PART II.

EXERCISES IN ORTHOGRAPHY,

CHAP. I.

Containing instances of false ORTHOGRAPHY arrang ed under the respective Rules.

RULE I.

Monosyllables ending with f, I, or s, preceded by a"single vowel, double the final consonant; as, staff, mill, pass, c. The only exceptions are of, if, as, is, has, was, yes, this, rs, and thus. See Gram. 15th edit. p. 37.

It is no great merit to spel properly; but a great de fect to do it incorrectly.

Jacob worshipped his Creator, leaning on the top of

his staf.

We may place too little, as well as too much stres upon dreams.

Our manners should be neither gros, nor excessively refined.

RULE FI.

Monosyllables ending with any consonant but f. 1, or s, and preceded by a single vowel, never double the final consonant; excepting only, add, ebb, butt, egg, odd, err, inn, bunn, purr, and buzz.

A carr signifies a chariot of war, or a small carriage of burden.

In the names of drugs and plants, the mistake in a word may endanger life.

Nor undelightful is the ceaseless humm

To him who muses through the woods at noon.

The finn of a fish is the limb, by which he balances his body, and moves in the water.

Many a trap is laid to insnare the feet of youth.

Many thousand families are supported by the simple business of making matts.

RULE III.

Words ending with y preceded by a consonant, form the plurals of nouns, the persons of verbs, verbal nouns, past participles, comparatives, and superlatives, by changing y into i; as spy, spies; I carry, thou carriest; he carrieth, orcarries ; carrier, carried; happy, happier, happiest.

The present participle in ing, retains the y, that i may not be doubled; as, carry, carrying; burying, &c.

But y, preceded by a vowel, in such instances as the uboce, is not changed; as, boy, boys; I cloy, he cloys, cloyed, Fc.; except in lay, pay, and say from which are formed, laid, paid, and said; and their compounds, unlaid, unpaid, unsaid, &c.

We should subject our fancys to the government of

reason.

If thou art seeking for the living amongst the dead, thou wearyest thyself in vain.

If we have denyed ourselves sinful pleasures, we shall be great gainers in the end.

We shall not be the happyer for possessing talents and affluence, unless we make a right use of them.

The truly good mind is not dismaied by poverty, afflic tions, or death.

RULE IV.

Words ending with y, preceded by a consonant, upon assuming an additional syllable beginning with a consonant, commonly change y into i ; as, happy, happily, happiness. But when y is preceded by a vowel, it is very rarely changed in the additional syllable ; as coy, coyly; boy, boyish, boy. hood; annoy, annoyed, annoyance; joy, joyless, joyful, &c.

It is a great blessing to have a sound mind, uninfluenced by fancyful humours.

Common calamities, and common blessings, fall hea vyly upon the envious.

The comelyness of youth are modesty and frankness; of age, condescension and dignity.

When we act against conscience, we become the destroiers of our own peace.

We may be plaiful, and yet innocent; grave, and yet Corrupt. It is only from general conduct, that our true character can be portraied.

RULE V.

Monosyllables, and words accented on the last syllabic ending with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double that consonant, when they take another syllable beginning with a vowel: as, wit, witty ; thin, thinnish; to abet, an abettor; to begin, a beginner.

But if a diphthong precedes, or the accent is on the preceding syllable, the consonant remains single; as, to toil, to ng; to offer, an offering; maid, maiden, Sc.

When we bring the lawmaker into contempt, we have in effect annuled his laws.

By defering our repentance, we accumulate our sor

The pupils of a certain ancient philosopher, were not, during their first years of study, permited to ask any ques tions.

We all have many faillings and lapses to lament and

recover.

There is no affliction with which we are visitted, that may not be improved to our advantage.

The Christian Lawgiver has prohibitted many things, which the heathen philosophers allowed.

RULE V I.

Words ending with any double letter but, and taking: ness, less, ly, or ful, after them, preserve the letter double; harmlessness, carelessness, carelessly, stiffly, successful; distressful, &c. But those words which end with double 1,› and take ness, less, ly, or ful, after them, generally omit one 1, as, fulness, skilless, fully, skilful, &c.

Restlesne of mind disqualifies us, both for the enjoyment of peace, and the performance of our duty. The arrows of calumny fall harmlesly at the feet of virtue

The road to the blisful regions, is as open to the peasant as to the king.

A chillness or shivering of the body generally precedes a fever.

To recommend virtue to others, our lights must shine brightly, not dullly.

The silent stranger stood amaz'd to see
Contempt of wealth, and willful poverty.

RULE VII.

Ness, less, ly, and ful, added to words ending with silent e, do not cut it off: as, paleness, guileless, closely, peaceful; except in a few words: as, duly, truly, awful.

The warmth of disputation, destroys that sedatness of mind which is necessary to discover truth.

All these with ceasless praise his works behold,
Both day and night.

In all our reasonings, our minds should be sincerly employed in the pursuit of truth..

Rude behaviour, and indecent language, are peculiarly disgracful to youth of education.

The true worship of God is an important and aweful service.

Wisdom alone is truely fair: folly only appears so.

RULE VIII.

Ment, added to words ending with silent e, generally preserves the e from elision; as, abatement, chastisement, incitement, &c. The words judgment, abridgment, acknowledgment, are deviations from the rule.

Like other terminations it changes y into i, when preceded by a consonant; as, accompany, accompaniment; merry, merriment.

The study of the English language is making daily ad

vançment.

A judicious arrangment of studies facilitates improv

ment.

To shun allurements is not hard,
To minds resolv'd, forewarn'd, and well prepar'd.

RULE IX.

Able and ible, when incorporated into words ending with silent e, almost always cut it off: as, blame, blamable; cure, curable; sense, sensible, &c. but if c or g soft comes before e in the original word, the e is then preserved in words compounded with able: as, change, changeable ; peace, peaceable, &c.

Every person and thing connected with self, is apt to appear good and desireable in our eyes.

Errors and misconduct are more excuseable in ignorant, than in well instructed persons.

The divine laws are not reverseible by those of men. Gratitude is a forceible and active principle in good and generous minds.

Our natural and involuntary defects of body, are not chargable upon us.

We are made to be servicable to others, as well as to ourselves.

RULE X.

When ing or ish is added to words ending with silent e, thee is almost universally omitied : as, place, placing: lodge, lodging: slave, slavish ; prude, prudish.

An obligeing and humble disposition, is totally unconnected with a servile and cringeing humour.

By solaceing the sorrows of others, the heart is improved, at the same time that our duty is performed.

Labour and expense are lost upon a droneish spirit. The inadvertences of youth may be excused, but knaveish tricks should meet with severe reproof.

RULE XI.

Words taken into composition, often drop those letters which were superfluous in their simples : as, handful, dunghil, rwithal, also, chilblain, foretel.

Love worketh no ill to our neighbour, and is the full filling of the law.

That which is sometimes expedient is not all ways so.
We may
be hurtfull to others, by our example, as well

as by personal injuries.