Page images
PDF
EPUB

meaning and force of words, and give them that moft neceffary habit, of reading with attention.

The mafter then to read the piece with the proper modulations of voice, due emphafis, and fuitable action, where action is required; and put the youth on imitating his manner.

Where the author has ufed an expreffion not the best, let it be pointed out; and let his beauties be particularly remarked to the youth.

Let the leffons for reading be varied, that the youth may be made acquainted with good styles of all kinds in profe and verfe, and the proper manner of reading each kind-fometimes a well-told story, a piece of a fermon, a general's fpeech to his foldiers, a fpeech in a tragedy, fome part of a comedy, an ode, a fatire, a let ter, blank verfe, Hudibraftic, heroic, &c. But let fuch leffons be chofen for reading, as contai. fome ufeful inftruc

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

tion, whereby the understanding or morals of the youth may at the fame time be improved.

It is required that they fhould first ftudy and understand the leffons, before they are put upon reading them properly; to which end each boy fhould have an English dictionary, to help him over difficulties. When our boys read English to us, we are apt to imagine they understand what they read, because we do, and because it is their mother tongue. But they often read, as parrots speak, knowing little or nothing of the meaning. And it is impoffible a reader should give the due modulation to his voice, and pronounce properly, unless his understanding goes before his tongue, and makes him master of the sentiment. Accuftoming boys to read aloud what they do not first understand, is the cause of those even set tones fo common among readers, which, when they have once got a habit

a habit of ufing, they find fo difficult to correct; by which means, among fifty readers we scarcely find a good one. For want of good reading, pieces published with a view to influence the minds of men, for their own or the public benefit, lofe half their force. Were there but one good reader in a neighbourhood, a public orator might be heard throughout a nation with the fame advantages, and have the fame effect upon his audience, as if they stood within the reach of his voice.

THE THIRD CLASS

To be taught fpeaking properly and gracefully; which is near a-kin to good reading, and naturally follows it in the ftudies of youth. Let the fcholars of this clafs begin with learning the ele ments of rhetoric from fome short syftem, so as to be able to give an account of the most useful tropes and figures.

Let all their bad habits of fpeaking, all

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

offences againft good grammar, all cor rupt or foreign accents, and all improper phrafes, be pointed out to them. Short fpeeches from the Roman or other hiftory, or from the parliamentary debates, might be got by heart, and delivered with the proper action, &c. Speeches and scenes in our beft tragedies and comedies (avoiding every thing that could injure the morals of youth) might likewife be got by rote, and the boys exercifed in delivering or acting them; great care being taken to form their manner after the trueft models.

For their farther improvement, and a little to vary their studies, let them now begin to read hiftory, after having got by heart a fhort table of the principal epochas in chronology. They may be gin with Rollin's ancient and Roman hiftories, and proceed at proper hours, as they go through the fubfequent claffes, with the best hiftories of our own nation

and

and colonies. Let emulation be excited among the boys, by giving, weekly, little prizes, or other fmall encouragements to those who are able to give the best account of what they have read, as to times, places, names of perfons, &c. This will make them read with attention, and imprint the hiftory well in their memories. In remarking on the hiftory, the mafter will have fine opportunities of inftilling inftruction of various kinds, and improving the morals, as well as the understandings, of youth.

The natural and mechanic hiftory, contained in the Spectacle de la Nature, might also be begun in this class, and continued through the fubfequent claffes, by other books of the fame kind; for, next to the knowledge of duty, this kind of knowledge is certainly the most useful, as well as the most entertaining. The merchant may thereby be enabled better to understand many commodities in trade;

S 3

« PreviousContinue »