear from lips that mean
 to be neither coarse nor irreverent1 in
 the schoolroom1 street1 and parlor2 and
 a moment's reflection will convince any
 well-disposed person1 that1 in the     
exclamation ,lor1 the cutting off of a  
single letter from a consecrated word   
can hardly save one from the censure and
 the penalty written in the third       
commandment4 ,i do not regard these     
expressions as harmless4 ,i believe them
 inconsistent with ,christian laws of   
speech4 ,nor do they accord with the    
simple1 quiet habit of mind and tone of 
feeling which are the most favorable to 
happiness and usefulness1 and which sit 
as gracefully on gay and buoyant youth  
as on the sedateness of maturer years4  
,the frame of mind in which a young lady
 says1 in reply to a question1 ,mercy6  
no1 is very different from that which   
prompts the simple1 modest no4 ,were    
there any room for doubt1 ,i should have
 some doubt of the truth of the former  
answer2 for the unnatural1 excited1     

fluttered state of mind implied in the  
use of the oath1 might indicate either  
an unfitness to weigh the truth1 or an  
unwillingness to acknowledge it4  ,in   
fine1 transparency is an essential      
attribute of all graceful and becoming  
speech4 ,language ought to represent the
 speaker's ideas1 and neither more nor  
less4 ,exclamations1 needless           
expletives1 unmeaning extravagances1 are
 as untasteful as the streamers of      
tattered finery which you sometimes see 
fluttering about the person of a        
dilapidated belle4 ,let your thoughts be
 as strong1 as witty1 as brilliant1 as  
you can make them2 but never seek to    
atone for feeble thought by large words1
 or to rig out foolish conceits in the  
spangled robe of genuine wit4 ,speak as 
you think and feel2 and let the tongue  
always be an honest interpreter to the  
heart4  ,but it is time that we passed  
to higher considerations4 ,there are    
great laws of duty and religion which   
should govern our conversation2 and the 

divine ,teacher assures us that even for
 our idle words we are accountable to   
,him who has given us the power of      
speech4 ,now1 ,i by no means believe    
that there is any principle of our      
religion which frowns upon wit or       
merriment1 or forbids playful speech at 
fit seasons and within due limits4 ,the 
very fact that the ,almighty has created
 the muscles which produce the smile and
 the laugh1 is a perpetual rebuke to    
those who would call all laughter       
madness1 and all mirth folly4           
,amusement1 in its time and place1 is a 
great good2 and ,i know of no amusement 
so refined1 so worthy an intellectual   
being1 as that conversation which is    
witty and still kind1 playful1 yet      
always reverent1 which recreates from   
toil and care1 but leaves no sting1 and 
violates no principle of brotherly love 
or religious duty4  ,evil speaking1     
slander1 detraction1 gossip1 scandal1   
are different names for one of the chief
 dangers to be guarded against in       

conversation2 and you are doing much    
towards defending yourselves against it 
by the generous mental culture which you
 enjoy in this seminary4 ,the demon of  
slander loves an empty house4 ,a taste  
for scandal betrays a vacant mind4      
,furnish your minds1 then1 by useful    
reading and study1 and by habits of     
reflection and mental industry1 that you
 may be able to talk about subjects as  
well as about people1--about events too 
long past or too remote to be interwoven
 with slander4 ,but1 if you must talk   
about people1 why not about their good  
traits and deeds8 ,the truest ingenuity 
is that which brings hidden excellences 
to light2 for virtue is in her very     
nature modest and retiring1 while faults
 lie on the surface and are detected    
with half an eye4  ,you will undoubtedly
 be careful to have your words always   
just and kind1 if you will only take a  
sufficiently thorough view of the       
influence of your habits of             
conversation1 both in the formation of  

your own characters and in determining  
the happiness of others4 ,but how low an
 estimate do many of us make of the     
power of the tongue6 ,how little account
 we are apt to take of our words6 ,have 
we not all at times said to ourselves1  
,oh6 it is only a word6 when it may have
 been sharp as a drawn sword1 have given
 more pain than a score of blows1 and   
done more harm than our hands could have
 wrought in a month8 ,why is it that the
 slanderer and the tale-bearer regard   
themselves as honest and worthy people1 
instead of feeling that they are        
accursed of ,god and man8 ,it is because
 they deal in evil words only1 and they 
consider words as mere nought4 ,why is  
it that the carping tongue1 which       
filches a little from everybody's good  
name1 can hardly utter itself without a 
sneer1 and makes every fair character   
its prey1 thinks better of itself than a
 petty pilferer would8 ,it is because by
 long1 though baseless prescription1 the
 tongue has claimed for itself a license

 denied to every other member and       
faculty4  ,but1 in point of fact1 your  
words not only express1 but help create1
 your characters4 ,speech gives         
definiteness and permanence to your     
thoughts and feelings4 ,the unuttered   
thought may fade from the memory1--may  
be chased away by better thoughts1--may1
 indeed1 hardly be a part of your own   
mind2 for1 if suggested from without1   
and met without a welcome1 and with     
disapproval and resistance1 it is not   
yours4 ,but by speech you adopt         
thoughts1 and the voice that utters them
 is as a pen that engraves them         
indelibly on the soul4 ,if you can      
suppress unkind thoughts1 so that1 when 
they rise in your breast1 and mount to  
your very lips1 you leave them          
unuttered1 you are not on the whole     
unkind1--your better nature has the     
supremacy4 ,but if these wrong feelings 
often find utterance1 though you call it
 hasty utterance1 there is reason to    
fear that they flow from a bitter       

fountain within4  ,consider1 also1 how  
large a portion speech makes up of the  
lives of all4 ,it occupies the greater  
part of the waking hours of many of us2 
while express acts of a moral bearing1  
compared with our words1 are rare and   
few4 ,indeed1 in many departments of    
duty1 words are our only possible       
deeds1--it is by words alone that we can
 perform or violate our duty4 ,many of  
the most important forms of charity are 
those of speech4 ,alms-giving is almost 
the only expression of charity of which 
the voice is not the chief minister2 and
 alms1 conferred in silent coldness1 or 
with chiding or disdainful speech1      
freeze the spirit1 though they may warm 
the body4 ,speech1 too1 is the sole     
medium of a countless host of domestic  
duties and observances4 ,there are1     
indeed1 in every community many whose   
only activity seems to be in words4     
,there are many young ladies1 released  
from the restraints of school1 and many 
older ladies1 with few or no domestic   

burdens1 with no worldly avocation and  
no taste for reading1 whose whole waking
 life1 either at their own homes or from
 house to house1 is given to the        
exercise1 for good or evil1 of the      
tongue1--that unruly member4 ,and how   
blessed might they make that            
exercise1--for how many holy ministries 
of love1 sympathy1 and charity might it 
suffice1--how many wounds might it      
prevent or heal1--did they only believe 
and feel that they were writing out     
their own characters in their daily     
speech6 ,but too many of them forget    
this4 ,so long as they do not knowingly 
and absolutely lie1 they feel no        
responsibility for their words4 ,they   
deem themselves virtuous1 because they  
refrain from vices to which they have   
not the shadow of a temptation2 but     
carp1 backbite1 and carry ill reports   
from house to house1 with an apostle's  
zeal and a martyr's devotedness4 ,to say
 nothing of the social effect of such a 
life1 is not the tongue thus employed   

working out spiritual death for the soul
 in whose service it is busy8 ,i know of
 no images too vile to portray such a   
character4 ,the dissection of a         
slanderer's or talebearer's heart would 
present the most loathsome specimen of  
morbid anatomy conceivable4 ,it is full 
of the most malignant poison4 ,its life 
is all mean1 low1 serpent-like1--a life 
that cannot bear the light1 but finds   
all its nourishment and growth in       
darkness4 ,were these foul and odious   
forms of speech incapable of harming    
others1--did human reptiles of this     
class creep about in some outward guise1
 in which they could be recognized by   
all1 and their words be taken for what  
they are worth1 and no more1--still ,i  
would beg them1 for their own sakes1 not
 to degrade ,god's image1 in which they 
were created1 into the likeness of a    
creeping thing2 ,i would entreat them   
not to be guilty of the meanest and most
 miserable of all forms of spiritual    
suicide2 ,i would beseech them1 if they 

are determined to sell their souls1 to  
get some better price for them than the 
scorn and dread of all whose esteem is  
worth having4  ,in this connection1 we  
ought to take into account the very     
large class of literally idle words4    
,how many talk on unthinkingly and      
heedlessly1 as if the swift exercise of 
the organs of speech were the great end 
of life6 ,the most trivial news of the  
day1 the concerns of the neighborhood1  
the floating gossip1 whether            
good-natured or malignant1 dress1 food1 
frivolous surmises1 paltry plans1       
vanities too light to remain an hour    
upon the memory1--these are the sole    
staple of what too many call            
conversation2 and many are the young    
people who are training themselves in   
the use of speech for no higher or      
better purpose4 ,but such persons have  
the threatened judgment visibly         
following their idle speech4 ,their     
minds grow superficial and shallow4     
,they constantly lose ground1 if they   

ever had any1 as intellectual and moral 
beings4 ,such speech makes a person1 of 
however genteel training1 coarse and    
vulgar1 and that not only in character1 
but even in voice and manners1 and with 
sad frequency it obliterates traits of  
rich loveliness and promise4 ,the merely
 idle tongue is also very readily       
betrayed into overt guilt4 ,one cannot  
indulge in idle1 reckless talk1 without 
being implicated in all the current     
slander and calumny1 and acquiring      
gradually the envious and malignant     
traits of a hackneyed tale-bearer4 ,and 
the person who1 in youth1 can attract   
the attention and win the favor of those
 of little reflection by flippant and   
voluble discourse1 will encounter in the
 very same circles neglect1 disesteem1  
and dislike1 before the meridian of life
 is passed2 for it takes all the charms 
that youth1 sprightliness1 and high     
animal spirits can furnish1 to make an  
idle tongue fascinating or even         
endurable4  ,let me ask you now to      

consider for a moment the influence     
which we exert in conversation upon the 
happiness or misery of others4 ,it is   
not too much to say1 that most of us do 
more good or harm in this way than in   
all other forms beside4 ,look around    
you1--take a survey of whatever there is
 of social or domestic unhappiness in   
the families to which you belong1 or    
among your kindred and acquaintance4    
,nine tenths of it can be traced to no  
other cause than untrue1 unkind1 or     
ungoverned speech4 ,a mere harsh word1  
repented of the next moment1--how great 
a fire can it kindle6 ,the carrying back
 and forth of an idle tale1 not worth an
 hour's thought1 will often break up the
 closest intimacies4 ,from every        
slanderous tongue you may trace numerous
 rills of bitterness1 winding round from
 house to house1 and separating those   
who ought to be united in the closest   
friendship4 ,could persons1 who1 with   
kind hearts1 are yet hasty in speech1   
number up1 at the close of a day1 the   

feelings that they had wounded1 and the 
uncomfortable sensations that they had  
caused1 they would need no other motive 
to study suavity of manner1 and to seek 
for their words the rich unction of a   
truly charitable spirit4 ,then1 too1 how
 many are the traits of suspicion1      
jealousy1 and heart-burning1 which go   
forth from every day's merely idle      
words1 vain and vague surmises1         
uncharitable inferences and conjectures6
  ,these thoughts point to the necessity
 of religion as the guiding1 controlling
 element in conversation4 ,all          
conversation ought to be religious4 ,not
 that ,i would have persons always      
talking on what are commonly called     
religious subjects4 ,let these be talked
 of at fitting times and places1 but    
never obtrusively brought forward or    
thrust in4 ,but cannot common subjects  
be talked of religiously8 ,cannot we    
converse about our plans1 our           
amusements1 our reading1 nay1 and our   
neighbors too1 and no sacred name be    

introduced1 and yet the conversation be 
strictly religious8 ,yes1--if throughout
 the conversation we own the laws of    
honesty1 frankness1 kind construction1  
and sincere benevolence1--if our speech 
be pure1 true1 gentle1 dignified1--if it
 seek or impart information that either 
party needs1--if it cherish friendly    
feeling1--if it give us kinder          
affections towards others1--if it bring 
our minds into vigorous exercise1--nay1 
if it barely amuse us1 but not too long1
 and if the wit be free from coarseness 
and at no one's expense4 ,but we should 
ever bear it in mind1 that our words are
 all uttered in the hearing of an unseen
 ,listener and ,judge4 ,could we keep   
this in remembrance1 there would be     
little in our speech that need give us  
shame or pain4 ,but that half hour spent
 in holding up to ridicule one who has  
done you no harm1--that breathless haste
 to tell the last piece of slander1--you
 would not want to remember in your     
evening prayer4 ,from the flippant1     

irresponsible1 wasteful gossip1 in which
 so much time is daily lost1 you could  
not with a safe conscience look up and  
own an ,almighty presence4  ,young      
ladies1 my subject is a large one1 and  
branches out into so many heads1 that1  
were ,i to say all that ,i should be    
glad to say1 the setting sun would stop 
me midway4 ,but it is time for me to    
relieve your patience4 ,accept1 with    
these fragmentary hints1 my cordial     
congratulations and good wishes4 ,life  
now smiles before you1 and beckons you  
onward4 ,heaven grant that your coming  
days may be even happier than you hope6 
,to make them so is within your own     
power4 ,they will not be cloudless4 ,if 
you live long1 disappointments and      
sorrows must come4 ,there will be steep 
and rough passages in the way of life4  
,but there is a ,guide1 in whose        
footprints you may climb the steep      
places without weariness1 and tread the 
rough ground without stumbling4 ,add to 
your mental culture faith in ,him1 and  

the self-consecration of the ,christian 
heart4 ,then even trials will make you  
happier4 ,when clouds are over your way1
 rays from ,heaven will struggle through
 their fissures1 and fringe their edges4
 ,your path will be onward and upward1  
ever easier1 ever brighter4 ,on that    
path may your early footsteps be        
planted1 that the beautiful bloom of    
your youth may not wither and perish1   
but may ripen for a heavenly harvest6   
,,part ,,ii4     ,a ,,lecture           
,,delivered ,,at ,,reading1 ,,england1  
,,december #ai1 #ahed1  ,,by ,,francis  
,,trench4   ,,we are all of us more or  
less apt to overlook that which is      
continually going on around us4 ,we omit
 to make it a matter of inquiry1 and    
reserve our attention for that which is 
more rare1 although of far less         
importance4 ,what is it1 for instance1  
which1 after a course of long1 sultry   
heat1--when the sun1 day by day1 has    
blazed in the sky above1--what is it1 ,i
 ask1 which has still preserved the     

verdure and freshness of all vegetable  
life8 ,surely it has been nothing else  
than the dew of heaven1 gently1         
regularly1 plenteously falling1 as each 
evening closed in4 ,nevertheless1 how   
little is it thought of1--how little are
 its benefits acknowledged6 ,but when   
the clouds gather speedily and darkly1  
and perhaps unexpectedly1 when the sense
 of coolness spreads once more through  
the parched atmosphere1 when abundance  
of rain all at once descends1 then all  
observe the change1 all notice the      
beneficial results2 yet perhaps they are
 trifling indeed compared with those of 
the nightly and forgotten dew1 which has
 never ceased to fall1 week by week1 or 
even month by month1 during the course  
of the drought4 ,i feel no doubt that it
 will be acknowledged how it is the     
same1 the very same1 in all things      
calling for our observation4 ,so1       
therefore1 it is regarding conversation1
 as a thing of every day4 ,we flock to  
hear and admire some mighty orator's    

address1 but we think little of and     
little appreciate that daily1 hourly    
thing which is our subject now1--,i mean
 conversation4 ,but ,i leave you to     
judge which has the most effect on our  
general interest1 as social             
creatures1--which1 in the long run1 has 
most to do with the pleasure and the    
profit of all human intercourse4        
,having made this claim on your         
attention1 ,i would now observe that the
 subject is one of so wide a scope that 
,i can do little more than present you  
with a few thoughts1 which ,i have noted
 down as they have risen to my own mind1
 upon it4 ,and ,i trust that they will  
prove not entirely unacceptable1 though 
well indeed aware that the topic is one 
to which it must be very difficult      
indeed to do any justice4  ,but ,i must 
first try to meet one objection1 for    
which ,i am quite prepared1 namely1 that
 conversation is not a fit subject for a
 lecture at all1 but should be          
considered as too independent and free  

to have any rules1 principles1 or       
guidance applied to it4 ,this1 however1 
is indeed a fallacy1 and may briefly be 
exposed by a few such questions as those
 ,i am about to ask4 ,what should be    
more free than the sword of the soldier 
in the battle-day8--than the pencil of  
the artist at the mountain side8--or    
than the poet's song in its upward      
flight8 ,yet who would condemn the use  
of the drill1 or the study of           
perspective1 or the rules of poetic art8
 ,no less untenable is it to maintain   
that conversation can be subject to no  
principle1 rule1 or review1 without     
checking its free and unfettered range4 
,cowper has simply summed up the whole  
truth3--            ,though conversation
 in its better part            ,may be  
esteemed a gift1 and not an art2        
,yet much depends1 as in the tiller's   
toil1            ,on culture and the    
sowing of the soil4  ,nor shall ,i      
venture to suggest any measures which ,i
 do not believe already well sanctioned1

 well honored1 and well practised too1  
even by many who have never yet thought 
of classifying them at all4 ,but these  
,i shall freely give1 as my duty is1 at 
your summons this night4  ,conversation 
may be termed or defined as the exchange
 and communication1 by word1 of that    
which is passing in the inward mind and 
heart4 ,and none of all known creatures1
 except man1 has this peculiar gift4    
,the animal tribes approach us and even 
surpass us in many of their physical    
powers and capacities4 ,as to their     
capacities in the five senses of the    
body1 ,i conceive that1 generally       
speaking1 it is so2 but none of them    
converse1 like man1 in expressive words1
 however they may and do comprehend one 
another through inferior means4 ,homer  
has therefore defined our race as       
word-dividing men4 ,and surely such a   
capacity or power is not bestowed on us 
unaccompanied by an obligation and a    
claim to give due diligence how we do   
and how we may employ it4 ,never to act 

thus is surely an undue disregard of our
 endowment1--a virtual depreciation and 
contempt of that which is at once among 
the most needful1 the most useful1 and1 
at the same time1 most ornamental gifts 
of ,god to mankind4  ,as1 then1 it is   
said of real wisdom1 that first it is   
pure1 or free from error and wrong1 so  
too1 first of all1 right and proper     
conversation must be free from          
everything evidently and positively     
inconsistent with our duty towards ,god 
and man4 ,it has ever been well said    
that we must be just before we are      
generous4 ,the one attribute is         
essential and indispensable in every    
transaction of life4 ,the acts and deeds
 connected with the other are           
comparatively undefined and indefinable4
 ,so it is essential1 it is             
indispensable1 that our conversation1   
from our own choice and deliberate aim1 
should be utterly free from all things  
irreverent to ,god and injurious to our 
fellow-creatures4 ,god's name must never

 be taken in vain4 ,god's ,word1 and    
divine things generally1 must never be  
treated with any levity4 ,no sentence   
must come forth from our lips having any
 tendency to undermine or subvert the   
principles and practices of true        
religion4 ,these are among the mere dues
 and obligations to ,him who gives us   
the faculty of speech1 and enables us to
 interchange conversation with our      
fellows2 and1 beyond all doubt1 hour    
after hour of silence and reserve would 
be infinitely better--more to be desired
 by any ,christian--than the most       
entertaining and most captivating talk  
of a witty but unprincipled man4 ,and so
 too1 exactly1 with regard to our       
fellow-creatures4 ,they too have an     
absolute claim on us1 that we should    
resolutely keep to the grand rule of    
speaking to them only such things as    
will do them no hurt1--no hurt to their 
minds1 no hurt to their feelings1 no    
hurt to their best and true and         
everlasting interest4 ,as the words of  

one lead many to heaven and joy1 so too 
the words of another lead many to hell  
and woe4 ,better1 again ,i say1 would it
 be for you to be silent as a dumb man  
than to indulge carelessly and wickedly 
in any such utterances4 ,he who does it 
is a cruel enemy of his                 
fellow-creatures1 however popular1      
however able and attractive he may be4  
,thus much with regard to               
conversation--on the negative side4     
,thus much as to that nature and        
character of which it must not be1 under
 any circumstances4 ,and1 having no     
intention to make my present address in 
any degree of that more solemn and      
absolutely serious kind1 which it is my 
privilege so often to employ in my      
profession1 ,i will only add here that1 
having now seen what it is essential and
 indispensable for us to shun in        
conversation1 so again1 to aim at       
pleasing ,god and serving our           
fellow-creatures is not less            
needful1--not less essential1 as the one

