Constable's Ounitiomtl Series. fPELUNS ^rr^'CT*!;* : GLASS BOOK WITH ETYMOLOGICAL EXEEOISES. THOMAS 30 NEW r>TMT)i LONDON; -:> i'.UJ^GH. Trie-. One Shilling 1 and TLrecVence. TUGS. LAURIE, EDUCATIONAL PUBLISH El IN MEMORIAM J. Henry Senger Prospectus and Specimen Pages on Application. \'HOS. LAURIE, EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHER, ARITHMETIC. [0 AL ARITHMETIC FOR ELEMENTARY r OHOOL8. Price Is. (3d.; or in two parts at 6d. and Is. each. SLNSWERS, Is. By the Rev. JAMES CUKRIE, A.M., Author of i' Common School Education." 3T STEPS IN ARITHMETIC. By the same Author, 6d. LY CLASS REGISTER OF ATTENDANCE -AND f JiES, (kl. SPELLING AND DICTATION. .LING AND DICTATION CLASS BOOK ; with Ety- JQological Exercises. 13y an INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS. Cloth, Is. 3d. tfOLOGICAL EXERCISES FOR ELEMENTARY 4d. ; cloth, 6d. ELOCUTION AND RECITATION. riCAL READINGS AND RECITATIONS: with Intro- uctory Kxeivi-e.s in KU>cutim:. \j\ I'. :m i T. AKMSTUONO. Pp- 0, cloth, Is. HENTS OF ELOCUTION AND CORRECT READING. r Canon RICIISON, of Manchester. Is. Gd. iTSTEM OF ELOCUTION. Uy \\ . S. Ross, late of ire College, Scortou. Tp COMPOSITION. |iT STEPS IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION. Pp. 60, Gd. TICAL TEXT-BOOK OF ENGLISH COMPOSITION. r the same Author. Cloth, Is. ENGLISH LITERATURE. IPENDIUM OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. By THOMAS ro, Head Master, Heriot fcchoois, liroughtoi; |Y'S ODES; with Notes and Grammatical Analysis By f . S. Ros.-. GERMAN. FIRST GERMAN COURSE. By the Author " Henry's First History of Eiilaiid." 1. Third Edition. 38 COCKBURN STRE" EDINBURGH. Prospectus and Specimen Pages on Application. CmrataWa (Etacatfowl SPELLING AND DICTATION CLASS-BOOK. WITH ETYMOLOGICAL EXERCISES. EDINBURGH : THOMAS LAURIE, COCKBURN STREET. LONDON : SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO. ; AND HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO. IN MEMORIAM PEEFACE. THE compiler of this Class-book has aimed above all things at judicious omission. He has had in view the collecting together in a classified form of all the more difficult words in common use. Words difficult^ but rarely met with by the ordinary reader, are better learned as they occur in the course of reading, and after the pupil has obtained an accurate knowledge of the great mass of words that occur in daily con- versation, in newspapers and in current literature. It is presumed that the pupil, into whose hands this book is put, has already been accustomed to spell from his daily lessons for some years, and also to write simple sentences from dictation. He will find here a revisal of the knowledge acquired, and a test and extension of it. The Spelling Kules have been reduced to three. The dictation-exercises in this book have been so constructed as to convey knowledge as well as to teach spelling. The pupil is understood to learn the columns of words by heart as a home-task, and to copy on his slate, either at home or during school-hours, the dic- tation-exercises, writing them afterwards from the iy PREFACE. dictation of the master. Writing from dictation will be successfully taught only when the preparation of dictation lessons becomes a home-task. Masters will find that a dictation-book of this kind will afford much better material for the daily writing- lessons than the wearisome and unmeaning repetition of words commonly found in copy-books. As soon as a scholar Can write small text fairly, his copy should frequently at least, if not always, be a portion of his dictation-book. In this way he will not only gain a more sure and rapid mastery over the art of iting, but he will learn other things at the same It is scarcely necessary to apologize for the etymo- logical portion of the volume, as a knowledge of prefixes and affixes have a close connexion with accurate and intelligent spelling. The compiler has, except in this one respect, carefully avoided the almost universal error of confounding a spelling- book proper with either a reading-book on the one hand, or a bad dictionary of significations on the other. CONTENTS. FAGK PREFACE) . . Hi FIRST PART. SECTION I. Difficult Monosyllables, and Exercises on them, . . 7 SECTION II. Spelling Rules, and Exercises on them, . . . .10 SECTION III. Difficult Dissyllables, and Exercises on them, . . .13 SECTION IV. Words sounded alike, but spelled differently, and Exercises on them, 16 SECTION V. ^ Words not sounded alike, but apt to be confounded in spelling, with Exercises on them, .... 24 Exercises on Possessive Case, . . . . .28 Cautions, 29 SECTION VI. Alphabetical List of Difficult Polysyllables, ... 29 SECTION VII. Etymology Prefixes Affixes Roots Compound Roots, with numerous Exercises, .... . 34 SECOND PART. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES, * . . 60 EXTRACTS FROM NEWSPAPERS, 106 FORMS OP LETTERS, 116 WORDS MIS-SPELT BY CANDIDATES FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, . 123 LATIN AND FRENCH PHRASES IN COMMON USE, . . .127 EXERCISES is SPELLING, DICTATION, AND ETYMOLOGY. FIBST PAET. Section I. LISTS OF THE* MOST DIFFICULT MONO- SYLLABLES IN COMMON USE. 1 List I. where thief wield one there chief shield once their brief shriek some vein veil grief fierce siege seize come none rein prey pour four soul pierce field niece piece whose eye talk walk chalk said whole blew blue glueJ work mourn flew worm could mould crew world would court drew worse should source brew month view i Except where there is a manifest advantage in inserting them, those words are here omitted which come more aptly in another connexion. The biliteral substitutes for the vowels (e.g., ai for a, ea for e, oa for 0, to gtop< terchanged ; agreement. g eiz6j to lay ho i d of> Censure, blame. Calendar, a book of dates. Censor, one who blames. ^ Calender, a press to smooth Censer, a vessel for holding linen, incense. Dire, dreadful. Dyer, one who dyes. Deference, respect. Difference, disagreement. Decent, becoming. Descent, a going down. Dissent, to differ from. Disease, an ailment. Decease, death. Desert, to forsake. Dessert, fruit after dinner. Extant, existent. Extent, space. Elicit, to draw out. Illicit, unlawful. Elude, to escape from. Illude, to deceive. Eminent, noted. Imminent, dangerous. Eruption, a breaking out. Irruption, a breaking into. Emigrant, one leaving his home to reside in another country. Immigrant, one having come to reside in another country. Envelop, to cover. Envelope, a cover. Genius, mental gifts. Genus, a kind. Fisher, one who fishes. Fissure, a rent. Flour, ground grain . n i x- A Flower^the bbssom of a Goa , a startrng-pomt. plant. Gaol > a P rison ' Fir, a tree. Gamble, to play a game of Fur, the hairy covering of chance. an animal. Gambol, to play. 26 SPELLING AND DICTATION. Hoarse, rough-voiced. Horse, an animal. Holy, religious. Wholly, entirely. Ingenious, clever. Ingenuous, open, candid. Impostor, one who deceives Imposture, deception. Idle, not doing anything. Idol, an image. Instants, moments. Instance, example. Least, smallest. Lose, to mislay. Lest, for fear. Loose, not tight. Lessen, to make less. Liniment, ointment. Lesson, a school task. Lineament, a feature. Lair, the couch of a wild Legislator, a law-maker. beast. Legislature, the assembly Layer, one who lays ; some- which makes laws. thing laid down. Medal, a coin. Metal, a kind of mineral. Meddle, to interfere. Mettle, spirit, courage. Morning, the early part of Manner, way of doing any- the day. thing. Mourning, clothes worn for Manor, an estate. the dead. Mare, a female horse. Missed, did miss. Mayor, a chief magistrate. Mist, fog. Monetary, money. Monitory, warning. Opposite, contrary. Apposite, well-suited. Ordinance, a decree. Ordnance, cannon. belonging to Principal, chief. Principle, original cause, or a rule. Palate, the roof of the mouth. Pallet, a little bed. Plaintiff, one who complains. Plaintive, complaining. