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SELECTED from the WORKS of

BERQUIN, GENLIS, DAY, and others.

"There is not a wretch who ends his miferable being on
a wheel, as the forfeiture of his offences against fociety, who
may not throw the whole blame of his misdemeanors on his
Education.
GRAHAM.

NORTH SHIELDS:

PRINTED BY W. KELLE

260.

M,DCC,XCII.

1.g. 427.

ADVERTISEMENT.

WHEN it is confidered that by far the

greatest number of the Books that have been published for the Inftruction and Amufement of Young Perfons, confifts of Selections from the best and most admired Authors, their merits cannot be difputed; but whether they are beft adapted for the perufal of Children, has been doubted; many parts of fuch books are certainly much above their Comprehenfion, or totally remote from their Ideas and Sentiments. The uncommon fuccefs that has attended (in the Capital and South part of England) the Labours of many Ingenious Men who have exercised their Talents in the production of pieces defigned folely for the ufe of Young People, has fuggefted to the Editor, the probability, that a felection from their writings would be acceptable to this part of the Country, for which purpose he has with all the care he was capable of, perused the writings of M. Berquin; Madame Genlis; Mr Day, Author of Sandford and Merton; and many others; but as M. Berquin's Children's Friend is the Groundwork of the following Collection, a more particular account of that Work, taken from the Preface, may not be unneceffary.

The

1

"The defign of this work is to give amufement to Children, by the fame means that will moft naturally lead them to virtue, in conftantly prefenting it to their eyes in its moft amiable form. Instead of those extravagant fictions, and romantic wonders, with which their imaginations have been fo long led aftray, they will here merely be offered fuch adventures, as they may themselves almost daily be fpectators of in their own families. No attempt will be made to infpire them with any fentiments above their conception and capacity; and they will only be brought into action with one another, with their parents, with their play-fellows, the domeftics who furround them, and the animals to which they are most accustomed. They will exprefs themselves in their own fimple and unadorned language. Eagerly interefted in all that happens, they will artlessly give way to every rifing emotion of their early feelings. They will then in their own faults find their punishment, in their own good actions their re compence. Every thing will concur to infpire. them with a love of goodness, as the means of happinefs; and an abhorrence of vice, as the fource of mortification and mifery".

To which it may be added, that the Author" received from the French Academy their Annual Prize (in value fifty Guineas) as the writer of the most useful Publication of the Year, 1783.

After a great part of the following work was Printed, the Editor accidentally looking into Mrs Catherine Macauley Graham's Letters on Education, was agreeably furprifed to find under the Article of "Books proper for Children" the fol

lowing obfervations; "Madame Genlis, whofe
charming and elegant pen has juftly merited
and obtained general approbation, has avoided
the objections that lay against almost every previous
work which has been published for the ufe of
Children, Madame Genlis's useful walk of Liter-
ature has been fuccessfully followed by fucceeding
Writers, and I can venture to pronounce a de-
cided Judgement on the merits of a work entitled,
'The Children's Friend. Such indeed is the value
of this publication, that it must afford both pleasure
and inftruction to Children from the period to
their having acquired the art of reading, to the
time when their tafte and judgement is fufficiently
matured to enter into a high line of Literature”.

Sheltered by fo very Refpectable an Opinion,
the Editor cheerfully, but with great deference,
fubmits this Collection to the judgement of the
Public.

CONTENTS.

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