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If, however, the foregoing fcheme fhould be found to have no truth it, and the wicked are fent to hell as fo many incurables, the fecond death, cur author conceives, ought to be confidered as that, which will put a final period to their exift

ence.

If it should be faid, that it will tend to encourage wicked en in their vices, to be told that their future torments will have an end; the author obviates this objection by feveral confiderations; particularly by the following obfervation:

• It must argue the greateft folly for men, rather than not proceed in their vicious courfes, to choose to undergo unutterable pains for a long duration, God only knows how long, when they might, by approving themfelves faithful fubjects in the kingdom of Jefus Chrift, pafs, without fuffering thefe pains, into the joys of the refurrection world. And this folly will rather deferve the name of madness, if it be remembered, that they must ceafe from being wicked, before they can posfibly be fixed in final happiness. There is no room for debate here.'

Our author's hypothefis, it must be confeffed, however it may ftand in oppofition to fome theological fyftems, is agreeable to the dictates of nature. For, as our author obferves, the total ruin of fuch multitudes of the fons of Adam, appears a palpable inconfiftency with the grace of God, as exhibited in the Gofpel of Chrift. And it is incredible, that God fhould conftitute his fon the faviour of men, and yet the greater part of them be finally and eternally damned. We fhould look upon thofe parents as degenerate to the laft degree, who fhould inflict mifery on their children, without any intention to promote their welfare by it, in any respect whatever. And fhall we fay that of our Father in heaven (who,, instead of being evil, as all earthly fathers are, more or lefs, is infinitely good) which we cannot fuppofe of any father on earth, till we have firft divefted him of the heart of a father? Can it reasonably be conceived that that God, who calls mankind his offspring, without exception, and himself their fa ther, should torment them eternally, without any intention to do them the least imaginable good, as must be the cafe, it the doctrine of never-ending mifery be true? Will not God be as truly the father of wicked men in the other world, as he is in this? and if he punishes them there, muft it not be in the character of their father, who defires their good, and co rects them with a kind intention to promote it? No good reafon can be affigned, why our Saviour's argument, "Much more will your father in heaven give good things," founded on the Telation that fubfifts between God and men, fhould be con

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fined

fined to the prefent, and not extended to the future world. And perhaps the only thing which has led moft writers to confine the pity of our father in heaven, and the merciful intention of his punishing his rebellious children, to the present life, is the notion they have previously imbibed, of neverceafing mifery. But if this tenet has no real foundation in the facred books of revelation, we are at liberty to conclude, that the defign of evil, punishment, or misery, in the future world, as well as this, is to difcipline wicked men, and in this way to effect their own perfonal, as well as the general good.'

Whatever the reader may think of the validity of our author's arguments, or of his fpeculations, when he launches out into the depths of eternity, and confiders the difpenfations of infinite wisdom in future scenes of exiftence, yet his scheme is certainly laudable, and supported with great ingenuity and -learning,

We agree with him in thinking that, as far as fhort-fighted mortals can judge, the doctrine he maintains, exhibits the Deity in fo amiable and interefting a light, that every man, one should think, would beforehand be difpofed to wish it might be well fupported. Can the thought be difpleafing to any fon of Adam, that the whole human race fhall be finally admitted into the kingdom of heaven, to partake there of joys, that flow for ever from God's right hand? Where is the man fo deftitute of benevolence, fo bereft of humanity, as not to wish the author fuccefs in an attempt, intended to establish it as a revealed truth, that, before the scene of Providence is finally clofed, eternal happiness will be the portion of all men, of whatever nation, character, colour, ftation, or condition? It cannot be supposed that any should be so filled with envy, or foured by rancour, hatred, or malice, as not to hope that fo benevolent a plan may be found, upon the ftrictest inquiry, to have a juft foundation in Scripture, and to be the real purpose of the great and good Father of the Universe.

Elements of Orthoepy: containing a diftinct View of the whole Analogy of the English Language; fo far as it relates to Pronunciation, Accent, and Quantity. By R. Nares, A. M. 8vo. 5s. in Boards. Payne and Son.

THE pronunciation of a living language is not eafily pré

ferved from corruption. It is continually liable to be depraved by vulgar and provincial barbarisms, by fashion and caprice, by pedantry and a spirit of innovation. These irregularities are more particularly obfervable in the English lan

guage

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guage than in any other, on account of that endless and perplexing variation, which we obferve in the found of almost every letter. No general rule can be fixed, which is not fubject to innumerable exceptions. It is in vain to confult the pretended jus & norma loquendi:' for the fame word is differently pronounced by different fpeakers at the bar, in the church, in the fenate, and at court; and in fuch a conteft, who shall decide? We can appeal to nothing but analogy, on which, even custom itself, if it is worth confideration, muft be ultimately founded.

We entirely agree with this very ingenious and learned writer, that nothing is fo truly elegant in language, as the fimplicity of unviolated analogy. But when we meet with innumerable anomalies, all that can be done is, to bring them to a critical examination; and whenever they are found to arife from ignorance, vulgarity, or caprice, to note and explode them.

This appears to be the defign of Mr. Nares's performance. His work is divided into four parts. The first contains a diftinct account of the pronunciation of every letter in our alphabet, whether fingly taken or particularly combined. In every inftance, the regular found of each letter, or combination, is laid down in a general rule; and then every exception is fubjoined in à methodical arrangement; fo that, making allowance for cafual omiffions, every word, which is not found in any list of exceptions, is to be confidered as ftrictly regular.

