Note by the Author.

It has been stated in the Preface, that this book is designed to afford assistance to the pupil in overcoming the two great obstacles which beset him in his first attempts at composition-namely the difficulty of obtaining ideas, and that of expressing them properly when obtained. Of these two difficulties the former is the more embarrassing; and it is proposed to show in this note the manner in which the following lessons are calculated to smooth the path of the learner and remove the obstacles in his progress.

Every one, who has the slightest acquaintance with the philosophy of the human mind, is aware that by the principle of association, called by some writers the Law of Suggestion, every word or idea presented to the mind becomes immediately connected with some other word or idea. These words or ideas are connected with others, and thus form what is called in common language a train of thought. It is upon this principle that those lessons in this book, which are expressly designed to lead the pupil to think, and thus to furnish him with ideas, are founded. Thus if a child were asked to write a sentence, without assistance derived from this source, he would naturally be at a loss what to say. But if he were requested to write or repeat a sentence containing some particular word, the word itself by this law of Suggestion will suggest an idea, or rather a string of ideas; and his only difficulty will then be in selecting from the number. I will illustrate my meaning by an example: Suppose, for instance, that I have a class around me, with their slates in their hands, and I request them to write a sentence (original of course) which shall contain the word industrious. With little hesitation, some would answer, "The bee is industrious "-" Industrious children accomplish much," &c. Here the word suggests the idea; and from the idea thus obtained, by the same law of association or suggestion others will arise; and the skilful teacher in a short time, may draw from his attentive listeners an exercise, at the length of which both he and they will be surprised. After this first step has been taken, it may with advantage be followed by a similar one in which phrases are to be incorporated in sentences. The phrases will suggest the ideas as before, and as these ideas will necessarily be complex, another advance will be made in the progress of thought, the interested listener will begin to perceive that there is not so much inherent difficulty in the subject of composition as he at first supposed, and the progress he has made with so little exertion will stimulate him with a fondness for the exercise which he at first so much dreaded. The lessons in this book which are founded on this principle of association or law of suggestion are the 1st, 2d, 3d, 17th, 18th, 20th, 21st, 22d, 23d, 25th, 30th, 31st, 33d, 34th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, and 40th. The following lessons are founded on a different application of the same law, by which instead of words suggesting the ideas, the ideas are made to suggest the words: namely, the 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 26th, 27th, and 28th. Lessons 5th, 6th, 7th, 11th, 12th, and 19th are exercises founded on special rules, which require no further explanation. Lessons 4th, 5th, 15th, and 16th, are designed to exercise the taste and judgment rather than the inventive powers of the pupil. The 35th lesson embraces the subjects Clearness, Unity, Strength, and Harmony, with the rules relating to them. This lesson must be thoroughly committed to memory.

If there be any part of the volume which is particularly new or

valuable, it is that which relates to figurative language-that mode of expression which lends to poetry all its charms, and to wit half of its attraction. By the aid of the same principle of association or suggestion, the pupil is taught in lessons 24th to 34th to change plain into figurative, and figurative into plain language, and is thus introduced to the graces and elegances of diction. As the method here employed is new, and so far as I know wholly original, I will illustrate it by an example.

I begin by teaching the pupil the nature of figurative language, presenting to him the same thought, clothed both in plain and figurative dress. Borrowing an idea from that sublime Apostrophe to the Sun, from the pen of one of our gifted countrymen, I strip it of its beautiful dress and present it thus in its naked simplicity. "Thou shinest on the waters, and they grow warm, and ascend in vapor till they reach the upper air." I then array it in its divested ornaments, and present it again to the admiring listener, who, at first scarcely recognises the same idea in that beautiful expression of Percival, "Thou lookest on the waters and they glow

"And take them wings, and spring aloft in air,
"And change to clouds," &c.

Other examples of a similar nature are readily found. Thus we say in plain language, "The grass grows in the meadows in the spring, and summer soon succeeds." This idea, so tamely expressed, becomes a spirited and lively sentiment in figurative dress. "In the spring of the year, the meadows clothe themselves in their beautiful green robes to welcome the approach of summer."