 grand object and scope with which at   
all times we should use and interchange 
it4 ,i am sure you will all admit that  
,i could not rightly proceed without    
laying down this broad1 this sure       
foundation4 ,on it we may build the     
lighter superstructure2 but1 without    
laying it down1 ,i could not            
conscientiously proceed4 ,nay1 farther1 
,i feel equally convinced that many     
would perceive at once the deficiency1  
and regret it too1 were ,i to adopt any 
other course4 ,conversation1 to be      
worthy of the name at all1 is not       
child's play4 ,it must be dealt with1 if
 considered at all1 as an important and 
substantial thing1 not as the mere toy  
wherewith to trifle and sport each day  
and hour till we pass away to meet that 
judgment where our ,lord has himself    
declared1--,by your words ye shall be   
justified1 and by your words ye shall be
 condemned4  ,the subject may now branch
 out into many and various directions4  
,to make a choice is the only           

difficulty4 ,one of these may lead us to
 notice that1 in all conversation1      
special attention should ever be paid to
 the feelings of all present4 ,every    
subject should be studiously avoided    
likely to give needless pain1 and       
perhaps1 as it were1 open the           
sluice-gate through which other         
observations might more plentifully flow
 in from others of the company1 painful 
to one or more in the circle4 ,nothing1 
of course1 will teach this so much as   
true kindness and true sympathy of      
heart2 and1 if this be wanting1 offences
 of this kind will continually          
abound1--yes1 ,i am sorry to say1 will  
sometimes be studiously and             
intentionally committed4 ,but even the  
most loving and most kindly spirit will 
do well to be very watchful on this     
point1 seeking to exercise all judgment 
and tact in the matter2 and even beyond 
this a beautiful art is sometimes to be 
witnessed1--happy indeed are they who   
possess it1--which turns and leads away 

the general strain of talk1 and that    
often with unperceived skill1 when      
approaching dangerous ground1 or perhaps
 already beginning to grieve or disturb 
another4  ,among injurious practices in 
talk1 the following may perhaps be      
enumerated3--an overbearing vehemence1  
challenging assertions1 cold            
indifference to the statements of       
others1 a love of argumentation1 an     
inclination to regard fair liberty of   
mutual address as undue license1        
pressure on another to express more than
 he desires1 all personalities which    
would be forbidden by the royal law of  
speaking unto others as you would like  
to be spoken to yourself4 ,these and    
many more transgressions1 in our address
 one to another1 are not only of a      
grave1 but also of a very evident kind1 
and therefore on them1 perhaps1 there is
 less need to dwell4  ,others are more  
subtle1--more elude the grasp of        
ordinary observation4 ,all social life1 
and even all family life1 if rightly    

carried on1 requires not only mutual    
forbearance in talk1 but mutual sympathy
 too1 mutual encouragement one from the 
other4 ,in families and in society we   
find the old1 the young2 the busy and   
those comparatively unemployed2 the     
studious or the literary1 and those     
whose tastes are completely different2  
people occupied in various professions  
and trades2 politicians and statesmen2  
soldiers and sailors2 young men and     
women reared up at home1 with young men 
and women reared up at schools and      
public institutions2 travellers         
acquainted with divers parts of the     
globe1 and those who never have quitted 
their own land2 men of the city and men 
of the field2--in a word1 persons and   
characters almost as various in the     
aspect of their inward taste as the very
 features which each countenance        
wears1--for ,i may venture to say that  
no two persons think or feel exactly and
 altogether alike4 ,now1 whenever there 
is such a thing as opinion1 and whenever

 there is such a thing as feeling 7which
 is the case in all members of families1
 and in all members of society with whom
 you can possibly live or be thrown71   
there at once is1 or there arises1 an   
immediate claim for a kind and proper   
treatment of these opinions and of these
 feelings4 ,they may not be your own1   
they may be utterly different from your 
own1 but that has nothing to do with the
 question4 ,as a general rule1 every one
 present has no less right to them than 
you have to yours4 ,you had better go1  
like ,shakspeare's ,timon1 altogether   
out of the concourse of your            
fellow-creatures1 if you cannot realize 
this truth and apply it too4 ,and it is 
in conversation that you will ever give 
the chief proofs and evidences whether  
you do so or not4 ,in it there must be  
nothing despotic1--nothing to give any  
present the idea that you have any right
 to decide what his opinions1 what his  
tastes1 what his habits1 what his       
pursuits1 should be4 ,you will1 of      

course1 not misunderstand me here1--not 
forget that ,i am supposing each        
opinion1 each taste1 each habit and     
pursuit1 as1 on the face of it1         
allowable and innocent1 although not    
yours4 ,i repeat it1 there must be no   
despotism in society4 ,equality must    
prevail as a general rule2 ,i say a     
general rule1 because there are1 no     
doubt1 certain seasons and times when   
the intercourse of social and of family 
life must partake of that special       
character which is adapted to the       
various relationships of man4 ,the      
parent must1 at times1 simply direct the
 child by his words4 ,the teacher1      
authoritatively1 must instruct the      
pupil4 ,the master or employer must tell
 the employed what to do4 ,and          
occasionally1 in society1 the rule above
 laid down will1 by general consent1 lie
 in abeyance1 if it may be so expressed4
 ,and1 on certain subjects1--,i mean    
those whereon we are ourselves ignorant1
 but others in our company are highly   

informed1--we may be content to be just 
listeners1 merely demonstrating that    
sympathy and interest adequate to keep  
up the flow of instruction from         
another's lips4 ,but intercourse of this
 kind scarcely can be termed            
conversation2 and when circumstances    
like these occur in social and family   
life1 they must be directed by other    
rules not altogether applicable to our  
present subject4 ,now1 to enter with    
full sympathy into the claims of all    
present in society for this equal right 
of interchanged sentiment1 and to show  
this feeling at times by patient        
forbearance and at other times by       
manifest appreciation of that which     
others say1 is no slight grace and gift4
 ,and here the various lessons on the   
subject1 which experience or observation
 has taught1 must be brought into play2 
and the information in any way gained as
 to the various feelings1 habits1 and   
tastes ordinarily entertained by people 
of different ages1 different            

professions1 and different characters1  
must be judiciously applied4 ,nor will  
this1 in the least1 spoil free and fair 
discussion of any topic4 ,on the        
contrary1 it will promote it4 ,and thus 
that principle will be rightly          
maintained which ,i have endeavored to  
lay down and commend1 viz41 that when   
any special opinion1 feeling1 or taste  
is expressed in society1--,i mean1 of   
course1 in a proper and legitimate      
way1--it should always be treated by all
 present with that measure of respect   
which each one would wish exercised     
towards himself for his own personal    
views4 ,just in proportion as men are   
boorish1 coarse1 and unsocial1 in the   
true and extensive sense of the word1   
will they transgress here4 ,yes1 even   
put together one1 ungainly tempered1    
from his field1 and another of the same 
character from his shop or counting     
house1 and very likely not five minutes 
will elapse before one or the other will
 say something to disparage those habits

 and tastes with which he himself       
happens to be not conversant4 ,there    
ensues discord and disseverance1 or1 it 
may be1 silence and separation4 ,but1 on
 the other hand1 just in proportion as  
you are enabled to unite yourself with  
others through your demeanor and        
words1--not1 of course1 hypocritically  
or obsequiously1 but from real sympathy 
with all the innocent tastes and        
engagements of our                      
fellow-creatures1--just1 ,i say1 in     
proportion as you are enabled to do     
this1 will your intercourse with them1  
in the way of conversation1 be of that  
kind at which we should aim4 ,none will 
be afraid of your indulging in rebuffs1 
or ridicule1 or depreciation4 ,none will
 meet from you a cold1 heartless1 and   
repulsive indifference4 ,to you1 and    
before you1 the flower,a of each human  
heart 7if ,i may so speak7 will then    
have a tendency to open and expand its  
varied forms and hues1 instead of       
retaining them all closed and shut up2  

and many1 many thoughts will be         
expressed to you and before you which   
will never be heard1 or at all events   
rarely1 indeed1 by those of a sneering1 
unsympathizing1 hard1 and ungenial      
spirit4 ,thus you will be known1 or     
rather felt1 instinctively felt1 as one 
who will do nothing to chill1 but1 on   
the contrary1 much to encourage that    
free spirit 7in the best sense of the   
word7 which should mark and imbue all   
social intercourse deserving the name at
 all2 and you will be welcomed by all   
who can appreciate good taste1 good     
tact1 and 7,i will add7 good feeling    
too1--for that is the chief spring of   
all such conduct2 and you will be       
enabled to receive and communicate much 
pleasure and profit too1 wheresover you 
may go4  ,a word here may not be        
inappropriate as to what is sometimes   
called drawing a person out--i4 e4      
leading another to tell you1 or any     
company assembled in your presence1 what
 they know1 what they have seen1 what   

they feel1 what1 in a word1 they are    
able to communicate1 if so disposed and 
led4 ,now1 this drawing out is a very   
delicate affair4 ,when successfully     
done1 it is most valuable4 ,when the    
attempt proves unsuccessful1 you are    
very likely to lose or interfere with   
the very object in view4 ,questioning of
 all kinds1--up from that on the        
simplest topic1 and with a purpose of   
the simplest kind1 to that involving the
 most important results1--questioning1  
,i say1 of all kinds1 requires judgment 
and tact4 ,many persons much err in this
 department of address4 ,some err by    
asking about matters on which it is     
quite clear that they have no real      
feeling and concern4 ,some err by       
demands as to your own personal         
proceedings1 wherewith they have no     
connection4 ,some1 again1 err by putting
 questions1 not wrongly or              
inappropriately1 but merely too many at 
a time1 or in too rapid a succession4   
,this scarcely can be called            

conversation at all1--and1 generally    
speaking1 7though ,i do not deny that   
there are exceptions1 which will at once
 recur to the intelligent17 yes1        
generally speaking1 is most             
unsatisfactory4 ,and the reason1 if we  
analyze the matter1 is1 that all the    
statements1 or observations1 or call    
them what you will1 proceed1 under such 
circumstances1 from one of the parties  
engaged4 ,it is not reciprocal2 it is   
not mutually communicated with due      
equality of interchanged thought4 ,you  
will at once perceive that this must be 
detrimental2 and ,i would suggest that  
when you may observe the damage which is
 thus done to conversation1 you should  
seek at once to put the discourse on a  
better plan1--to shift it1 as it were1  
on a better line for good progress4 ,and
 that may sometimes be done by putting a
 question to those who question you1 or 
even more1 by making the number of      
questions on each side1 in some measure1
 to correspond4 ,this1 of course1 must  

not be done harshly or abruptly1 nor so 
as to give the very least impression    
that you yourself desire to withhold and
 draw in2 but it may often be           
advantageously done2 and you will thus  
afford to another the natural and fit   
means of telling you something1 as a    
response for that which you tell him4   
,then true conversation will begin2 then
 the due interchange of expression1     
which alone merits the name2 then each  
party becomes rightly placed1 and the   
intercourse will improve almost         
instantaneously4  ,but if1 in these very
 commonest forms of our mutual address1 
it is not an easy thing to put questions
 well1--neither too many1 nor in their  
wrong place1--then we may be well       
assured that it is more difficult still 
when the object1 expressly1 is to lead  
on another1 gifted perhaps in many ways1
 or having perhaps some special thing to
 tell1 unknown to you or others present4
 ,and yet what a valuable art this is6  
,much is lost in society by incapacity  

for its due exercise4 ,much is gained by
 skill in its employment4 ,but many     
reasons concur to render it very        
difficult4 ,the following may be        
mentioned among many others4 ,some are  
full of matter1 but shy or reserved4    
,some are unaware of the deep interest  
which certain things1 well known to     
them1 would have for others1 if they    
would communicate them2 7in illustration
 of this1 ,i may perhaps quote          
scientific men1 travellers1 those who   
have led strange and peculiar lives47   
,some are too modest to put themselves  
in any prominent light4 ,others are too 
proud so to do1 lest they should fail in
 winning full attention to their words4 
,some are jaded and worn with previous  
hours of intellectual toil1 and the     
current of their thoughts is still      
flowing on in a channel of its own4     
,some are laboring under a kind of awe  
of one or more persons in the company4  
,some are young1 and scarcely seem to   
realize or know how acceptable are the  

thoughts and fresh expressions of youth 
to those of maturer years4 ,others are  
afraid of being too professional in     
their remarks4 ,others are indolent in  
the use of their tongue and utterance4  
,and numerous other causes might be     
mentioned1 which sadly interfere with   
the full1 free1 and general flow of     
discourse or conversation4 ,and yet1 at 
the same time1 there may be rich stores 
in the assembly1--much1 very much1 to   
communicate1--something1 at least1 in   
each either to please1 or inform and    
improve1--something perhaps in every one
 present which1 if told and expressed to
 those around him1 would add and        
contribute no slight nor unprized       
contribution to the common stock4 ,but  
how to elicit it--there is the          
difficulty4 ,nevertheless1 very much may
 be done by tact and kindness1 by       
animation and by cordiality1 by watching
 and waiting for fit opportunities1 by  
that appreciation of each one in the    
circle which will encompass and arouse  

all1 as it were1 with a kind of electric
 chain1--by a constant and deliberate   
aim to converse yourself at the time    
when it may be requisite1 and willingly 
to lapse into silence and the background
 when another takes up the subject4     
,and1 although it is a measure which    
requires no little taste and moderation 
in its use1 still it is sometimes not   
only very graceful1 but very effectual  
too1 if you will open out on some few   
personal topics which may concern       
yourself1 and thus win a response from  
others present1 who may personally know 
or have personally gone through that    
which you and others in the company     
would desire1 and rightly desire1 to    
hear opened out without any reserve4    
,in order1 again1 to promote            
conversation of a superior sort1        
endeavor must be made to expand and     
enlarge its bounds to the very utmost4  
,it should be of a comprehensive        
kind1--not the gossip of some narrow    
set1 not a mere comment on the persons  

and affairs of any one locality1 not a  
wearisome and dull repetition of things 
already1 perhaps long1 familiar to all  
present4 ,i repeat1 it should be        
comprehensive1--brought forward1 as it  
were1 from a full treasury of things new
 and old1 and coined into various sums1 
larger for such occasions as may need1  
and small--yes1 even to the             
smallest--for the fit use and time4 ,it 
should be formed of various materials1  
of that which has been seen1 and heard1 
and read4 ,a monotonous character is    
fatal to it4 ,at one time it should     
arouse and awaken1--at another it should
 calm and soothe4 ,at one time it should
 lead into deep and grave questions1--at
 another it should play lightly over the
 surface of things4 ,at one time it may 
touch the spirit of the hearer1 almost  
into tears1--at another it may raise the
 full freedom of laughter and mirth4 ,at
 one time it may be addressed to all    
within the convenient reach of your     
words1--at another to one listening ear4

 ,if possible1 it should touch on many  
tastes1 on many places1 on various      
interests1 giving to each present       
7however different each taste and       
character7 the best and fairest opening 
for a share in the circling talk1 which 
opportunity every one1 at fit occasion  
and turn1 should be willing to embrace1 
and thus to render his or her social    
dues to those who freely and fairly     
contribute theirs4 ,no one1 on the other
 hand1 should seek dominion1 nor ever   
two or three1 over the remainder4       
,again1 conversation should never be    
allowed so to fall into separate or     
little knots1 that one here or one there
 should remain alone or excluded        
altogether4 ,it should be carried on in 
appropriate tones of voice4 ,they should
 be somewhat raised1 or rather1 ,i would
 say1 strengthened for the old and for  
those who are a little deaf1 of whom    
there are many4 ,this1 however1 not too 
obviously2 not to remind any of         
infirmity4 ,they should be quick1 firm1 

and spirited for those in middle age1   
with their faculties in full strength4  
,they should be somewhat gentler to the 
young1 lest they be at all checked2 and 
somewhat slower1 that they may have more
 time and means to frame their own      
answer4 ,for which the reason is1 that  
as practice makes perfect in all things1
 so they1 whose practice has1 of course1
 been less than their seniors'1 need    
more time to make up for the want of it1
 even in conversation4 ,at all times    
discourse is liable to alternations as  
to its interest and life4 ,expect this1 
and even should it become at any moment 
what is called dull1 or even should an  
awkward pause and silence come on1 do   
not seem to notice it4 ,this will only  
make it worse4 ,rather try yourself to  
gather up the broken thread1 or to      
introduce some new matter4 ,every one   
should avoid bringing forward or        
needlessly dwelling on any topic        
whatsoever likely to affect any others  
present with any unfavorable            

reminiscences4 ,the wealthy will avoid1 
as a general rule1 allusions to their   
property and wealth before any persons  
who1 although their equals in society1  
are known to be of poor and inadequate  
estate4 ,the healthy and the vigorous of
 frame will not forget that others are  
invalids2 those free as air in the      
disposition of their time1 that others  
have but very little1 and that with     
difficulty spared2 the quick and        
intelligent1 that others are more slow  
in apprehension2 those of hardy spirit1 
well strung and braced1 that others are 
nervous1 sensitive1 and tried by words1 
tones1 gestures1 and expressions1 which 
would not try1 nor vex1 or affect them  
in the least degree4 ,but what tact is  
requisite in all this6 ,and many1 many  
failures must there be2 sins of         
commission and of omission too1 even    
among those who earnestly seek in this  
matter to fulfil1 always and everywhere1
 the rules of true courtesy1 and1 which 
is better still1 the rules of true      

,christian love4 ,nevertheless1 the aim 
at which we point is by no means without
 its value as a profitable exercise both
 of the mind and heart4 ,no1 nor is it  
ineffectual and unblessed4 ,for1        
although at times words may be said     
which we would long to recall1 and      
strings of feeling touched by our       
utterance which afterthought tells us we
 should not have moved1 and topics      
handled with much want of that skill and
 judgment which we should have wished   
most truly to employ1 still1 with a good
 aim before us1 and with right          
principles in some measure realized1 and
 seeking to correct any error when      
discovered1 as well as to advance more  
in all which improves and adorns right  
social intercourse1 much will be done   
towards the goodly end4 ,and large      
indeed will be the amount of pleasure   
and of benefit which you may thus hope  
to reap for yourself and communicate to 
others in the course of your life1 and  
that1 too1 up to an age1 should your    

days be prolonged1 when you may be shut 
up1 or at all events much restrained1   
from many other means of active         
usefulness4 ,for the mellowed wisdom of 
age1 showing and expressing itself in   
that charity and sympathy for all which 
nothing less than experience itself has 
taught1 is indeed a strong and beautiful
 thing4  ,hitherto ,i have spoken       
altogether on conversation with those   
whose rank and position of life         
corresponds with your own4 ,a few words 
now on conversation1 first1 with those  
of a higher rank1 and1 secondly1 with   
those in the humbler conditions of      
life--to use the common phrase2 and     
every man should be qualified and       
prepared for any and for all kinds of   
association4  ,to those of a higher rank
 than ourselves we may1 without         
derogating in the least from our        
independence and self-respect1 show that
 deference which not only the customs of
 all nations1 but the ,scripture also   
most evidently inculcates4 ,this1 of    

course1 will appear when engaged with   
them in conversation4 ,it will1 however1
 be shown rather in some occasional     
acknowledgment than in the manner or    
matter of discourse4 ,the rank of       
another does not in the least demand    
that you should surrender your opinion  
to his1 nor conceal your sentiments1 nor
 assume any other line of subjects and  
topics than you would address to those  
more immediately your equals in worldly 
position4 ,a vague1 undefined notion    
seems to float through each rank of     
society in our land1 that those in the  
stage above think1 feel1 and act in a   
manner different from those below4 ,a   
very great mistake this1 which          
oftentimes chills and checks and mars   
all open freedom of address when one of 
an higher and one of a lower rank are   
brought into those circumstances where  
the opportunity for conversation occurs1
 if not the absolute claim4 ,but let it 
be remembered that the mind and heart of
 man or of woman varies but little      

through these mere distinctions of the  
world4 ,i do not say that it does not   
vary at all1 but very little4 ,the main 
current of joy1 the main current of     
sorrow1 is the same in all classes1     
though the lesser streams may variously 
and separately flow4 ,the main current  
of affections1 of interests1 is the     
same4 ,all are subject to the same need 
of kind1 friendly sympathy2 all are made
 to interchange thought2 all share in   
the manifold impressions of our common  
nature4 ,wealth and nobility1 and rank  
and station1 are1 after all1 only       
artificial things1 not the main staple  
of life in any man or woman4 ,when1     
therefore1 you are brought into the     
society of one or more like these1 be to
 them appropriately courteous4          
,acknowledge their position at once1 and
 then let your intercourse with them    
flow freely on1 just as with others4    
,trouble not them1 nor trouble yourself1
 with any other system of address4      
,deprive not them1 nor deprive yourself1

