culties. Let us boldly oppose them, man to man. A man's manners are polished by intercourse with good society. It little becomes erring man to quarrel. Man reasons, brutes act from instinct. Man dies to us, but he only sleeps to God. Men vex themselves in vain. Nature in man capacious souls hath wrought.

Collect the synonymes of the following words, and write a sentence, either quoted or original, containing each of them :

EXAMPLE.

This building was

HOUSE, building, dome, edifice, fabric, pile, structure, abode, dwelling, habitation, mansion, residence, family. Houses are built to live in, not to look on. erected at great expense. Approach the dome, the social banquet share. The edifice was too large for them to fill. The oldest fabric in the neighbourhood is situated among these trees. The pile overlooked the town, and drew the sight. There stands a structure of majestic frame. But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in. His dwelling is low in a valley green. He through their habitations walks, to mark their doings. He left his wife, his children, his mansion, and his titles. These ruins were once the residence of a king. The night made little impression on myself; but I cannot answer for my whole family.

These exercises may be varied, by causing the Pupils to make out lists of nouns which may be used with verbs, adverbs which may be used with adjectives, &c.

Vary the expression in the following sentences by changing the parts of speech :

EXAMPLES.

1. Wisdom is better than riches. To be wise is better than to be rich. The wise are better than the rich.

2. Be humble in your whole behaviour. Always behave yourself humbly. Behave yourself with humility on all occasions.

EXERCISES.

1. Piety and virtue will make our whole life happy. 2. Modesty is one of the chief ornaments of youth. 3. The eager and presumptuous are continually disappointed. 4. Friendly sympathy heightens every joy.

5. Praise is pleasing to the mind of man.

6. To deceive the innocent is utterly disgraceful.

7. A family where the great Father of the universe is duly reverenced, where parents are honoured and obeyed, and where brothers and sisters dwell together in affection and harmony, is surely a most delightful and interesting spectacle.

8. The man who distributes his fortune with generosity and prudence, is amply repaid by the gratitude of those whom he obliges.

9. Men are too often ingenious in making themselves miserable, by aggravating to their own fancy the evils which they endure. They compare themselves with none but those whom they imagine

With advanced Pupils, the synonymes may be arranged into common, poetical, technical, scientific, &c.

to be more happy, and complain that upon them alone has fallen the whole load of human sorrows. Would they look with a more impartial eye on the world, they would see themselves surrounded with sufferers, and find that they are only drinking out of that mixed cup, which Providence has prepared for all.

SECTION IX.

VARIETY OF EXPRESSION (continued).

Vary the expression in the following sentences by using synonymous words and phrases:

EXAMPLE.

Wrath kindles wrath. Anger inflames anger. Strife begets strife. One angry passion excites another.

EXERCISES.

1. The avaricious man has no friend.

2. It is not easy to love those whom we do not esteem.

3. Few have courage to correct their friends.

4. Passion swells by gratification.

5. The great source of pleasure is variety.

6. Knowledge is to be gained only by study.

7. Listen to the affectionate counsels of your parents; treasure up their precepts; respect their riper judgment; and enjoy, with gratitude and delight, the advantages resulting from their society.

8. Come, let us go forth into the fields; let us see how the flowers spring; let us listen to the warbling of the birds, and sport ourselves upon the new grass. The winter is over and gone; the buds come out upon the trees, and the green leaves sprout. The young animals of every kind are sporting about; they feel themselves happy; they are glad to be alive; they thank Him that has made them alive. They can thank Him in their hearts, but we can thank Him with our tongues. The birds can warble, and the young lambs can bleat; but we can open our lips in his praise; we can speak of all his goodness. thank Him for ourselves, and we will thank cannot speak.

Therefore we will Him for those that

9. Sir Isaac Newton possessed a remarkably mild and even temper. This great man, on a particular occasion, was called out of his study to an adjoining apartment. A little dog, named Diamond, the constant but incurious attendant of his master's researches, happened to be left among the papers, and threw down a lighted candle, which consumed the almost finished labours of some years. Sir Isaac soon returned, and had the mortification to behold his irreparable loss. But with his usual self-possession he only exclaimed, "Oh, Diamond! Diamond! thou little knowest the mischief thou hast done."*

SECTION X.

WORDS SUGGESTED TO FORM SENTENCES.

Let one Pupil name a subject, and each of the others, at the suggestion of the Teacher, successively give a word or phrase.

Let the words and phrases be written down as they are suggested, and afterwards re-written so as to make

sense:

EXAMPLE.

Name a subject. The horse. A noun common to the horse and all other animals of the same kind? Quadruped. An adjective descriptive of some property in the horse? Beautiful. An adverb to increase the signification of beautiful? Most. Is the horse the most beautiful of quadrupeds? He appears to be so.

The horse, quadruped, beautiful, most, appears.

A noun which refers to the largeness or smallness of the horse? Size. A noun applicable to his skin 3 Smoothness. A noun applicable to his motions? Ease. A noun applicable to his shape? Symmetry. Adjectives descriptive of the horse, to qualify these nouns? Fine, glossy, graceful, exact. What do all these proper

Size, skin, smoothness, motions, ease, shape, symmetry, fine, glossy, graceful, exact, entitle, distinction.

* Pupils may be exercised, according to the two preceding sections, on their daily reading-lessons.

Of all quadrupeds the horse appears to be the most beautiful. His fine size, the glossy smoothness of his skin, the graceful ease of his motions, and the exact symmetry of his shape, entitle him to this distinction.*

IV. STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES.

A SENTENCE is any number of words joined together in such a manner as to form a complete proposition.

Every complete proposition or sentence contains a subject, or thing spoken of, and a predicate, or what is said of the subject.

When the affirmation is not limited to the subject, a complete proposition or sentence also contains an object.

The subject of a sentence is always a noun, or two or more nouns joined together; a pronoun, or pronouns ; the infinitive of a verb; or a part of a sentence.

The predicate is always a verb, or a clause containing a verb.

The object is always a noun, a pronoun, the infinitive or present participle of a verb, or a part of a sentence.

The principal rules to be observed in joining words together in sentences, are as follows:

I. A verb agrees with its subject or nominative in

In answer to his suggestions and questions the Teacher will get a variety of words, in selecting the most appropriate of which he may exercise the judgment and taste of his Pupils. He may also make them vary the expression according to Sections VIII. and IX. The exercises in this Section may be extended to any length.