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 27 Prophecy, a foretelling. Patience, forbearance. Prophesy, to foretell. Patients, sick people. Prophet, one who foretells. resen f. b | D g in w - Profit, gain. Presents > ^ Pastor, a shepherd, hence a Pearl, a precious stone. clergyman. Peril, danger. Pasture, feeding-ground. Preposition, a part of speech. Scroll, a roll of papers. Proposition, a sentence. Scrawl, bad writing. Regimen, a rule. a , , Regiment, a number of sol- S^H a sl S n ' . , . J erfl Cymbal, a musical instru- ment. Shone, the past tense of shine. Sects, parties. Shown, the past tense of Sex, kind (male or female), show. Sculptor, a carver of stone. Talents, gifts of mind. Sculpture, carved stone Talons, claws of birds, figures. cies a kind Track > a P ath< s, showy. Tr^t, a short treatise. Statue, an image. Weather, state of atmosphere. Statute, a law. Whether, which of two. Stature, height of a person. Wreak, to exercise venge- Weal, prosperity. ance. Wheel, part of a carriage. Wreck, destruction. Whales, marine animals. Whither, to what place. Wales, a portion of Great Wither, to waste away. Britain. N.B. The pupil should be exercised on the above by being re- quired to construct sentences containing a few of the words apt to be confounded. 28 SPELLING AND DICTATION. DICTATION EXERCISES ON WOEDS APT TO BE CON- FOUNDED, THOUGH NOT SOUNDED ALIKE. [Write the words apt to be confounded with those to which an asterisk is appended, giving the meaning of each.] (1.) The merchant, who was more complacent* than complaisant* in his manner, affected* not to accept* the salary * which was allowed,* although in reality he retained the principal * part of it. (2.) The immigrant * knew * not whither* to bend his course,* but he had so little deference* for the counsel* of others, and was so confident* of his own talents,* that in the morning* he mounted his horse,* and, with no weapon except * an axe,* he rode * into the desert * heed- less of the imminent * peril * to which he exposed himself, and wholly * ignorant of the goal * towards which he should direct his steps. (3.) The idle * and impudent* impostor,* having been sent on an errand * into the forest, said that he could find the track * without the least* assistance.* (4.) You may dissent * from me, but ingenious * as you are, you cannot elude * the proposition * I have made, or alter * the statute * which ought to guide your conduct, the ordinance * which th^legislature * has passed. (5.) As he left the concert,* he tried to envelop* him- self in a species * of cloak, which consisted of two blankets sewed* together, lined with fur,* and fastened in front with a brooch.* Exercise on Possessive Case. The agents' warehouses contained our father's property hich he had bequeathed to his sons' sons and his daugh- ters' daughters. But we could at first get no information when the ship came to port. When her arrival was known, the captain's wife and his brother's four daughters went on board. They were greeted by the sailors' cheers ; . one man's enthusiasm being so great that he threw his brother's cap overboard. The men's manners were better SPELLING AND DICTATION. 29 than their clothes. The captain's wife was touched by their greeting, and the young ladies' eyes were filled with tears. We had to wait patiently. CAUTIONS. Prefixes apt to le confounded in Spelling. ante (Latin), "before : antedate, antecedent. anti (Greek), against : antipathy, antidote. de, down : descent, defer, deprive, decease. dis, di, asunder or apart : dissent, disjoin, disease, differ, divert. The prefixes mis and dis often lead to misspelling, because the writer does not observe whether the words with which they are conjoined begin with an s or not ; for example, mistake, misspell, misstate, dis- satisfaction, disorder. A similar mistake is apt to happen with other prefixes, especially in and con ; for example, inno- cuous, inefficient. The pupil has simply to notice whether the principal part of the word begins with the same letter that the prefix ends with. In that case the letter is doubled. 1 Section VI. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF DIFFICULT POLYSYLLABLES IN COMMON USE. abeyance accessary accompany academy accession accomplice accelerate accommodation accoutrement *J i Those who do not know Latin can learn when to use en or in at the beginning, and able, ille, ant, ance, ent, ence, er, or, our at the end of words, only from practice. So with many other words to which the Latin (and fre quently the Greek) is the only sure guide. 30 SPELLING AND DICTATION. accumulate * arithmetician acknowledge artifice acquiesce ascendant acquisition ascendency adequate ascertain adulterate ascetic advertisement J assiduous aerial assimilate aeronaut association agreeable astronomical algebraical asthmatic allegiance attorney allusive atrocious alluvial audacity almanac J auxiliary amiable amphibious analogy barricade ancestor battalion annihilation bayonet anniversary belligerent anomaly beneficially anonymous business antecedent antediluvian antipodes capitulate anxiety catalogue apology S catastrophe apostasy catechism apostrophe cathedral appetite celebrate appreciate celerity aqueduct ceremony aqueous ceremonious archangel architect /certificate 7 chalybeate chameleon characteristically chimerical Christianity chronological circumstance circumstantial coalesce cognizance coincidence * colloquial colloquy colonnade / colossal commemorate commiserate committee companion compensate complacent / conciliatory concurrence condescend confederate connoisseur conqueror consanguinity conscientious consummate >/ contiguous contrariety contumely contumelious convalescence co-operation coquetry SPELLING AND DICTATION. 