Supply words that are wanting.

LET us consider the works of nature and proper attention.

art, with

He is engaged in a treatise on the interests of the soul and body.

Some productions of nature rise in value, according as they more or less resemble those of art.

The Latin tongue, in its purity, was never in this island.

For some centuries, there was a constant intercourse between France and England, by the dominions we possessed there, and the conquests we. made.

He is impressed with a true sense of that function, when chosen from a regard to the interests of piety and virtue.

The wise and foolish, the virtuous and the vile, the learned and ignorant, the temperate and profligate, must often, like the wheat and tares, be blended together.

SECT. III.

In the same sentence, be careful not to use the same word too frequently, nor in different senses.

AN eloquent speaker may give more, but cannot give more convincing arguments, than this plain man offered.

They were persons of very moderate intellects, even before they were impaired by their passions. True wit is nature dressed to advantage; and yet some works have more wit than does them good.

of

The sharks, who prey upon the inadvertency young heirs, are more pardonable than those, who

trespass upon the goo opinion of those, who treat them with great confidence and respect.

Honour teaches us properly to respect ourselves, and to violate no right or privilege of our heighbour: it leads us to support the feeble, to relieve the distressed, and to corn to be governed by degrading and injurious passions: and yet we see honour is the motive which urges the destroyer to take the life of his friend,

He will be always with you to support and comfort you, and in some measure to succeed your labours; and he will also be with all his faithful ministers, who shall succeed you in his service.

SECT. I

Avoid the injudicious use of technical terms.*

Most of our hands were asleep in their births, when the vessel shipped a sea, that carned away our pinnace and binnacle. Our dead-lights were in, or we should have filled. The main-mast was so sprung, that we were obliged to fish it, and bear away for Lisbon.

The book is very neatly printed the scale-boarding is ample and regular, and the register exact.

The examples under this fection, and perhaps a few others in different parts of the book, may be too difficult for learners to correct without affiftance; but as fome illuftration of the rules to which they relate, was requifite, they could not properly be omitted. By an attentive perufal of them, and a fubfequent application to the Teacher, or to the Key, the fcholar will perceive the nature of the rule, and the mode in which fimilar errors may be rectified.

C

SECT. V.

Avoid equivocal or ambiguous words.

WHEN our friendship is considered, how is it possible that I should not grieve for his loss?

The eagle killed the hen, and eat her in her own

nest.

It may be justly said, that no laws are better than the English,

The pretenders to polish and refine the English language, have chiefly multiplied abuses and absurdities.

The English adventurers, instead of reclaiming the natives from their uncultivated manners, were gradually assimilated to the ancient inhabitants, and degenerated from the customs of their own nation. It has been said, that not only Jesuits can equi

vocate.

You will not think that these people, when injured, have the least right to our protection.

Solomon the son of David, who built the temple of Jerusalem, was the richest monarch that reigned over the Jewish people.

Solomon the son of David, who was persecuted by Saul, was the richest monarch of the Jews.

It is certain that all words which are signs of complex ideas, may furnish matter of mistake and cavil.

Lisias promised to his father, never to abandon his friends.

The Divine Being heapeth favours on his servants, ever liberal and faithful.

Every well instructed scribe, is like a householder, who bringeth out of his treasure things new and old. He was willing to spend a hundred or two pounds rather than be enslaved.

Dryden makes a very handsome observation, on

Ovid's writing a letter from Dido to Eneas, in the following words.

Imprudent associations disqualify us for the instruction or reproof of others.

SECT. VI.

Avoid unintelligible, and inconsistent words and phrases.

I SELDOM see a noble building, or any great piece of magnificence and pomp, but I think, how little is all this to satisfy the ambition, or to fill the idea, of an immortal soul.

A poet, speaking of the universal deluge, says;

Yet when that flood in its own depth was drown'd,
It left behind it false and slipp'ry ground.

The author of the Spectator says, that a man is not qualified for a bust, who has not a good deal of wit and vivacity, even in the ridiculous side of his character.

And Bezaleel made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the locking-glasses of the

women.

And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep
Still threat'ning to devour me, opens wide.

SECT. VII.

Avoid all such words and phrases, as are not adapted to the ideas you mean to communicate; or which are less significant than others, of those ideas.

No less than two hundred scholars have been educated in that school.

The attempt, however laudable, was found to be impracticable.

He is our mutual benefactor, and deserves our respect and obedience.

Vivacity is often promoted, by presenting a sensible object to the mind, instead of an intelligible

one.

They broke down the banks, and the country was soon overflown.

The garment was decently formed, and sown very neatly.

The house is a cold one, for it has a north exposition.

The proposition, for each of us to relinquish something, was complied with, and produced a cordial

reconcilement.

Though learn'd, well bred; and though well bred, sincere ;

Modestly bold, and humanly severe.

A fop is a risible character, in every one's view but his own.

An action that excites laughter, without any mixture of contempt, may be called a ridiculous action. It is difficult for him to speak three sentences together.

By this expression, I do not intend what some

persons annex to it.

The negligence of timely precaution was the cause of this great loss.

All the sophism which has been employed, cannot obscure so plain a truth.

Disputing should always be so managed, as to remember that the only end of it is truth.

My friend was so ill that he could not set up at all, but was obliged to lay continually in bed.

A certain prince, it is said, when he invaded the Egyptians, placed, in the front of his army, a number of cats and other animals, which were worshiped by those people. A reverence for these phan