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ASSIST YOUNG PERSONS TO READ WITH PRO-
PRIETY AND EFFECT;

IMPROVE THEIR

LANGUAGE AND SENTIMENTS; AND TO INCULCATE 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.

STEREOTYPED BY H. & H. WALLIS, NEW-YORK,

NEWARK, N. J.

PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY BENJAMIN OLDS.

1830

PUBLIC LIBRARI

247341

ASTOR, LENOX AND

TILBEN FOUNDATIONS. 1902

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Repair No 250

selections of excellent matter have been made for the benefit e. Performances of this kind are of so great utility, that fresh zohions as of them, and new attempts to improve the young mind, will sely be doomed superfluous, if the writer makes his compilation instructive interesting, and sufficiently distinct from others.

The present work, as the title expresses, aims at the attainment of thre jects to improve youth in the art of reading; to meliorate their language eal sentiments; and to inculcate some of the most important principles of prety 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 propriéty and effect. A selection of sentences, in which variety and proportion, with exact punctuation, have been carefully olcerved, in all their parts as well as with respect to one another, will probably have a much greater effect, in properly teaching the art of reading, thon is commonly, imagined. In such constructions, every thing is accompuocated to the understanding and the voice; and the comn.on 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. et labit, and the improvements he has made, to sentences more complicated sad deregular, and of a construction entirely different.

The language of the pieces chosen for this collection has been carefully regarded. Purity, propriety, perspicuity, and, in many instances, elegance. diction, distinguish them. They are extracted from the works of the most correct and elegant writers. From the sources whence the sentiments re drown, the reader may expect to find them connected and regular, sufficently important and impressive, and divested of every thing that is either rite or eccentric. The frequent perusal of such composition naturally tends to infuse a taste for this species of excellence, and to produce a habit of shinking, and of composing, with judgment and accuracy.*

That this collection may also serve the purpose of promoting piety and vir tae, the Compiler has introduced many extracts, which place religion in the snost 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 tanner which are calculated to arrest the attention of youth; and to make strong and durable impressions on their mindst

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The Compiler has been careful to avoid every expression and sentiment,

*The learner, in his progress through this volume and the Sequel to it, will ucet with numerous instances of composition, in strict conformity to the rules or 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 further to observe, that the Reader and the Sequel, besides eaching to read accurately, and inculcating many important sentiments, may be considered as auxiliaries to the Author's English Grammar; as practica! thetrations of the principles and rules contained in that work.

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

20MAY 02

that might gratify a corrupt mind, or, in the least degree, offend the eye er ear Linocence. This he conceives to be peculiarly incumbent on every person who writes for the benefit of youth. It 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 peruse those which tend to inspire a due re verence 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 which amuse as well as instruct. If, however, any of his readers should think it contains too great a portion of the former, it may be some apology to observe, that in the existing publications designed for the perusal of young persons, the preponderance is greatly on the side of gay and amusing productions. Too much attention may be paid to this medium of improvement. When the imagination, of youth especially, is much entertained, the sober dictates of the understanding are regarded with indifference: and the influence of good affections is either fee-. ble, or transient. A temperate use of such entertainment seems therefore requisite, to afford proper scope for the operations of the understanding and the heart.

The reader will perceive, that the Compiler has been solicitious to recommend to young persons, the perusal of the sacred Scriptures, by interspersing through his work some of the most beautiful and interesting passages of those invaluable writings. To excite an early taste and veneration for this great rule of life, is a point of so high importance, as to warrant the attempt to promote it on every proper occasion.

To improve the young mind, and to afford some assistance to tutors, in the arduous and important work of education, were the motives which led to this production. If the author should be so successful as to accomplish these ends, even in a small degree, he will think that his time and pains have been well employed, and will deem himself amply rewarded.

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