31 correspondence dishonourable corroborate dissatisfaction dissimilar dissuasive / dissyllable domestic dubiety dynasty councillor counsellor counteract counterfeit courageous courteous criticism * decalogue decipher decisive deficiency degenerate 1 v deleterious deliberative delicacy delineate J delirious demagogue demeanour depreciate deteriorate develop dialogue dilemma ^ diocese diocesan eccentric ecclesiastical effeminate effervesce efficacy **" egregious electricity eligible emaciate emancipate emergency emetic emphasis emphatic enamour encouragement encyclopaedia endeavour endorsement energetic epitaph ' equestrian equipage ^ equivalent erroneous escutcheon especial ethereal etiquette etymology eulogium evanescent evangelical exaggerate >/ exchequer excogitate excrescence execrable exhibit exhilarate expatiate explicit exquisite extempore extraordinary extravagance disappointment enfranchise discernible enlargement disciple enrolment discipline enthralment discourage envelop dishevel episcopacy / facetious feasible felicitous functionary y gazetteer genealogy 32 SPELLING AND DICTATION. generally inefficacious magnificently generosity inexorable mahogany geographical ingratiate maintenance geography initiate manoeuvre J gorgeous iniquitous marauder government inscrutable martyrdom guarantee instalment masquerade gymnastic insufficiency massacre intelligible mathematician interruption mechanic halcyon interstice mechanism ^f hemisphere inveigle medicinal homicide irascible medicine honorary irrelevant melancholy V hydraulics irreproachable metaphorical y 1 hypocrisy irretrievable metaphysical >/ hypocrite microscope hypothesis miniature hysterics jealousy miscellaneous jeopardy miscellany % i judicious mischievous illegible misdemeanoui illusion monastery imbecile legislator monopoly impossible legislature municipal inaccessible licentiate munificent incendiary lieutenant myriad incessantly lineament mystery incipient liniment- mythology incorporeal longevity incorrigible lugubrious indefatigable nauseous indefinite necessarily indelible machination necessitate indissoluble "machinery negotiate indivisibility magisterial notoriety SPELLING AND DICTATION. 33 obediently principality schismatic obeisance privilege scholastic obloquy proficiency scientific obsequious prophetic sententious omniscient proselyte separate omnivorous protuberance septennial outrageously pusillanimity sepulchre putrefaction sequestrate putrefy seraphic panegyrist pyramid seraglio parallel simultaneous paralleled parallelogram paralytic quiescent quintessence sinecure society solicitude parliamentary soliloquy parochial raillery sovereign patriarch reciprocal specimen perusal reconcile spontaneous philosophical rehearsal stomachic phlegmatic reiterate subaltern phraseology remediable subterranean physician reminiscence successively physiognomy rendezvous superannuated picturesque repartee supercilious plebeian reservoir supernumerary political retinue surreptitious pomegranate reverberate susceptible porcelain rhapsody sycamore portmanteau rhetoric syllogism possession rheumatism synonymous poulterer synopsis precipice systematical precocious sacrilege predecessor sagacious prescience satellite telescope primeval satiety terrestrial c 34 SPELLING AND DICTATION. topographical ubiquity vicinity tournament unanimous vicissitude tragedian vociferous tranquillity transcendent vehemently typographical ventriloquism zoology tyrannically vestibule zoological Section VII, ETYMOLOGY. N.B. Roots and their derivatives have properly no place in a book, the object of which is to teach spelling ; but prefixes and affixes have so very important a bearing on the spelling of words, and so frequently serve as a guide to the writer ', that we have ven- tured to introduce here very ample exercises on them. These exer- cises will be found extremely valuable in other respects. 1 EXPLANATION OF THE PREFIXES. Each prefix in this section is defined, and then illus- trated by an example. The prefixes, with their definitions, should be thoroughly committed to memory. In reciting the examples, the pupils should pronounce and spell the word, before giving the definition. Exercise 1. Prefixes. Force. Examples. Definitions. AB from ; away. AB SOLVE', to free from. AD to ; at; near. AD JOIN', to join to. ANA up; again. AN'ALYSE, to loosen up; resolve ANTE before. AN TE CED' ENT, going before. ANTI against; opposite. Ax TIP' A THY, feeling against; ill- will . BE by ; over. BE SIDE', by or near the side BENE well. BEN E FAG' TOR, one who does welt CIRCUM around; about. Cm CUM' FLUENT, flowing around. Cis on this side. CISATLAN'TIC, thisside the Atlantic 1 The compiler is indebted for the excellent arrangement of the lessons CD prefixes and affixes to an American spelling-book. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 35 Prefixes. Force. Examples. Definitions. CON with ; together. CON YOKE', to call together. GoNiRAagainst. CON TRADICT', to speak against. Exercise 2. DB from ; down. DE PART', to part from. Dis apart ; away. Dis MISS', to send away. E out; out of; from. E JECT', to cast out. EN in ; to make or put. EN WRAP'. to wrap in. EXTRA beyond. Ex TRA MUN' DANE, beyond the world. FORE before. FORETELL', to tell beforehand. HEMI half. HEM' i SPHERE, a half sphere. IN in; into; not. IN CISE', to cut in or into. IxTERbetween; among. IN TER POSE', to put between. INTRO within; inward. IN TRO DUCE', to bring or lead within. Mis wrong; bad. Mis GUIDE', to guide wrong. MALE badly. MAL E FAO' TOR, one who does badly. Exercise 3. OB in front; against. OB JECT', to throw or urge against. OUT beyond. OUT RUN', to run beyond; outstrip. OVER above; beyond. VER SHOOT', to shoot beyond. PER through. PER' FO RATE, to bore through. POST after; afterwards. POST' SCRIPT, what is written after. PRE before. PREJUDGE', to judge beforehand. PRETERbeyond; past. PRE TER NAT'U RAL, beyond nature. PRO forth. PRO DUCE', to lead or bring/or^. RE again; back. RE VIEW 7 , to view again. RETRO backwards. RET' RO GRADE, to go backwards. SE aside ; apart. SE CEDE', to go aside or apart. SEMI half. SEM' i CIR CLE, half a circle. Exercise 4. SUB under; after. SUB SCRIBE', to write under. SuBTERwncfer. SUB TER RAN' BAN, under the earth. SUPER over; above. Su PER NAT'U RAL, above the natural SYN with; together. SYN' THE sis, a putting together Sus 1 from under; up. Sus TAIN', to hold up. 1 From sub, through the French sous. 36 SPELLING AND DICTATION. Prefixes. Force. Examples. Definitions. TRANS across; over. TRANSCEND', to climb or pass over. UP above; on high. UP LIFT', to lift on high. ULTRA beyond. UL TRA MON' TANE, leyond the mountains. UN not. UN HAP' PY, not happy. WITH against; away. WITH STAND', to stand against. REMARKS ON SOME OF THE PREFIXES. Exercise 5. Some of the prefixes have a variety of forms. This grows out of a regard to euphony ; that is, a desire to produce agreeable sound. Thus, when AD (to) comes before a root or radical beginning with a consonant, the d of the prefix is generally changed into whatever consonant the radical begins with. In this way, for example, AD under- goes no less than ten different changes : AD, AC, AP, AG, AL, AN, AP, AR, AS, AT, A. The following are examples of words, in which all the various forms of AD appear. Thus, instead of AD CEPT, we say, . Ac CEPT'. AD FIX, AF FIX'. AD GRIEVE, , AG GRIEVED AD LOT, AD NEX, AD PEND, AD RANGE, AD SUME, AD TRACT, AL LOT'. AN NEX'. AP PEND'. AR RANGE'. As SUME'. AT TRACT'. AD SCEND, A SCEND'. Exercise 6. The other prefixes which, like AD, have different forms, are AB, sometimes written ABS or A : as, -45stract, .4 vert. ANTI, ANT : as, Ant&rtiG. CON, COG, COL, COM, COR, or Co: Connate. CONTRA, COUNTER: as Counteract. Dis, DIP or Di : as, Z>z/lSdent, Divert. E, Ex, EC, or EF : jEfopress, Eccentric, SPELLING AND DICTATION. 