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PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

THE OCCASION FOR THIS WORK.

LONG experience in teaching has convinced the compiler that none of the numerous works known to him on the subject of Rhetoric and Composition are sufficiently adapted to a large class of scholars, in academies and common schools, that need, and are susceptible of, instruction in this important branch of knowledge. He has been compelled, therefore, by a regard to the interests of the young, and to the interests of the community, to undertake the compilation of a work from the best sources, which, being the result of long experience, may not only aid teachers and scholars in this branch of education, but may render the pursuit of it more agreeable than any other treatise within his knowledge. One great objection to almost every treatise hith erto furnished to schools, is their dry, uninteresting, and even repulsive character in the view of the young; which, added to the dislike to efforts in composition which the young generally enter tain, render those works of comparatively little service.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BRANCH OF EDUCATION BEING MORE EXTENSIVELY AND THOROUGHLY TAUGHT IN ACADEMIES AND COMMON SCHOOLS.

The compiler of the present work begs leave to express his conviction that the labors of teachers in all our schools are di rected too exclusively to the securing of correct habits in speaking and reading the language; and that altogether too limited an amount of time and share of attention are employed in teaching the art of correctly WRITING the language. He believes that during several years of attendance at school, the time of the pupil could not be more profitably employed, during an hour or a half hour of each day, than in transcribing from books, or in composing, until the art is acquired of correctly committing to paper what may be heard or thought. To do this, implies a practical and thorough knowledge of orthography, punctuation, and proper use of capital letters, in addition to a knowledge of grammatical and rhetorical principles.

When we consider how many, who have enjoyed the advantages of common and even of academic schools, are unable to write down their own thoughts or the speeches of other persons; how much occasion every one has in life for the ability to communicate or preserve his thoughts by writing; when we consider how many persons of strong powers of reflection make no record of their valuable thoughts because they were not educated to the practice of it at school; when we consider, also, how difficult and protracted the process must be of learning to reduce our

thougnts to a written form with grammatical and rhetorical ac curacy; when we reflect upon the pleasures, as well as the nu merous advantages, of readiness and excellence in the art of com posing, is it not important to secure the attention, and the vigor ous action, both of teachers and of parents, to this long-neglect ed branch of education? and is it not desirable that works shall be used on the subject that shall be best fitted to secure the important end in view? Is it not desirable that the young should be trained, under competent instructers, to think and to write out their thoughts as readily as to speak their thoughts?

Besides, is there a more effectual method of securing closeness, connection, accuracy, and completeness in habits of thought, than to habituate ourselves to write upon the subject of investigation? Is there any better mode of guarding ourselves against vagueness and obscurity in the language we habitually employ? How often do we suppose ourselves well versed in a subject until we attempt to write upon it? Our own muddiness of mind, or that of others, is discovered not so readily by speech as by writing.

The habit of writing much with accuracy would greatly aid us, also, in speaking the language with accuracy and elegance-a very great, but not common accomplishment. When about to speak, we should then be likely to inquire of ourselves how we would express on paper the ideas we are about to communicate. Many things that appear tolerably well when addressed to the ear, can not escape condemnation, perhaps ridicule, when submitted to the eye. The writing, then, of the English language, and composing in it, should form as regular a part of the daily exercises of every school as that of reading the language. It has more to do with intellectual discipline, with giving vigor to all the powers of the youthful mind. Even the humble business of copying accurately from a book, from reading books, geographies, grammars, or any other text-book, is a suitable exercise, until it can be done with exactness in every particular. Why is it that those who are ac customed to set type in a printing-office not only spell well, but so generally learn to compose well, but that they have thus employed themselves in copying the language of those who compose well?

If one hour, therefore, of each day were devoted to the writing of our language, either in copying pages of scientific and literary works, or, afterward, in giving a written form to the scholar's own thoughts, observations, and recollections, there would be gained so much of mental discipline, such a habit of mental application and exactness, as would facilitate his progress in all his other studies. While, in relation to the latter, there would, therefore, be no loss sustained by the time thus directly withdrawn from them, there would be acquired the great positive gain of increased mental discrimination and power, besides a most valuable readiness in turning to a useful account the daily results of the scholar's reading, observation, and experience.

Do we not need, then, in this respect, a RADICAL CHANGE IN

ALL OUR SCHOOLS, and should not teachers be expected and required to instruct all their scholars of a suitable age, from eight years upward, in the manner referred to, at least one hour of each day? and should not instructers qualify themselves to carry out the above system in a thorough and efficient manner? Should not those be refused employment who are not competent to promote such an object successfully? In respect to the precise age when such a course may be advantageously commenced, it may be entered upon as soon as the scholar is able to write a legible hand, and should be continued until the art of composing well has been matured, and is acquired as perfectly as the art of speaking the language well.

OBJECTS AND PLAN OF THIS WORK.

Its object is to train the young mind to think, and to be able to give a perspicuous, forcible, and elegant expression to thought in a written form. It is designed, also, to cultivate the taste, the judgment, the imagination; to exhibit not only the rules, but co pious examples of conformity to those rules, in the study of which the scholar may learn to criticise the literary efforts of others as well as his own. It combines, also, what is conceived important to the awakening of a literary spirit in our youth, a succinct but satisfactory history of our excellent mother-tongue, also of the classes of writings which have been composed in it, and of their progress toward perfection. For the same purpose, it imbodies biographical and critical notices of the most distinguished poets of Great Britain and of the United States, illustrated by a carefully-prepared selection from their works, the daily study of which for a few weeks must produce important and ben. eficial results in a course of education. Notices are also given of other classes of writers, of orators, of historians, and philosophers. Critical remarks are made upon their merits and defects their prominent peculiarities. A brief history is given of American literature from the early settlement of the United States to the present time-a portion of the work that should give it favor with the patriot teacher and scholar. The characteristics of English and American literature are set forth, and estimates are produced of the comparative merits of each. It is believed that such sketches and specimens will do more to awaken that literary spirit which gives birth to excellence and vigor in composition than any other plan that has been adopted. The philosophy of thetoric will thus be acquired with little effort, and in such a manner as to be agreeable to every mind.

The work contains copious practical exercises, from the most simple, progressively to the most difficul; and yet it is believed that no exercises are introduced which from their difficulty, can not and will not be used, as is too muen the case with books on composition. The character of these exercises will, in part, be seen by a reference merely to the tale of contents.

In the compilation, the author ha rad reference to the wants

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