After the pupil by such explanations has become familiar with the difference between plain and figurative expressions, he is required to change plain language into figurative. To enable him to do this a hint is given him in the following form. Suppose, for instance, that I wish him to express the following sentence in a figure: "He sunk in the water." [See Lesson 25th.] And to aid his imagination I suggest the word swallow. It immediately occurs to him that the expression, "The waters swallowed him," conveys the same idea. Again in the sentence, "The number of those who are alive, is very small compared with those who have died "-the suggestion of the words tread, handful, and slumber, immediately suggest a figurative expression like that beautiful one of Bryant,

"All that tread

"The globe are but a handful to the tribes

66 That slumber in its bosom."

The facility with which the pupil, after a little practice, with the aid of models and suggestions like these, will convert plain into figu rative language, and thus by degrees acquire the elegancies of style, is really surprising. No exercise perhaps has a more powerful effect, in cultivating the imagination than this; and if that were its only effect it would certainly be worth the trial.

It is thus, by the aid of the principle of association or suggestion, that these lessons are designed to aid the pupil "in acquiring ideas," and "expressing them properly when obtained." That the plan is both practical and practicable, the book itself affords sufficient proof; for many of the models, examples, and exercises under the different lessons, were written and prepared by the pupils of one of the Grammar schools of this city, with no other assistance than explanations, given by the author, similar to those which have just been described. Orange Street, February, 1838.

List of Books recommended for the perusal of the pupil.

As this book may possibly fall into the hands of some who are desirous of cultivating their minds and improving their taste, but have no teacher to direct or advise them in a course of reading, the following list has been prepared, embracing many works of standard merit, which ought to be familiar to all.

They are presented in alphabetical order, the author being unwilling to dictate, or to assume the responsibility of recommending any particular course. He has sug

gested those only which have occurred at first thought, and perhaps omitted many whose merits he is not backward to acknowledge, and which ought to be included. He can only add that the list is offered to the unlettered pupil to supply a deficiency which ought to have been supplied by abler hands.

Astronomy, Phillips', Vose's, or Wilkins'.
Aikenside's Pleasures of the Imagination.
Boswell's Life of Johnson.

Bennett's Letters to a Young Lady.
Bishop Heber's Poems.

Beattie on Truth.
Beattie's Poems.

Bryant's Poems.

Belknap's History of New Hampshire.

Blair's Rhetorick, (not abridged.) or Newman's Rhetorick.
Cowper's Poems, (particularly the Task.)

Campbell's Poems, (particularly the Pleasures of Hope.)
Chapone's Letters.

Dryden's Virgil.

Edgeworth's Works, (especially on Popular Education.}
Foster's Essays.

Fitzosborne's Letters.

Flint's Valley of the Mississippi.

Gay's Fables.

Goldsmith's Poems, (particularly the Deserted Village.)

Gregory's Legacy to his Daughters.

Gray's Poems, (particularly the Elegy in a country church yard)
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, (translated by Pope or Cowper.)
Hemans' Poems.

History of England, (Sir James McIntosh's.)

Hannah More's Practical Piety.

Hamilton's Letters on Education.

Hedge's Logick.

Jefferson's Notes on Virginia.

Johnson's Rasselas.

Mason on Self Knowledge.

Marshall's Life of Washington.

Pope's Works, (particularly the Essay on Man, and the Essay on

Criticism.)

Paley's Moral Philosophy.

66

Evidences of Christianity.
Natural Theology.

Robertson's History of America.

Charles Fifth.

The following Books of reference should be owned by the pupil.
A General Atlas.

Johnson's, Walker's or Webster's Dictionary.

Lempriere's Classical Dictionary, (Boston expurgated edition.) Biography.

Malcom's Bible Dictionary.

Worcester's or Morse's Gazetteer.

31 Style, various kinds of Style, and

directions for forming a good

35 Epistolary writing,