37 EN, sometimes written EM : IN, lo, TL, IM, or In : as, .Z^noble, JZlegal. OB, Oc, OF, or OP : Occur, 0/fer, Oppose. SUB, Sue, SUF, SUG, or SUP : as $wcceed. STN, SYL, S?M: as, $yZlable. Exercise 7. When a Prefix means not, it is said to be NEGATIVE ; as, eftslike, not to like ; wwable, not able. When a Prefix means to deprive of, or to take out of the state of, it is said to be PRIVATIVE ; as, cftsarm, to to deprive o/arms. The prefixes most used, in a privative or negative sense, are DE, Dis, IN, and UN ; as, DE THRONE', to deprive of& throne. DE RANGE', to take out of the state of being in order. Dis SIM' i LAR, not similar, unlike. IN EL' E GANT, not elegant. UN GRATE' FUL, not grateful. UN BIND', to take out of the state of being bound. Sometimes a prefix adds nothing to the meaning of a radical. In such case, it is said to be merely EUPHONIC ; as, UN in wzloose, which does not affect the sense of the word loose loose and unloose meaning the same thing. EXPLANATIONS OF THE AFFIXES. Exercise 8. Affixes. Force. Examples. Definitions. ATE 1 to make. TERM' IN ATE, to make an end. EN to make. SOFT' EN, to make soft. 1 ATE and EN, in common with FY, IFY, and IZE, are defined above by the phrase " to make ;" because they are commonly used to form verbs. This phrase, " to make," is taken, as a definition, merely for the sake of conveni- ence. In many cases, other definitions, as " to cause," " to put," etc., will be found more suitable. Besides this use, however, ATE and EN, to which may be added the affix ED, are employed to form participles and participial adjectives ; and are then 38 SPELLING AND DICTATION. Affixes. Force. FY IZE ISH AR ER OR to make, to make, to make, one who. one who. one who. Examples. AM' PLI FY Civ' IL IZE, PUB' LISH, BEG' GAR, PAY' ER, ACT' OR, Definitions. to make ample. to make civil. to make public. one who begs. one who pays. one who acts. Exercise 9. IST one who. ART' IST, one who NER one who. PART' NER, one who STER one who. TEAM' STER, one who YER one who. LAW 7 YER, one who SAN one who. PAR' TI SAN, one who ZEN one who. CIT' i ZEN, one who Ess a female. Li' ON ESS, a female INE a female. HER' o INE, a heroic is skilled in art. has or owns a part, drives a team, is versed in law. sides with a party, dwells in a city, of the lion tribe, woman. CY ANCE ENCY ENCE UDE NESS MENT) URE Exercise 10. PUB LIC' ITY ^quality or state of being public. PRI' VACY, quality or state of being private. quality, VIG'IL ANCE, state of being vigilant. or state TEND'ENCY, quality or state of tending. of 'being. AD HER' ENCE, quality or state of adhering. Qui' ETUDE, state of being quiet. RUDE' NESS, state of being rude. the act MOVE' MEN T, act of moving. j" of. SEIZ' URE, act of seizing. defined by such phrases as " made of," "made into," " made, or formed likt, n " having," "affected by," etc. The following are examples : GLOB' ATE, formed like a globe. SILK' EN, made of silk. KB NOWN 7 ED, Jiaving renown. 1 This affix has two other forms, ETY and TY ; as, in variety and noveKy. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 39 Exercise 11. Affixes. Force. Examples. Definitions. AL ERN Ic AN INE ILE AR ICAL FA' TAL, pertaining to fate. EAST' ERN, relating to the east. HE RO' ic, pertaining to a hero. pertaining or AF' RI CAN, pertaining to Africa. relating to. SER' PEN TINE, pertaining to a serpent, IN' FANT ILE, pertaining to an infant* CON' SUL AR, relating to a consul. Po ET' ic AL, relating to a poet. Exercise 12. Ous \ DAN' GER ous, full of danger. OSE > MI of. VER BOSE', full of words. FULI } HOPE' FUL, full of hope. LY manner. RUDE' LY, in a rude manner. ABLE IBLE C that may or < can be ; fit ( to be. TRACE' A BLE, that may be traced. ED' i BLE, Jit to be eaten. Exercise 13. AGE the act of. CART' AGE, the act of carting. OID C having \form of. SPHE' ROID, having the form of& sphere. ISM 2 doctrine. MOR' MON ISM, doctrine of the Mor- LESS without. HOME' LESS, without a home. [mons. ISH somewhat. NEW' ISH, somewhat new. SOME somewhat. LONE' SOME, somewhat lonely. 1 The affix FUL, when, with a radical, it forms a noun, signifies "what, or as much as, will fill," that is, denotes the amount or quantity necessary to fill whatever is expressed by the radical : as, hand/wZ, what, or as much as, will fill the hand ; armful, what will fill the arm. 2 This affix deserves special notice. It marks what is peculiar to persons or things ; and hence denotes a doctrine or system, a state, or condition, as also an idiom in language. Examples are : GAL' VIN ISM, the doctrines peculiar to Calvin. SAV' AO ISM, the state or condition of a savage. HE' BRA ISM, what is peculiar to Hebrew ; an idiom. HER' o ISM, what is peculiar to a hero ; valour. 40 SPELLING AND DICTATION. Affixes. SHIP HOOD DOM WARD KIN LING ULE CULB OLE ICLE OCK ET LET Exercise 14. Force. Examples. Definitions. \ state, or LORD' SHIP, the state of a lord. > jurisdic- CHILD' HOOD, the state of being a child. j tion of. POPE' DOM, the jurisdiction of the Pope, toward. WEST'wARD,foi^arc? the west. LAMB' KIN, a little lamb. G-os' LING, a little, or young goose. GLOB' ULE, a little globe. , . , AN i MAL' CULE, a minute animal. \utue, petty, ytf BER W j tumour> PAR TI OLE, a minute part. HILL' OCK, a &"#Ze hill. FLOW' ER ET, a Zz'^e flower. RING' LET, a &"#fe ring, or curl. or minute. ROOTS, AND DERIVATIVES FORMED FROM THEM BY MEANS OF PREFIXES. In the following exercises, each root or radical is com- bined with several prefixes. The prefix and the radical are first placed apart : the force of the radical rather than its precise definition being given. The two parts are then put together, and defined in connexion. The pupil should be questioned often on the parts separately, and required to spell and pronounce distinctly, here as everywhere else, each derivative, before giving its derivation. The advantage of giving the English form assumed by the Latin word is manifest. If the pupil does not study Latin, the Latin form of the root is distracting, superfluous, and uninstructive ; if he does study Latin, he can supply the Latin form for himself, and the comparison of the two will be found a good exercise. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 41 Exercise 15. Prefixes. Boots. Derivatives. EN *) ENA'BLE, t Dis y ABLE > DISABLE, t UN J'^-UNA'BLE,' AD AD HERE', 2 t Co HER \ Co HERE', t IN ' IN HERE', t< COM COM PLOT', t COUNTER , ' COUN' TER PLOT, p UNDER scneme.^j^, DER pLQT p RE RE PASS', t SUR* TRES , PAS f> SURPASS', t< to * te P' TRES' PASS, t E IN PER COUNTER OVER OUT DE RE IN BENE PRO RE COM ENTER* Definitions. to make able. to deprive of ability. not able. to stick to ; cling to. to stick together. to stick in ; to exist in. to plot together. plot against plot. plot beneath. to pass again. to pass over ; to excel. to pass beyond bounds. Exercise 16. E VADE', to go or get out ; to avoid. VADE, to go. IN VADE', to go into ; to attack. PER VADE', to go, or pass through. VOTE, tosigni- COUN' TER VOTE, Opposite vote. fy a choice; a Q VER VOTE', to vote beyond. OUT VOTE', to vote beyond. DE CLINE', to lean down ; to fail. RE CLINE', to lean back ; to repose. IN CLINE', to lean into, or towards. BEN' E FIT, to do good, or well for. PROF' IT, to do, or act for ; improve. RE FIT', to make again ; repair. Exercise 17. PRISE, to COMPRISE', to take together; include take. EN' TER PRISE, take in (hand). CLINE, to lean. FIT, to make; to do. 1 Dis, in disable is privative. See remarks on Privatives, p. 37 2 Note that the radical word HERE (to stick), though it appears in the deriva- tive forms Adhere, Cohere, and /where, can never be used alone, as an inde- pendent word. Radicals that are thus inseparable from prefixes or suffixes, are called INSEPARABLE RADICALS!. 