SYLLABAIRE FRANÇOIS, OR, A French Spelling Book ; CONTAINING THE NAMES AND USE OF THE FRENCH LETTERS, WITH THEIR VARIOUS COMBINATIONS, EXEMPLIFIED IN A LARGE AND SELECT VARIETY OF WORDS, DIGESTED TO WHICH ARE RESPECTIVELY ANNEXED, SHORT AND PLEASING ESSAYS ON READING CALCULATED Chiefly to lead young beginners, with ease, from the knowledge of Single ....ALSO.... . . AN INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH GRAMMAR, BY WAY OF QUESTION AND ANSWER, Ellustrated by Examples ↑ A VOCABULARY OF THE WORDS MOST GENERALLY USED COMMON FORMS OF SPEECH UPON FAMILIAR SUBJECTS, &c. Pyron du Martre BY MR. PORNEY, "FRENCH MASTER ÅT ETON COLLEGE. Baltimore: PUBLISHED BY EDWARD J. COALE. PRINTED BY BENJAMIN EDES.* ....1824.... PREFACE. IL n'y a personne qui ne convienne que l'art de lire ne soit la base des langues modernes; malgré, cet aveu, l'expérience journalière nous fait voire que c'est à quoi la plupart de ceux qui enseignent le Francois,dans ce Royaume, font le moins d'attention. Je ne puis cependant disconvenir, qu'il n'y ait des Professeurs de langue Francoise, dont le savoir, la capacité et les soins ne sauroient être révoqués en doute; je parle seulement de ceux qui enseignent en général; et j'ose dire que, si on les examinoit avec soin, on en trouveroit un grand nombre dont la méthode est très défectueuse: c'est principalement à ce défaut qu'on doit imputer le peu de Progrès que leurs écoliers font dans notre Langue; car bien que la nature ne soit pas également prodigue de ses faveurs envers tous, néanmoins le Tems et un bon Maître, s'il veut se donner de la peine, ne contribueront pas peu, comme plusieurs l'ont souvent eprouvé a supléer aux talens qu'elle lear a refusés. THATreading, with propriety, is the basis of modern languages, every individual must admit; notwithstanding this acknowledgment, daily experience furnishes us with sufficient proofs of its being very little attended to, by most of the French teachers in this kingdom. I would not, however, be understood, that there are not to be met with in it, learned, skilled, and careful French masters; I speak only of the greatest part of them; and I may venture to say, that many would be found, upon a strict examination. very deficient in their methods, or rather their manner of teaching: to this defi ciency, I imagine, may be not improperly attributed the slow or little progress their Scholars usually make in our Language; though admitting that Nature be not equally lavish of her favours to every individual, yet Time and a good Master, if the latter will take pains to instruct his pupils will go, as it has often been experienced, a great way towards the acquisition of those endow ments, which Nature has withholden from them, |