though when annexed to the idea of arts, is confined ta thofe taught in the universities, or other feminaries of fearning fuch as grammar, aftronomy, logic, rhetoric, geometry, and mufic. : Lady L. My dear madam, as you are going to enumerate errors in fpeech, I fuppofe Mifs S. will furnish you with many examples. I obferved the last time I was in company with her, the pronounced many words wholly different from what Lam taught. Ment. I fuppofe, my dear, she has not been inftru&ted at all; or what is ftill worse, probably flighted the admonitions of her governess ; who might, notwithstanding, be a fenfible well bred woman. I have obferved, amongst many other errors, fhe always fays perdigious, instead of predigious or if she means to describe a perfon of an open and candid disposition, she expresses herfelf by the word ingenious, which the mistakes for ingenuous. If the describes an outrageous perfon, fhe fays they are obfiropolous, inftead of obftreperous. Speaking of a venemous creature, fhe faid, it was an obnoxious animal; which fhe miftook for the word noxious, that fignifies the being hurtful in its nature; the term obnoxies only implying the being liable, or fubject to any thing. Whenever the talks to a person in a weak state, who is obliged to be dieted, she says, he is reduced to a regiment, inftead of regimen. If fhe intends to defcribe the ufual methods to bring an offender to juftice, she informs you, he is perfecuted. She is totally ignorant that the word perfecute is improperly applied, except to exprefs the hardships many have undergone in defence of of their religious principles, and does not in the least convey the idea of a legal profecution. Lady M. I often blush for her when the pretends to fpeak French; as the generally pronounces it improperly. Ment. I have heard her frequently fay bone mott for bon mot; fox pafs for faux pas; or if fhe meets with the word corps, which fignifies a collective body of men, the calls it corpfe; which, in English, means a dead body. The other day, fhe was defcribing a fracas, or difturbance, which had happened in a family; the declared it was the worst fracas she had ever seen. Lady L. Upon my word, dear madam, the errors of Mifs S's converfation appear to me in so disagreeable a light, I do not think I shall ever take pleasure in her company. Whenever I hear her speak, I fhall endeavour to correct her errors. Ment. Your intention is very good, yet I would ever wish you to avoid a conscious fuperiority, A degree of modest diffidence should attend all your actions. Whenever you give your opinion, (which at your age, you should never do unasked) you should deliver your fentiments with deference to thofe of fuperior judgment. This turn of mind will not obfcure your merit; as modefty adds a grace to every other virtue : The modeft fnow-drop, emblem of fair truth, Lady M. My dear madam, I fuppofe you will now give fome directions how the different letters are to be articulated? Ment. I will endeavour to exprefs my fentiments as concife as poffible, and never ufe technical terms but when they are abfolutely neceffary. Lady M. Pray what are technical terms? Ment. Thofe which belong to any particular art or fcience; a knowledge of which cannot be acquired, but by applying diligently to the arts, or attention to converfation of thofe who are converfant in them. The language of an architect, painter, or mathematician, would appear unintelligible to you; yet no other would fo well express their meaning. , Lady M. Now, my good madam, purfue your plan. Ment. I fhall begin by informing you of the use of diphthongs. Example: Efop is to be read Efop; as the double letter takes the found of the fingle E. The words, Oedipus and economy, are pronounced agreeable to the fame rule. When two confonants precede a vowel, that which joins to the vowel forms the found, as in the word Ptolemy, which is read, Tolemy; or in Czar,. the title of the emperor of Ruffia, ufually called the Zar.. I fhall now fpecify a few inftances where the bis mute; as in the word chart, which fignifies a map, and fhould. be pronounced cart. The words chaos and chalybeate are fubject to the fame rule: as also magna charta, which. is the law which conflitutes the freedom of the English nation. When two letters of the fame fort join, the first is generally founded hard; as in access, accept, acce•. lerate.. lerate. An exception to this rule is evident, in the words accord, accufe, or accumulate. When an n follows an m, the found of the 2 is wholly loft; as in bymn, condemn, &c. If a g precedes an ", the former bears no part of the found; as in the words malign, benign, reign, and feign. When an ↳ follows a d, they neither of them preserve their natural founds, but are compounded into that of the letter ƒ, as phyfician, phosphorus, and philofopher. I will not, my dears, at prefent, give any other inftances to enforce what I have faid, but fhall dismiss you with an earnest exhortation to retain those which have now mentioned. INTRODUCTION POETICAL TO THE COMPOSITIONS. GOOD and elegant Poetry is a refined, animating, and mufical kind of eloquence; it conveys to our feelings all the foft perfuafive powers of numbers and harmony, and is a mixture of painting, mufic and eloquence.. As eloquence, it fpeaks, proves, and relates. As mufic,. a fine poem is a harmony to the foul. As painting, it delineates objects and lays on colours; it expreffes every, beauty in nature, and feems to impress more strongly on the mind than any other kind of writing.--The defign of Poetry is to excite the paffions, and to give us a perfect and substantial pleasure; but it ought not to ftir up any paffion but those which it is of confequence to keep in motion never such as are contrary to wisdom. and virtue. |