the facilitating its progrefs, the ftudy of our tongue might become much more general. Thofe who have employed fome part of their time in learning a new language, muft have frequently obferved, that while their acquaintance with it was imperfect, difficulties, fmall in themfelves, operated as great ones in obftructing their progrefs. A book, for example, ill printed, or a pronunciation in fpeakng not well articulated, would render a fentence nintelligible, which from a clear print, or a dif inct speaker, would have been immediately comrehended. If, therefore, we would have the beefit of feeing our language more generally known mong mankind, we fhould endeavour to remove Il the difficulties, however fmall, that difcourage he learning of it. But I am forry to obferve, that f late years, thofe difficulties, inftead of being diinifhed, have been augmented.

In examining the English books that were printd between the restoration and the acceffion of eorge the Second, we may obferve, that all fubantives were begun with a capital, in which we, hitated our mother tongue, the German. This as more particularly ufeful to thofe who were ot well acquainted with the English, there being ich a prodigious number of our words that are oth verbs and fubftantives, and fpelt in the fame. anner, though often accented differently in prounciation. This method has, by the fancy of inters, of late years, been entirely laid afide; 6m an idea, that fuppreffing the capitals fhews re character to greater advantage; thofe letters, rominent above the line, difturbing its even, reular appearance. The effect of this change is fo onfiderable, that a learned man in France, whɔ

ufed to read our books, though not perfectly ac quainted with our language, in converfation with me on the fubject of our authors, attributed the greater obfcurity he found in our modern books, compared with thofe written in the period above mentioned, to change of ftyle for the worfe in our writers; of which miftake I convinced him, by marking for him each fubftantive with a capital, in a paragraph, which he then eafily underftood, though before he could not comprehend it. This fhews the inconvenience of that pretended improvement.

From the fame fondness for an uniform and even appearance of characters in the line, the painters have of late alfo banished the italic types, in which words of importance to be attended to in the fenfe, of the fentence, and words on which an emphafis fhould be put in reading, ufed to be printed. And lately another fancy has induced other printers to ufe the rounds inftead of the long one, which formerly feived well to diftinguifh a word readily by its varied appearance. Certainly the omitting this prominent letter makes a line appear more even, but it renders it lefs immediately legible; as the paring of all men's nefes might fmooth and level their fices, but would render their phyfiog nomies lefs diftinguishable. Add to all thefe in provements backwards, another modern fancy, that grey printing is more beautiful than black. Hence the Englifh new books are printed in fo dim a character, as to be read with difficulty by old eyes, unless in a very ftrong light and with good glaffes. Whoever compares a volume of the Gentleman's Magazine, printed between the yeas 1731 and 1740, with one of thofe printed in the

laft ten years, will be convinced of the much greater degree of perfpicuity given by black than by the grey. Lord Chetterfield pleafantly remarked this difference to Faulkener, the printer of tlie Dublin Journal, who was vainly making encomiums on his own paper, as the most complete of any in the world. But Mr. Faulkener," fays my lord, "don't you think it might be still farther im"proved, by ufing paper and ink not quite fo near "of a colour."-For all thefe reafons I cannot but wish that our American printers would, in their editions, avoid thefe fancied improvements, and thereby render their works more agreeable to foreigners in Europe, to the great advantage of our bookfelling commerce.

Farther, to be more fenfible of the advantage of lear and diftinct printing, let us confider the afitance it affords in reading well aloud to an aulitory. In fo doing the eye generally flides forward three or four words before the voice. If he fight clearly diftinguifhes what the coming words are, it gives time to alter the modulation of the voice, to exprefs them properly. But if hey are obfcurely printed, or difguifed by omiting the capitals and long J's, or otherwife, the eader is apt to modulate wrong, and finding he las done fo, he is obliged to go back and begin he fentence again; which leffens the pleafure of he hearers. This leads me to mention an old eror in our mode of printing. We are fentible that When a queftion is met with in the reading, there sa proper variation to be used in the management of the voice. We have, therefore, a point, called n interrogation, affixed to the queftion, in order o diftinguifh it. But this is abfurdly placed at VOL. II

E

its end, fo that the reader does not difcover it till he finds that he has wrongly modulated his voice, and is therefore obliged to begin again the fentence. To prevent this, the Spanish printers, more fenfibly, place an interrogation at the beginning as well as at the end of the queftion. We have another error of the fame kind in printing plays, where fomething often occurs that is marked as fpoken afide. But the word afide is placed at the end of the fpeech, when it ought to precede it, as a direction to the reader, that he may govern his voice accordingly. The practice of our ladies in meeting five or fix together, to form little bufy parties, where each is employed in fome useful work, while one reads to them, is fo commendable in itself, that it deferves the attention of authors and printers to make it as plafing as poffible, both to the reader and hearers.

My be wishes attend you, being, with fincere efttem,

Sir,

Your moft obedient and

very humble fervant,

B. FRANKLIN.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE HIGHEST COURT OF JUDICATURE IN PENNSYLVANIA, VIZ.

THE COURT OF THE PRESS.

Power of this court.

T may receive and promulgate accufations of all kinds, against all perfons and characters among the citizens of the ftate, and even against all inferior courts; and may judge, fentence, and condemn to infamy, not only private individuals, but public bodies, &c, with or without enquiry or hearing, at the court's difcretion.

Whofe favour, or for whofe emolument this court is established.

In favour of about one citizen in five hundred, who, by education, or practice in fcribbling, has acquired a tolerable ftyle as to grammar and conftruction, fo as to bear printing; or who is poffeffed of a prefs and a few types. This five hundredth part of the citizens have the privilege of accusing and abufing the other four hundred and ninety-nine parts at their pleafure; or they may hire out their pens and prefs to others, for that purpose.

Practice of this court.

It is not governed by any of the rules of the common couits of law. The accufed is allowed no grand jury to judge of the truth of the accufation before it is publicly made; nor is the name