 of free1 open1 natural communication4  
,and1 depend upon it1 that acting and   
speaking thus1 you will not only be     
oftentimes pleased rather than silenced 
and embarrassed by such society1 but you
 will be sure to please and to be       
valued1--yes1 and to meet no less       
friendly sympathy1 both of mind and     
heart1 than is to be found in each other
 rank of life4  ,and now a few words on 
conversation with our poorer friends or 
neighbors1 or any persons in this class 
of life with whom1 habitually1 we may   
have to do1 or whom we may meet at any  
time or place4 ,and few of that class   
being1 ,i conclude1 here1 ,i may speak  
to you as those who would gladly receive
 any hints for kind consideration as to 
the right way of fulfilling your own    
part in this matter4 ,for ,i1 too1 would
 wish to be a learner on it1 so         
important do ,i conceive it to be4 ,so  
much has been said1 and so much has been
 written1 on the benefit of free1 kindly
 intercourse between the rich and the   

poor1 the employers and the employed1   
those who labor with their heads and    
those who labor with their hands1 that  
any mere general or vague observations  
on the subject would be quite out of    
place here4 ,i shall1 accordingly1      
regard you not only as admitting this   
truth1 but also as desirous yourselves  
to exemplify it2 and1 again1 as         
admitting1 and feeling too1 that merely 
to pay wages1 and to give directions and
 commands1 and to bestow alms1 and to   
support charitable institutions 7however
 needful and good such things may be71  
is not enough for one desiring to secure
 the sympathy and love of his poorer    
brethren4 ,for that you must be ready1  
willing1 able to converse with them4 ,to
 qualify yourself for doing this1 is in 
many professions an indispensable and   
most evident duty1--for instance1 with  
the ministers of religion and with      
medical men4 ,they could do nothing     
without such conversation4 ,and1        
considering it due at proper seasons    

from every one in a higher class of life
 to those below them1 ,i shall just     
offer you a few hints1 which seem to me 
not unworthy of note4 ,avoid1 then1 on  
the one hand1 all hard1 overbearing     
address2 while1 on the other1 there must
 be energy1 spirit1 firmness1 and life4 
,avoid all semblance of patronage and   
condescension1 but at the same time     
never make any forced attempts to appear
 what you are not1 or to assume a       
character not your own4 ,do not imagine 
the range of subjects small2 and1 when  
you can1 choose those topics in which   
you and those addressed both take an    
interest4 ,many there are common to all 
classes4 ,be not impatient to come to a 
point too quick1 but give people a full 
opportunity to express themselves in    
their own way2 nor count this waste     
time4 ,it is very much otherwise4 ,use  
short rather than long                  
sentences1--language colloquial1 not    
that of books1--giving emphasis1 tone1  
and strength to your words1--never      

lapsing into cold1 lifeless1            
inexpressive tones4 ,trust oftentimes1  
in conversation with the poor and       
comparatively uneducated1 that there is 
much more intelligence within than the  
answer which they make in words would   
lead you1 at first sight1 to expect4 ,be
 willing and ready to tell something    
about yourself1 your family1 and        
concerns1 when there appears any        
interest about them4 ,remember that     
family ties and affections are strong in
 one as in another of the human family2 
and1 as among your own friends and      
associates you would refer to these     
natural topics1 so do here4 ,let wants  
and necessities1 and trials and         
difficulties1 not be forgotten1 but let 
them not be the whole subject-matter of 
discourse4 ,no1 let it range far more   
widely1 far more attractively2 and your 
looks and your demeanor1 and your tones 
and words1 being all directed by good   
will1 and by practice too1 you indeed   
will be no idler in good works during   

times and occasions thus employed4 ,you 
will win much love1 much esteem1 much   
appreciation2 you will hear much right  
feeling expressed1 and1 at times1 much  
to inform you of a practical kind4 ,you 
will do good and receive good too4  ,it 
appears to me that ,i have now presented
 to your notice almost a sufficiency of 
topics1 relative to conversation1 for   
one single lecture4 ,nevertheless1 ,i   
feel unwilling to conclude without      
drawing your attention to a few facts   
connected with the subject4 ,one is1    
that the ablest and mightiest authors of
 all times and countries have borne     
their strong testimony to the attraction
 which conversation presents1 by casting
 a large portion of their writings into 
this form or mould4 ,thus did ,homer in 
poetry1 ,plato in philosophy1 and       
dramatists1 of all ages1 in their plays4
 ,thus did ,cicero in his various       
treatises2 and ,horace appears,b talking
 to you in many and many a page4        
,dante's grand poem1 ,il ,purgatorio1 is

 chiefly a conversation4 ,the ,french   
have ever excelled in such writings2 and
 of such a character is that well-known 
gem in the literature of ,spain1 ,i of  
course allude to ,don ,quixote4 ,in     
,shakspeare and ,walter ,scott it is the
 same1 and they1 perhaps1 are the most  
popular writers of our land1 except one4
 ,who1 do you ask1 is that8 ,john       
,bunyan1 the author of the ,pilgrim's   
,progress2 but that very book comes up  
with its testimony too1 being a dialogue
 throughout1--rich in pathos and wit1   
rich in illustration1 rich in           
experience1 rich in all variety and     
combination1--in a word1 the very       
perfection of talk2 not less attractive 
than it is weighty1 not less            
entertaining than heavenly1 holy1 and   
full of all things which make a book    
precious4  ,but another book there is1  
of which it is well said3--             
,a glory gilds the sacred page1         
,majestic like the sun6            ,it  
gives a light to every age2             

,it gives1 but borrows none4  ,and in   
that book of books there are four short 
but most mighty narratives4 ,and each of
 those narratives contains the one most 
important record which ever had to be   
told upon this earth4 ,each of them     
gives one concurrent history2 namely1   
that of the life of our ,lord ,jesus    
,christ1 with his sayings and his deeds4
 ,and of conversation these holy        
narratives are full4 ,god has chosen    
this mode of reaching our minds and     
influencing our hearts1 by large--very  
large--portions of them written after   
this fashion4 ,cowper felt this so      
deeply1 that1 in his poem on our present
 subject1 he has beautifully told and   
paraphrased all that went on when ,jesus
 met and talked with the two disciples  
on the way to ,emmaus4 ,moreover1 in    
those gospels1 there is one1 penned by  
that disciple whom ,jesus loved2 and if 
there is much conversation in all four  
of them1 in it especially--in the gospel
 of ,st4 ,john--conversation appears in 

all its full and continued glory4 ,take 
one or two examples4 ,mankind1 all      
mankind1 had to be taught about the     
complete atonement for our sins made by 
our ,saviour on the cross4 ,where is it 
more clearly1 more mightily told than in
 the third chapter of ,st4 ,john's      
gospel8 ,but what is that chapter8 ,is  
it a law prescribed in set terms8--,no4 
,is it a sermon8--,no4 ,is it a mere    
address8--,no4 ,you will all remember it
 is a conversation1--,christ's          
conversation with ,nicodemus by night4  
,and so it is again in the very next    
chapter1 where a subject of no less     
importance--,i say it advisedly1 no less
 importance--is set forth1 viz4 the work
 of the ,holy ,spirit in man's heart2   
and that is portrayed for us in a       
conversation with the woman of ,samaria1
 at ,sychar's well4 ,what striking      
instances are these6 ,and many others   
might be added to them4 ,and thus we    
have before us even the sanction and    
proof from the ,word of ,god1 that the  

most mighty and transcendent truth can  
reach us in no better form than that    
which conversation gives1 and also that 
,jesus ,christ put his own royal stamp  
of glory on it1 by employing it ,himself
 continually1 when upon the earth among 
men1 though he was their ,lord and their
 ,god4  ,having thus been led on1--,i   
think very naturally1 and1 as ,i think1 
quite appropriately1 too1 for one of my 
office and position1 at any time or     
place1 or on any subject1--,i will not  
return to any lighter theme4 ,i do not  
in the least regret that ,i have        
selected my present topic out of very   
many which suggested themselves to my   
mind1 when ,i was asked to exercise the 
privilege of thus addressing you1 as ,i 
have now done for these four years4 ,i  
might have chosen others far more       
entertaining1 and1 no doubt1 some far   
more kindling and exciting at this      
present time1,c when our thoughts and   
our feelings are all so concentrated on 
one distant spot of strife and of       

contest1 and of danger1 and of bravery1 
and wounds1 and deaths1 and             
bereavements1--and amidst all1 of honor 
unexampled to our brave brethren in     
arms4 ,but1 for many reasons1 ,i have   
done otherwise4 ,i have chosen1 as      
usual1 a subject of general1 of         
national1 of wide-world1 of             
never-failing interest1 from day to day1
 from week to week1 from month to month1
 from year to year1 among the vast race 
of our fellows1--born social creatures1 
born for mutual sympathy1 with          
interchanged utterance1 speech1 and     
conversation4 ,strongly do ,i feel its  
importance1 and ,i cannot help          
expressing my surprise that so little1  
so very little1 has systematically been 
written or said upon it4 ,i have found  
it no ordinary theme1 ,i assure you2    
and1 though it is one on which we all   
instinctively are interested in any     
circle1 or with whomsoever we may at any
 time be1 still it is not one on which  
the arrangement and classification of   

thought is an easy thing4 ,i therefore  
shall not feel disappointed1 nor1 do ,i 
trust1 will you be disappointed either1 
in that good employment of your time    
which you have a right to expect from   
me1 as your lecturer to-night here1 if  
,i shall have set before you any        
thoughts1 for your attention1 which may 
improve1 in the least degree1 the course
 and the current of ordinary            
conversation4 ,when we remember how much
 of our innocent gratification1--how    
much of our daily harmony one with      
another1--how much of our mutual        
improvement1--depends on the right      
exercise of this goodly gift1--then1 ,i 
am sure1 you will not consider that the 
subject is one to be neglected or       
ignored4 ,i verily believe that ,i do   
not over-state the fact1 in asserting   
that for one time when we are liable to 
hurt1 or distress1 or offend another by 
our acts and deeds1 there are fifty or  
an hundred1 or perhaps more1 occasions1 
when we are liable to do so by our      

words1 and demeanor1 and utterance4 ,and
 again1 for once that we can do kind and
 profitable actions to those around us1 
and associating with us1 there are fifty
 or an hundred1--perhaps more occasions 
still1--when we can please or profit    
another by our words4 ,i ask you1 as    
those who can judge in this matter for  
yourselves1 ,is it not so8 ,is it not so
 most undeniably8 ,well1 then1 if ,i    
have been successful in laying down any 
right principles1 in exposing anything  
disadvantageous1 or in presenting any   
available means for rendering your daily
 intercourse more evidently kind1 more  
evidently sympathizing1 more evidently1 
in a word1 such as that which every good
 man would wish to exhibit1 and which   
must render him not only welcome and not
 only useful1 but a real and true       
ornament of society in the best sense of
 the word2 if ,i have shown you anything
 whatever available to this end1 whether
 for your use at home or abroad1 in the 
cottage or the shop1 in the humblest    

abode or in the noblest and in the      
wealthiest1 then surely ,i shall not    
have spoken in vain4 ,i speak on no     
narrow topic1 and ,i speak for all4     
,truly it is one which touches all2 and 
in this lies its strength and its       
interest4 ,there is no one1 ,i believe1 
who does not intuitively and            
instinctively feel either his gain or   
his loss in conversation1--the effect of
 it on his own mind and on his own      
feelings at the time and                
afterwards1--either its harms or its    
charms4 ,all must feel this1 though     
unable perhaps to classify their        
thoughts or express them on it1 and     
perhaps they have never thought of so   
doing4 ,and ,i1 for one1 will not       
hesitate to say that1 it having been my 
lot to mix much1 and willingly1 in all  
the various classes of society1--and    
having endeavored1 so far as in my power
 has been1 to cultivate and show a true 
brotherly and friendly spirit1 both to  
high and low1--,i have met nothing to   

confer more pleasure and more advantage 
in daily life than fit conversation4 ,i 
have found it from the poorest4 ,i have 
found it from those of middle station4  
,i have found it among the noble and the
 rich4 ,and1 while without it the hours 
of social and of family life may drag on
 heavily1 and in a wearisome and        
worthless way1 under the roofs of       
splendor and magnificence1 and in the   
midst of feasts1 and pomp1 and parade1  
with it1 freely interchanged from       
well-informed heads and cordial hearts1 
expressing what they know and telling   
what they feel1 without any restraint   
except that of love1 and tact1 and      
propriety1--with it1 ,i say1 the        
simplest home may be one of enjoyment   
and improvement every recurring day1 and
 each coming guest will share its       
attractions1--and therefore ,i say to   
every one present1 ,despise not this    
gift1 and try to improve it2 and seek   
,divine help for its right regulation1  
as well as for its use2 and be well     

assured that1 under ,god's blessing1 in 
its direction you will gain for         
yourself1 and promote for your          
fellow-creatures1 no slight share of    
true enjoyment1 no slight benefits both 
for this world and for the world to     
come4  ,,footnotes3      ,a ,quale i    
fioretti1 dol notturno gielo            
,chinati e chiusi1 poi che 'l sol gl'   
imbianca1          ,si drizzan tutti    
aperti in loro stelo1            ,tal mi
 fece io di mia virtute stanca4         
,inf4 ,can4 ii4 #abg-i4      ,b ,omne   
vafer vitium ridenti ,flaccus amico     
,tangit1 et admissus circum praecordia  
ludit4                                  
,pers4 i4 #aaf4      ,c ,december1      
#ahed4     ,,part ,,iii4   ,a ,,word    
,,to ,,the ,,wise2   ,,by  ,,parry      
,,gwynne4     ,a ,,word ,,to ,,the      
,,wise4     ,,introduction4   ,,it is   
readily acknowledged1 by all well       
educated foreigners1 that ,english      
,grammar is very easy to learn1 the     
difficulties of the language lying in   

the numberless variations and licenses  
of its pronunciation4 ,since to us then1
 children of the soil1 pronunciation has
 no difficulties to offer1 is it not a  
reproach that so many speak their own   
language in an inelegant and slatternly 
manner1--either through an inexcusable  
ignorance of grammatical rules1 or a    
wanton violation of them8 ,there are two
 sorts of bad speakers1--the educated   
and the uneducated4 ,i write for the    
former1 and ,i shall deal the less      
leniently with them1 because where much 
is given1 much will be expected4 ,ay1   
and where much has been achieved too1   
and intellectual laurels have been      
gathered1 is it not a reproach that a   
slatternly mode of expression should    
sometimes deteriorate from the eloquence
 of the scholar1 and place the          
accomplished man or woman1 in this      
respect1 on a level with the            
half-educated or the illiterate8  ,some 
one1 ,i think it is ,lord ,chesterfield1
 has wisely said1 ,whatever is worth    

doing1 is worth doing well4 ,then1 if   
our native language is worth studying1  
surely it is worth speaking well1 and as
 there is no standing still in          
excellence of any kind1 so1 even in     
language1--in so simple a thing as the  
expression of our thoughts by words1--if
 we do not improve we shall retrograde4 
,it is a common opinion that a knowledge
 of ,latin supersedes the necessity of  
the study of ,english grammar4 ,this    
must entail a strong imputation of      
carelessness on our ,latin students1 who
 sometimes commit such solecisms in     
,english as make us regret they did not 
once1 at least1 peruse the grammatical  
rules of their native language4  ,we    
laugh at the blunders of a foreigner1   
but perpetrate our own offences with so 
much gravity that an observer would have
 a right to suppose we consider them    
what they really are1--no laughing      
matter4     ,,chapter ,i4   ,i4  ,some  
people speak of so many spoonsfull1     
instead of so many spoonfuls4 ,the rule 

on this subject says3 ,compounds ending 
in ful1 and all those in which the      
principal word is put last1 form the    
plural in the same manner as other      
nouns1--as 'handfuls1 spoonfuls1        
mouthfuls1' c41 c4  ,logic will         
demonstrate the propriety of this rule4 
,are you measuring by a plurality of    
spoons8 ,if so1 so many spoonsfull must 
be the correct term2 but if the process 
of measuring be effected by refilling   
the same spoon1 then it becomes evident 
that the precise idea meant to be       
conveyed is1 the quantity contained in  
the vessel by which it is measured1     
which is a spoonful4   ,,ii4  ,it is a  
common mistake to speak of a            
disagreeable effluvia4 ,this word is    
effluvium in the singular1 and effluvia 
in the plural4 ,the same rule should be 
observed with automaton1 arcanum1       
erratum1 phenomenon1 memorandum1 and    
several others which are less frequently
 used1 and which change the um or on    
into a1 to form the plural4 ,it is so   

common a thing1 however1 to say         
memorandums1 that ,i fear it would sound
 a little pedantic1 in colloquial style1
 to use the word memoranda2 and it is   
desirable1 perhaps1 that custom should  
make an exception of this word1 as well 
as of encomium1 and allow two           
terminations to it1 according to the    
taste of the speaker and the style of   
the discourse1--memorandums or          
memoranda1 like encomiums or encomia4   
,,iii4  ,we have heard pulse and        
patience treated as pluralities1 much to
 our astonishment4   ,,iv4  ,it seems to
 be a position assumed by all           
grammarians1 that their readers already 
understand the meaning of the word case1
 as applied to nouns and pronouns2 hence
 they never enter into a clear          
explanation of the simple term1 but     
proceed at once to a discussion of its  
grammatical distinctions1 in which it   
frequently happens that the student1 for
 want of a little introductory          
explanation1 is unable to accompany     

them4 ,but ,i am not going to repeat to 
the scholar how the term case is derived
 from a ,latin word signifying to fall1 
and is so named because all the other   
cases fall or decline from the          
nominative1 in order to express the     
various relations of nouns to each      
other1--which in ,latin they do by a    
difference of termination1 in ,english  
by the aid of prepositions1--and that an
 orderly arrangement of all these       
different terminations is called the    
declension of a noun1 c4 ,i am not going
 to repeat to the scholar the things he 
already knows2 but to you1 my gentle    
readers1 to whom ,latin is still an     
unknown tongue1 to whom grammars are    
become obsolete things1 and grammatical 
definitions would be bewildering        
preliminaries1 more honored in the      
breach than in the observance1--to you  
,i am anxious to explain1 in the        
clearest manner practicable1 all the    
mysteries of this case1 because it was a
 cruel perplexity to myself in days of  

yore4 ,and ,i will endeavor to make my  
lecture as brief and clear as possible1 
requesting you to bear in mind that no  
knowledge is to be acquired without a   
little trouble2 and that whosoever may  
consider it too irksome a task to exert 
the understanding for a short period1   
must be content to remain in inexcusable
 and irremediable ignorance4 ,though1 ,i
 doubt not1 when you come to perceive   
how great the errors are which you daily
 commit1 you will not regret having sat 
down quietly for half an hour to listen 
to an unscholastic exposition of them4  
,v4  ,we all understand the meaning of  
the word case1 as it is applied to the  
common affairs of life2 but when we meet
 with it in our grammars1 we view it as 
an abstruse term4 ,we will not consent  
to believe that it means nothing more   
than position of affairs1 condition1 or 
circumstances1 any one of which words   
might be substituted for it with equal  
propriety1 if it were not indispensable 
in grammar to adhere strictly to the    

same term when we wish to direct the    
attention unerringly to the same thing1 
and to keep the understanding alive to  
the justness of its application2 whilst 
a multiplicity of names to one thing    
would be likely to create confusion4    
,thus1 if one were to say1 ,this is a   
very hard case1 or ,a singular case     
occurred the other day1 or ,that poor   
man's case is a very deplorable one1 we 
should readily comprehend that by the   
word case was meant circumstance or     
situation2 and when we speak1 in the    
language of the grammar1 of a noun in   
the nominative case1 we only mean a     
person or thing placed in such          
circumstances as to become merely named1
 or named as the performer of some      
action1--as the man1 or the man walks4  
,in both these sentences1 man is in the 
nominative case2 because in the first he
 is simply named1 without reference to  
any circumstance respecting him1 and in 
the second he is named as the performer 
of the act of walking mentioned4 ,when  

we speak of a noun in the possessive    
case1 we simply mean a person or thing  
placed under such circumstances as to   
become named as the possessor of        
something2 and when we speak of a noun  
in the objective case1 we only intend to
 express a person or thing standing in  
such a situation as to be1 in some way  
or other1 affected by the act of some   
other person or thing1--as ,henry       
teaches ,charles4 ,here ,henry is1 by an
 abbreviation of terms1 called the      
nominative case1 7instead of the noun in
 the nominative case17 because he stands
 in that situation in which it is       
incumbent on us to name him as the      
performer of the act of teaching2 and   
,charles is1 by the same abbreviating   
license1 called the objective case1     
because he is in such a position of     
affairs as to receive the act of        
teaching which ,henry performs4 ,i will 
now tell you how you may always         
distinguish the three cases4 ,read the  
sentence attentively1 and understand    