8 SUR is for super (over), and TRES for trans (over, across). * ENTER is for INTER, between, among, within, to, SPELLING AND DICTATION. Prefixes. IN HEMI SEMI Di CON PRO TRANS Roots. SPHERE, a globe. GRESS, to go ; act of going. Derivatives. Definitions. IN SPHERE', to place in a sphere. HEM' i SPHERE, half a sphere. SEM' i SPHERE, half a sphere, [der. Di GRESS', to go aside from ; wan- CON' GRESS, a going together; coun- PRO' GRESS, to go forward. [cil. TRANS GRESS', to go beyond bounds. Exercise 18. AD JA' CENT, lying near. JACENT, CIR CUM JA' CENT, lying around. lying. IN JA' CENT, SUB JA' CENT, AD JURE', JURE, to ABJURE', swear. CONJURED PER JURE', decide. JUDGE, to pass sen- -t RE JUDGE , tence; to MISJUDGE' fl an* rl a __ ' . I ORE JUDGE , lying in, or within, lying under, to cause to swear to. to swear off from, to swear together, swear through, i.e., falsely. to judge to ; to decide. to judge beforehand, to judge wrong, to judge beforehand. MOUNT, to rise. MOTION, movement . a moving. Exercise 19. A MOUNT', to mount up to. RE MOUNT', to mount again. SUR MOUNT', to mount over. Dis MOUNT', to get down ; to alight. 8 E MO' TION, a moving (of the mind).* COM MO' TION, a moving together. PRO MO' TION, a moving forwards. 1 CON' jure (kun'Jer), with the accent on the first syllable, means to practise witchcraft. 2 A is for AD (to), and SDR for SUPER (above). 8 Dis, in dismount, is privative. The full definition, therefore, would be, " to take out of the state of" being mounted. * Literally, an out-moving, i.e., an excitement, of the feelings. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 43 Prefixes. Boots. Derivatives. Definitions. AT 1 TRIBUTE, AT TRIE' UTE, to give or grant to. CON > to give; to CON TRIE' UTE, to give along with others. Dis J grant. Dis TRIE' UTE, to give apart ; deal out. Exercise 20. EE ^ KE CUR', to run back (in thought). CON ( CUR, CON CUR', to run together ; to agree. to run. IN CUB', to run into. [happen. Oc ) Oc CUR', to run in the way of; to Ex f /A 81 / 1 *' ,Ex CUR' SION, a running out ; ramble. IN | running. IN CUR' SIGN, a running into, or upon. Ex ) Ex SCIND', to cut out. AB V SCIND, AB SCIND', to cut from, or off. HE J to cut. BE SCIND', to cut off again ; to repeal. Exercise 21. IN \ IN cis' ION, a cutting into. Ex 1 CISION, )* CL CUt~ Ex cis' ION, a cutting out. [ment. DE DE cis' ION, a cutting off; a settle- PRE I ting. PRE cis' ION, 1 a cutting off ; accuracy. AP AP PEND', to hang to. DE PEND. in DE PEND', to hang down. IM Sus to hang. IM PEND', Sus PEND', to hang on, or over, to hang up. CON ) VENE, CON VENE', to come together. CONTRA \ to CON TRA VENE' , to come, or go against. INTER } come. IN TER VENE', to come between. Exercise 22. CON CIRCUM ) VBNTION CON YEN' TION, a coming togetner. ' CIR CUM VEN' TION, a coming round, fraud. IN PRE 1 ct com- ) ing. IN VEN' TION, a coming into (something PRE VEN' TION, a coming before, [new.) 8 1 PRECISION is, literally, the act of cutting off "before or in front, and hence, generally, the act of cutting off needless parts, i.e., exactness. 2 That is, the finding out of new things. 44 SPELLING AND DICTATION. Prefixes. Dis INTER IN PKO Ex OB Boots. Derivatives. Definitions. SECTION, D IS SEO ' TION, a cutting apart. a ? the act of PRO TRU' SION, act of pushing forward Ex j pushing. Ex TRU' SION, the act of pushing out. COL ^ LOCUTION, COL LO cu' TION, a talking together. ClRCUM > a speak- ClR CUM LO CU' TION, a talking round about. E 3 i n 9 > folk. EL o cu' TION, a speaking out; delivery. IN \ CUMBENT, IN CUM' BENT, lying or resting in or on. RE > lying ^ or RE CUM' BENT, lying back ; reclining. PRO J resting. PRO CUM' BENT, lying or leaning forward. Exercise 24. COM 1 COM POSE', to put together. DE DE POSE', to put or lay down. INTER IN TER POSE', to put or place between. RE POSE, RE POSE', to put or lay back. Ex to put, Ex POSE', to put or lay out. IM or IM POSE', to put in or upon; to deceive. Dis place. Dis POSE', to put or set apart. TRANS TRANS POSE', to put across. 1 SUP SUP POSE', to put under view. PRO PRO POSE', to put before. CON \ STRUCT, CON STRUCT', to build together. RE-CON > to build ; RE-CON STRUCT', to build together again. OB j pile. OB STRUCT', to build or pile against. i That is, to put each in the place of the other ; to exchange the order of things. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 45 Prefixes. E IM TKANS EN v COUNTER OVER \ RE TRANS J UN ) SUPER > PRETER ) Roots. MIGRATE, to go; to travel. ACT, to do; to move. NATURAL, pertaining to nature. Exercise 25. Derivatives. Definitions. EM' i GRATE, to travel out. IM' MI GRATE, to travel into. TRANS' MI GRATE, to travel over or across. EN ACT', to put into action. COUN TER ACT', to act against. VER ACT', to act beyond. RE ACT', to act again, or back. TRANS ACT', to act or do. UN NAT' u RAL, not natural. Su PER NAT' u RAL, above the natural. PRE TER NAT' U RAL, beyond the natural. Exercise 26. DE JECT', E JECT', JECT, IN JECT', to cast, OB JECT', or throw. PRO JECT', RE JECT', SUB JECT', PRE CEDE', DE E IN OB PRO RE SUB PRE \ CEDE INTER > to go or IN TER CEDE, RE ) come; RE CEDE', to cast down. to cast out. to cast into. to cast in front; to oppose. to cast forward. to cast back ; to refuse. to cast under ; to subdue. to go before. to go between. to go back. Exercise 27. Ac 1 CEDE, to Ac CEDE', to go to ; yield, assent to. Ex 1 go or Ex CEED'/ to go beyond. PRO I come; PROCEED'/ to go forward ; advance. Sue to Sue CEED'/ to go or come after. CON J yield. CON CEDE', to go with in opinion. i Observe, that in the three words, Exceed, Proceed, and Succeed, the radi- cal part is written ceed, instead of cede. 46 SPELLING AND DICTATION. Prefixes. Ac CON INTER SB PRO Sue Roots. Derivatives. Definitions. Ac CES' SION, a going to ; addition. CESSION, CON CES' SION, a going with ; yielding. , agoing ; IN TER CES'SION, a going between. a yield- SE CES' SION, a going aside or away. ing. PRO CES' SION, a going forward. Suo CES' SION, a going after. KB DE PRO SB IN E AD CON Exercise 28. EEDUCE', to lead back; to bring down. DE DUCE', to lead or draw from ; to infer PRO DUCE', to lead or bring forth. D / T rf ^ E DUCE '> to ^ ea( ^ awa J > to corrupt. ? IN DUCE', to lead into ; to persuade. lWt E DUCE', to lead or bring out. AD DUCE', to lead or bring to. CON DUCE', to lead together ; to tend. Exercise 29. As ] As SIST', to stand to ; to aid. CON CON SIST', to stand together. RE RE SIST', to stand against ; to oppose. DE SIST, to DE SIST', to stand off from ; to cease. IN stand. IN SIST', to stand upon ; to urge. Ex Ex 1 IST', to stand out ; i.e., to be. SUB SUB SIST', to stand under ; to be. PER J PER SIST', to stand through ; persevere. SUB "] SCRIBE, SUB SCRIBE', to write one's name under CIRCUM to CIR CUM SCRIBE', to mark around ; limit. PRE - write ; PRE SCRIBE', write or mark down be IN to IN SCRIBE', to write upon. [fore DE J mark. DE SCRIBE', write down ; delineate. i Notice that the letter s, in the radical, SIST, is omitted or absorbed, whet the prefix Ex is united with it SPELLING AND DICTATION. 