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activity, vigilance and intrepidity: he was strict in his discipline, and kept his soldiers in perfect obedience, yet he reserved their affection: he was a perfect master of the military art: his aspect was noble, his constitution robust, and nobody but himself could bend his bow.

14. The industrious man shuts out idleness from his house; he considers it as his greatest enemy: he rises early in the morning; he exercises his mind with contemplation, and his body with action: the slothful man, on the contrary, is a burden to himself; his body is diseased for want of exercise, his mind is in darkness, his thoughts are confused, his house is in disorder, he deplores his fate, but he has no resolution to remedy it.

15. The three great enemies to tranquillity, are vice, superstition, and idleness: vice, which poisons and disturbs the mind with bad passions; superstition, which fills it with imaginary terrors; idleness, which loads it with tediousness and disgust.

CHAP. VI.

The Period.

1. Ba'-sis, s. the foundation, or that on which any thing is established or supposed.

Cri"-mi-nal, a. guilty, worthy of blame.

In-ge"-nu-ous, a. sincere, open, fair, candid.

2. Sin-ce"-ri-ty, s. faithfulness, integrity, honesty.

Charm, s. (figuratively,) any excellence, or something that gives
great pleasure, which engages and conquers the affections,
Ve-ne-ra'-ti-on, s. great respect, deference.

3. Breth'-ren, s. the plural of brother, but generally spelt brothers,

except in the Bible and by Divines, who take it for mankind

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in general, alluding to our being descended from one com

mon parent.

6. Tar-nish, v. to sully or soil.

In'-fi-nite, a, immense. Unbounded, unlimited.

10. His'-to-ry, s. a relation or description of actions or events, as they are, or have been.

Mo-ra"-li-ty, s. the doctrine of good manners, or the art of living well and happily.

Un-mask, v. to remove any disguise.

11. Cha"-ri-ty, s. alms, love, kindness, tenderness.

THE PERIOD requires a longer pause than the colon, and shews that the sentence is complete. In reading, it requires a full stop: it is here the reader can be calm and composed, and take his breath with ease and freedom, as in the following examples:

1. Truth is the basis of every virtue. It is the voice of reason. Let its precepts be religiously obeyed. Never transgress its limits. Every deviation from truth is criminal. Abhor a falsehood.

Let your words be ingenuous.

2. Sincerity possesses the most powerful charms. It requires the veneration of mankind. Its path is security and peace. It is acceptable to the Deity. "Blessed are the pure in heart."

3. We should never forget that all mankind are brethren.

4. The best practical moral rule is, never to do what we should at any time be ashamed to acknowledge.

5. I maintain, and always will maintain, that we cannot be happy without practising virtue.

6. The handsomest flowers last but a short time; for the least rain tarnishes them, the wind withers them, the sun scorches them; not to mention an

infinite number of insects that spoil and hurt them.

7. The Holy Scriptures teach us what we ought to be let us therefore read them, meditate upon them, and make them the rule of our conduct.

8. God is a father to those who love him, and a protector to those who fear him.

9. One day spent in the practice of virtue and religion, is better than a whole life spent in impiety. and wickedness.

10. There is no age nor condition but may reap great benefits from history. When properly taught, it proves a school of morality for all men; reprobates vices, unmasks false virtues, dispels vulgar errors, and demonstrates, by a thousand instances, that there is nothing great but honour and probity; that is, sincerity and truth.

11. Idleness is the mother of vice.

Charity is the first of all virtues. Prefer virtue to riches.

12. True wisdom consists in knowing one's duty exactly; true eloquence in speaking of it clearly; and true piety in doing what we know to be good.

13. Men pass away like flowers, which open in the morning, and at night are withered and trampled under foot.

14. Time once past never returns: the moment which is lost, is lost for ever, therefore hold fast the present moment while you have it.

15. Be obedient to your teacher; study much and talk little, then you will profit by your labours; give satisfaction to your instructor, and fully answer the end intended by your parents.

16. In the morning think what thou hast to do, and at night ask thyself what thou hast done.

17. Good or bad habits formed in youth, generally accompany us through life.

CHAP VII.

The Note of Interrogation.

E-le-va'-ti-on, s. a rising up.

In-ter-ro"-ga-tive, a. denoting a question.

So"-lemn, a. grave, very serious.

Pa-the"-tic, a. affecting the mind or passions; moving.
Ex-em'-pli-fi-ed, part. illustrated, shown.

4. Rea-son, s. the faculty of thinking, propriety.*

Re-ve-la-ti-on, s. applied to the discovery of the sacred truths from heaven-the- Bible.

6. E-ter-nal-ly, a. always, constantly. (Without beginning or end.) 8. Pa'-gan, s. one who adores or worships false Gods; (having the several names of Heathen, Gentile, or Idolater.)

20. To'-le-ra-ted, part. permitted, allowed.

23. Ap-pel-la'-ti-on, s. name, title.

Doc'-trine, s. instruction, the principles of any teacher.

25. De-no"-mi-na-ted, pret. named.

As-so-ci-a-ted, a. joined in leagues or alliance in order to assist.
Man'-age-ment, s. care, government.

Dis'-ci-pline, s. instruction, regulation.

A NOTE of Interrogation is used when a Question is asked; as, What shall I do? Will you go along with me? It requires about the same pause as the period, and an elevation of the voice.

Interrogative sentences are to be read the same as spoken in common conversation, and the answers to be given plainly and familiarly, unless the

* Used figuratively in the piece, signifying the knowledge we have of Natüre.

language should be very solemn or pathetic, then they will require a much longer pause, as exemplified in the following examples:

1. What part of knowledge is the most necessary? 2. Religion.

3. What is religion?

4. Religion is the worship offered to God either by reason or revelation, in the manner that we conceive to be the most agreeable to his will; in order to procure his blessing and avoid his displeasure. 5. What benefit is religion to us?

6. It affords us the means of being eternally happy. 7. Are there not several religions in the world? 8. Yes; but those that prevail, are the Christian, the Jewish,* and the Mahometan;† but the only true one is the Christian. Such as profess neither of these are called Pagans or Heathens.

9. Where is the Christian Religion to be found? 10. In the Holy Scriptures, or the word of God, containing the Old and New Testaments.

11. What do the Holy Scriptures teach us?

The Jewish religion is contained in the five first books of the Old Testament, being the writings of Moses. The Jews were once called Hebrews, from Heber; at another time Israelites, from Israel; and lastly, Jews, from Judah; who lived in and about the southern part of Asiatic Turkey, in that part which still bears the classical name of Syria, between Aleppo and Suez.

+ The Mahometan religion is contained in the book called Koran, or rather Alcoran, being the doctrines or religious opinions of Mahomet, the Arabian Impostor, who died at Medina, in Arabia, A.D. 632, aged 62.

The Christian religion was instituted by Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour of mankind. The disciples and followers of Christ were first denominated Christians, A.D. 42, at Antioch (now Anthakai), an ancient and celebrated city of Syria, but now in a ruinous state, about 40 miles S. W. of Aleppo.

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