The English Reader, or Pieces in Prose and Poetry (Classic Reprint)

Maky seieciions of excellent matter have been made for the benel Blof youiig persons. Performances ol this kind are of so great utility Jiat fresh productions of them, and )iew attempts to hnprove the young mijid, will scarcely be deemed superfluous, if the writer make his compilation instructive -dnd interesting, and suflicicntly distinc from otliers. The present work, as the title expresses, aims at the attaiimient of three objects :to improve youtli in tlie art of reading ;to meliorate their lemguage and sentiments; and to inculcate some of the most important principles of piety and virtue. The peces selected, not only give exercise to a great variety oemotions, and tlie correspondent tones and ariations of voice, but contain sentences and members of sentences, which are diversified, projM3rtioned, and pointed with accuracy. Exercises of this nature are, it is presumed, well calculated to teach youth to read with propi lety and effect. A selection of sentences, in which variety and pro Sortion, with exact punctuation, have been carefully observed, in all leir parts as well as with respect to one another, will probably have a mucli greater effect, in properly teaching the art of reading, than is conmionly imagined. In such constructions, every thing is accommodated to tlie understanding and the voice: and the conmion difficulties in learning to read well are obviated. When tlie learner has acquired a habit of reading sucti sentences, with justness and facility, he will readily apply that habit, and the improvements he has made, to sentences more complicated and irregular, and of a construction entirely diflerent. The language of the pieces chosen for this collection has been carefully regarded. Purity, propriety, perspicuity, and, in many instances, elegance of diction, distinguish them. They are extracted fi-om the works of the most correct and elegant wr (Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don’t occur in the book.)