A confiderable part of what I had composed for the use of my pupils in the first part of this work, which is, in its own nature, more trite than the reft, I have here omitted; retaining only as much as was neceffary to preserve the appearance of an uniform fyftem in the whole, and those parts which were the most original. The last part of the work, relating to elocution, I never compofed, though I should have done it, if I had continued longer in that employment. The reafon of this omiffion was, that it was my cuftom (as I believe it is ftill that of my fucceffors in that department of the academy, and it is certainly a most useful one) to have lectures appropriated folely to the business of elocution, which all the ftudents who were defigned for public fpeakers conftantly attended, at leaft once a week. At thefe lectures great pains were taken to form the pupils to a habit of juft and graceful delivery; and the inftructions were given as occafion required; so that the reducing of them to writing was by no means neceffary. It may be thought by fome, that these lectures are much too short, and too concifely written, for the purpose of public inftruction but they should be apprized, that it was my cuftom to write down only the outlines of what I delivered in the clafs; that, for the benefit of my pupils, I used to attend them provided with more copious illuftrations, and a greater variety of examples; and, befides, always fpent a confiderable part of the time appropriated to every lecture in examining them on the fubject of the preceding lecture, hearing their remarks or objections, and explaining more diftinctly what they appeared not to have clearly understood. Upon this plan (which I found by experience to be a very useful one, and which I mention fo particularly here, with a view to recommend it to other tutors) it was not neceffary for me to write out more than a fhort, though connected text, from which to discourse extempore; a method which engages the attention unfpeakably more than formally reading every thing from notes. It was my custom alfo to leave a fair copy of what I wrote in the lecture-room, that the pupils might have recourse to it, and study it at their leifure, fo as to be better prepared for examination at the ensuing lecture. What I now publish is the text above-mentioned, with fome improvements which have fince occurred to me. The The fame method I took with respect to every other fubject on which I gave lectures; with this difference, that those on the Theory of Languages and Universal Grammar were printed for the use of the pupils. This work I have promifed, in the preface to my English Grammar, to revife, and publifh at my leifure; and if these should have the good fortune to give fatisfaction, I may, in due time, proceed to publish another Course of lectures, viz. on the Study of Hiftory and General Policy; which, indeed, I have promised to publish, in the preface to my Elay on the firft Principles of GovernThe public may be affured, that, as I have not hitherto, I shall not in future, obtrude upon them any work, that shall not appear to myself, however mistaken I may be in my judgment, both confiderably original and useful. ment. THE THE CONTENT S. PART I. LECT. I. THE INTRODUCTION, and the DISTRIBUTION of the Subject, Page I LECT. II. Of the Nature and Use of TOPICS, 8 PART II. 23 31 39 LECT. VI. Of METHOD in Narrative Difcourfes, LECT. VII. Of METHOD in Argumentative Difcourfes; of ANALYSIS and SYNTHESIS; and of GEOMETRICAL DEMONSTRATION, 49 LECT. VIII. Of the feveral Parts of a proper DEMONSTRATION, 57 66 LECT. IX. Of the ANALYTIC METHOD. Of Locke's Elay on the Human Understanding, and Hutchefon's Moral Philofophy, LECT. X. Of the METHOD of Mr. Hume's Inquiry into the Principles of Morals, Hartley's ObServations on Man, Harris's Hermes, that of Sermons, and of Mifcellaneous Writings, 73 PART PAR T III. LECT. XI. Of TASTE, and the Nature of FL- LECT. XII. The Divifion of this Part of the Work into what affects the PASSIONS, JUDG- MENT, and IMAGINATION.-Of the Effect of VIVID REPRESENTATION, the Ufe of the PRE- LECT. XIII. Of the Tendency of strong Emoti- ons to produce BELIEF, and the transferring of Paffions from one Object to another, LECT. XIV. Of the Influence of the Paffions on each other, and other Circumftances relating to ftrong LECT. XV. Of Forms of Addrefs adapted to gain BELIEF; and, first, of those that imply PRESENT |