accurately what the nouns are           
represented as doing4 ,if any person or 
thing be represented as performing an   
action1 that person or thing is a noun  
in the nominative case4 ,if any person  
or thing be represented as possessing   
something1 that person or thing is a    
noun in the possessive case4 ,and if any
 person or thing be represented as      
neither performing nor possessing1 it is
 a noun in the objective case1 whether  
directly or indirectly affected by the  
action of the nominative2 because1 as we
 have in ,english but three cases1 which
 contain the substance of the six ,latin
 cases1 whatever is neither nominative  
nor possessive must be objective4 ,here 
,i might wander into a long digression  
on passive and neuter verbs1 which ,i   
may seem to have totally overlooked in  
the principle just laid down2 but ,i am 
not writing a grammar1--not attempting  
to illustrate the various ramifications 
of grammatical laws to people who know  
nothing at all about them1--any more    

than ,i am writing for the edification  
of the accomplished scholar1 to whom    
purity of diction is already familiar4  
,i am writing1 chiefly1 for that vast   
portion of the educated classes who have
 never looked into a grammar since their
 school days were over1 but who have    
ingeniously hewn out for themselves a   
middle path between ignorance and       
knowledge1 and to whom certain little   
hillocks in their way have risen up1    
under a dense atmosphere1 to the        
magnitude of mountains4 ,i merely wish  
to give to them1 since they will not    
take the trouble to search for          
themselves1 one broad and general       
principle1 unclogged by exceptions1 to  
guide them to propriety of speech2 and  
should they afterwards acquire a taste  
for grammatical disputation1 they will  
of course apply to more extensive       
sources for the necessary               
qualifications4   ,,vi4  ,it is scarcely
 possible to commit any inaccuracy in   
the use of these cases when restricted  

to nouns1 but in the application of them
 to pronouns a woful confusion often    
arises2 though even in this confusion   
exists a marked distinction between the 
errors of the ill-bred and those of the 
well-bred man4 ,to use the objective    
instead of the nominative is a vulgar   
error2 to use the nominative instead of 
the objective is a genteel error4 ,no   
person of decent education would think  
of saying1 ,him and me are going to the 
play4 ,yet how often do we hear even    
well educated people say1 ,they were    
coming to see my brother and ,i1--,the  
claret will be packed in two hampers for
 ,mr4 ,smith and ,i1--,let you and ,i   
try to move it1--,let him and ,i go up  
and speak to them1--,between you and ,i1
 c4 c42--faults as heinous as that of   
the vulgarian who says1 ,him and me are 
going to the play1 and with less excuse4
 ,two minutes' reflection will enable   
the scholar to correct himself1 and a   
little exercise of memory will shield   
him from a repetition of the fault2 but1

 for the benefit of those who may not be
 scholars1 we will accompany him through
 the mazes of his reflections4 ,who are 
the persons that are performing the act 
of coming to see8 ,they4 ,then the      
pronoun they must stand in the          
nominative case4 ,who are the persons to
 whom the act of coming to see extends8 
,my brother and ,i4 ,then my brother and
 ,i1 being the objects affected by the  
act of the nominative1 must be a noun   
and pronoun standing in the objective   
case2 and as nouns are not susceptible  
of change on account of cases1 it is    
only the pronoun which requires         
alteration to render the sentence       
correct3 ,they were coming to see my    
brother and me4 ,the same argument is   
applicable to the other examples given4 
,in the ,english language1 the          
imperative mood of a verb is never      
conjugated with a pronoun in the        
nominative case1 therefore1 ,let you and
 ,i try to move it1 ,let him and ,i go  
up and speak to them1 are manifest      

improprieties4 ,a very simple test may  
be formed by taking away the first noun 
or pronoun from the sentence altogether1
 and bringing the verb or preposition   
right against that pronoun which you use
 to designate yourself3 thus1 ,they were
 coming to see ,i1 ,the claret will be  
packed in two hampers for ,i1 ,let ,i   
try to move it1 c4 ,by this means your  
own ear will correct you1 without any   
reference to grammatical rules4 ,and    
bear in mind that the number of nouns it
 may be necessary to press into the     
sentence will not alter the case        
respecting the pronouns4  ,between you  
and ,i is as erroneous an expression as 
any4 ,change the position of the        
pronouns1 and say1 ,between ,i and you2 
or change the sentence altogether1 and  
say1 ,between ,i and the wall there was 
a great gap2 and you will soon see in   
what case the first person should be    
rendered4 ,prepositions govern the      
objective case1 therefore it is         
impossible to put a nominative after a  

preposition without a gross violation of
 a rule which ought to be familiar to   
everybody4   ,,vii4  ,the same mistake  
extends to the relative pronouns who and
 whom4 ,we seldom hear the objective    
case used either by vulgar or refined   
speakers4 ,who did you give it to8 ,who 
is this for8 are solecisms of daily     
occurrence2 and when the objective whom 
is used1 it is generally put in the     
wrong place2 as1 ,the person whom ,i    
expected would purchase that estate1    
,the man whom they intend shall execute 
that work4 ,this intervening verb in    
each sentence1 ,i expected and they     
intend1 coming between the last verb and
 its own nominative 7the relative       
pronoun71 has no power to alter the     
rule1 and no right to violate it2 but as
 the introduction of an intervening     
verb1 in such situations1 is likely to  
beguile the ear and confuse the         
judgment1 it would be better to avoid   
such constructions altogether1 and turn 
the sentence in a different way2 as1    

,the person whom ,i expected to be the  
purchaser of that estate1 ,the man whom 
they intend to execute that work4 ,if   
the reader will cut off the intervening 
verb1 which has nothing to do with the  
construction of the sentence1 except to 
mystify it1 he will perceive at a glance
 the error and its remedy3 ,the person  
whom would purchase that estate1 ,the   
man whom shall execute that work4       
,,viii4  ,it is very easy to mistake the
 nominative when another noun comes     
between it and the verb1 which is       
frequently the case in the use of the   
indefinite and distributive pronouns2   
as1 ,one of those houses were sold last 
week1 ,each of the daughters are to have
 a separate share1 ,every tree in those 
plantations have been injured by the    
storm1 ,either of the children are at   
liberty to claim it4 ,here it will be   
perceived that the pronouns one1 each1  
every1 either1 are the true nominatives 
to the verbs2 but the intervening noun  
in the plural number1 in each sentence1 

deludes the ear1 and the speaker1       
without reflection1 renders the verb in 
the plural instead of the singular      
number4 ,the same error is often        
committed when no second noun appears to
 plead an apology for the fault2 as1    
,each city have their peculiar          
privileges1 ,everybody has a right to   
look after their own interest1 ,either  
are at liberty to claim it4 ,this is the
 effect of pure carelessness4   ,,ix4   
,there is another very common error1 the
 reverse of the last mentioned1 which is
 that of rendering the adjective pronoun
 in the plural number instead of the    
singular in such sentences as the       
following3 ,these kind of entertainments
 are not conducive to general           
improvement1 ,those sort of experiments 
are often dangerous4 ,this error seems  
to originate in the habit which people  
insensibly acquire of supposing the     
prominent noun in the sentence 7such as 
entertainments or experiments7 to be the
 noun qualified by the adjective these  

or those2 instead of which it is kind1  
sort1 or any word of that description   
immediately following the adjective1    
which should be so qualified1 and the   
adjective must be made to agree with it 
in the singular number4 ,we confess it  
is not so agreeable to the ear to say1  
,this kind of entertainments1 ,that sort
 of experiments2 but it would be easy to
 give the sentence a different form1 and
 say1 ,entertainments of this kind1     
,experiments of that sort1 by which the 
requisitions of grammar would be        
satisfied1 and those of euphony too4    
,x4  ,but the grand fault1 the glaring  
impropriety1 committed by all ranks and 
conditions of men1 rich and poor1 high  
and low1 illiterate and                 
learned1--except1 perhaps1 one in       
twenty1--and from which not even the    
pulpit or the bar is totally free1--is1 
the substitution of the active verb lay 
for the neuter verb lie 7to lie down74  
,the scholar knows that active verbs    
govern the objective case1 and therefore

 demand an objective case after them2   
and that neuter verbs will not admit an 
objective case after them1 except       
through the medium of a preposition4    
,he1 therefore1 has no excuse for his   
error1 it is a wilful one2 for him the  
following is not written4 ,and here ,i  
may as well say1 once for all1 that     
whilst ,i would remind the scholar of   
his lapses1 my instructions and         
explanations are offered only to the    
class which requires them4  ,to lay is  
an active transitive verb1 like love1   
demanding an objective case after it1   
without the intervention of a           
preposition4 ,to lie is a neuter verb1  
not admitting an objective case after   
it1 except through the intervention of a
 preposition2--yet this perverse        
generation will go on substituting the  
former for the latter4 ,nothing can be  
more erroneous than to say1 as people   
constantly do1 ,i shall go and lay down4
 ,the question which naturally arises in
 the mind of the discriminating hearer  

is1 ,what are you going to lay          
down1--money1 carpets1 plans1 or what8  
for1 as a transitive verb is used1 an   
object is wanted to complete the sense4 
,the speaker means1 in fact1 to tell us 
that he 7himself7 is going to lie down1 
instead of which he gives us to         
understand that he is going to lay down 
or put down something which he has not  
named1 but which it is necessary to name
 before we can understand the sentence2 
and this sentence1 when completed       
according to the rules of grammar1 will 
never convey the meaning he intends4    
,one might as well use the verb to put  
in this situation1 as the verb to lay1  
for each is a transitive verb1 requiring
 an objective case immediately after it4
 ,if you were to enter a room1 and1     
finding a person lying on the sofa1 were
 to address him with such a question as 
,what are you doing there8 you would    
think it ludicrous if he were to reply1 
,i am putting down2 yet it would not be 
more absurd than to say1 ,i am laying   

down2 but custom1 whilst it fails to    
reconcile us to the error1 has so       
familiarized us with it1 that we hear it
 without surprise1 and good breeding    
forbids our noticing it to the speaker4 
,the same mistake is committed through  
all the tenses of the verb4 ,how often  
are nice ears wounded by the following  
expressions1--,my brother lays ill of a 
fever1--,the vessel lays in ,st4        
,katharine's ,docks1--,the books were   
laying on the floor1--,he laid on a sofa
 three weeks1--,after ,i had laid down1 
,i remembered that ,i had left my       
pistols laying on the table4 ,you must  
perceive that1 in every one of these    
instances1 the wrong verb is used2      
correct it1 therefore1 according to the 
explanation given2 thus1 ,my brother    
lies ill of a fever1--,the vessel lies  
in ,st ,katherine's ,docks1--,the books 
were lying on the floor1--,he lay on a  
sofa three weeks1--,after ,i had lain   
down1 ,i remembered that ,i had left my 
pistols lying on the table4  ,it is     

probable that this error has originated 
in the circumstance of the present tense
 of the verb to lay being conjugated    
precisely like the imperfect tense of   
the verb to lie1 for they are alike in  
orthography and sound1 and different    
only in meaning2 and in order to remedy 
the evil which this resemblance seems to
 have created1 ,i have conjugated at    
full length the simple tenses of the two
 verbs1 hoping the exposition may be    
found useful2 for it is an error which  
must be corrected by all who aspire to  
the merit of speaking their own language
 well4   ,,verb ,,active4  ,to lay4     
,present tense4            ,i lay       
,thou layest   money1           ,he lays
       carpets1           ,we lay       
plans1--any           ,you lay          
thing4           ,they lay              
,imperfect tense4            ,i laid    
,thou laidest    money1           ,he   
laid         carpets1           ,we laid
         plans1--any           ,you laid
        thing4           ,they laid     

,present ,participle1 ,laying4          
,perfect ,participle1 ,laid4   ,,verb   
,,neuter4  ,to lie4  ,present tense4    
,i lie                 ,thou liest      
down1           ,he lies      too long1 
,we lie       on a sofa1--any           
,you lie      where4           ,they lie
               ,imperfect tense4        
,i lay                  ,thou layest    
down1           ,he lays       too long1
           ,we lay        on a          
sofa1--any           ,you lay           
where4           ,they lay              
,present ,participle1 ,lying1           
,perfect ,participle1 ,lain4  ,in such  
sentences as these1 wherein the verb is 
used reflectively1--,if ,i lay myself   
down on the grass ,i shall catch cold1  
,he laid himself down on the green      
sward1--the verb to lay is with         
propriety substituted for the verb to   
lie2 for the addition of the emphatic   
pronoun myself1 or himself1 constituting
 an objective case1 and coming          
immediately after the verb1 without the 

intervention of a preposition1 renders  
it necessary that the verb employed     
should be active1 not neuter1 because   
active verbs govern the objective case4 
,but this is the only construction in   
which to lay instead of to lie can be   
sanctioned by the rules of grammar4     
,,xi4  ,the same confusion often arises 
in the use of the verbs sit and set1    
rise and raise4 ,sit is a neuter verb1  
set an active one2 yet how often do     
people most improperly say1 ,i have set 
with him for hours1 ,he set on the beach
 till the sun went down1 ,she set three 
nights by the patient's bedside4 ,what  
did they set1--potatoes1 traps1 or what8
 for as an objective case is evidently  
implied by the use of an active verb1 an
 object is indispensable to complete the
 sense4 ,no tense whatever of the verb  
to sit is rendered set1 which has but   
one word throughout the whole verb1     
except the active participle setting2   
and sit has but two words1 sit and sat1 
except the active participle sitting2   

therefore it is very easy to correct    
this error by the help of a little      
attention4   ,,xii4  ,raise is the same 
kind of verb as set1--active-transitive1
 requiring an objective case after it2  
and it contains only two words1 raise   
and raised1 besides the active          
participle raising4 ,rise is a neuter   
verb1 not admitting an objective case4  
,it contains two words1 rise and rose2  
besides the two participles1 rising and 
risen4 ,it is improper1 therefore1 to   
say1 ,he rose the books from the floor1 
,he rises the fruit as it falls1 ,after 
she had risen the basket on her head1 c4
 ,in all such cases use the other verb  
raise4 ,it occurs to me1 that if people 
would take the trouble to reckon how    
many different words a verb contains1   
they would be in less danger of         
mistaking them4 ,lay contains two words1
 lay and laid1 besides the active       
participle laying4 ,lie has also two    
words1 lie and lay1 besides the two     
participles lying and lain2 and from    

this second word lay arises all the     
confusion ,i have had to lament in the  
foregoing pages4   ,,xiii4  ,to the     
scholar ,i would remark the prevalent   
impropriety of adopting the subjunctive 
instead of the indicative mood1 in      
sentences where doubt or uncertainty is 
expressed1 although the former can only 
be used in situations in which          
contingency and futurity are combined4  
,thus1 a gentleman1 giving an order to  
his tailor1 may say1 ,make me a coat of 
a certain description1 if it fit me well
 ,i will give you another order2 because
 the fit alluded to is a thing which the
 future has to determine4 ,but when the 
coat is made and brought home1 he cannot
 say1 ,if this cloth be good ,i will    
give you another order1 for the quality 
of the cloth is already determined2 the 
future will not alter it4 ,it may be    
good1 it may be bad1 but whatever it may
 be it already is2 therefore1 as        
contingency only is implied1 without    
futurity1 it must be rendered in the    

indicative mood1 ,if this cloth is good1
 c4 ,we may with propriety say1 ,if the 
book be sent in time1 ,i shall be able  
to read it to-night1 because the sending
 of the book is an event which the      
future must produce2 but we must not    
say1 ,if this book be sent for me1 it is
 a mistake1 because here the act alluded
 to is already performed1--the book has 
come4 ,i think it very likely that      
people have been beguiled into this     
error by the prefix of the conjunction1 
forgetting that conjunctions may be used
 with the indicative as well as with the
 subjunctive mood4   ,,xiv4  ,some      
people use the imperfect tense of the   
verb to go1 instead of the past         
participle1 and say1 ,i should have     
went1 instead of ,i should have gone4   
,this is not a very common error1 but it
 is a very great one2 and ,i should not 
have thought it could come within the   
range of the class for which this book  
is written1 but that ,i have heard the  
fault committed by people of even       

tolerable education4 ,one might as well 
say1 ,i should have was at the theatre  
last night1 instead of ,i should have   
been at the theatre1 c41 as say1 ,i     
should have went instead of ,i should   
have gone4   ,,xv4  ,others there are   
who invert this error1 and use the past 
participle of the verb to do instead of 
a tense of the verb1 saying1 ,i done    
instead of ,i did4 ,this is             
inadmissible4 ,i did it1 or ,i have done
 it1 is a phrase correct in its         
formation1 its application being1 of    
course1 dependent on other              
circumstances4   ,,xvi4  ,there are     
speakers who are too refined to use the 
past 7or perfect7 participle of the     
verbs to drink1 to run1 to begin1 c41   
and substitute the imperfect tense1 as  
in the verb to go4 ,thus1 instead of    
saying1 ,i have drunk1 he has run1 they 
have begun1 they say1 ,i have drank he  
has ran1 they have began c4 ,these are  
minor errors1 ,i admit2 still1 nice ears
 detect them4   ,,xvii4  ,i trust it is 

unnecessary to warn any of my readers   
against adopting the flagrant vulgarity 
of saying don't ought1 and hadn't ought1
 instead of ought not4 ,it is also      
incorrect to employ no for not in such  
phrases as1 ,if it is true or no 7not71 
,is it so or no 7not78   ,,xviii4  ,many
 people have an odd way of saying1 ,i   
expect1 when they only mean ,i think1 or
 ,i conclude2 as1 ,i expect my brother  
is gone to ,richmond to-day1 ,i expect  
those books were sent to ,paris last    
year4 ,this is wrong4 ,expect can relate
 only to future time1 and must be       
followed by a future tense1 or a verb in
 the infinitive mood2 as1 ,i expect my  
brother will go to ,richmond to-day1 ,i 
expect to find those books were sent to 
,paris last year4 ,here the introduction
 of a future tense1 or of a verb in the 
infinitive mood1 rectifies the grammar  
without altering the sense2 but such a  
portion of the sentence must not be     
omitted in expression1 as no such       
ellipsis is allowable4   ,,xix4  ,the   

majority of speakers use the imperfect  
tense and the perfect tense together1 in
 such sentences as the following1--,i   
intended to have called on him last     
night1 ,i meant to have purchased one   
yesterday1--or a pluperfect tense1 and a
 perfect tense together ,i have         
sometimes heard1 as1 ,you should have   
written to have told her4 ,these        
expressions are illogical1 because1 as  
the intention to perform an act must be 
prior to the act contemplated1 the act  
itself cannot with propriety be         
expressed by a tense indicating a period
 of time previous to the intention4 ,the
 three sentences should be corrected    
thus1 placing the second verb in the    
infinitive mood1 ,i intended to call on 
him last night1 ,i meant to purchase one
 yesterday1 ,you should have written to 
tell her4  ,but the imperfect tense and 
the perfect tense are to be combined in 
such sentences as the following1 ,i     
remarked that they appeared to have     
undergone great fatigue2 because here   

the act of undergoing fatigue must have 
taken place previous to the period in   
which you have had the opportunity of   
remarking its effect on their           
appearance2 the sentence1 therefore1 is 
both grammatical and logical4   ,,xx4   
,another strange perversion of          
grammatical propriety is to be heard    
occasionally in the adoption of the     
present tense of the verb to have1 most 
probably instead of the past participle1
 but in situations in which the         
participle itself would be a redundance2
 such as1 ,if ,i had have known1 ,if he 
had have come according to appointment1 
,if you had have sent me that           
intelligence1 c4 ,of what utility is the
 word have in the sentence at all8 ,what
 office does it perform8 ,if it stands  
in place of any other word1 that other  
word would still be an incumbrance2 but 
the sentence being complete without it1 
it becomes an illiterate superfluity4   
,if ,i had have known that you would    
have been there before me1 ,i would have

 written to you to have waited till ,i  
had have come4 ,what a construction from
 the lips of an educated person6 and yet
 we do sometimes hear this slip-slop    
uttered by people who are considered to 
speak ,french and ,italian well1 and who
 enjoy the reputation of being          
accomplished6   ,,xxi4  ,it is amusing  
to observe the broad line of demarcation
 which exists between vulgar bad grammar
 and genteel bad grammar1 and which     
characterizes the violation of almost   
every rule of syntax4 ,the vulgar       
speaker uses adjectives instead of      
adverbs1 and says1 ,this letter is      
written shocking2 the genteel speaker   
uses adverbs instead of adjectives1 and 
says1 ,this writing looks shockingly4   
,the perpetrators of the latter offence 
may fancy they can shield themselves    
behind the grammatical law which compels
 the employment of an adverb1 not an    
adjective1 to qualify a verb1 and behind
 the first rule of syntax1 which says a 
verb must agree with its nominative4    

