I might take notice here, that there are two other kinds of metre in English, besides this common sort, where the accent is supposed to lodge on every second syllable.

One sort of uncommon verse, is when the line contains but seven syllables, and a pretty strong accent lies on the first syllable in the line, and on the third, fifth, and seventh; as,

"Glitt'ring stones, and golden things,
"Wealth and honours that have wings,
"Ever flutt'ring to be gone,

"I could never call my own:
"Riches that the world bestows,

"She can take, and I can lose ;
"But the treasures that are mine,
"Lie afar beyond her line.

The other sort of uncommon verse has a quick and hasty sound, and must have the accent placed on every third syllable. Matters of mirth and pleasantry are the subject of this sort of song; and but seldom is it used where the sense is

very solemn

""Tis the voice of the sluggard: I hear him complain,
"You have wák'd me too soon, I must slúmber again.
"As the door on its hinges, so he on his béd

"Turns his sides, and his shoulders, and his heavy head."

In this last line the natural and proper accent lies not on the word his, where the word seems to require it; but on the word heavy: Yet it happens to have a sort of beauty in it here, to keep the natural accent, and thereby you shew the heaviness of the sluggard more emphatically, while he suffers not the verse to run swift, and smooth, and harmonious.

Thus let the poesy always answer for itself, but the reader should keep true to the natural accent. And, in general, it must be still maintained that the common rules of reading prose, hold good in reading all these kinds of poetry: Nor is the reader obliged to know before-hand what particular kind of verse he is going to read, if he will but follow the common pronunciation of the English tongue; let him but humour the sense a little, as he ought to do in prose, by reading swift or slow, according as the subject is grave or merry, and if he has acquainted himself a little with verse, and practised the reading of it, where the poet has performed his part well, the lines will yield their proper harmony.

Thus it appears to be a much easier matter to read verse well, than most people imagine, if they would but content themselves to pronounce it as they do common language, without affecting to add new music to the lines, by an unnatural turn and tone of the voice.

CHAP. XXI.-General Directions for Spelling and Writing true English.

ALL the rules that can possibly be given, for spelling English words aright, can never make the scholar perfect in this work, without diligent observation of every word in the books which he reads; and by this means alone thousands have attained a good degree of skill in it: Yet considerable assistance towards this art, may be given to children, and those that are unlearned, by some general methods, and some particular rules.

The general directions for true spelling, are these:

1st. Pronounce the word plain, clear, distinct, syllable by syllable; give the full sound to every part of it, and write it according to the longest, the hardest, and harshest sound in which the word is ever pronounced; as apron, not a-purn; cole-wort, not collut, &c.

The reason of this rule is this: Most words were originally pronounced as they are written; but the pronunciation being something long and rough, difficult and uneasy, they came to be pronounced in a more short and easy way for conversation, by the leaving out some letters, and softening the sound of others: So for instance, join is pronounced jine; purse is pronounced pus; half is pronounced haf; marri-age, marrage; nation, nashun; vic-tu-als, vittles: But the way of writing these words remain still the same.

2d. When scholars begin to read pretty well, let the master take their books out of their hands, after they have read their lessous, and then ask them to spell the easier or the harder words of it, such as he judges suitable to their capacities or their improvement.

Two scholars, when they have read their own lessons, may ask each other to spell the words of them, and thus improve themselves; or any two persons of advanced years, who are sensible of their own defects.

3d. Let there be a spelling exercise appointed twice a week, at least, for the whole school; and by degrees, let the master ask them to spell every word in some well-collected catalogues, and the tables in this book; and let them be encouraged by gaining superior places in their rank, as Captain, Lieutenant, &c. according as threy spell most words right.

Two or three scholars may use these tables of words in a sort of sport or play, and when they ask each other to spell them, he that misses not one in ten or twenty, shall gain a pin, or two pins, or a marble, or what other toy they think proper, never exceeding the value of a farthing.

4th. When scholars begin to write well let several of them be appointed to write a page, or a column out of these, or any other tables of words, and sometimes out of the bible, or any

other book, and well observe how every word is spelt: Then let the master take all their books and papers away, and himself, or one of the best scholars, read and pronounce all the words distinctly, and let all the rest write them down, and be encouraged, or reproved, according to the number of faults.

Any two persons may do this for their own improvement; and the reason why I give this direction is, because once writing a line, impresseth it more upon the memory than three or four readings.

5th. Read over the chapters of this book, from the third to the tenth, with diligence, and remark how the vowels and consonants are sounded in different sort of words, English or foreign; and learn to write them accordingly: Observe where they keep their proper sound, and where they change it.

Take particular notice also what letters are silent, and not pronounced at all; and remember to put in those letters in writing, though you leave them out in reading.

6th. In your younger years especially, take all proper opportunities for writing, and be careful to spell every word true: This may be done by the help of some small English dictionary, where the words are put down in the order of the alphabet; and if you doubt of the spelling of any word, write it not without first consulting the dictionary.

The best dictionary that I know for this purpose, is entitled, A New English Dictionary, &c. by J. K. The second edition, 1713, in a small octavo.