47 Exercise 30 Prefixes. Roots. Derivatives. Definitions. AT ] AT TRACT', to draw to, or towards. CON CON TRACT', to draw together. ABS TRACT', to draw, or take from. TRACT, to Ex TRACT', to draw, or take out. draw. PRO TRACT', to draw, or bring forward. SUB TRACT', to draw from beneath. DE TRACT', to draw, or take from. Dis TRACT', to draw apart ; to confuse. CON FUSE', to pour together ; perplex. KB FUSE', to pour back ; to reject. FUSE, to IN FUSE', to pour into. melt. TRANS FUSE', to pour through. SUF FUSE', to pour beneath. DIP FUSE', to pour apart ; to spread. Exercise 31. IN VOLVE', to roll in ; to comprise. Ex PRO SUB DE Dis CON EE IN TRANS SUF DlF to E VOLVE', to roll out ; to disclose. DE VOLVE', to roll down ; to fall to. RE VOLVE', to roll again ; turn round. IN vo LU 7 TION, a rolling in ; involving. VOLUTION, Ev o LU' TION, a rolling out ; evolving. a rolling. RE vo LU' TION, rolling again ; revolving. IN E DE RE IN E RE CON J CON vo LU TION', a rolling together. Exercise 32. DE 1 DE PRESS', to press down. IM IM PRESS', to press on or upon. OM PRESS to CoMPRESS/ > to press together. RE } 'RE PRESS', to press back. Ex tow e ExpRESS/ > to press out. OP & * OP PRESS', to press against. SUP J SUPPRESS', to press under ; to crush. 48 SPELLING AND DICTATION. Prefixes. Roots. Derivatives. AF 1 AF FIX', SUF FIX, tO SUF FIX', PRE POST TRANS J V fasten; PREFIX', to set. POST FIX', TRANS FIX', Definitions. to fix to. to fix after, to fix before, to fix after, to fix through. Exercise 33. SPECT, look. IN SPECT', PROS' PECT, IN TRO SPECT', KE SPECT', Ex PECl', 1 FLUX, a CON' FLUX, ;flow, or KE' FLUX, j flowing. IN' FLUX, \ FLUENT, CON' FLU ENT, j flowing. KEF' LU ENT, to look into. a look or view ahead. to look within. to look to again ; regard. to look out for ; to wait for. a flowing together. a flowing back. a flowing in. flowing together. flowing back. Exercise 34. CON OF PRE DIF KE TRANS IN SUF DE KE TRANS PER AD CON FER', OF' FER, PRE FER', FER, DIF' FER, > to bear, KE FER', to bring. TRANS FER', IN FER', SUF' FER, DE FER', MIT, KE MIT', to send, TRANS MIT', to lei PER MIT', go. AD MIT', to bring together (counsels), to bring in the way of. to bear before, i.e., choose. to bear apart ; disagree, to bear back for decision, to bear over ; to remove, to bring in (a conclusion), to bear under ; to endure, to bear off; to delay, to send back, to send across, or over, to send through ; to allow. to send to, or let go in. 1 See Note, p. 46. SPELLING AND DICTATION. Exercise 35. Prefixes. Roots. Derivatives. DE ] DE MIS' SION, E MISSION, E MIS' SION, INTER f a send- IN TER MIS' SION, AD ing. AD MIS' SION, SUB J SUB MIS' SION, AT 1 AT TAIN', DE DE TAIN 7 , PER TAIN, PER TAIN', CON \ to hold, CON TAIN', RE * to RE TAIN', Sus reach. Sus TAIN', ENTER 1 EN TER TAIN', OB OB TAIN', Definitions. a sending down, a sending out. [pause, a sending between, a a letting (one) go to. a sending under, to reach to ; to get. to hold off. to hold through ; to be- to hold together, [long, to hold or keep back, to hold up ; to support, to hold or keep between to hold; to get; to gain. Exercise 36. AD RE Di A SUB PER CON RE CON PEK A AD VERT', RE YERT', VERT, DIVERT', }- to AVERT', turn. SUB VERT', PER VERT', CON VERT', VERSE, RE VERSE', to CON VERSE', f turn; PER VERSE', ) turned. A VERSE', to turn to ; refer to. to turn back. to turn aside, or away. to turn from, or away. to turn under ; to overthrow. to turn thoroughly. to turn altogether; to change, to turn back. to turn, or exchange (words). turned thoroughly (in a bad turned from. direction) ENTER is for Inter. 50 SPELLING AND DICTATION. DERIVATIVES MADE OPPOSITES BY PREFIXES. In this Section, each root is combined with two prefixes of opposite meaning ; by which means the derivatives also become opposites. Exercise 37. Prefixes. Roots. ANTE POST i VERT, to turn. IN ) -g \ GRESS, a going. IN ) g > HALE, to breathe. BYM* | PATHY >/^%. Derivatives. Definitions. AN' TE DATE, to date before. POST' DATE, to date after. AD VERT', to turn to. A VERT', to turn from or IN' GRESS, a going in. [away. E' GRESS, a going out. IN HALE', to breathe in. Ex HALE', to breathe out. AN TIP' A THY, a feeling against. SYM' PA THY, a feeling with. Exercise 38. BENE ) , BEN E FAG' TOR. a well-doer. MALE } FACTOR > a doer ' MAL E FAG' TOE, an evil-doer. EM' i GRATE, to travel out. E IM E IN IN IM Ex to cast. , . CLUDE, to P ur - EFPUSE', to cast out. to cast in. to shut in. to Shut OUt. to carry in. to carry out. to pour in. to pour out. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 51 Prefixes Boots. Derivatives. Definitions. PRO RE j PEL, to drive. PRO PEL', RE PEL', to to drive forward, drive back. EN Dis I ROBE , a gown. EN ROBE', Dis ROBE', to to put on a robe, take off a robe. Exercise 40. PRO ) SPECT, to look ; PROS' PECT, a looking forward. RETRO J a looking. RET' RO SPECT, a looking back. BENE )VOLENT, wish- BE NEV' o LENT, well-wishing. MALE J ing. MA LEV' o LENT, ill- wishing. DYS ) PEPSY, diges- DYS PEP' SY, bad digestion. Eu J tion. Eu PEP' SY, good digestion. CON ) FLUENT, flow- CON' FLUENT, flowing together. DIF j ing. DLF' FLU ENT, flowing apart. ANTE ) DILUVIAN, relat-Ax TE DI LU' vi AN, before the flood. POST j ing to the flood. POST DI LU' vi AN, after the flood. ROOTS AND DERIVATIVES FORMED FROM THEM BY MEANS OF AFFIXES. In this section the roots are united with a variety of affixes. The meaning of each root or radical is given separately, while that of the affix, as in the preceding section, is presented in the definition of the derivative with which it is combined. The pupil ought, however, occasionally to revise the Section in which the affixes are explained in detail. Exercise 41. Roots. Affixes. Derivatives. Definitions. f EOUS IG' NE ous having the nature of fire. IGN, 1 iTE 1 IG NITE', to take fire. fire. 1 ITION IG NI' TION, act of taking fire. [ ITIBLE IG NIT' i BLE, that may be ignited. 1 The affix ITE has the same meaning as ATE. See note, p. 37. 52 SPELLING AND DICTATION. TED ACT', IVE ACT' IVE, IVELY ACT' IVE LY, ACT, IVITY Ac TIV' I TY, to do. OR ACT' OR, RESS ACT' RESS, UATE ACT' u ATE, C UAL ACT' u AL, Roots. Affixes. Derivatives. Definitions. fEOUS YIT' RE ous, of the nature of glass. EOUSNESS YIT' RE ous NESS, quality of being vitreous. IFY YIT' RI FY, to change into glass. IFIABLE YIT' RI FI A BLE, that may be turned into glass. Exercise 42. to do. tending to act ; nimble. in an active manner. quality of being active. one who acts. female that acts. to make, or cause to act. relating to the act ; real. Exercise 43. AL DENT' AL, relating to the teeth. ATE DENT' ATE, made, or pointed like teeth. ATED 2 DENT' A TED, made, or pointed like teeth. ED DENT' ED, having dents or notches. ICLE DENT' i OLE, a small tooth. IST DENT' IST, a doctor for the teeth. ISTRY DENT' is TRY, the practice of a dentist. ITION DENT i' TION, the act of forming teeth. Exercise 44. ACEOUS HERB A' CEOUS, of the nature of an herb. AL HERB' AL, pertaining to herbs. ALIST HERB' AL IST, one skilled in herbs. ARY HERB' A RY, a place where herbs grow. IST HERB' IST, one skilled in herbs. AGE HERB' AGE, herbs taken collectively. LESS HERB' LESS, without herbs. 