,but which is the nominative in the     
expression alluded to8 ,which performs  
the act of looking1--the writing or the 
speaker8 ,to say that a thing looks when
 we look at it1 is an idiom peculiar to 
our language1 and some idioms are not   
reducible to rules2 they are            
conventional terms which pass current1  
like bank notes1 for the sterling they  
represent1 but must not be submitted to 
the test of grammatical alchymy4 ,it is 
improper1 therefore1 to say1 ,the queen 
looks beautifully1 ,the flowers smell   
sweetly1 ,this writing looks shockingly2
 because it is the speaker that performs
 the act of looking1 smelling1 c41 not  
the noun looked at2 and though1 by an   
idiomatical construction necessary to   
avoid circumlocution1 the sentence      
imputes the act to the thing beheld1 the
 qualifying word must express the       
quality of the thing spoken of1         
adjectively1 instead of qualifying the  
act of the nominative understood1       
adverbially4 ,what an adjective is to a 

noun1 an adverb is to a verb2 an        
adjective expresses the quality of a    
thing1 and an adverb the manner of an   
action4 ,consider what it is you wish to
 express1 the quality of a thing1 or the
 manner of an action1 and use an        
adjective or adverb accordingly4 ,but   
beware that you discriminate justly2 for
 though you cannot say1 ,the queen      
looked majestically in her robes1       
because here the act of looking is      
performed by the spectator1 who looks at
 her1 you can and must say1 ,the queen  
looked graciously on the petitioner1    
,the queen looked mercifully on his     
prayer1 because here the act of looking 
is performed by the queen4 ,you cannot  
say1 ,these flowers smell sweetly1      
because it is you that smell1 and not   
the flowers2 but you can say1 ,these    
flowers perfume the air deliciously1    
because it is they which impart the     
fragrance1 not you4 ,you cannot say1    
,this dress looks badly1 because it is  
you that look1 not the dress2 but you   

can say1 ,this dress fits badly1 because
 it is the dress that performs the act  
of fitting either well or ill4 ,there   
are some peculiar idioms which it would 
be better to avoid altogether1 if       
possible2 but if you feel compelled to  
use them1 take them as they are1--you   
cannot prune and refine them by the     
rules of syntax1 and to attempt to do so
 shows ignorance as well as affectation4
   ,,xxii4  ,there is a mistake often   
committed in the use of the adverbs of  
place1 hence1 thence1 whence4 ,people   
are apt to say1 ,he will go from thence 
to-morrow1 c4 ,the preposition from is  
included in these adverbs1 therefore it 
becomes tautology in sense when prefixed
 to them4   ,,xxiii4  ,equally as well  
is a very common expression1 and a very 
incorrect one2 the adverb of comparison1
 as1 has no right in the sentence4      
,equally well1 ,equally high1 ,equally  
dear1 should be the construction2 and if
 a complement be necessary in the       
phrase1 it should be preceded by the    

preposition with1 as1 ,the wall was     
equally high with the former one1 ,the  
goods at ,smith's are equally dear with 
those sold at the shop next door1 c4    
,equally the same is tautology4         
,,xxiv4  ,whether1 sometimes an adverb1 
sometimes a conjunction1 is a word that 
plainly indicates a choice of things 7of
 course ,i cannot be supposed to mean a 
freedom of choice72 it is highly        
improper1 therefore1 to place it1 as    
many do1 at the head of each part of a  
sentence1 as1 ,i have not yet made up my
 mind whether ,i shall go to ,france1 or
 whether ,i shall remain in ,england4   
,the conjunction should not be repeated1
 as it is evident the alternative is    
expressed only in the combination of the
 two parts of the sentence1 not in      
either of them taken separately2 and the
 phrase should stand thus1 ,i have not  
yet made up my mind whether ,i shall go 
to ,france or remain in ,england4       
,,xxv4  ,there is an awkwardness        
prevalent amongst all classes of society

 in such sentences as the following3 ,he
 quitted his horse1 and got on to a     
stage coach1 ,he jumped on to the floor1
 ,she laid it on to a dish1 ,i threw it 
on to the fire4 ,why use two            
prepositions where one would be quite as
 explicit1 and far more elegant8        
,nobody1 at the present day1 would think
 of saying1 ,he came up to ,london for  
to go to the exhibition1 because the    
preposition for would be an awkward     
superfluity4 ,so is to in the examples  
given2 in each of which there is an     
unwieldiness of construction which      
reminds one of the process of glueing1  
or fastening1 one thing on to another4  
,expunge the redundant preposition1 and 
be assured1 gentle reader1 the sentence 
will still be found an elegant          
sufficiency4 ,there are some situations1
 however1 in which the two prepositions 
may with propriety be employed1 though  
they are never indispensable1 as1 ,i    
accompanied such a one to ,islington1   
and then walked on to ,kingsland4 ,but  

here two motions are implied1 the       
walking onward1 and the reaching of a   
certain point4 ,more might be said to   
illustrate the distinction1 but we      
believe it will not be deemed necessary4
   ,,xxvi4  ,there seems to be a natural
 tendency to deal in a redundance of    
prepositions4 ,many people talk of      
continuing on4 ,i should be glad to be  
informed in what other direction it     
would be possible to continue4          
,,xxvii4  ,it is most illiterate to put 
the preposition of after the adverb off1
 as1 ,the satin measured twelve yards   
before ,i cut this piece off of it1 ,the
 fruit was gathered off of that tree4   
,many of my readers will consider such a
 remark quite unnecessary in this       
volume2 but many others1 who ought to   
know better1 must stand self-condemned  
on reading it4   ,,xxviii4  ,there is a 
false taste extant for the preposition  
on instead of of in songs1 poetry1 and  
many other situations in which there is 
still less excuse for borrowing the     

poetic license2 such as1 ,wilt thou     
think on me1 love8 ,i will think on     
thee1 love1 ,then think on the friend   
who once welcomed it too1 c41 c4 ,but   
this is an error chiefly to be met with 
among poetasters and melodramatic       
speakers4   ,,xxix4  ,some people add a 
superfluous preposition at the end of a 
sentence1--,more than you think for4    
,this1 however1 is an awkwardness rarely
 committed by persons of decent         
education4   ,,xxx4  ,that prepositions 
govern the objective case is a golden   
rule of grammar2 and if it were only    
well remembered1 it would effectually   
correct that mistake of substituting the
 nominative for the objective pronoun1  
which has been complained of in the     
preceding pages4 ,in using a relative   
pronoun in the objective case1 it is    
more elegant to put the preposition     
before than after it1 thus1 ,to whom was
 the order given8 instead of1 ,whom was 
the order given to8 ,indeed1 if this    
practice were to be invariably adopted1 

it would obviate the possibility of     
confounding the nominative with the     
objective case1 because no man would    
ever find himself able to utter such a  
sentence as1 ,to who was this proposal  
made8 though he might very unconsciously
 say1 ,who was this proposal made to8   
and the error would be equally flagrant 
in both instances4   ,,xxxi4  ,there is 
a great inaccuracy connected with the   
use of the disjunctive conjunctions or  
and nor1 which seem to be either not    
clearly understood1 or treated with     
undue contempt by persons who speak in  
the following manner3 ,henry or ,john   
are to go there to-night1 ,his son or   
his nephew have since put in their      
claim1 ,neither one nor the other have  
the least chance of success4 ,the       
conjunctions disjunctive or and nor     
separate the objects in sense1 as the   
conjunction copulative unites them2 and 
as1 by the use of the former1 the things
 stand forth separately and singly to   
the comprehension1 the verb or pronoun  

must be rendered in the singular number 
also2 as1 ,henry or ,john is to go there
 to-night1 ,his son or his nephew has   
since put in his claim1 c4 ,if you look 
over the sentence1 you will perceive    
that only one is to do the act1         
therefore only one can be the nominative
 to the verb4   ,,xxxii4  ,many people  
improperly substitute the disjunctive   
but for the comparative than1 as1 ,the  
mind no sooner entertains any           
proposition1 but it presently hastens to
 some hypothesis to bottom it           
on4--,locke4 ,no other resource but this
 was allowed him4 ,my behavior1 says    
she1 has1 ,i fear1 been the death of a  
man who had no other fault but that of  
loving me too much4--,spectator4        
,,xxxiii4  ,sometimes a relative pronoun
 is used instead of a conjunction1 in   
such sentences as the following3 ,i     
don't know but what ,i shall go to      
,brighton to-morrow1 instead of1 ,i     
don't know but that1 c4   ,,xxxiv4      
,sometimes the disjunctive but is       

substituted for the conjunction that1   
as1 ,i have no doubt but he will be here
 to-night4 ,sometimes for the           
conjunction if1 as1 ,i shouldn't wonder 
but that was the case4 ,and sometimes   
two conjunctions are used instead of    
one1 as1 ,if that ,i have offended him1 
,after that he had seen the parties1 c4 
,all this is very awkward indeed1 and   
ought to be avoided1 and might easily be
 so by a little attention4     ,,chapter
 ,,ii4   ,i4  ,,it is obsolete now to   
use the article an before words         
beginning with long u or with eu1 and it
 has become more elegant1 in modern     
style1 to say1 a university1 a useful   
article1 a ,european1 a euphonious      
combination of sentences1 c41 c4 ,it is 
also proper to say such a one1 not such 
an one4   ,,ii4  ,some people pronounce 
the plural of handkerchief1 scarf1      
wharf1 dwarf1 handkerchieves1 scarves1  
wharves1 dwarves4 ,this is an error1 as 
these words1 and perhaps a few others1  
are exceptions to the rule laid down1   

that nouns ending in f and fe shall     
change these terminations into ves to   
form the plural4   ,,iii4  ,there is an 
illiterate mode of pronouncing the      
adverb too1 which is that of contracting
 it into the sound of the preposition   
to2 thus1 ,i think ,i paid to much for  
this gun1 ,this line is to long by half4
 ,the adverb too should be pronounced   
like the numeral adjective two1 and have
 the same full distinct sound in        
delivery1 as1 ,i think ,i paid two much 
for this gun1 ,this line is two long by 
half4   ,,iv4  ,one does not expect to  
hear such words as necessi'ated1        
preventative1 c41 from people who       
profess to be educated2 but one does    
hear them1 nevertheless1 and many others
 of the same genus1 of which the        
following list is a specimen1 not a     
collection4            ,febuary and     
,febbiwerry1 instead of ,february4      
,seckaterry instead of secretary4       
,gover'ment           government4       
,eve'min              evening4          

,sev'm                seven4            
,holladiz             holidays4         
,mossle               morsel4  ,chapped1
 according to orthography1 instead of   
chopped1 according to polite usage4     
,and we have even heard continental     
pronounced continential1 though upon    
what authority we know not4 ,besides    
these1 a multitude of others might be   
quoted1 which we consider too familiar  
to particularize and too numerous to    
mention4   ,v4  ,there is an old jest on
 record of a person hearing another     
pronounce the word curiosity curosity1  
and remarking to a bystander1 ,that man 
murders the ,english language4 ,nay1    
replies the person addressed1 he only   
knocks an eye 7i7 out4 ,and ,i am       
invariably reminded of this old jest    
whenever ,i hear such pronunciations as 
the following1--,lat'n for ,latin1 sat'n
 for satin1 and ,britain pronounced so  
as to rhyme with written1--of which a   
few examples will be given on a         
subsequent page1 not with the wild hope 

of comprising in so short a space all   
the perversions of prosody which are    
constantly taking place1 but simply with
 the intention of reminding careless    
speakers of some general principles they
 seem to have forgotten1 and of the vast
 accumulation of error they may engraft 
upon themselves by a lazy adherence to  
the custom of the crowd4 ,before1       
however1 proceeding to the words in     
question1 it may be satisfactory to our 
readers to recall to their memory the   
observations of ,lindley ,murray on the 
subject4 ,he says1 ,there is scarcely   
anything which more distinguishes a     
person of poor education from a person  
of a good one than the pronunciation of 
the unaccented vowels4 ,when vowels are 
under the accent1 the best speakers1 and
 the lowest of the people1 with very few
 exceptions1 pronounce them in the same 
manner2 but the unaccented vowels in the
 mouths of the former have a distinct1  
open1 and specific sound1 while the     
latter often totally sink them1 or      

change them into some other sound4 ,the 
words that have chiefly struck me are   
the following1 in which not only the i  
but some of the other vowels are        
submitted to the mutilating process1 or1
 as ,i have heard it pronounced1        
mutulating4            ,brit'n          
instead of   ,britain4           ,lat'n 
,latin4           ,sat'n                
,satin4           ,patt'n               
,patten4           ,curt'n              
,curtain4           ,cert'n             
,certain4           ,bridle             
,bridal4           ,idle                
,idol4           ,meddle                
,medal4           ,moddle               
,model4           ,mentle               
,mental4           ,mortle              
,mortal4           ,fatle               
,fatal4           ,gravle               
,gravel4           ,travle              
,travel4           ,sudd'n              
,sudden4           ,infidle             
,infidel4           ,scroop'-lous       
,scru-pu-lous4  ,and a long train of et 

cetera1 of which the above examples do  
not furnish a tithe4                    
,note4--,that to sound the e in garden  
and           often1 and the i in evil  
and devil1 is a           decided error4
 ,they should always be pronounced      
gard'n and oft'n1 ev'l and dev'l4  ,some
 people pronounce the ,i in ,irish and  
its concomitants so as to make the words
 ,ireland1 ,irishmen1 ,irish linen1 c41 
sound as if they were written ,arland1  
,a-rishmen1 ,arish linen1 c4 ,this is   
literally knocking an i out4   ,,vi4    
,it is affected1 and contrary to        
authority1 to deprive the s of its sharp
 hissing sound in the words precise1    
desolate1 design1 and their derivatives4
   ,,vii4  ,there is one peculiarity    
which we feel bound to notice1 because  
it has infected ,english speakers1--that
 of corrupting the e and the i into the 
sound of a or u1 in the words ability1  
humility1 charity1 c42 for how often is 
the ear wrung by such barbarisms as1    
humilutty1 civilutty1 qualaty1 quantaty1

 crualty1 charaty1 humanaty1 barbaraty1 
horruble1 terruble1 and so on1 ad       
infinitum6--an uncouth practice1 to     
which nothing is comparable1 except     
pronouncing yalla for yellow4   ,,viii4 
,there is in some quarters a bad mode   
prevalent of pronouncing the plural of  
such words as face1 place1 c41 fazes1   
plazes1 whilst the plural of price seems
 everywhere subject to the same strange 
mutation4 ,the words should be faces1   
places1 prices1 without any softening of
 the c into z4 ,there is1 too1 an ugly  
fashion of pronouncing the ng1 when     
terminating a word or syllable1 as we   
pronounce the same combination of       
letters in the word finger1 and making  
such words as singer1 ringer1 c41 rhyme 
with linger4 ,sometimes the double o is 
elongated into the sound which we give  
to that dipthong in room1 fool1 moon1   
c41 which has a very bad effect in such 
words as book1 look1 nook1 took1 c42 and
 sometimes it is contracted into the    
sound of short u1 making foot1 and some 

other words1 rhyme with but4   ,,ix4    
,and having remarked on the lingering   
pronunciation1 it is but fair to notice 
a defect1 the reverse of this1 namely1  
that of omitting the final g in such    
words as saying1 going1 shilling1 c41   
and pronouncing them sayin1 goin1       
shillin4 ,this is so common an error    
that it generally escapes notice1 but is
 a greater blemish1 where we have a     
right to look for perfection1 than the  
peculiarities of the provinces in those 
who reside there4   ,x4  ,it is also a  
common fault to add a gratuitous r to   
words ending with a vowel1 such as      
,emmar1 ,louisar1 ,juliar1 and to make  
draw1 law1 saw1 flaw1 with all others of
 the same class1 rhyme with war2 to omit
 the r in such words as corks1 forks1   
curtains1 morsel1 c42 in the word       
perhaps1 when they conscientiously      
pronounce the h2 and sometimes in       
,paris2 or to convert it into the sound 
of a y when it comes between two vowels1
 as in the name ,harriet1 and in the    

words superior1 interior1 c41 frequently
 pronounced ,aah-yet1 su-pe-yor1        
in-te-yor1 c4   ,,xi4  ,there is a      
vicious mode of amalgamating the final s
 of a word 7and sometimes the final c1  
when preceded and followed by a vowel7  
with the first letter of the next word1 
if that letter happens to be a y1 in    
such a manner as to produce the sound of
 sh or of usu in usual2 as1 ,a nishe    
young man1 ,what makesh you laugh8 ,if  
he offendsh you1 don't speak to him1    
,ash you please1 ,not jush yet1 ,we     
always passh your house in going to call
 on ,missh ,yates1--she lives near      
,palash ,yard2 and so on through all the
 possibilities of such a combination4   
,this is decided1 unmitigated           
cockneyism1 having its parallel in      
nothing except the broken ,english of   
the sons of ,abraham2 and to adopt it in
 conversation is certainly not speaking 
like a ,christian4 ,the effect of this  
pronunciation on the ear is as though   
the mouth of the speaker were filled    

with froth1 which impedes the utterance1
 and gives the semblance of a defect    
where nature had kindly intended        
perfection2 but the radical cause of    
this1 and of many other                 
mispronunciations1 is the carelessness1 
sometimes the ignorance1 of teachers1   
who permit children to read and speak in
 a slovenly manner1 without opening     
their teeth1 or taking any pains to     
acquire a distinct articulation4        
,,xii4  ,whilst we are on the subject of
 ,prosody1 we must not omit to mention  
the vicious pronunciation occasionally  
given to the words new1 due1 ,tuesday1  
stupid1 and a few others1 sometimes     
corrupted into noo1 doo1 ,toosday1      
stoopid1 c41 by way of refinement1      
perhaps1 for lips which are too delicate
 to utter the clear1 broad1 ,english u4 
,,xiii4  ,never say ,cut it in half1 for
 this you cannot do unless you could    
annihilate one half4 ,you may cut it in 
two1 or cut it in halves1 or cut it     
through1 or divide it1 but no human     

ability will enable you to cut it in    
half4   ,,xiv4  ,never speak of lots and
 loads of things4 ,young men allow      
themselves a diffusive license of       
speech1 and of quotation1 which has     
introduced many words into colloquial   
style that do not at all tend to improve
 or dignify the language1 and which1    
when heard from ladies' lips1 become    
absolute vulgarisms4 ,a young man may   
talk recklessly of lots of bargains1    
lots of money1 lots of fellows1 lots of 
fun1 c41 but a lady may not4 ,man may   
indulge in any latitude of expression   
within the bounds of sense and decorum1 
but woman has a narrower range1--even   
her mirth must be subjected to rule4 ,it
 may be naive1 but must never be        
grotesque4 ,it is not that we would have
 primness in the sex1 but we would have 
refinement4 ,women are the purer and the
 more ornamental part of life1 and when 
they degenerate1 the ,poetry of ,life is
 gone4   ,,xv4  ,loads is a word quite  
as objectional as lots1 unless it can be

 reduced to a load of something1 such as
 a ship-load1 a wagon-load1 a cart-load1
 a horse-load1 c4 ,we often hear such   
expressions as loads of shops1 loads of 
authors1 loads of compliments2 but as   
shops1 authors1 compliments1 are things 
not usually piled up into loads1 either 
for ships or horses1 we cannot discover 
the propriety of the application4       
,,xvi4  ,some people1 guiltless of those
 absurdities1 commit a great error in   
the use of the word quantity1 applying  
it to things of number1 as a quantity of
 friends1 a quantity of ships1 a        
quantity of houses1 c4 ,quantity can be 
applied only where bulk is indicated1 as
 a quantity of land1 a quantity of      
timber2 but we cannot say1 a quantity of
 fields1 a quantity of trees1 because   
trees and fields are specific           
individualities4 ,or we may apply it    
where individualities are taken in the  
gross1 without reference to modes1 as a 
quantity of luggage1 a quantity of      
furniture2 but we cannot say a quantity 

of boxes1 a quantity of chairs and      
tables1 for the same reason which is    
given in the former instances4 ,we also 
apply the term quantity to those things 
of number which are too minute to be    
taken separately1 as a quantity of      
beans1 a quantity of oats1 c41 c4       
,,xvii4  ,avoid favorite words and      
phrases2 they betray a poverty of       
language or of imagination not          
creditable to a cultivated intellect4   
,some people are so unfortunate as to   
find all things vulgar that come betwixt
 the wind and their nobility2 others    
find them disgusting4 ,some are always  
anticipating1 others are always         
appreciating4 ,multitudes are           
aristocratic in all their relations1    
other multitudes are as distingues4     
,these two words are chiefly patronized 
by those whose pretensions in such      
respects are the most questionable4 ,to 
some timid spirits1 born under malignant
 influences no doubt1 most things       
present an awful appearance1 even though

