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and to prevent perplexity by too quick a tranfition from the English to the French accent. I do not meddle with poetry because I am not a poet; and I am neither able nor willing to teach the profe jargon of the lowest class. It is true that we have a grave, folemn pronunciation, and a familiar, curfory one: I teach the former, with but very little regard to the latter, which I look upon as a most dangerous corrupter of language, politeness and morals-it is, in general, but a low, familiar gabble of fhort, infignificant fyllables. I cannot help thinking that purity of expreffion contributes to purity of fentiment, and that corruption and familiarity breed contempt, In fhort I am averfe to all unneceffary abridgments. The French, be it faid to their honor, admit of none fuch and, even with us, abridgments, in writing or speaking to our fuperiors, are thought very impolite. But whatever the opinion of the ftudent may be on this fubject, he fhould first make himself mafter of the folemn pronunciation, and then he may, if he will, foon learn the familiar one by rote. That the chief materials of both languages are the fame, is evident from the following table of terminations and words.

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ADVERTISEMENT.*

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A$ SI never expect to be read' by tho'fe who are

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dominee'red by' invin'cible ignorance, caprice or prej'

udice; fo', I addrefs' myfelf but to the few thinking

be'ings, who enjoy the free ufe of their fenfes, gov

erned by right rea'fon: for, all' fuch' will re'lish and

Mi'ne, which is feen' in my title page, is

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executed ac

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co'rding to my abilities, not my wifh'es. I ha've don'e

my utmost to cull' the beau'ties and to fhun' the errors

of our beft' mo'dern grammarians; and though I recom

what I call', it's legal king and pa'rliament; yet' I have

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not da'red to introduce an'y no'velty in'to prefent prac'

pal duty of every good' fub'ject; yet', we mo're na't

* See the Gamut with its guide.

oùr hon'or, profperity and pleaafure. Therefore, no'

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body will quarrel with me', me'rely, for having compli

ed with standard rules, euph'ony and com'mon fense:

and thereby difting-ûishing long' from Short fyllables

giving, at the fa`me time, the quantity and the found or

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falfe orthog'raphy. Such' a very effen'tîal plan', hith'

ferves but to fhow' the quantity of its fyl'lable (if he has'

a good' ca'r and has' exam'ined the following keys with

their guide) muft' be perfuad'ed that my plan' re'nders

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the art of read'ing much more reg'ular, ea'fy and

With reference to a fêw' exceptions, which' fee' in

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oûr ftandard ac'cent rules, we muft' not place the ac'

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tent on the vowel of a fhort' fyllable, nor on the con

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It is true that the chief' ufe of Fren'ch ac'cents 1, to

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fhow the different foû'nds of their e's without any re

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ga'rd to quantity. But', the ufe of our accent is, to

point' oût' the quantity, withoût' an'y refpec't to the

found of the voŵ'el, con'fonant or fyllable. Hence,

othe'r mark's, and, e'ven, of falf'e orthog'raphy, to poinť

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oût' the different foû'nds or articulations of oûr let'ters

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though I reject his falf'e orthography; and I explode

the epithets fhort and long' given to oû'r vow'els inde

of pronunciation; but, has' omit'ted a moft' effen'tial

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one, viz. a ver'y consid'erable increase to the number

It is a melancholy truth', that oû'r glo'rious conftitu

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tion is known but to very few Foreigners; merely be

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cause there are but ve'ry fêw' fuch' who are acquaint'ed

with oûr la'ng-ûage; the pronunciation of which' feem's

to them' a's a me're wa'ndering vapor or phan'tom.

But very few are will'ing to encoûn'ter grea't difficulties;

nor can we be fo'nd of what' we know not'. Hence

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almost all oûr adopt'ed fubjects, e'ven, after 20 or 30

of our tong'ue, ftill' retain' a ver'y partial a'nd fatal at

tach'ment to their native coun'try, la'ng-ûage, law's, cus'

toms and prejudices; all' which' they fo'ndly tranfmit'

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wit'nefs Grena'da, St. Vin'cent, Domini'ca, &c. A'nd,