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ferve the ftops with great attention; and to avoid a monotony, as much as poffible, by acquiring a proper cadence and modulation of the voice.

Lady Mary.

What is Monotony, my dear Mentoria ?
Mentoria.

I can venture to pronounce your Ladyfhip is no ftranger to the thing itself, though you are to the term which expreffes it. It fignifies the reading in one continued tone of voice; which is produced by neglecting to vary it, as the fubject requires. Nothing can be more abfurd than this file of reading, as you fhould always endeavour to exprefs the fenfe of the Author, and deliver his fentiments with as much ease and feeling, as if they were your

own.

Lady Louifa.

I wish I could attain this degree of perfection.

Mentoria.

Simple narrative is the easiest kind of reading for young beginners; as it requires but little elevation and change of voice.

Lady Mary.

Pray, my dear Madam, what do you mean

by fimple narrative.

Mentoria,

Mentoria.

It is the recital of mere matter of fact; and confifls in expreffing in a natural and easy stile, the occurrences incident to human life.

Lady Louifa.

What is the most difficult to read well?
Mentoria.

Those compofitions which abound with invocations, exclamations, and frequent interrogations; as they require to be read with dignity and grace.

Lady Mary.

I wish to know the meaning of invocations. I remember your repeating one on Gratitude. Mentoria.

They are of feveral kinds, and confift im imploring the aid and affistance of a fuperior Power; they may be ranked in the following claffes. Thofe addreffed to the Deity-of which. I fhall produce an example from Thompson. "Father of Light and Life, thou good Supreme, "O teach me what is good, teach me Thyfelf!"

The next are those presented to Apollo, the Mufes, or any Virtue, and are ufed by Poets to give a grace to their Compofitions; and often to apologize for their want of abilities, which is manifefted, by their defiring to be infpiced with the gift of Poefy. To give you a clear

idea of this poetic fiction, I fhall repeat a few

lines from a letter I fent fome time fince to a friend; in which I invoked the Mufe Clio, in the following words:

Hail, gentle Clio! form the verse,
In numbers mufical, and terfe;
Diffufe thy foftnefs o'er each line,.
Friendship and Truth with grace combine!

Lady Mary..

I clearly comprehend the different qualities of these invocations; but pray, what are excla mations ?

Mentoria..

They denote furprize or aftonishment; and often exprefs our admiration of any extraordinary perfon, or thing. Such is the following. inftance, which is part of the panegyric beflowed on Great Britain, in Thomfon's Seafons ::

Heavens! what a goodly profpe&t fpreads around,.
Of hills, and dales, and woods, and lawns, and
fpires,
And glittering towns, and gilded ftreams, till all
The fretching landscape into smoke decays!

Lady

Lady Louifa.

We have now heard every part explained, except interrogation.

Mentoria.

There requires little to be faid on this subject, as you cannot be ignorant, that to interrogate, is to queftion. I will however conclude this differtation, with an example from Pope :

What, if the foot, ordain'd the duft to tread, Or hand to toil, aspir'd to be the head? What if the head, the eye, the ear, repin'd To serve, mere engines, to the ruling mind?

Lady Mary.

I admire the inflance you have produced, and shall take the liberty, my good Mentoria, to remind you of a promise you made yefterday.

Mentoria.

I recollect, and will inftantly comply with it: Was it not to inform you of the nature of Geography?

Lady Mary.

Yes, my dear Madam, and I am all impatience till you begin.

Mentoria.

Geography teaches you the form of the

Earth,

Earth, and the fituation of each particular part of it. You are not ignorant, the World is round, and confifts of Seas, Continents, Islands, Peninfulas, Rivers, Promontories, Rocks, and Mountains. In order to give you a clear idea of the Rudiments of Geography, preparatory to your being regularly taught, I thall endeavour to explain thefe different branches, and then proceed to enlarge on other parts of this ufeful Science. The Ocean is the main Sea, the depth and extent of which is paft our finite comprehenfion. The principal Seas I can recollect are the Mediterranean, Baltic, Euxine, and Adriatic. The Continent is a vaft united tract of Land, over which it is practicable to travel from one place to another as for inftance, from France to Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, or even India, by paffing over the deferts of Arabia; but this laft is very dangerous, not only from the probability of meeting with the wild Arabs, and noxious animals, but alfo from the wind rifing to a confiderable height, which is always of fatal confequence to travellers, as the clouds of fand either prevent their pursuing the right courfe, or frequently blind them, and fometimes totally overwhelms them.

Lady

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