1 DENT, when used alone, means, " to marie as with a tooth ; to make a small hollow or notch." 2 ATED is a compound affix, made up of ATE and ED. One of them is here merely euphonic : dentafed, meaning the same as dentate. DENT, 1 a tooth, a mark as of a tooth. HERB, a plant, a vegetable. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 53 COMPOUND WORDS MADE UP OF TWO ROOTS. In this section the compound words are first separated into the simple words composing them : the meaning of each part respectively being placed under each in italics. The two parts are then put together again, and defined, as one word. Exercise 45. 1st Part. 2d Part Compounds. Definitions. DEM, ^ DEM' A GOGUE, a factious leader people. [AGOGUE, of the people. PED, j a leader. PED' A GOGUE, leader of children ; child. J a schoolmaster. SOMN, ) AMBTTLiST, g , s l e ep-walker. sleep. J a walker. PHIL, ^ PHI LAN' THRO PY, love of mankind. love. I ANTHROPY, Mis, j mankind. Mis AN' THRO PY, hatred of mankind. hatred. J * TT^ ^ ON ' ARCn Y > government of one ARCHY. y person. OL' i GARCH Y, government of a Tfienii. n few. Exercise 46. AGRT, AG' RI CUL TURE, tillage of fields ; field. I CULTURE, farming. HORTI, tillage. HOR' TI CUL TURE, culture of a gar- garden. J den, gardening. MEGA, MEG' A COSM, a great world. lig. I COSM, MICRO, world. Mi 7 CRO COSM, a little world. Little. J MONO, MON' o CHORD, a musical instrument one. I CHORD, having one string. POLY, string. POL' Y CHORD, having many chords. many. J or strings. 54 SPELLING AND DICTATION. 1st Part. HOMI, man. PARRI, parent. INFANTI, infant. MATBI, mother. FRATRI, brother. REGI, king. Sui, self. DEMO, people. ARISTO, noble. ORTIIO, right. HETERO, other. HIPPO, horse. AQUE, water. TRI, three. SEPT, seven. CENT, hundred. MILL, thousand. Exercise 47. 2d Part. Compounds. Definitions. HOM' i CIDE, the killing of a man. PAR' RI CIDE, the killing of a pa- rent. IN FANT' i CIDE, the killing of an in- fant. CIDE, a MAT' RI CIDE, the killing of a kitting. mother. FRAT' RI CIDE, the killing of a brother. REG' i CIDE, the killing of a king. Su' i CIDE, the killing of one's- self. CRACY. Exercise 48. DE MOO' RA CY, rule of the people. rule. AR is TOG' RA CY, rule of the nobles. OR' THO DOX, right in doctrine. DOX, doctrine. HET' E RO DOX, other, or different in doctrine. ) DROME, HIP' PO DROME, horse-course, race- J course. course. } DUCT, tubeA.Q[ UE DUCT, artificial channel J or channel. for water. Exercise 49. TRIEN'NIAL, pertaining to three years. SEP TEN' Ni AL, pertaining to seven mar or years ' y CEN TEN' NI AL, pertaining to a hun- dred years. MIL LEN' NI AL, pertaining to a thou- sand years. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 55 1st Part. ODORI, scent. AURI, gold. ARGENTI, silver. 2d Part Compounds. DO RTF' ER ous, Definitions. bearing, or yield- ing odour. bearing, or yield- ing gold. STUPE, -] stupid. PUTRE, rotten. FACTION, I act of making. DENTI, tooth. } FRIGE, j rubbing. CRUCI, 1 FORM, cross. j shape. MELLI, i honey. j Bi, 1 two. ! GAMY. POLY, | marriage. many. J FERGUS, Au RIF' ER OUS, bearing. AR GENT IF' ER ous, bearing, or yield- ing silver. Exercise 50. STU PE FAC' TION, act of making stu- pid ; stupidity. Pu TRE FAC' TION, act of making or becoming rotten. DENT' i FRIGE, preparation to rub or clean the teeth. CRU'CIFORM, having the form of a cross. MEL LIF' LU ous, flowing with honey ; sweet. BIG' A MY, the having of two wives or husbands. Po LYG' A MY, plurality of wives or husbands. HEXA, six. OCTA, eight. POLY, many. POLY, many. HOMO, same. HETERO, other, GON, angle. Exercise 51. HEX' A GON, Oo' TA GON, POL' Y GON, a figure having six angles and sides, a figure having eight sides, a figure having many angles, containing many tongues. GLOT, POL' Y GLOT, tongue. GENEOUS, Ho MO GE' NE ous, having the same having nature. the HET E RO GE'NE ous, having a different nature. nature. 56 SPELLING AND DICTATION. Exercise 52. 1st Part. 2dPart, Compounds. Definitions. AUTO, -v Au' TO GRAPH, the handwriting oi self. I GR ,. P ' one's-self. TELE, [ rl lr ?9 or TEL' E GRAPH, a contrivance to con- far off. } mark ff- vey news far off. GRANDI, 1 LOQUENCE,GRAN DIL' o QUENCE, great talk ; lofty grand, y talk. speaking. Bio, life. ) Bi OG' RA PHY, a writing, or history STENO, of one's-self. short. STE NOG' RA PHY, short-hand writing. TYPO, TY POG' RA PHY, a marking with type. GRAPHY, types ; printing. TOPO, a writing, To POG' RA PHY, a description of place. marking, places. GEO, descrip- GE OG' RA PHY, a description of the earth. tion. earth. LITHO, Li THOG' RA PHY, art of marking or stone. engraving on stone. ORTHO, OR THOG' RA PHY, correct writing ; right. J spelling. Exercise 53. GE OL' o GY, science of the form- GEO, earth. Zoo, animal. THEO, God. CONCHO, shell. CHRONO, time. EQUI, equal. QUADRI, four. MULTI, many. Zo OL' o GY, ation of the earth. science of animals. LOGY, word, THE OL' o GY, the science which reason, treats of God. science. CONCH OL' o GY, science of shells. CHRO NOL' o GY, science of comput- ing time or dates. E QUI LAT' ER AL, having equal sides. RI LAT ' ER AL four sides> to the side.- -**- > i , MUL TI LAT ER AL, having many sides, SPELLING AND DICTATION. 57 Exercise 54. ist Part 2d Part. Compounds. Definitions. SOLI, ) LOQUY, SO LII/ QUY, talking alone, or by alone. f talk. one's-self. IDG, 1 LATRY, IDOI/ image. J worship. worship of idols. MONO, \ LOGUE, MON' LOGUE, discourse to one's- one. [discourse, self; soliloquy. DECA, \command- DEO' A LOGUE, the ten command- ten. ) ment. ments. Exercise 55. AERO, ^| A ER OM' E TER, an instrument for air. measuring the air. CHRONO, CHRO NOM' E TER, an instrument for time. METER, a measuring time. BARO, measure. BAROM' E TER, measurer of the weight. weight of the air. THERMO, THER MOM' E TER, measurer of heat. heat. LOGO, ) MACHY, Lo GOM' A CHY, fight, or war of word. j fight. words. COSMO, ) POLITE, COS MOP' LITE, a citizen of the world. J citizen. world. AERO, ) NAUT, one A? ER o NAUT, one who sails in or air. J who sails. navigates the air. POLY, ) NESIA, POL Y NE' siA, 1 consisting of many many. ) islands. islands. Exercise 56. ASTRO, ") As TRON' o MY, law, or science of star. the stars. ECO, NOMY, E CON' MY, law, or rule of a house. law. house : thriftiness. DEUTERO, DEU TER ON' o MY,second law (or fifth second. book) of Moses. i This is a term in geography, used to designate numerous groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean. 58 SPELLING AND DICTATION. 