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THE

ENGLISH READER:

OR

PIECES IN PROSE AND POETRY,

SELECTED FROM

THE BEST WRITERS.

Designed to assist young Persons

TO READ WITH PROPRIETY AND EFFECT;

TO IMPROVE THEIR LANGUAGE AND SENTIMENTS;

And to inculcate

SOME OF THE MOST IMPORtant principles of

PIETY AND VIRTUE.

With a few Preliminary Observations

ON THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD READING.

BY LINDLEY MURRAY.
AUTHOR OF AN ENGLISH GRAMMAR, &C. &C.

FROM THE TENTH ENGLISH EDITION.

BRIDGEPORT:

PRINTED AND SOLD BY L, LOCKWOOD.

HARVARD
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
11 June 1949

Converse Memorial Letr

Ancheiat College

PREFACE.

Mthe benefit of young persons.

ANY selections of excellent matter have been made for Performances of this kind are of so great utility, that fresh productions of them, and new attempts to improve the young mind, will scarcely be deemed superfluous, if the writer make his compilation instructive and interesting, and sufficiently distinct from others.

The present work, as the title expresses, aims at the attainment of three objects: to improve youth in the art of reading; to meliorate their language and sentiments; and to inculcate some of the most important principles of piety and virtue.

The pieces selected, not only give exercise to a great variety of emotions, and the correspondent tones and variations of voice, but contain sentences, and members of sentences, which are diversified, proportioned, and pointed with accuracy. Exercises of this nature are, it is presumed, well calculated to teach youth to read with propriety and effect. A selection of sentences, in which variety and proportion, with exact punctuation, have been carefully observed, in all their parts as well as with res pect to one an er, will probably have a much greater effect, in properly teaching the art of reading, than is commonly imagined. In such constructions, every thing is accommodated to the understanding and the voice; and the commen difficulties in learning to read well, are obviated. When the learner has acquired a habit of reading such sentences, with justness and facility, he will readily apply that habit, and the improvements he has made, to sentences more complicated and irregular, and of a construction entirely different.

The language of the pieces chosen for this collection, has been carefully regarded. Purity, propriety, perspicuity, and in maby instances, elegance of diction, distinguish them. They are extracted from the works of the most coset and elegant writers. From the sources whence the centies are drawn, the reader may expect to find them conne tec 51ffi

ciently important and impressive, and divested of ev that is either trite or eccentric. The frequent perusal of suc composition, naturally tends to infuse a taste for this species of

excellence, and to produce a habit of thinking, and of compo sing, with judgment and accuracy.*

That this collection may also serve the purpose of promoting piety and virtue, the compiler has introduced many extracts which place religion in the most amiable light; and which recommend a great variety of moral duties, by the excellence of their nature, and the happy effects they produce. These subjects are exhibited in a style and manner, which are calculated to arrest the attention of youth; and to make strong and durable impressions on their minds.

The compiler has been careful to avoid every expression and sentiment, that might gratify a corrupt mind, or, in the least degree, offend the eye or ear of innocence. This he conceives to be peculiarly incumbent on every person who writes for the benefit of youth. would, indeed, be a great and happy improvement in education, if no writings were allowed to come under their notice, but such as are perfectly innocent; and if, on all proper occasions, they were encouraged to pursue those which tend to inspire a due reverence for virtue, and an abhorrence of vice, as well as to animate them with sentiments of piety and goodness. Such impressions deeply engraven on their minds. and connected with all their attainments, could scarcely fail of attending them through life and of producing a solidity of principle and character, that would be able to resist the danger arising from future intercourse with the world.

The author has endeavoured to relieve the grave and serious parts of his collection, by the occasional admission of pieces

* The learner, in his progress through. this volume, and the Sequel to it, will meet with numerous instances of composition, in strict conformity to the rules for promoting perspicuous and elegant writing, contained in the Appendix to the author's English Grammar. By occasionally examining this conformity, he will be confirmed in the utility of those rules; and be enabled to apply them with ease and dexterity.

It is proper farther to observe, that the Reader and the Sequel, besides teaching to read accurately, and inculcating many important sentiments, may be considered as auxiliaries to the author's English Grammar; as practical illustrations of the principles and rules contained in that work.

+ In some of the pieces, the Compiler has made a few alterations, chiefly verbal; to adapt them the better to the design of his work.

PREFACE.

e as well as instruct. If, however, any of his readhink it contains too great a proportion of the former, me apology, to observe, that, in the existing publicaed for the perusal of young persons, the prepondeceatly on the side of gay and amusing productions. attention may be paid to this medium of improve en the imagination, of youth especially, is much ene sober dictates of the understanding are regarded rence; and the influence of good affections, is either ransient, A temperate use of such entertainment fore requisite, to afford proper scope for the operaunderstanding and the heart.

er will perceive, that the Compiler has been solicit mmend to young persons, the perusal of the sacred by interspersing through his work, some of the most nd interesting passages of those invaluable writings. an early taste and veneration for this great rule of nt of so high importance, as to warrant the attempt to on every proper occasion.

ove the young mind, and to afford some assistance to e arduous and important work of education, were the ich led to this production. If the author should be l as to accomplish these ends, even in a small dell think that his time and pains have been well eme d will deem himself amply rewarded.

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