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known; to see all others faults and feel his own." By these means he would acquire an interest in his subject, and feel a pleasure in Teaching, which he never could derive from the mere use of School books.

The publication of so many elementary school books, written by men of character and talents, is one of the most encouraging signs of the times. Many branches of useful knowledge, formerly locked up in expensive Works, inaccessible to the tradesman, and delivered in language unintelligible to the young, are now presented to the public in a compendious size, and at small expense. There is at the present time, rather a tendency to verge to the opposite extreme; we have Primers and Catechisms of Language and Science, whose chief utility is to teach little, and to foster a spirit of self-conceit.

Of the Works from which the author has derived much information and assistance, the first acknowledgment is due to Sir John Stoddart's masterly Treatise on Universal Grammar, one of the Treatises in the Encyclopedia Metropolitana. Every English Teacher should study this valuable Essay, which has lately been printed in a portable volume.

In the department of Etymology the author has been. much indebted to the Introduction and Grammar prefixed to Dr Noah Webster's Dictionary of the English Language; to Dr Crombie's Work on Etymology and Syntax ; as well as to a variety of other sources, of which Richardson's English Dictionary ought to be particularised, and the unostentatious but valuable Dictionary of Dr Reid.

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Other Works which have been consulted, are Harris' Hermes, or a Treatise on Universal Grammar,--a piece

of admirable Philosophy; Booth's Analytical Dictionary of the English Language; Tooke's Diversions of Purley ; Dr Latham's Work on the English Language; Arnold's Grammar for Classical Schools; Connon's System of English Grammar; and Crabbe's Dictionary of Synonymes in Quarto.

In delivering his book to the Scholastic Profession and to the Public, the Author desires that it may be received with forbearance,-as the Contribution of one who has laboured nearly fifty years in the instruction of youth. MEADOWSIDE ACADEMY, DUNDEE, August, 1852.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

LANGUAGE.

THE purpose of language is to communicate our thoughts. Words are the elements of language; and, whether spoken or written, they are the expression of our thoughts.

Vocal language is the articulate sounds of the human voice. Written language consists of written or printed characters presented to the sight.

Language is a very imperfect expression of thought, though it is the most wonderful, the most delightful of the arts taught by nature and reason. Instead of conveying knowledge, as is commonly said, the most perfect language can only enable us in many cases to suggest hints, or to originate a similar train of thought in the minds of others. In this respect the effect of words bears a resemblance to the stimulus given to the memory and imagination by an outline or shadow,-exhibiting the profile of a countenance familiar to the senses. The mechanism of speech is hence much less wonderful than the mechanism which it puts in motion behind the scene.-Stewart on the Mind.

The blind are taught to read by means of embossed characters, which they discriminate by the delicate sense of feeling in the points of the fingers.

The deaf and dumb are taught by means of an alphabet of visible signs to express their ideas and feelings, as we see done by school-boys, who, for their amusement, denote the different letters by certain conformations and movements of the fingers. Such a language is useless in the dark, or when the person we are conversing with is removed to a distance. In every respect,

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audible signs possess important and superior advantages, in consequence of the wonderful adaptation of our powers of articulation to the perceptive powers of the human ear. Dr Gregory states that two thousand letters, when combined into words, may be pronounced in a minute of time, so that the sound of each letter may be distinctly heard. The endless variety of modifications of which the voice is capable enable us to add the expressiveness of natural signs to the conventional meaning of arbitrary words-while its musical modulations render language a vehicle of pleasure as well as information. -Stewart on the Mind.

Grammar teaches us to express our thoughts in appropriate language. The term grammar is derived from the Greek word gramma, a letter.

Universal Grammar treats of the principles which are common to all languages; but as every language has peculiarities of structure or usage which distinguish it from other languages, each language requires a separate and particular grammar, embodying its peculiarities with the general principles of language. Hence,

The study of the structure and usages of the English language constitutes ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

ORTHOGRAPHY.

The first part of grammar is Orthography, which treats of the correct spelling of words according to the analogy of the language, and the practice of the best writers.

The word orthography is derived from the Greek words, orthos, right, and graphe, writing; that is, correct spelling. Correct orthography is acquired by constant and careful training in youth, and by frequent exercises in Dictation and Composition.

Words are composed of letters, of which there are twenty-six in the English language-A a, B b, C c, D d, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, I i, Jj, Kk, L 1, M m, N n, O o, P p, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z.

The Latin et, &, is and; &c., et cetera, and the rest. The word alphabet is formed by the union of alpha, beta, the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.

There

Letters are classed into vowels and consonants. are seven vowels-a, e, i, o, u, w, y. A, E, O, are pure

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