 they come in shapes so insignificant as
 a cold day or an aching finger4 ,but1  
thanks to that happy diversity of       
,nature which throws light as well as   
shadow into the human character1 there  
are minds of brighter vision and more   
cheerful temperament1 who behold all    
things splendid1 magnificent1 down to a 
cup of small beer1 or a half-penny      
orange4 ,some people have a             
grandiloquent force of expression1      
thereby imparting a tremendous or       
thundering character even to little     
things4 ,this is truly carrying their   
conceptions into the sublime1--sometimes
 a step beyond4  ,we have1 however1 no  
intention of particularizing all the pet
 phrases which salute the ear2 but the  
enumeration of a few of them may make   
the candid culprit smile1 and avoid     
those trifling absurdities for the      
future4         99       99       99    
99       99  ,we would1 under favor1    
suggest to the reader the advantage of  
not relying too confidently on knowledge

 acquired by habit and example alone4   
,there are many words in constant use   
which are perverted from their original 
meanings2 and if we were to dip into    
some standard dictionary occasionally1  
search out the true meanings of words   
with which we have fancied ourselves    
acquainted1 and convict ourselves of all
 the errors we have been committing in  
following the crowd1 our surprise1      
perhaps1 would equal that of ,moliere's 
,bourgeois ,gentilhomme when he         
discovered that he had been talking     
prose for forty years4  ,the words      
feasible1 ostensible1 obnoxious1        
apparent1 obtain1 refrain1 domesticated1
 and centre1 are expressions which1 nine
 times out of ten1 are misapplied1      
besides a host of others whose propriety
 is never questioned1 so firmly has     
custom riveted the bonds of ignorance4  
,in closing this little volume1 the     
writer begs leave to say that the       
remarks offered are intended only as    
,hints1 which they who desire perfection

 may easily improve1 by a little        
exercise of the understanding1 and a    
reference to more extensive sources1    
into a competent knowledge of their own 
tongue2 also as warnings to the         
careless1 that their lapses do not pass 
so unobserved as they are in the habit  
of supposing4  ,though many of the      
syntactical errors herein mentioned are 
to be found in the works of some of our 
best writers1 they are errors           
nevertheless1 and stand as blemishes    
upon the productions of their genius1   
like unsightly excrescences upon a      
lovely skin4 ,genius is above grammar1  
and this conviction may inspire in some 
bosoms an undue contempt for the latter4
 ,but grammar is a constituent part of  
good education1 and a neglect of it     
might argue a want of education1 which  
would1 perhaps1 be mortifying4 ,it is an
 old axiom that civility costs nothing1 
and surely grammatical purity need not  
cost much to people disposed to pay a   
little attention to it1 and who have    

received a respectable education        
already4 ,it adds a grace to eloquence1 
and raises the standard of language     
where eloquence is not4  ,a handsome man
 or handsome woman is not improved by a 
shabby or slatternly attire2 so the best
 abilities are shown to a disadvantage  
through a style marked by illiteracies4 
,,part ,,iv4     ,,mistakes ,,and       
,,improprieties  ,,in ,,speaking ,,and  
,,writing ,,corrected4   #a4 ,,have you 
learned ,french yet8 say learnt1 as     
learned is now used only as an          
adjective1--as1 a learned man4          
,pronounce learned in two syllables4    
#b4 ,the business would suit any one who
 enjoys bad health from an advertisement
 in a ,london newspaper2 say1 any one in
 a delicate state of health1 or1 whose  
health is but indifferent4  #c4 ,we have
 no corporeal punishment here1 said a   
schoolmaster once to the author of this 
little work4 ,corporeal is opposed to   
spiritual2 say1 corporal punishment4    
,corporeal means having a body4 ,the    

,almighty is not a corporeal being1 but 
a spirit1 as ,st4 ,john tells us4  #d4  
,that was a notable circumstance4       
,pronounce the first syllable of notable
 as no in notion4 ,mrs4 ,johnson is a   
notable housewife2 that is to say1      
careful4 ,pronounce the first syllable  
of notable as not in ,nottingham4  #e4  
,put an advertisement in the ,times4    
,pronounce advertisement with the accent
 on ver1 and not on tise4  #f4 ,he rose 
up and left the room2 leave out up4  #g4
 ,you have sown it very badly2 say1     
sewed it4  #h4 ,mr4 ,dupont learnt me   
,french2 say1 taught4 ,the master       
teaches1 but the pupil learns4  #i4     
,john and ,henry both read well1 but    
,john is the best reader2 say1 the      
better reader1 as best can only be said 
when three or more persons or objects   
are compared4  #aj4 ,the two first      
pupils ,i had2 say1 the first two4  #aa4
 ,he has mistook his true interest2 say1
 mistaken4  #ab4 ,have you lit the fire1
 ,mary8 say1 lighted4  #ac4 ,the doctor 

has not yet came2 say1 has not yet come4
  #ad4 ,i have always gave him good     
advice2 say1 given4  #ae4 ,to be is an  
auxiliary verb4 ,pronounce auxiliary in 
five syllables1 sounding the second i1  
and not in four1 as we so frequently    
hear it4  #af4 ,celery is a pleasant    
edible2 pronounce celery as it is       
written1 and not salary4  #ag4 ,are you 
at leisure8 pronounce lei in leisure the
 same as ,lei in ,leith1 and not so as  
to rhyme with measure4  #ah4 ,have you  
seen the ,miss ,browns lately8 say1 the 
,misses ,brown4  #ai4 ,you have soon    
forgot my kindness2 say1 forgotten4     
#bj4 ,he keeps his coach2 say1 his      
carriage4  #ba4 ,john is my oldest      
brother2 say1 eldest4 ,elder and eldest 
are applied to persons1--older and      
oldest to things4  #bb4 ,disputes have  
frequently arose on that subject2 say1  
arisen4  #bc4 ,the cloth was wove in a  
very short time2 say1 woven4  #bd4      
,french is spoke in every state in      
,europe2 say1 spoken4  #be4 ,he writes  

as the best authors would have wrote1   
had they writ on the same subject2 say1 
would have written1--had they written4  
#bf4 ,i prefer the yolk of an egg to the
 white2 say1 yelk1 and sound the l4     
#bg4 ,he is now very decrepid2 say1     
decrepit4  #bh4 ,i am very fond of      
sparrowgrass2 say1 asparagus1 and       
pronounce it with the accent on par4    
#bi4 ,you are very mischievous4         
,pronounce mischievous with the accent  
on mis1 and not on chie1 and do not say 
mischievious4  #cj4 ,it was very        
acceptable4 ,pronounce acceptable with  
the accent on cept1 and not on ac1 as we
 so often hear it4  #ca4 ,no            
conversation be permitted in the        
,reading ,room to the interruption of   
the company present4 ,neither ,smoking  
or ,refreshments allowed from the       
prospectus of a ,literary and           
,scientific ,institution2 insert can    
after conversation1 and say1 neither    
smoking nor refreshments4  #cb4 ,no     
extras or vacationsfrom the prospectus  

of a schoolmistress near ,london2 say1  
neither extras nor vacations4  #cc4 ,he 
is very covetous4 ,pronounce covetous as
 if it were written covet us1 and not   
covetyus1 as is almost universally the  
case4  #cd4 ,i intend to summons him2   
say1 summon4 ,summons is a noun1 and not
 a verb4  #ce4 ,dearly beloved brethren4
 ,pronounce beloved in three syllables1 
and never in two1 as some clergymen do4 
#cf4 ,he is now forsook by every one2   
say1 forsaken4  #cg4 ,not as ,i know2   
say1 that ,i know4  #ch4 ,he came for to
 do it2 leave out for4  #ci4 ,they have 
just rose from the table2 say1 risen4   
#dj4 ,he is quite as good as me2 say1 as
 good as ,i4  #da4 ,many an one has done
 the same2 say1 many a one4 ,a1 and not 
an1 is used before the long sound of u1 
that is to say1 when u forms a distinct 
syllable of itself1 as1 a unit1 union1 a
 university4 ,it is also used before eu1
 as1 a euphony2 and likewise before the 
word ewe1 as1 a ewe4 ,we should also    
say1 a youth1 not an youth4  #db4 ,many 

people think so2 say1 many persons1 as  
people means a nation4  #dc4 ,when our  
ships sail among the people of the      
,eastern islands1 those people do not   
ask for gold1--'iron6 iron6' is the     
call4 ,from a work by a peer of literary
 celebrity4 ,say1 among the inhabitants2
 and1 instead of those people1 which is 
ungrammatical1 say1 those persons4  #dd4
 ,was you reading just now8 say1 were   
you4  #de4 ,i have not had no dinner    
yet2 say1 ,i have had no dinner yet1 or1
 ,i have not yet had my dinner1 or1 any 
dinner4  #df4 ,she will never be no     
taller2 say1 she will never be taller1  
or1 she will never be any taller4  #dg4 
,i see him last ,monday2 say1 saw him4  
#dh4 ,he was averse from such a         
proceeding2 say1 averse to4  #di4 ,he   
has wore his boots three months2 say1   
worn4  #ej4 ,he has trod on my toes2    
say1 trodden4  #ea4 ,have you shook the 
cloth8 say1 shaken4  #eb4 ,i have rang  
several times2 say1 rung4  #ec4 ,i      
knowed him at once2 say1 knew4  #ed4 ,he

 has growed very much2 say1 grown4  #ee4
 ,george has fell down stairs2 say1     
fallen4  #ef4 ,he has chose a very poor 
pattern2 say1 chosen4  #eg4 ,they have  
broke a window2 say1 broken4  #eh4 ,give
 me them books2 say1 those books4  #ei4 
,my brother gave me them there pictures2
 say1 gave me those pictures4  #fj4     
,whose are these here books8 say1 these 
books4  #fa4 ,the men which we saw2 say1
 whom4  #fb4 ,the books what you have2  
say1 which1 or that4  #fc4 ,the boy as  
is reading2 say1 who is reading4  #fd4  
,the pond is froze2 say1 frozen4  #fe4  
,he has took my slate2 say1 taken4  #ff4
 ,he has often stole money from him2    
say1 stolen4  #fg4 ,they have drove very
 fast2 say1 driven4  #fh4 ,i have rode  
many miles to-day2 say1 ridden4  #fi4   
,you cannot catch him2 pronounce catch  
so as to rhyme with match1 and not      
ketch4  #gj4 ,who has got my slate8     
leave out got4  #ga4 ,what are you doing
 of8 leave out of4  #gb4 ,if ,i was rich
 ,i would buy a carriage2 say1 ,if ,i   

were4  #gc4 ,we have all within us an   
impetus to sin2 pronounce impetus with  
the accent on im1 and not on pe1 as is  
very often the case4  #gd4 ,he may go to
 the antipodes for what ,i care2        
pronounce antipodes with the accent on  
tip1 and let des rhyme with ease4 ,it is
 a word of four syllables1 and not of   
three1 as many persons make it4  #ge4   
,vouchsafe1 a word seldom used1 but1    
when used1 the first syllable should    
rhyme with pouch4 ,never say1 vousafe4  
#gf4 ,ginger is a good stomachic2       
pronounce stomachic with the accent on  
mach1 sounding this syllable mak1 and   
not mat1 as is often the case4  #gg4    
,the land in those parts is very        
fertile2 pronounce fertile so as to     
rhyme with pill4 ,the ile in all words  
must be sounded ill1 with the exception 
of exile1 senile1 gentile1 reconcile1   
and camomile1 in which ile rhymes with  
mile4  #gh4 ,it is surprising the       
fatigue he undergoes2 say1 ,the fatigue 
he undergoes is surprising4  #gi4       

,benefited2 often spelt benefitted1 but 
incorrectly4  #hj4 ,gather up the       
fragments2 pronounce gather so as to    
rhyme with lather1 and not gether4  #ha4
 ,i propose going to town next week2    
say1 purpose4  #hb4 ,if ,i am not       
mistaken1 you are in the wrong2 say1 ,if
 ,i mistake not4  #hc4 ,direct your     
letters to me at ,mr4 ,jones's2 say1    
,address your letters4  #hd4 ,wales is a
 very mountainious country2 say1        
mountainous1 and place the accent on    
moun4  #he4 ,of two evils choose the    
least2 say1 the less4  #hf4             
,exag'gerate2 pronounce exad'gerate1 and
 do not sound agger as in the word      
dagger1 which is a very common mistake4 
#hg4 ,he knows little or nothing of     
,latin2 say1 little1 if anything1 of    
,latin4  #hh4 ,he keeps a chaise2       
pronounce it shaise1 and not shay4 ,it  
has a regular plural1 chaises4  #hh4    
,the drought lasted a long time2        
pronounce drought so as to rhyme with   
snout1 and not drowth4  #ij4 ,the man   

was hung last week2 say1 hanged2 but    
say1 ,i am fond of hung beef4 ,hang1 to 
take away life by hanging1 is a regular 
verb4  #ia4 ,we conversed together on   
the subject2 leave out together1 as it  
is implied in conversed1 con being      
equivalent to with1 that is to say1 ,we 
talked with each other1 c4  #ib4 ,the   
affair was compromised2 pronounce       
compromised in three syllables1 and     
place the accent on com1 sounding mised 
like prized4 ,the word has nothing to do
 with promised4 ,the noun compromise is 
accented like compromised1 but mise must
 be pronounced mice4  #ic4 ,a           
steam-engine2 pronounce engine with en  
as in pen1 and not like in1 and gine    
like gin4  #id4 ,numbers were massacred2
 pronounce massacred with the accent on 
mas1 and red like erd1 as if            
mas'saker'd1 never mas'sacreed4  #ie4   
,the king of ,israel and the king of    
,judah sat either of them on his throne2
 say1 each of them4 ,either signifies   
the one or the other1 but not both4     

,each relates to two or more objects1   
and signifies both of the two1 or every 
one of any number taken singly4 ,never  
say either of the three1 but each or any
 one of the three4  #if4 ,a respite was 
granted the convict2 pronounce respite  
with the accent on res1 and sound pite  
as pit4  #ig4 ,he soon returned back2   
leave out back1 which is implied by re  
in returned4  #ih4 ,the horizon is the  
line that terminates the view2 pronounce
 horizon with the accent on ri1 and not 
on ho4  #ii4 ,she has sang remarkably   
well2 say1 sung4  #ajj4 ,he had sank    
before assistance arrived2 say1 sunk4   
#aja4 ,i have often swam across the     
,tyne2 say1 swum4  #ajb4 ,i found my    
friend better than ,i expected to have  
found him2 say1 to find him4  #ajc4 ,i  
intended to have written a letter       
yesterday2 say1 to write1 as however    
long it now is since ,i thought of      
writing1 to write was then present to   
me1 and must still be considered as     
present when ,i bring back that time and

 the thoughts of it4  #ajd4 ,his death  
shall be long regretted from a notice of
 a death in a newspaper2 say1 will be   
long1 c4 ,shall and will are often      
confounded2 the following rule1 however1
 may be of use to the reader4 ,mere     
futurity is expressed by shall in the   
first person1 and by will in the second 
and third2 the determination of the     
speaker by will in the first1 and shall 
in the second and third2 as1 ,i ,,will  
go to-morrow1 ,i ,,shall go to-morrow4  
,n4 ,b4 ,the latter sentence simply     
expresses a future event2 the former    
expresses my determination4  #aje4      
,without the grammatical form of a word 
can be recognized at a glance1 little   
progress can be made in reading the     
language from a very popular work on the
 study of the ,latin language2 say1     
,unless the grammatical1 c4 ,the use of 
without for unless is a very common     
mistake4  #ajf4 ,have you begun         
substraction yet8 say1 subtraction4     
#ajg4 ,he claimed admission to the      

chiefest offices2 say1 chief4 ,chief1   
right1 supreme1 correct1 true1          
universal1 perfect1 consummate1 extreme1
 c41 imply the superlative degree       
without est or most4 ,in language       
sublime or impassioned1 however1 the    
word perfect requires the superlative   
form to give it effect4 ,a lover1       
enraptured with his mistress1 would     
naturally call her the most perfect of  
her sex4  #ajh4 ,the ship had sprang a  
leak2 say1 sprung4  #aji4 ,i had rather 
do it now2 say1 ,i would rather4  #aaj4 
,he was served with a subpoena2         
pronounce subpoena with the accent on   
poe1 which you will sound like tea1 and 
sound the b distinctly4 ,never pronounce
 the word soopee'na4  #aaa4 ,i have not 
travelled this twenty years2 say1 these 
twenty years4  #aab4 ,he is very much   
the gentleman2 say1 ,he is a very       
gentlemanly man1 or fellow4  #aac4 ,the 
yellow part of an egg is very           
nourishing2 never pronounce yellow like 
tallow1 which we so often hear4  #aad4  

,we are going to the zoological gardens2
 pronounce zoological in five syllables1
 and place the accent on log in logical4
 ,sound log like lodge1 and the first   
two o's in distinct syllables4 ,never   
make zool one syllable4  #aae4 ,he      
always preaches extempore2 pronounce    
extempore in four syllables1 with the   
accent on tem1 and never in three1      
making pore to rhyme with sore4  #aaf4  
,naught and aught2 never spell these    
words nought and ought4 ,there is no    
such word as nought1 and ought is a     
verb4  #aag4 ,allow me to suggest2      
pronounce sug so as to rhyme with mug1  
and gest like jest4 ,never sudjest4     
#aah4 ,the ,emperor of ,russia is a     
formidable personage2 pronounce         
formidable with the accent on for1 and  
not on mid1 as is often the case4  #aai4
 ,before the words heir1 herb1 honest1  
honor1 hostler1 hour1 humble1 and humor1
 and their compounds1 instead of the    
article a1 we make use of an1 as the h  
is not sounded2 likewise before words   

beginning with h that are not accented  
on the first syllable1 such as heroic1  
historical1 hypothesis1 c41 as1 an      
heroic action1 an historical work1 an   
hypothesis that can scarcely be allowed4
 ,n4 ,b4 ,the letter h is seldom mute at
 the beginning of a word2 but from the  
negligence of tutors and the inattention
 of pupils many persons have become     
almost incapable of acquiring its just  
and full pronunciation4 ,it is1         
therefore1 incumbent on teachers to be  
particularly careful to inculcate a     
clear and distinct utterance of this    
sound4  #abj4 ,he was such an           
extravagant young man that he soon spent
 his whole patrimony2 say1 so           
extravagant a young man4  #aba4 ,i saw  
the slough of a snake2 pronounce slough 
so as to rhyme with rough4  #abb4 ,she  
is quite the lady2 say1 ,she is very    
lady-like in her demeanor4  #abc4 ,he is
 seldom or ever out of town2 say1       
seldom1 if ever1 out of town4  #abd4    
,death unloosed his chains2 say1 loosed 

his chains4  #abe4 ,it is dangerous to  
walk of a slippery morning2 say1 on a   
slippery morning4  #abf4 ,he who makes  
himself famous by his eloquence1        
illustrates his origin1 let it be never 
so mean2 say1 ever so mean4  #abg4 ,his 
fame is acknowledged through ,europe2   
say1 throughout ,europe4  #abh4 ,the    
bank of the river is frequently         
overflown2 say1 overflowed4  #abi4      
,previous to my leaving ,england ,i     
called on his lordship2 say1 previously 
to my leaving1 c4  #acj4 ,i doubt if    
this will ever reach you2 say1 whether  
this1 c4  #aca4 ,he was exceeding kind  
to me2 say1 exceedingly kind4  #acb4 ,i 
lost near twenty pounds2 say1 nearly4   
#acc4 ,bills are requested to be paid   
quarterly2 say1 ,it is requested that   
bills be paid quarterly4  #acd4 ,it was 
no use asking him any more questions2   
say1 of no use to ask him1 c4  #ace4    
,the ,americans said they had no right  
to pay taxes2 say1 they were under no   
obligation to pay1 c4  #acf4 ,i throwed 

my box away1 and never took no more     
snuff2 say1 ,i threw1 c41 and took snuff
 no more4  #acg4 ,she was endowed with  
an exquisite taste for music2 say1      
endued with1 c4  #ach4 ,i intend to stop
 at home2 say1 to stay4  #aci4 ,at this 
time ,i grew my own corn2 say1 ,i       
raised1 c4  #adj4 ,he was no sooner     
departed than they expelled his         
officers2 say1 he had no sooner1 c4     
#ada4 ,he was now retired from public   
business2 say1 had now retired1 c4      
#adb4 ,they were embarked in a common   
cause2 say1 had embarked1 c4  #adc4     
,hostilities were now become habitual2  
say1 had now become4  #add4 ,brutus and 
,aruns killed one another2 say1 each    
other4  #ade4 ,pray1 sir1 who may you   
be8 say1 who are you8  #adf4 ,their     
character as a warlike people is much   
degenerated2 say1 has much1 c4  #adg4   
,he is gone on an errand2 pronounce     
errand as it is written1 and not arrant4
  #adh4 ,in a popular work on arithmetic
 we find the following sum1--,if for    