On this part of his work we can only fay, that the author has taken uncommon pains in the claffification of words, and in his endeavours to afcertain the orthoepy of our language. But we cannot help thinking, that he has fometimes given us popular, and colloquial ufage, rather than the most accurate and elegant pronunciation. For inftance: eo, he says, is pronounced like o fhort, in geographer, geography, geometry, georgic.'-Surely, this mode of pronouncing geographer, geography, and geometry, as if they were written gographer, gography, gometry, is a grofs and vulgar irregularity.

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In his introduction to the fecond chapter, the author having remarked, that accent in English is only a fpecies of emphafis; that accent is to fyllables what emphasis is to fentences; that in monofyllables accent and emphafis must be the fame; that those monofyllables alone have an accent, which are capable of being emphatical, &c. obferves, that the ancient accent was fomething, of which little or no traces are to be found in modern languages. It is true, continues he, we do hot fpeak monotenoully; but we frequently elevate and de

prefs

prefs our voices, not only as to foftnefs and loudness, but in respect of máfical tone. Thefe inflections, however, seem to affect fentences rather than fingle words; nor are they, as far as I can discover, directed in any degree by the accentuation of fyllables. Many confiderations feem to fupport what this doctrine of the ancient accents naturally fuggefts, that the fpeaking of the ancients was much more nearly allied to recisative, than the elocution of modern times. I shall mention only the circumftance related by Cicero of Caius Gracchus. It was his practice to be attended, when he fpoke in public, by a musician with an ivory flute, whofe bufinefs was to affift Such an attendant would

him in the regulation of his voice.

very much perplex and diftress a modern fpeaker.'

Accent feems to be the most unstable part of the English language: we can all remember words differently accented from the prefent practice, and many might be collected, which are ftill fluctuating, with their accent unfettled. In order, therefore, to point out, as far as may be practicable, the general nalogy of our language in this respect, and to supply some hints to those who wish to form a proper notion of this branch of orthoepy, he lays down rules for placing the accent, and fubjoins the exceptions.

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It has been generally faid and believed, that it is conformable to the genius of the English pronunciation, to throw back the accent, as far as poffible from the end of a polyfyllable. Our author very properly explodes this notion, and fays, It has corrupted our speech with many barbarous and unpleafing founds, which are in reality repugnant to its analogy: fuch as, ácademy, réfractory, pérfunctory, cóntemptible, &c. which no ear can bear without being offended. It is high time then, that this falfe notion fhould be controvertéd, and the farther ill effects of it prevented.

The third part contains the general rules of quantity, and their exceptions.

Quantity is the word generally adopted by grammarians to exprefs the relative length of fyllables. Thofe which pass off rapidly are called fhort; thofe, in the utterance of which the voice is evidently more retarded, are called long. The author, however, rightly obferves, that fyllables denominated fhort are difcovered to differ greatly from one another; and thofe which are reckoned long, appear to be by no means equal in length.

In treating of quantity he difmiffes the ancient ideas, and confiders merely the length and shortness of vowels, which is all that materially affects our pronunciation.

Among the rules of quantity he lays down the following:

I. A vowel followed by a confonant in the fame fyllable is Thort, as bắt, těify, kill, organ, butler.

II. A vowel which ends a fyllable in an accented penultima is long, as bacon, gēnus, trifle, cōgent, &c.

III. A mute e, fubjoined to a fingle confonant, makes the preceding vowel long, as bat, bate, bid, bide.

IV. A vowel in an accented antipenultima, though not followed by a confonant in the fame fyllable, is fhort, as grătify, editor, o'rigin.

In the last inftance the author follows this rule in the divifion of words; namely, That every fyllable ends with a vowel, unless two confonants, or a double one, follow it; as ba-fon, ba-ron.' But this divifion is groundless and abfurd, and has a tendency to produce a falfe pronunciation. Thefe words should be divided as they are pronounced, bar-on, grat i-fy, ed-i-tor, or-i-gin. If fo, the fourth rule of quantity ought to be abolished, and likewife a long lift of exceptions; fuch as bă-lance, bă-nifh, că-bin, dă-mage, hä-bit, tă-lent, &c. which should be differently divided.

The fourth part contains a lift of words, fpelt, and accented alike, yet differently pronounced; a lift of colloquial corruptions and contractions; inftances of a fluctuating orthography in our language; and examples of the difference between

ancient and modern accentuation.

We shall fubjoin fome examples of the last.

• A'cademy:

Our court shall be a little academy. Shakf. Love's Lab. Loft. Here Dr. Johnfon appears to have been misled by the current opinion concerning the nature of the English accent; for he fays of this word, that it was,," anciently and properly accented on the first fyllable, but now frequently on the second." • Advértife:

Wherein he might the king his lord advertise. Shakfp.

As I by friends am well advértifed. Shakfp.

To one that can my part in him advertise. Id. Meaf. for Meaf. As I was then

Advertising, and holy to your bufinefs. Id. ib.

Hence advertisement is the ancient accentuation :

My griefs are louder than advertisement. Shakip. Much Ado.' 'Apoftolic:

Or where did I at sure tradition strike,

Provided it were still apoftolic. Dryd. Hind and Panth. Again: -In vain, alas, you seek Th' ambitious title of apiftolic. Dryd. Hind and Panth. Many divines, in reading the Nicene Creed, fay, "one cátholic and apoftolic church.' This is wrong; for, befides the ill effect of the jingle of the fimilar terminations fo accented,

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