CHAPTER XXII. 78 other book, and well observe how every word is spelt : Then let the master take all their books and papers away, and himself, or one of the best scholars, read and pronounce all the words distinctly, and let all the rest write them down, andbe encourag. ed, or reproved, according to the number of faults. Any two persons may do this for their own improvement; and the reason whyI give this direction is, because oncewriting a line, impressed' it more upon the memory than three or four readings. 5th. Read over the chapters of this book, from the third to the tenth, with diligence, and remark how the vowels and conso- nants are sounded in different sort of words, English or foreign ; and learn to write them accordingly : Observe where they keep their proper sound, and where they change it. Take particularnotice also what letters are silent, and not' pronounced at all ; and remember toput in those letters in writ- ing, though you leave them out in reading. 6th. In your younger years especially, take all proper op- portunities for writing, and be careful to spell every word true : This may be done by the help of some small English dictionary, where the words are put down in the order ofthe alphabet ; and if you doubt of the spelling of any word, write it not without first consulting the dictionary. The best- dictionary that.I know for this purpose, is entitled, A New English Dictionary, &c. by J. K. The second edition, 1713, in a small octavo. CHAP. XXII--Particular Rules for spelling and writing true English. A great part of the English tongue is so irregular in the letters and composition of it, that it would require almost as many rules to spell by, as there are words to be spelled : But there are several other words that may be reduced into some ranks and order, and the scholar may be assisted toward the spelling them aright, by the observations, and the rules fol- lowing : The certain rules are these: 1. ch at the end of a word, after a short vowel, always takes t before it, as catch, fetch, pitch, botch, dutch; except some very few common words, as much, such, rich, which. 2. A vowel sounding long before a single consonant, re- quires an e at the end, asfate, where, mine, bone, tune : But very seldom after a double consonant or adiphthong, except after the letters c soft, g soft, s, x, z, and y consonant, as in voice, fence, range, house, rouse, carve, twelve.
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