SCRIPTURAL PIECES, CALCULATED TO INSTRUCT YOUTH IN THE ART OF READING WITH PROPRIETY; And, at the same Time, to inculcate Principles of Morality and Religion: In which it has been attempted to shew the Learner the Intended as a Sequel to the Spelling-Book; and an Intro- BY JOHN ROBINSON, Author of the "New English Spelling-Book," &c. and London:: Printed by C. Rickaby, Peterborough-court, Fleet-street.. SOLD BY THE AUTHOR, NO. 30, ARUNDEL-STREET;; C. LAW, AVE-MARIA-LANE; AND J. NUNN, GREAT QUEEN-STREET, JUL -7 1913 CBCT PREFACE. IN order to render this little manual as useful as pos sible, the Author has compressed a greater body of Sripture morality within its pages, than he has met with in any book of the same size: it is conveyed, too, in lan-guage particularly calculated to instruct learners in the: important art of reading. From these two circumstances, it is not unreasonable to hope, that his object of giving a proper bias to the morals of youth, at the same time that he is laying a safe foundation for literary pursuits, may be promoted. The practice of printing emphatic words in Italics, is not new. Burgh's "Art of Reading" is executed in that manner; and is an honourable testimony of his great abilities. In class-books for schools, however, it is a novelty; which, nevertheless, the Author hopes may be received with as much indulgence as his former attempts. to facilitate the means of acquiring the principles of Eng-lish literature have been, both by the critics and the: public. He, by no means, however, considers this perfor-mance invulnerable: though, perhaps, should the critical reader question or condemn much of the execution, he might, in many instances, be tempted to draw con-solation from the reflection that, even great men oftentimes differ on the subject of reading. It is said, but the Author does not vouch for the fact, that Dr. Johnson once pettishly accused Mr. Garrick of frequently mistaking the emphatical word of a sentence: "give me an example," said Garrick: "I cannot recollect one," replied Johnson, " but repeat the seventh commandment."-Garrick repeated it;--"thou shalt not commit adultery." " You are wrong," said Johnson; "it is a negative precept, and ought to be pronounced"" thou shalt not commit adultery." Now the Author considers both these readings to be wrong; an antithesis or some other word opposed to, or preceding, the emphatic word, being evidently implied; which antithesis, in this divine legislation, could not exist. If we suppose a dispute between two persons, and that the one said to the other " I will commit adultery:" then the other might reply with propriety, " thou shalt not commit adultery;” or, " thou shalt not commit adultery." But this sentence is a law, forbidding the commission of a particular crime, and prescribed by the Almighty for the observance of his people: the name of the crime, therefore, forms the most prominent feature of the sentence; hence it is necessary to dispose of the emphasis in this manner,-" thou shalt not commit adultery." The inflexions of the voice do not fall within the power of the typographic art... The Scripture Proper: Names have not yet been pub-lished in any book of less value than five shillings. The Author has long lamented the want of them in a class-book; because youth have no ready means of attaining that facility of pronouncing them, so necessary to render their scriptural readings tolerable.. The following table: contains near five hundred words more than Mr. Walker's, which is the completest and best the Author has: seen. None have ventured to prescribe positive rules. for their pronunciation; but have been principally directed by the harmony of sound, as it affects the English ear. In this particular, alone the Author has followed them; and now commits his labours, with great def-erence, to a discriminating public.. May 29th, 1804.. |