#gs4 #h;d41 ,i can buy #i lbs4 of       
raisins1 how much can ,i purchase for   
,l#ef #afs48 say1 what quantity can ,i1 
c4 ,who would think of saying how much  
raisins8  #adi4 ,be very careful in     
distinguishing between indite and       
indict2 key and quay2 principle and     
principal2 check and cheque2 marshal and
 martial2 counsel and council2          
counsellor and councillor2 fort and     
forte2 draft and draught2 place and     
plaice2 stake and steak2 satire and     
satyr2 stationery and stationary2 ton   
and tun2 levy and levee2 foment and     
ferment2 fomentation and fermentation2  
petition and partition2 practice and    
practise2 ,francis and ,frances2 dose   
and doze2 diverse and divers2 device and
 devise2 wary and weary2 salary and     
celery2 radish and reddish2 treble and  
triple2 broach and brooch2 ingenious and
 ingenuous2 prophesy and prophecy2      
fondling and foundling2 lightning and   
lightening2 genus and genius2 desert and
 dessert2 currier and courier2 pillow   

and pillar2 executer and executor2 suit 
and suite2 ridicule and reticule2       
lineament and liniment2 track and tract2
 lickerish and licorice2 statute and    
statue2 ordinance and ordnance2 lease   
and leash2 recourse and resource2       
straight and strait2 immerge and emerge2
 style and stile2 compliment and        
complement2 bass and base2 contagious   
and contiguous2 eminent and imminent2   
eruption and irruption2 precedent and   
president2 relic and relict4  #aej4 ,i  
prefer radishes to cucumbers2 pronounce 
radishes exactly as it is spelt1 and not
 redishes1 and the u in the first       
syllable of cucumber as in fuel1 and not
 as if the word were cowcumber4  #aea4  
,never pronounce barbarous and grievous1
 bartarious and grievious4  #aeb4 ,the  
two last chapters are very interesting2 
say1 ,the last two1 c4  #aec4 ,the soil 
on these islands is so very thin1 that  
little vegetation is produced upon them 
beside cocoanut trees2 say1 with the    
exception of1 c4  #aed4 ,he restored it 

back to the owner2 leave out back4      
#aee4 ,here1 there1 where1 are generally
 better than hither1 thither1 whither1  
with verbs of motion2 as1 ,come here1   
,go there4 ,n4 ,b4 ,hither1 thither1 and
 whither1 which were formerly used1 are 
now considered stiff and inelegant4     
#aef4 ,as far as ,i am able to judge1   
the book is well written2 say1 ,so far  
as1 c4  #aeg4 ,it is doubtful whether he
 will play fairly or no2 say1 fairly or 
not4  #aeh4 ,the ,pilgrim's ,progress2  
pronounce progress1 prog-ress1 not      
pro-gress4  #aei4 ,he is a boy of a     
great spirit2 pronounce spirit exactly  
as it is written1 and never sperit4     
#afj4 ,the camelopard is the tallest of 
known animals2 pronounce camelopard with
 the accent on the second syllable4     
,never call it camel leopard1 as is so  
often heard4  #afa4 ,he is very awkward2
 never say1 awkard4  #afb4 ,he ran again
 me2 ,i stood again the wall2 instead of
 again1 say against4 ,do it again the   
time ,i mentioned2 say1 by the time1 c4 

#afc4 ,i always act agreeable to my     
promise2 say1 agreeably4  #afd4 ,the    
study of syntax should be previously to 
that of punctuation2 say1 previous4     
#afe4 ,no one should incur censure for  
being tender of their reputation2 say1  
of his reputation4  #aff4 ,they were all
 drownded2 say1 drowned4  #afg4 ,jalap  
is of great service2 pronounce jalap    
exactly as it is written1 ,,never       
jollop4  #afh4 ,he is gone on a tour2   
pronounce tour so as to rhyme with poor1
 never like tower4  #afi4 ,the rain is  
ceased2 say1 has ceased4  #agj4 ,they   
laid their heads together1 and formed   
their plan2 say1 ,they held a           
consultation1 c4 ,laid their heads      
together savors of ,,slang4  #aga4 ,the 
chimley wants sweeping2 say1 chimney4   
#agb4 ,i was walking towards home2      
pronounce towards so as to rhyme with   
boards4 ,never say to wards4  #agc4 ,it 
is a stupenduous work2 say1 stupendous4 
#agd4 ,a courier is expected from       
,paris2 pronounce cou in courier so as  

to rhyme with too4 ,never pronounce     
courier like currier4  #age4 ,let each  
of us mind their own business2 say1 his 
own business4  #agf4 ,is this or that   
the best road8 say1 the better road4    
#agg4 ,rinse your mouth2 pronounce rinse
 as it is written1 and ,,never rense4   
,wrench your mouth1 said a fashionable  
dentist one day to the author of this   
work4  #agh4 ,the book is not as well   
printed as it ought to be2 say1 so well 
printed1 c4  #agi4 ,webster's           
,dictionary is an admirable work2       
pronounce dictionary as if written      
dik-shun-a-ry2 not1 as is too commonly  
the practice1 dixonary4  #ahj4 ,some    
disaster has certainly befell him2 say1 
befallen4  #aha4 ,she is a pretty       
creature2 never pronounce creature1     
creeter1 as is often heard4  #ahb4 ,we  
went to see the ,monument2 pronounce    
monument exactly as it is written1 and  
not as many pronounce it1 moniment4     
#ahc4 ,i am very wet1 and must go and   
change myself2 say1 change my clothes4  

#ahd4 ,he has had a good education2     
never say1 edication1 which is often    
heard1 nor edicate for educate4  #ahe4  
,he is much better than me2 say1 than   
,i4  #ahf4 ,you are stronger than him2  
say1 than he4  #ahg4 ,i had as lief     
stand2 say1 ,i would as soon stand4     
#ahh4 ,he is not a whit better2 say1 in 
no degree better4  #ahi4 ,they are at   
loggerheads2 say1 at variance4  #aij4   
,his character is undeniable1--a very   
common expression2 say1 unexceptionable4
  #aia4 ,bring me the lantern2 never    
spell lantern1 lanthorn4  #aib4 ,the    
room is twelve foot long1 and nine foot 
broad2 say1 twelve feet1 nine feet4     
#aic4 ,he is singular1 though regular in
 his habits1 and also very particular2  
beware of leaving out the u in singular1
 regular1 and particular1 which is a    
very common practice4  #aid4 ,they are  
detained at ,france2 say1 in ,france4   
#aie4 ,he lives at ,london2 say1 in     
,london1 and beware of pronouncing      
,london1 as many careless persons do1   

,lunnun4 ,at should be applied to small 
towns4  #aif4 ,no less than fifty       
persons were there2 say1 ,no fewer1 c4  
#aig4 ,such another mistake1 and we     
shall be ruined2 say1 ,another such     
mistake1 c4  #aih4 ,it is some distance 
from our house2 say1 at some distance1  
c4  #aii4 ,i shall call upon him2 say1  
on him4  #bjj4 ,he is a ,doctor of      
,medicine2 pronounce medicine in three  
syllables1 ,,never in two4  #bja4 ,they 
told me to enter in2 leave out in1 as it
 is implied in enter4  #bjb4 ,his       
strength is amazing2 never say1 strenth4
  #bjc4 ,mistaken souls1 who dream of   
heaven1--this is the beginning of a     
popular hymn2 it should be1 ,mistaking  
souls1 c4 ,mistaken wretch1 for         
mistaking wretch1 is an apostrophe that 
occurs everywhere among our poets1      
particularly those of the stage2 the    
most incorrigible of all1 and the most  
likely to fix and disseminate an error  
of this kind4  #bjd4 ,give me both of   
those books2 leave out of4  #bje4       

,whenever ,i try to write well1 ,i      
always find ,i can do it2 leave out     
always1 which is unnecessary4  #bjf4 ,he
 plunged down into the stream2 leave out
 down4  #bjg4 ,she is the matron2 say   
may-tron1 and not mat-ron4  #bjh4 ,give 
me leave to tell you2 ,,never say leaf  
for leave4  #bji4 ,the height is        
considerable2 pronounce height so as to 
rhyme with tight4 ,never hate nor       
heighth4  #baj4 ,who has my scissors8   
never call scissors1 sithers4  #baa4    
,first of all ,i shall give you a lesson
 in ,french1 and last of all in music2  
leave out of all in both instances1 as  
unnecessary4  #bab4 ,i shall have       
finished by the latter end of the week2 
leave out latter1 which is unnecessary4 
#bac4 ,they sought him throughout the   
whole country2 leave out whole1 which is
 implied in throughout4  #bad4 ,iron    
sinks down in water2 leave out down4    
#bae4 ,i own that ,i did not come soon  
enough2 but because why8 ,i was         
detained2 leave out because4  #baf4     

,have you seen the new pantomime8 never 
say pantomine1 as there is no such word4
  #bag4 ,i cannot by no means allow it2 
say1 ,i can by no means1 c41 or1 ,i     
cannot by any means1 c4  #bah4 ,he      
covered it over2 leave out over4  #bai4 
,i bought a new pair of shoes2 say1 a   
pair of new shoes4  #bbj4 ,he combined  
together these facts2 leave out         
together4  #bba4 ,my brother called on  
me1 and we both took a walk2 leave out  
both1 which is unnecessary4  #bbb4 ,the 
duke discharged his duty2 sound the u in
 duke and duty like the word you1 and   
carefully avoid saying1 dook and dooty1 
or doo for dew4  #bbc4 ,genealogy1      
geography1 and geometry are words of    
,greek derivation2 beware of saying1    
geneology1 jography1 and jometry1 a very
 common practice4  #bbd4 ,he made out   
the inventory2 place the accent in      
inventory on the syllable in1 and       
,,never on ven4  #bbe4 ,he deserves     
chastisement2 say1 chas-tiz-ment1 with  
the accent on chas1 and ,,never on tise4

  #bbf4 ,he threw the rind away2 never  
call rind1 rine4  #bbg4 ,they           
contributed to his maintenance2         
pronounce maintenance with the accent on
 main1 and never say1 maintainance4     
#bbh4 ,she wears a silk gown2 never say1
 gownd4  #bbi4 ,sussex is a maritime    
county2 pronounce the last syllable of  
maritime so as to rhyme with rim4  #bcj4
 ,he hovered about the enemy2 pronounce 
hovered so as to rhyme with covered4    
#bca4 ,he is a powerful ally2 never     
place the accent on al in ally1 as many 
do4  #bcb4 ,she bought a diamond        
necklace2 pronounce diamond in three    
syllables1 ,,never in two1 which is a   
very common practice4  #bcc4 ,he reads  
the ,weekly ,despatch2 ,,never spell the
 word despatch1 dispatch4  #bcd4 ,he    
said as how you was to do it2 say1 he   
said that you were to do it4  #bce4     
,never say1 ,i acquiesce with you2 but1 
,i acquiesce in your proposal1 in your  
opinion1 c4  #bcf4 ,he is a             
distinguished antiquarian2 say1         

antiquary4 ,antiquarian is an adjective2
 antiquary1 a noun4  #bcg4 ,in          
,goldsmith's ,history of ,england we    
find the following extraordinary        
sentence in one of the chapters on the  
reign of ,queen ,elizabeth3--,this a    
communication to ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots
 they effected by conveying their       
letters to her by means of a brewer that
 supplied the family with ale through a 
chink in the wall of her apartment4 ,a  
queer brewer that1--to supply his ale   
through a chink in the wall6 ,how easy  
the alteration to make the passage      
clear6 ,this they effected by conveying 
their letters to her through a chink in 
the wall of her apartment1 by means of a
 brewer that supplied the family with   
ale4  #bch4 ,lavater wrote on           
,physiognomy2 in the last word sound the
 g distinctly1 as g is always pronounced
 before n when it is not in the same    
syllable2 as1 indignity1 c4  #bci4 ,she 
is a very clever girl2 pronounce girl as
 if written gerl2 never say gal1 which  

is very vulgar4  #bdj4 ,he built a large
 granary2 pronounce granary so as to    
rhyme with tannery1 never call the word 
grainary4  #bda4 ,beware of using ,oh6  
and ,o indiscriminately2 ,oh6 is used to
 express the emotion of pain1 sorrow1 or
 surprise2 as1 ,oh6 the exceeding grace 
of ,god1 who loves his creatures so4 ,o 
is used to express wishing1 exclamation1
 or a direct address to a person2 as1   
,o mother1 will the ,god above1         
,forgive my faults like thee8  #bdb4    
,some writers make a distinction between
 farther and further2 they are1 in fact1
 the very same word4 ,further1 however1 
is less used than farther1 though it is 
the genuine form4  #bdc4 ,he did it     
unbeknown to us2 say1 unknown1 c4  #bdd4
 ,if ,i say ,they retreated back1 ,i use
 a word that is superfluous1 as back is 
implied in the syllable re in retreated4
 ,never place the accent on flu in      
superfluous1 but always on per4  #bde4  
,in reading ,paley's ,evidences of      
,christianity1 ,i unexpectedly lit on   

the passage ,i wanted2 say1 met with the
 passage1 c4  #bdf4 ,he has ordered a   
phaeton from his coach-maker2 beware of 
saying1 pheton or phaton4 ,the word     
should always be pronounced in three    
syllables1 with the accent on pha4 ,n4  
,b4 ,in pha-e-ton the a and e do not    
form a diphthong1 as many suppose2 the  
word is of ,greek origin4  #bdg4 ,be    
careful to use the hyphen 7-7 correctly2
 it joins compound words1 and words     
broken by the ending of the line4 ,the  
use of the hyphen will appear more      
clearly from the following example3 many
 colored wings means many wings1 which  
are colored2 but many-colored wings     
means wings of many colors4  #bdh4 ,he  
had to wait in an antechamber2 carefully
 avoid spelling the last word           
antichamber4 ,n4 ,b4 ,an antechamber is 
the chamber that leads to the chief     
apartment4 ,ante is a ,,latin           
,,preposition1 and means before1 as1 to 
antedate1 that is1 to date beforehand4  
,anti is a ,,greek ,,preposition1 and   

means against1 as1 antimonarchical1 that
 is1 against government by a single     
person4  #bdi4 ,the axe was very sharp2 
never spell axe without the e4  #bej4   
,the force of voice1 which is placed on 
any particular word or words to         
distinguish the sense1 is called        
emphasis and those words are called     
emphatical words3 as1 ,grammar is a     
useful science4 ,in this sentence the   
word useful is emphatical4 ,the great   
importance of emphasis may be seen by   
the following example3      #a4 ,will   
you call on me to-morrow8        ,yes1  
,i shall call4      #b4 ,will you call  
on me to-morrow8        ,no1 but ,i     
shall call on your brother4      #c4    
,will you call on me to-morrow8         
,no1 but ,i shall on the following day4 
#d4 ,will you call on me to-morrow8     
,no1 but my brother will4  #bea4 ,never 
say o-fences for offences2 pison for    
poison2 co-lection for collection2      
voiolent for violent2 kiver for cover2  
afeard for afraid2 debbuty for deputy4  

#beb4 ,he is a mere cipher2 never spell 
cipher with a y4  #bec4 ,i was          
necessitated to do it2 a vile           
expression1 and often made worse by     
necessiated being used4 ,say1 ,i was    
obliged1 or compelled1 to do it4  #bed4 
,gibbon wrote the ,rise and ,fall of the
 ,roman ,empire2 pronounce rise1 the    
noun1 so as to rhyme with price2 rise1  
the verb1 rhymes with prize4  #bee4     
,have you been to the ,national         
,gallery8 ,never pronounce national as  
if it were written nay-shun-al1 a very  
common error1 and by no means confined  
to uneducated persons4  #bef4 ,i bought 
a new umbrella2 beware of pronouncing   
umbrella1 umberella1 or umbereller1 both
 very common errors4  #beg4 ,he is a    
supporter of the government2 beware of  
omitting the n in the second syllable of
 government4 ,a very common practice4   
#beh4 ,he strenuously maintained the    
contrary2 never place the accent on the 
second syllable in contrary4 ,in the    
ancient and time-honored ditty1 however1

 of               ,mistress ,mary1      
,quite contrary1           ,how does    
your garden grow8  a ballad with which  
we are all more or less familiar1 the   
word contrary is accented on the second 
syllable1 so as to rhyme with the name  
of the venerable dame to whom these     
memorable lines were addressed4  #bei4  
,received this day of ,mr4 ,brown1 ten  
pounds2 say1 ,received this day from1 c4
  #bfj4 ,in what case is the word       
dominus8 ,in the nominative1 sir4 ,in   
the hurry of school pronunciation       
nominative is nearly always heard in    
three syllables1 as if written nomnative
 or nomative1 an error that should be   
very carefully avoided2 it is a word of 
four syllables4  #bfa4 ,of whatever you 
get1 endeavor to save something2 and1   
with all your getting1 get wisdom4      
,carefully avoid saying git for get1 and
 gitting for getting4  #bfb4 ,so intent 
was he on the song he was singing1 as he
 stood by the fire1 that he did not     
perceive that his clothes were singeing4

 ,n4 ,b4 ,verbs ending with a single e  
omit the e when the termination ing is  
added2 as1 give1 giving4 ,in singeing1  
however1 the e must be retained1 to     
prevent its being confounded with       
singing4  #bfc4 ,the boy had a swingeing
 for swinging without permission4 ,read 
the preceding note4  #bfd4 ,the man who 
was dyeing said that his father was then
 dying4 ,read the note in ,no4 #bfb1 in 
reference to dyeing2 and observe that   
die changes the i into y before the     
addition of the termination ing4  #bfe4 
,his surname is ,clifford2 never spell  
the sur in surname1 sir1 which shows an 
ignorance of is true derivation1 which  
is from the ,latin4  #bff4 ,in ,bell's  
,life in ,london1 of ,saturday1 ,jan4   
#acth1 of the current year #ahee1 there 
is a letter from a ,scotchman to the    
editor on the subject of the declining  
salmon fisheries in ,scotland4 ,in one  
passage the writer thus expresses       
himself3 ,the ,duke of ,sutherland has  
got almost no rent for these salmon     

rivers for the last four years1 c4 ,the 
writer should have said1 scarcely any   
rent4 ,almost no rent is a downright    
,scotticism4  #bfg4 ,his mamma sent him 
to a preparatory school2 mamma is often 
written with one m only1 which is not1  
as may at first be supposed1 in         
imitation of the ,french maman1 but in  
sheer ignorance4 ,the word is pure      
,greek4  #bfh4 ,active verbs often take 
a neuter sense2 as1 ,the house is       
building4 ,here is building is used in a
 neuter signification1 because it has no
 object after it4 ,by this rule are     
explained such sentences as1            
,application is wanting1 ,the grammar is
 printing1 c4  #bfi4 ,he attackted me   
without the slightest provocation2 say1 
attacked4  #bgj4 ,i saw him somewheres  
in the city2 say1 somewhere4 ,n4 ,b4    
,nowheres1 everywheres1 and anywheres   
are also very frequently heard4  #bga4  
,he is still a bacheldor2 say1 bachelor4
  #bgb4 ,his language was quite         
blasphemous2 beware of placing the      

accent on phe in blasphemous4 ,a very   
common mistake4 ,place the accent on the
 syllable blas4  #bgc4 ,i fear ,i shall 
discommode you2 say1 incommode4  #bgd4  
,i can do it equally as well as he2     
leave out equally1 which is altogether  
superfluous4  #bge4 ,we could not       
forbear from doing it2 leave out from1  
which is unnecessary4  #bgf4 ,they      
accused him for neglecting his duty2    
say1 of neglecting1 c4  #bgg4 ,he was   
made much on at ,bath2 say1 made much   
of1 c4  #bgh4 ,he is a man on whom you  
can confide2 say1 in whom1 c4  #bgi4    
,i'm thinking he will soon arrive2 say1 
,i think1 c4  #bhj4 ,he was obliged to  
fly the country2 say1 flee the country4 
,a very common mistake4  #bha4 ,the     
snuffers wants mending2 say1 want       
mending4  #bhb4 ,his conduct admits of  
no apology2 leave out of1 which is quite
 unnecessary4  #bhc4 ,a gent has been   
here1 inquiring for you1--a detestable1 
but very common1 expression2 say1 a     
gentleman1 c4  #bhd4 ,that was all along

 of you2 say1 ,that was all your fault4 
#bhe4 ,you have no call to be vexed with
 me2 say1 no occasion1 c4  #bhf4 ,i     
don't know nothing about it1--a very    
common cockneyism2 leave out don't4     
#bhg4 ,i had rather not1 should be1 ,i  
would rather not4  #bhh4 ,i had better  
go1 should be1 ,it were better that ,i  
should go4  #bhi4 ,a new pair of gloves1
 should be1 ,a pair of new gloves4      
#bij4 ,he is a very rising man1 should  
be1 ,he is rising rapidly4  #bia4       
,apartments to let1 should be1          
,apartments to be let4  #bib4 ,no less  
than ten persons1 should be1 ,no fewer  
than ten persons4 ,less must be applied 
to quantity1 as1 ,no less than ten      
pounds4 ,fewer must be applied to       
things4  #bic4 ,i never speak1 whenever 
,i can help it1 should be1 ,i never     
speak when ,i can help it4  #bid4       
,before ,i do that1 ,i must first be    
paid1 should be1 ,before ,i do that1 ,i 
must be paid4  #bie4 ,to get over an    
illness1 should be1 ,to survive1 or1 ,to

