Page images
PDF
EPUB

Like heav'n, it hears the orphan's cries,
And wipes the tears from widows' eyes.
Speak these two lines feelingly impreffive.

Their crimes on gold fhall mifers lay,
Who pawn'd their fordid fouls for pay?
Let bravoes, then, when blood is fpilt,
Upbraid the paffive fword with guilt.

THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE GEESE. BE very short and neat in your expreffion in reading the following fable, as indeed you ought to be in most of them.

A LION, tir'd with ftate affairs,

Quite fick of pomp, and worn with cares
Refolv'd (remote from noise and strife).
In peace to pass his latter life.

It was proclaim'd; the day was fet:
Behold the gen'ral council met.

Paufe after "Behold."

The Fox was viceroy made.

The crowd

To the new regent humbly bow'd.

Stop after "Regent," as if a comma.

Wolves, bears, and mighty tigers bend,
And frive who most shall condefcend.

He

He straight affumes a folemn grace,

Collects his wisdom in his face.

Affume a little of the perfonification in your manner, which gives a pleafing variety.

The crowd admire his wit, his fenfe;
Each word hath weight and confequence.
The flatt'rer all his art difplays:

Stop a little after "flatt'rer."

He who hath pow'r is fure of praife.

The fame after "pow'r."

A Fox stepp'd forth before the reft,

After "Fox" the fame.

And thus the fervile throng addrefs'd:

Here again affume a little of the actor, which will keep up the life and Spirit of your reading.

How vaft his talents, born to rule,
And train'd in virtue's honeft school!
What clemency his temper fways!
How uncorrupt are all his ways!
Beneath his conduct and command
Rapine fhall cease to waste the land.
His brain hath ftratagem and art;
Prudence and mercy rule his heart.
What bleffings must attend the nation
Under his good administration!

He

He faid. A Gocfe, who diftant stood,
Harangu'd apart the cackling brood:
Speak the following a little pointedly.

Whenever I hear a knave commend,
He bids me fhun his worthy friend.
What praife! what mighty commendation!
But 'twas a Fox who spoke th' oration.
Foxes this government may prize
As gentle, plentiful, and wife;
If they enjoy the fweets, 'tis plain,
We Geese must feel a tyrant reign.
What havock now fhall thin our race,
When ev'ry petty clerk in place,

To prove his tafte and feem polite,

Will feed on Geese both noon and night!

THE MONKEY WHO HAD SEEN THE WORLD.

THERE is a good deal of humour in the following fable. Let your manner be entirely unrestrained, and your utterance eafy and flowing.

A MONKEY, to reform the times,

Make a much longer ftop after "Monkey" than you would to a comma.-In fact, we advise the scholar not to pay much attention to the common punctuation he meets with, but to stick close to the Spirit and meaning of the author, and in fo doing his own taste and judgment will of themselves point out the necessary stops to be made.

Refolv'd

Refolv'd to vifit foreign climes:
For men in diftant regions roam
To bring politer manners home.
So forth he fares, all toil defies;
Misfortune ferves to make us wife.

At length the treach'rous fnare was laid,
Poor Pug was caught, to town convey'd,
There fold. How envied was his doom,
Made captive in a lady's room!

Proud as a lover of his chains,

Pause, as if a comma after "Proud."

He day by day her favour gains.
Whene'er the duty of the day
The toilet calls, with mimic play
He twirls her knots, he cracks her fan,
Like any other gentleman.

All this with the ease of converfation.

In vifits too his parts and wit,

When jefts grew dull, were fure to hit.
Proud with applaufe, he thought his mind
In ev'ry courtly art refin'd;

Like Orpheus, burnt with public zeal,
To civilize the Monkey weal:

So watch'd occafion, broke his chain,
And fought his native woods again.

The hairy fylvans round him press,
Aftonish'd at his ftrut and drefs.

Keep

Keep pace by your manner with this whimsical descrip

tion.

Some praise his fleeve, and others glote
Upon his rich embroider'd coat;
His dapper perriwig commending,
With the black tail behind depending;
His powder'd back, above, below,
Like hoary froft, or fleecy fnow;
But all with envy and defire,

His flutt'ring fhoulder-knot admire.

In all these descriptions you must keep up the ftrength and Spirit of the outline drawn by the poet, by your mode of reading, and enforce the impreffion on the mind of the hearer by every means in your power.

You must now raise your voice, and give an affected confequence to your manner.

Hear and improve, he pertly cries;

I come to make a nation wife.

Weigh your own worth, fupport your place,

The next in rank to human race.

In cities long I pafs'd my days,

Convers'd with men, and learn'd their ways.

Their drefs, their courtly manners fee,
Reform your state, and copy me.

Seek ye to thrive? in flatt'ry deal;
Your fcorn, your hate, with that conceal.
Seem only to regard your friends,

But use them for your private ends.

Stint

« PreviousContinue »