ART OF READING AND t'ÁITtNG. CHAP. Xà1.General Directions for Spelling and Writing true English. ALL the rules that can possibly be given, for spelling Eng- lish words aright, can never make the scholar perfect in this work, without diligent observation of every word in thebooks. which he reads ; and by this means alone thousands have attained a good degree of skill in it : Yet considerable assistance towards this art, may be given to children, and those that are unlearned, by some general methods, and some particular rules The general directions for true spelling, are these : 1st. Pronounce the word plain, clear, distinct, syllable by syllable ; give the full sound to every part of it, and write it ac- cording to the longest, the hardest, and harshest sound in which the word is ever pronounced ; as apron, not a-pa{rn ; cole-wort, not collut, &c. The reason of this rule is this : Most words were originally pronounced as they are written ; but the pronunciation being something long and rough, difficult and uneasy, they came to be pronounced in a more short and easy way for conversation, by the leaving out some letters, and softening the sound of others : So for instance, join is pronounced fine ; purse is pronounced pus; half is pronounced leaf ; marri-age, marrage ; nation, nashun ; 'vie-to-als, vittles : tut the way of writing these words remainstill the same. 2d. When scholars begin to read pretty well, let the master take their books out of their hands, after they have read their les- sons, and then ask them to spell the easier or the harder words of it, such as he judges suitable to their capacities or their im- proveinent. Two scholars, when they have read their own lessons, may ask eachother to spellthe words ofthem, and thus improve them- selves ; or any two persons of advanced years, who are sensible of their own defects. 3d. Let there be a spelling exercise appointed twice a week, at Ieast, for thewhole school ; and by degrees, let the master ask them to spell every word in some well-collected catalogues, and the tables in this book ; and let them be encouraged by gaining superior placesin their rank, as Captain, Lieutenant, &c. accord- ing as they spell most words right. Two or three scholars may use these tables of words in a sort of sport or play, and when they ask each other to spell them, he that misses not one in ten or twenty, shall gain a pin, or two pins, or a marble, or what other toy they think proper, never exceeding the value of a farthing. 4th. When scholars begin to write well let several of them be appointed to write a page, or a column out of these, or any outer tables of words, and sometimes out of the bible, or any
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