CHAP. XXII.-Particular Rules for spelling and writing true English.

A great part of the English tongue is so irregular in the letters and composition of it, that it would require almost as many rules to spell by, as there are words to be spelled: But there are several other words that may be reduced into some ranks and order, and the scholar may be assisted toward the spelling them aright, by the observations, and the rules following:

The certain rules are these:

1. ch at the end of a word, after a short vowel, always takes before it, as catch, fetch, pitch, botch, dutch; except some very few common words, as much, such, rich, which.

2. A vowel sounding long before a single consonant, requires an e at the end, as fate, where, mine, bone, tune: But very seldom after a double consonant or a diphthong, except after the letters c soft, g soft, s, x, z, and v consonant, as in voice, fence, range, house, rouse, carve, twelve.

3. Where g has a soft sound after a short vowel, d generally must go before it; as badger, hedge, ridge, lodge, cudgel.

4. Wheresoever g is sounded hard after a long vowel in the end of a word, we must follow it, as plague, intrigue, prorogue; and in all foreign words, as catalogue, synagogue, &c. 5. gh is written instead of g in ghess, ghittar, aghast, ghastly, ghost; and g in the words following, guard, guest, guide, guile, guilt, guinea, guise, and their compounds and derivatives, as beguile, disguise, guilty, &c.

6. k at the end of a word after a short vowel, always takes e before it, as crack, knock, neck, sick, duck.

7. Double / is always used at the end of words of one syllable after a single vowel, as call, fall, fill, smell, roll, poll.

8. Double s most usually ends 'a word after a vowel that sounds short, as pass, goodness, miss, toss: except a few common words of one syllable; as, as, was, yes, is, his, this, us, thus: except also when s or es is added to a word, as horse, horses; kiss, kisses; despise, despises; die, dies.

9. A long s is never used at the end of a word, nor just after a short s, in writing or printing.

The sound of us, at the end of a word of more than one syllable, is written ous, in words purely English, as righteous, pitious, cautious, &c.

The observations which cannot be reduced to any certain rules, are these:

1. Observe when a single vowel is sounded, whether the word be written with a diphthong or no, as bread, heart, have a diphthong; but fed, part, have not.

2. Observe the words where ch has the proper English sound, as child, patch, such; and where it is sounded hard, and written instead of k, as school, stomach, character, &c. or where it is sounded like sh, as in French words chaise, machine, chagrine, &c.

3. Observe where sc is written instead of c soft, or s; as science, disciple, scent, ascent, conscience, &c.

4. Observe where ph is written instead of f, as physic, philosophy, triumph, camphire, &c.

5. Observe where que is written instead of k, as oblique, antique, musque, &c.

6. Observe where rh is written for r, as rheum, rhetoric, myrrh, catarrh, &c.

7. Observe how the sound of shi, before a vowel, is written; whether with ci, as vicious; or sci, as omniscient; or shi, as fashion;.or si, as vision; or sii, as passion; or ti, as condition. But remember where that sh sounds hard like zh, it is always written with a single s, as vision, decision, occasion, confusion.

8. Observe where y is written for i, as presbyter, synagogue, rhyme, type, myrtle, physic, and many others.

9. Observe where x is sounded before ion, most times ct must be written, as affliction, destruction; but not always, as crucifixion, complexion, defluxion, and reflexion, which is sometimes spelled reflection.

10. Observe in the last place, that compound and derivative words are generally spelled as their primitives are, as guile, beguiles; knock, knocked; catch, catcher; rich, richer; call, calling.

The chief exception is in the final e, namely, If the first, or the primitive word, in a compound or derivative end in e, that e is often left out; as take, taking; write, writing; house, houshold; horse, horsman; but sometimes it must be written, as where, whereof; here, herein; peace, peaceable; which no rules can so well determine, as a general acquaintance with the English tongue.

Note also, that if the primitive word end in y, it may be most times changed into i, as in marry, marriage; marryed, or married; but not in marrying, where i follows it.

To provoke all my readers to observe these directions, let them know, that it is for want of skill in this art of spelling, that so many women in our age are ashamed to write, and thus forget the art of writing itself for want of practice and if several men, whose business constrain them to write frequently, could but know the ridiculous faults of their own spelling, they would be ashamed to be so exposed. Diligent attendance to these directions, and due care in younger years, would prevent these inconveniences.

CHAP. XXIII.-Observations concerning the various Ways of Spelling the same Word.

THOUGH far the greatest part of English words are spelled but one way, yet there are some that seem to admit of two manners of spelling; for which these following rules may be given for our observation :

1. ee is sometimes written for i e, in the middle of a word, as niece neece; piece, peece; belief, beleef; thieves, theeves.

2. in is changed for e n, at the beginning of a word, as ingage, engage; inquire, enquire; indanger, endanger; indure, endure; intangle, entangle.

3. im is also changed for em, as imploy, employ; im• battle, embattle; imbezzle, embezzle; imbarque, embarque. 4. k may be left out after c, in words borrowed from the Vol. vi.

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