verbs, and the New Teftament, as well as other little Compofures, that might teach them Duty and Behaviour towards God and Man, Abroad and at Home. Then I would place fome Pages of fhort Sentences to difcourage the Vices to which Children are moft addicted: Then a Catalogue of common English Proverbs: After this, fome of the more difficult Parts of the Scripture, with Proper Names in it, chufing out fuch Verfes, as may, at the fame time, entertain the Child with fome agreeable Notices of Sacred Hiftory. Next to this might be added fome well-chofen, fhort, and ufeful Stories, that may entice the young Learner to the Pleasure of Reading; fomething of the Hiftory of Mankind, a fhort Account of England, or the common Affairs of our Nation: And the World will forgive me, if I should Jay, let a few Pieces of Poefy be added; and let the Verfe be of various kinds, to acquaint the Learner with all forts of Subjects and Manners of Writing, that he may know how to read them when they are put into his hand. And if the Author would add proper

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fport Prayers and Graces for Children, be has my hearty Approbation. After all, it would not be amifs if a Leaf or two were employ'd in showing the Child how to read written Letters, by a Plate of Writing in the Secretary and the Round-Hand graven on purpofe; as well as the Lord's-Prayer, or Creed, or fome fuch fhort Specimen repeated in the Roman, the Italian, the Old English, and the written Letters. I should rejoice to fee a good SpellingBook framed according to this Model.

Then, if I might be thought worthy to give Advice to the Teachers, I would perfuade them to follow this Method, (viz.) Let the Children learn to know the Letters, and a great part of the fingle Syllables, as they are ranked in Spelling-Books, before they read any thing elfe; and be fure that they are well taught to give the full Force and Sound of the Vowels and Confonants, as they are variously joined.

Then let them have two forts of Tasks appointed every day: One in the Tables, or Catalogues of Words in the first Part, and one in the Leffons of the fecond

fecond Part. Thus they would learn at the fame time fomething valuable and ufeful in Life, as well as the Art of Reading. And by this Means alfo the Child would have fome Variety in his Learning, to render it more pleasant.

The Book that I have written is fup-· pofed at leaft to follow the first reading of Such a Spelling-Book; or, which is all one, to be written for those who are a little acquainted with Reading: for the Art of Reading is beft begun like the Art of Speaking, and that is, by Rote, tho 'tis beft improved and perfected by Rules.

The Manner in which I would advise -the Perufal of this little Book, fo far as is neceffary for Children, fhould be this: When they give their Spelling-Books a fecond reading, or (for want of that) when they begin their Bille, let them alfo begin fuch Parts as their Mafter Shall chufe out of this Book: and thus they fhould have two forts of Leffons every day again; and by the one they would learn Rules which they thould carefully put in practice in the other.

But my chief Hope is to improve the Knowleage of Perfons advanced beyond Childhood; tho I have frequently, in the Book, addrefs'd my Directions to Mafters and their Scholars.

I perfuade myself that there are Thoufands of young Perfons, and many at fullgrown Age, who, for want of happier Advantages, may profit confiderably in this univerfal Piece of Knowledge, by the Directions that are here propofed. They may learn to read more ufefully to thofe who hear, as well as to write more intelligibly to those who must read, if they will but enter into acquaintance with the Principles of their Native Tongue, and follow the Rules here prefcribed.

'Tis not fo eafy a Matter to read well as moft People imagine: There are Multitudes who can read common Words true, can speak every hard Name exactly, and pronounce the fingle or the united Syllables perfectly well, who yet are not capable of reading fix Lines together with a proper Sound, and a graceful Turn of Voice, either to inform or: to please the Hearers; and if they ever attempt

attempt to read Verfe, even of the nobleft Compofure, they perpetually affect to charm their own Ears, as well as the Company, with ill Tones and Cadencies, with falfe Accents, and a falfe Harmony, to the utter Ruin of the Senfe, and the Difgrace of the Poet.

As for Spelling, How wretchedly is it practifed by a great part of the unlearned Word? For having never attained a good Knowledge of the general Force and Sound of the English Letters, nor the customary and various Ufe of Diphthongs; and being utter Strangers to the Derivation of Words from foreign Languages, they neither spell according to Cuftom, nor to the Sound, nor the Derivation. When they have learn'd the Ufe of a Pen, they make fuch a hideous Fumble of Letters to ftand for Words, that neither the Vulgar nor the Learned can guess what they mean.

Tet here I am fenfible I must beg pardon of the Criticks, that I have allowed my Readers to fell feveral English Words rather according to Cuftom, and the prefent Pronunciation, than in the Etymological and Learned way; and B 3

that