 recover from an illness4  #bif4 ,to get
 over a person1 should be1 ,to persuade 
a person4  #big4 ,to get over a fact1   
should be1 ,to deny or refute it4  #bih4
 ,the then ,duke of ,bedford1 should be1
 ,the ,duke of ,bedford of that day1 or1
 ,the sixth ,duke of ,bedford4  #bii4   
,the then ,mrs4 ,howard1 should be1 ,the
 ,mrs4 ,howard then living4  #cjj4 ,a   
couple of pounds1 should be1 ,two       
pounds4 ,couple implies union1 as1 ,a   
married couple4  #cja4 ,he speaks slow1 
should be1 ,he speaks slowly4  #cjb4 ,he
 is noways in fault1 should be1 ,he is  
nowise in fault4  #cjc4 ,he is like to  
be1 should be1 ,he is likely to be4     
#cjd4 ,all over the land1 should be1    
,over all the land4  #cje4 ,i am stout  
in comparison to you1 should be1 ,i am  
stout in comparison with you4  #cjf4 ,at
 best1 should be1 ,at the best4  #cjg4  
,at worst1 should be1 ,at the worst4    
#cjh4 ,the dinner was all eat up1 should
 be1 ,the dinner was all eaten4  #cji4  
,i eat heartily1 should be1 ,i ate      

heartily4  #caj4 ,as ,i take it1 should 
be1 ,as ,i see it1 or understand it4    
#caa4 ,i shall fall down1 should be1 ,i 
shall fall4  #cab4 ,it fell on the      
floor1 should be1 ,it fell to the floor4
  #cac4 ,he again repeated it1 should   
be1 ,he repeated it4  #cad4 ,his conduct
 was approved of by all1 should be1 ,his
 conduct was approved by all4  #cae4 ,he
 was killed by a cannon ball1 should be1
 ,he was killed with a cannon ball4 ,the
 gun was fired by a man4  #caf4 ,six    
weeks back1 should be1 ,six weeks ago1  
or since4  #cag4 ,every now and then1   
should be1 ,often1 or ,frequently4      
#cah4 ,who finds him in money8 should   
be1 ,who finds him money8  #cai4 ,the   
first of all1 should be1 ,the first4    
#cbj4 ,the last of all1 should be1 ,the 
last4  #cba4 ,be that as it will1 should
 be1 ,be that as it may4  #cbb4 ,my     
every hope1 should be1 ,all my hopes4   
#cbc4 ,since when1 should be1 ,since    
which time4  #cbd4 ,he put it in his    
pocket1 should be1 ,he put it into his  

pocket4  #cbe4 ,since then1 should be1  
,since that time4  #cbf4 ,the latter    
end1 should be1 ,the end4  #cbg4 ,i saw 
it in here1 should be1 ,i saw it here4  
#cbh4 ,that ay'nt just1 should be1 ,that
 is not just4  #cbi4 ,the hen is        
setting1 should be1 ,the hen is sitting4
  #ccj4 ,the wind sets1 should be1 ,the 
wind sits4  #cca4 ,to lift up1 should   
be1 ,to lift4  #ccb4 ,i said so over    
again1 should be1 ,i repeated it4  #ccc4
 ,from here to there1 should be1 ,from  
this place to that4  #ccd4 ,nobody else 
but him1 should be1 ,nobody but him4    
#cce4 ,the balloon ascended up1 should  
be1 ,the balloon ascended4  #ccf4 ,this 
two days1 should be1 ,these two days4   
#ccg4 ,do you mean to come8 should be1  
,do you intend to come8  #cch4 ,each of 
them are1 should be1 ,each of them is4  
,each means one and the other of two4   
#cci4 ,either of the three1 should be1  
,any one of the three4 ,either means one
 or the other of two4  #cdj4 ,neither   
one or the other1 should be1 ,neither   

one nor the other4 ,neither 7not either7
 means not the one nor the other of two4
  #cda4 ,better nor that1 should be1    
,better than that4  #cdb4 ,bad grammar1 
should be1 ,bad or ungrammatical        
,english4  #cdc4 ,as soon as ever1      
should be1 ,as soon as4  #cdd4 ,you will
 some day be sorry1 should be1 ,you will
 one day be sorry4  #cde4 ,from now1    
should be1 ,from this time4  #cdf4      
,therefore1 ,i thought it proper to     
write you1 should be1 ,therefore1 ,i    
think it proper to write to you4  #cdg4 
,there's thirty1 should be1 ,there are  
thirty4  #cdh4 ,subject matter1 should  
be1 ,the subject4  #cdi4 ,a summer's    
morning1 should be1 ,a summer morning4  
#cej4 ,my clothes have got too small1 or
 too short1 for me1 should be1 ,i have  
become too stout or too tall for my     
clothes4  #cea4 ,a most perfect poem1   
should be1 ,a perfect poem4 ,perfect1   
supreme1 complete1 brief1 full1 empty1  
true1 false1 do not admit of comparison4
  #ceb4 ,avoid using unmeaning or vulgar

 phrases in speaking1 as1 ,you don't say
 so8 ,don't you know8 ,don't you see8   
,you know2 ,you see2 ,so1 you see1 c4   
#cec4 ,is ,mr4 ,smith in8 should be1 ,is
 ,mr4 ,smith within8  #ced4 ,the other  
one1 should be1 ,the other4  #cee4      
,another one1 should be1 ,another4      
#cef4 ,i left this morning4 ,name the   
place left4  #ceg4 ,over head and ears1 
should be1 ,over head4  #ceh4 ,i may    
perhaps1 or probably1 should be1 ,i may4
  #cei4 ,whether he will or no1 should  
be1 ,whether he will or not4  #cfj4     
,says ,i1 should be1 ,said ,i1 or1 ,i   
said4  #cfa4 ,he spoke contemptibly of  
him1 should be1 ,he spoke contemptuously
 of him4  #cfb4 ,was you8 should be1    
,were you8  #cfc4 ,i am oftener well    
than ill1 should be1 ,i am more         
frequently well than ill4  #cfd4 ,for   
good and all1 should be1 ,for ever4     
#cfe4 ,it is above a month since1 should
 be1 ,it is more then a month since4    
#cff4 ,he is a superior man1 should be1 
,he is superior to most men4  #cfg4 ,he 

need not do it1 should be1 ,he needs not
 do it4  #cfh4 ,go over the bridge1     
should be1 ,go across the bridge4  #cfi4
 ,i was some distance from home1 should 
be1 ,i was at some distance from home4  
#cgj4 ,he belongs to the ,mechanics'    
,institution1 should be1 ,he is a member
 of the ,mechanics' ,institution4  #cga4
 ,for such another book1 should be1 ,for
 another such book4  #cgb4 ,they        
mutually loved each other1 should be1   
,they loved each other4  #cgc4 ,i ay'nt1
 should be1 ,i am not4  #cgd4 ,i am up  
to you1 should be1 ,i understand you4   
#cge4 ,bread has rose1 should be1 ,bread
 has risen4  #cgf4 ,he was in eminent   
danger1 should be1 ,he was in imminent  
danger4  #cgg4 ,take hold on1 should be1
 ,take hold of4  #cgh4 ,vegetables were 
plenty1 should be1 ,vegetables were     
plentiful4  #cgi4 ,avoid all slang and  
vulgar words and phrases1 as1 ,any how1 
,bating1 ,bran new1 ,to blow up1        
,bother1 ,cut1 ,currying favor1 ,fork   
out1 ,half an eye1 ,i am up to you1     

,kick up1 ,leastwise1 ,nowheres1        
,pell-mell1 ,scrape1 ,the ,scratch1     
,rum1 ,topsy-turvey1 ,walk into1        
,whatsomever4  ,be thou familiar1 but by
 no means vulgar4--,,shakespeare4       
,,catalogue  ,,of  ,books for ,schools  
and ,colleges1  ,,published ,,by        
,,james ,,munroe  ,,co4  ,no4 #acd      
,washington ,street1 ,boston1  ,,and    
,lyceum ,building1 ,harvard ,square1    
,cambridge4         99       99       99
       99       99  ,,first ,,lessons   
,,in ,,grammar4  ,,little ,,edward',s   
,,first ,,lessons ,,in ,,grammar4 ,by   
,mrs4 ,lowell4 #ahmo4 #ag cents4        
99       99       99       99       99  
,,english ,,grammar4  ,,english         
,,grammar1 on the basis of ,lindley     
,murray4 ,by ,john ,goldsbury4 #abmo4   
#bj cents4         99       99       99 
99       99  ,,sequel ,,to ,,english    
,,grammar4  ,,sequel ,,to ,,english     
,,grammar1 being the second part4 ,by   
,john ,goldsbury4 #abmo4 #bj cents4     
99       99       99       99       99  

,,devotional ,,exercises4  ,,devotional 
,,exercises ,,for ,,schools ,,and       
,,families1 with a ,selection of ,hymns4
 #afmo4 #cg cents4         99       99  
99       99       99  ,,moral           
,,philosophy4  ,a ,,system ,,of ,,moral 
,,philosophy4 ,adapted to ,children and 
,families1 and especially to ,common    
,schools4 ,by ,rev4 ,d4 ,steele and a   
,friend4 #ahmo4 pp4 #hj4 #ae cts4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,,united ,,states ,,government4  ,,mason
 ,,on ,,the ,,united ,,states           
,,government4 ,this work is highly      
recommended by the late ,judge ,story4  
#abmo4 #hd cents4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,,russell',s      
,,elocutionary ,,reader4  ,,the         
,,elocutionary ,,reader2 containing a   
,selection of ,reading ,lessons4 ,by    
,anna ,u4 ,russell4 ,with ,introductory 
,rules and ,exercises in ,elocution4 ,by
 ,w4 ,russell1 ,author of the           
,university ,speaker4 #abmo4 pp4 #dhj4  
#hc cents4         99       99       99 

99       99  ,,russell',s ,,introduction
 ,,to ,,the ,,reader4  ,,introduction   
,,to ,,the ,,elocutionary ,,reader3     
containing a ,selection of ,reading     
,lessons2 together with the ,rudiments  
of ,elocution4 ,by ,william and ,anna   
,u4 ,russell4 ,new ,edition4 #abmo4 pp4 
#beb4 #fc cents4         99       99    
99       99       99  ,,russell',s      
,,university ,,speaker4  ,,the          
,,university ,,speaker3 a ,collection of
 ,pieces designed for ,college          
,exercises in ,declamation and          
,recitation1 with ,suggestions on the   
,appropriate ,elocution of ,particular  
,passages4 ,by ,william ,russell1       
,author of the ,elocutionary ,reader1 c4
 #abmo4 ,new ,edition4 pp4 #ebh4 #a4be4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,,pictorial ,,natural ,,history4  ,a    
,,pictorial ,,history3 embracing a ,view
 of the ,mineral1 ,vegetable1 and       
,animal ,kingdoms4 ,for the ,use of     
,schools4 ,by ,s4 ,g4 ,goodrich4 ,author
 of ,peter ,parley's ,tales4 ,new       

,edition4 #abmo4 ,four ,hundred ,cuts4  
#a4jj4         99       99       99     
99       99  ,,jouffroy',s              
,,introduction ,,to ,,ethics4           
,,introduction ,,to ,,ethics1 including 
a ,critical ,survey of ,moral ,systems4 
,translated from the ,french of         
,jouffroy4 ,by ,william ,h4 ,channing4  
,two vols4 #abmo4 pp4 #cfb each4 ,sixth 
,edition4 #b4jj4         99       99    
99       99       99  ,,stewart',s      
,,philosophy4  ,,stewart',s ,,philosophy
 ,,of ,,the ,,human ,,mind4 ,revised and
 abridged1 with ,critical and           
,explanatory ,notes1 for the ,use of    
,colleges and ,schools4 ,by ,francis    
,bowen1 ,alford ,professor of ,moral and
 ,intellectual ,philosophy in ,harvard  
,college4 ,second ,edition4 #abmo4 pp4  
#ejb4 #a4be4         99       99        
99       99       99  ,,mathematical    
,,arithmetic4  ,,mathematical           
,,arithmetic1 ,by ,rev4 ,thomas ,hill4  
#abmo4 #cg cents4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,,geometry ,,and  

,,science ,,of ,,form4  ,,an            
,,introduction ,,to ,,geometry ,,and    
,,the ,,science ,,of ,,form4 ,prepared  
from the most approved ,prussian        
,text-,books4 #abmo4 pp4 #ahj4 #afj     
,figures1 #hc cents4            ,i have 
carefully examined the manuscript of    
',an           ,introduction to         
,geometry1' and think it admirably      
adapted to supply an important want in  
education4           ,it is not a mere  
geometrical logic1 but a natural        
and simple introduction to the ,science 
of ,form4            ,,benjamin         
,,peirce1            ,perkins ,professor
 of ,astronomy and ,mathematics         
in ,harvard ,university4          99    
99       99       99       99           
,,geometrical ,,blocks4  ,,geometrical  
,,blocks1 designed to accompany ,the    
,introduction to ,geometry4 ,in case4   
#b4jj4         99       99       99     
99       99  ,,peirce',s ,,algebra4  ,an
 ,,elementary ,,treatise ,,on ,,algebra1
 ,to which are added ,exponential       

,equations and ,logarithms4 ,by         
,benjamin ,peirce1 ,a4 ,m41 ,perkins    
,professor of ,astronomy and            
,mathematics in ,harvard ,university4   
#abmo4 ,seventh ,edition4 #hc cents4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,,peirce',s ,,geometry4  ,,an           
,,elementary ,,treatise ,,on ,,plane    
,,and ,,solid ,,geometry4 ,new ,edition4
 #abmo4 #ahd ,figures4 #hc cents4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,,peirce',s ,,trigonometry4 ,,an        
,,elementary ,,treatise ,,on ,,plane    
,,and ,,spherical ,,trigonometry1 with  
their ,applications to ,navigation1     
,surveying1 ,heights1 and ,distances1   
and ,spherical ,astronomy1 and          
particularly adapted to explaining the  
,construction of ,bowditch's ,navigator1
 and the ,nautical ,almanac4 ,new       
,edition1 revised1 with ,additions4     
#hvo4 ,plates4 #a4ge4         99        
99       99       99       99           
,,peirce',s ,,curves ,,and ,,functions4 
,,an ,,elementary ,,treatise ,,on       

,,curves1 ,,functions1 ,,and ,,forces4  
,volume ,first1 containing ,analytic    
,geometry and the ,differential         
,calculus4 ,volume ,second1 containing  
,calculus of ,imaginary ,quantities1    
,residual ,calculus1 and ,integral      
,calculus4 ,second ,edition4 #b vols4   
#abmo4 ,plates4 #b4ej4         99       
99       99       99       99           
,,whately',s ,,english ,,synonyms4  ,a  
,,selection ,,of ,,english ,,synonyms4  
,first ,american1 from the ,second      
,london ,edition4 ,revised and enlarged4
 #abmo4 pp4 #ahj4 #fc cents4            
,for a clear and full understanding of  
the force           and meaning of      
these1 the reader will find here        
great assistance4--,merchants'          
,magazine4            ,it will be       
welcome to the lovers of nice           
philological distinctions4 ,as a whole1 
they are           marked by good sense1
 as well as by critical                 
acumen2 and rich as they are in         
suggestions1 even           to the most 

accomplished word-fancier1 they cannot  
be studied without advantage4--,harper's
           ,magazine4            ,it is 
marked by that strong common-sense and  
accurate learning which have rendered   
the author's           educational      
treatises so indispensable to all       
professional teachers4 ,we know of no   
work on           synonyms that is equal
 in value to this4--,new           ,york
 ,recorder4         99       99       99
       99       99  ,,whately',s        
,,elements ,,of ,,logic4  ,,elements    
,,of ,,logic1 comprising the ,substance 
of the ,article in the ,encyclopaedia   
,metropolitana1 with ,additions1 c4 ,by 
,richard ,whately1 ,d4 ,d41 ,archbishop 
of ,dublin4 ,new revised ,edition1 with 
the ,author's last ,additions4 ,large   
#abmo4 pp4 #dhd4 ,cloth stamped4 #a4jj4 
,this work 7,elements of ,logic7 has    
long been our           text-book here4 
,the style in which you have            
published this new edition of so        
valuable a work           leaves nothing

 to be desired in regard of elegance    
and convenience4--,,professor ,,dunn1   
,brown           ,university4           
,its merits are now too widely known to 
require an           enumeration of     
them4 ,the present ,american edition    
of it is conformed to the ninth ,english
 edition1           which was revised by
 the author1 and which                  
contains several improvements on the    
former           issues4--,north        
,american ,review4            ,this     
elementary treatise holds a very high   
rank           among the educational    
works of the day1 having           been 
introduced into most of the best managed
 and           popular seminaries of    
learning1 both in ,england           and
 the ,united ,states4 ,it is got up in  
correct and           beautiful         
style4--,merchants' ,magazine4          
,from stereotype plates1 and the new    
ninth edition           revised by its  
author1 have just been published1       
in a fairer and handsomer style1 than   

the ,english           copy1 ,archbishop
 ,whately's ,elements of ,logic1        
which1 like the ',rhetoric' by the same 
prelate1           has taken its place  
as a standard work1 and is too          
generally known and used to need special
           notice4--,christian          
,inquirer4         99       99       99 
99       99  ,,whately',s ,,elements    
,,of ,,rhetoric4  ,,elements ,,of       
,,rhetoric3 comprising an ,analysis of  
the ,laws of ,moral ,evidence and of    
,persuasion1 with ,rules for            
,argumentative ,composition and         
,elocution4 ,new ,edition1 revised by   
the ,author4 ,large #abmo4 pp4 #edf4    
#a4jj4            ,the ,elements of     
,rhetoric has become so much a          
standard work that it might seem        
superfluous to           speak of it4   
,in short1 we should not dream of       
teaching a college class from any other 
book on           ,rhetoric4 ,communion 
with ,whately's mind would              
improve any mind on                     

earth4--,presbyterian                   
,quarterly ,review4         99       99 
99       99       99  ,,questions ,,to  
,,whately',s ,,rhetoric4  ,,questions   
,,adapted ,,to ,,whately',s ,,elements  
,,of ,,rhetoric1 for the ,use of        
,schools and ,colleges2 prepared by a   
,teacher4 #abmo4 #ae cents4         99  
99       99       99       99           
,,questions ,,to ,,whately',s ,,logic4  
,,questions ,,adapted ,,to ,,whately',s 
,,elements ,,of ,,logic1 for the ,use of
 ,schools and ,colleges2 prepared by a  
,teacher4 #abmo4 #ae cents4         99  
99       99       99       99           
,,whately',s ,,lessons ,,on ,,reasoning4
  ,,easy ,,lessons ,,on ,,reasoning4 ,by
 ,richard ,whately1 ,d4 ,d4 ,fourth     
,edition1 from the ,fifth ,london       
,edition4 #abmo4 pp4 #ahj4 #fc cents4   
,it is an admirably clear and simple    
introduction           to ,dr4          
,whately's ',elements of ,logic1' being 
designed1 apparently1 to facilitate the 
use of           that work in academies 

and high schools4--,north               
,american ,review4            ,it is    
marked on every page by that same strong
           good-sense and solid         
learning1 which have rendered           
his works on ,logic and ,rhetoric to    
universally           valuable as       
text-books for students4--,boston       
,daily ,advertiser4            ,the work
 before us is an attempt to simplify the
           study of logic1 and to set   
young persons at the           good task
 of thinking1--thinking correctly1 and  
speaking correctly4 ,the attempt is     
admirable1 and           the volume     
deserves general patronage4--,united    
,states ,gazette4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,,bowen',s        
,,virgil4  ,p4 ,,virgilii ,,maronis     
,,bucolica1 ,,georgica1 ,,et ,,aeneis4  
,virgil2 with ,english ,notes1 prepared 
for the ,use of ,classical ,schools and 
,colleges4 ,by ,francis ,bowen1 ,alford 
,professor of ,moral and ,intellectual  
,philosophy in ,harvard ,college4       

,stereotype ,edition4 #hvo4 pp4 #fjj4   
#b4be4         99       99       99     
99       99  ,transcriber's ,notes3     
,obvious punctuation errors repaired4   
,page #f havn't changed to haven't 7and 
haven't1 are7  ,page #ch1 recal changed 
to recall 7long to recall7  ,page #aji1 
,i threw changed to ,i threw to match   
rest of usage  ,advertising1 ,page #b1  
,,russells' changed to ,,russell',s     
7,,russell',s ,,introduction ,,to ,,the 
,,reader7