1st Part. 2d Part. Compounds. Definitions. ODY, a singing, or the art song, or PSALM o DT, J ^ . lms _ ta a singing. PAN o RA' MA, a complete view ; OR AM A, view of all. mew. Cos' MO RA' MA, view of the world. DIPH' THONG, union of two vowels PHTHONG, in one sound. sound. TRIPH' THONG, union of three vow- J els in one syllable. fold ' Du' PLICATE, two-fold; double. Q f POTENT, 77 i having. OM NIP' o TENT, having all power. [ power. Exercise 57. Ovi, ^ VIP' A ROUS, producing eggs. egg. PAROUS, VERMI, i producing. YER MIP' A ROUS, producing worms. worm, j circle of instruc- CYCLO, ) PEDIA, CY CLO PE DI A, tion in the arts circle. ) instruction. and sciences. QUADRU, ^| QUAD' RU PED, a four-footed ani- four. PED, mal. CENTI, [ afoot. GEN' TI PED, hundred-footed. hundred. ) HYDRO, 1 PHOBIA, HY DRO PHO' BI A, dread of water ; water. \ dread, canine madness. HIPPO, 1 POTAMUS, HIP PO POT' A MUS, a river-horse. horse. j river. Exercise 58. TELE, ") TEL' E SCOPE, instrument for view- far off. \ SCOPE, a view ing things far off. MICRO, f or sight. Mi' CRO SCOPE, instrument for view- vmall. } ing things minute. PYRO, lire. POLY, many. PROTO, first. STEREO, solid. GARNI, flesh. GRANI, grain. HBRBI, forb. SPELLING AND DICTATION. 2dPart 59 Compounds. Definitions. SOL' STICE, standing still of STiCEj a the sun. standing. ARM' is TICE, a standing still of arms ; truce. SOPHY, PHI LOS' o PHY, love of wisdom ; wisdom. knowledge. MON''O THE ISM, belief in one God THEISM, belief in a God " Gods. Exercise 59. nTT PY RO TECH' NIC, relating to the art of [IC ' making fire-works. POL Y TECH' NIC, relating to many arts. PRO' TO TYPE, first- type ; original TYPE, mark, pattern or model. emblem. STE' RE o TYPE, solid type ; plate of metallic type. CAR NIV' o ROUS, flesh - eating, or VOROOS, P , devouring. _,,. > (JRANIV o ROUS, gram - eating, or devouring. r' o ROUS, herb - eating, or devouring. I eating or devouring. SECOND PART. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEKCISES. 1 I. PROVERBS. A lean fee is a fit reward for a lazy clerk. Birds of a feather will flock together. Credit ought rather to be given to the eyes than to the ears. Empty vessels make the greatest sound. Fire and water are good servants but bad masters. He that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing. Make hay while the sun shines. Little spoken is soon amended. II. PROVERBS Learning is the eye of the mind. One bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Quick promisers are slow per- formers. 'Tis too late to spare when all is spent. Heaven helps those who help themselves. He who is only his own pupil has a fool for his tutor. He that is well sheltered is a fool if he stir out into the rain. He that lives not well one year sorrows for it seven. He that knoweth useful things, not he that knows many things is the wise- man. m. PROVERBS. He that looks for a requital serves himself, not me. He that loves himself too much loves an ill man. Rolling stones gather no moss. Saving is getting. Scandal will rub out like dirt when it is dry. Seek till you find and you'll not lose your labour. The way to avoid great faults is to beware of less. " They say so " is half a lie. For- iune gives her hand to a brave man. Friendship is not to be bought at a fair. A man may buy even gold too dear. He that will not be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock. 1 Punctuation rules are not attempted. A few directions from the teacher and much practice test teach this subject. The pupil should be instructed to err on the side of too few rather than too many points. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEECISES. 61 IV. ON PROVERBS. The fact that they please the people, and have pleased them for ages ; that they possess so vigorous a principle of life as to have maintained their ground ever new and ever young through all the centuries of a nation's exist- ence ; nay, that many of them have pleased not one nation only but many, so that they have made themselves a home in the most different lands ; and further, that they have, not a few of them, come down to us from remotest anti- quity, borne safely upon the waters of that great stream of time, which has swallowed so much beneath its waves, all this, I think, may well make us pause should we be tempted to turn away from them with anything of indifference or disdain. ARCHBISHOP TRENCH. V. THE BOY AND THE NETTLE. A boy playing in the fields was stung by a nettle. He ran home to his mother, and told her that he had but touched the nasty weed and it had stung him. " It was your just touching it, my boy," said the mother, " that caused it to sting you. The next time you meddle with a nettle grasp it tightly, and it will not hurt you." Do vigorously what you do at all. VI. WHAT IS RICE ? The Rice plant is a species of grass growing very much like our own oats. When ripe, each grain is enclosed in a yellow husk, and hung in fine clusters on very thin stalks. It grows best in very moist soil, and low lands which are flooded at particular seasons are on that account preferred for its cultivation. Before it is used for food, the husk is removed by rubbing the grain between flat stones and blowing the broken husks away. Machines are also used for the same purpose. In our own country rice serves us for puddings, and for thickening soup, and is both cheap and wholesome. 62 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEECISES. VH. WHAT IS SAGO ? Sago, which is used extensively in this country, and brought from some islands of the Indian Ocean, is pro- cured from the pith of a beautiful palm tree, and its shape, as known to us here, is caused by its being shaken through a sieve made of the fibres of palm leaves, while its glossy look is the result of drying over a charcoal fire. Sago is cheap and nourishing food, excellent for sick people and young children. VIII. THE TWO PATHS. Ask yourselves what is the leading motive which actu- ates you while you are at work. I do not ask what youi leading motive is for working that is a different thing. You may have families to support, parents to help, brides to win ; you may have all these, or other such sacred and pre-eminent motives, to press the morning's labour, and prompt the twilight thought. But when you are fairly at the work, what is the motive which tells upon every touch of it ? BUSKIN. IX. THE CRAB AND HER MOTHER. Said an old crab to a young one, " Why do you walk so crookedly, child ? Walk straight ! " " Mother," said the young crab, " show me the way, will you ? and when I see you taking a straight course, I will try and follow." Example is better than precept. X. THE WAR-HORSE. The fiery courser, when he hears from far The sprightly trumpets and the shouts of war, Pricks up his ears, and, trembling with delight, Shifts place, and paws, and hopes the promised fight : On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined, Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind ; MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 63 Eager he stands, then, starting with a bound, He spurns the turf and shakes the solid ground ; Fire from his eyes, clouds from his nostrils flow, He bears his rider headlong on the foe 1 DRYDEN. XI. THE KING AND THE STABLE-BOY. A king walking out one morning, met a lad at the stable- door, and asked him, " Well, boy, what do you do ? What do they pay you ?" " I help in the stables," replied the lad ; " but I have nothing except victuals and clothes." " Be content," replied the king, " I have no more." XII. HOW TO WIN. A man who is very rich now was very poor when he was a boy. When asked how he got his riches, he replied " My father taught me never to play till my work was finished, and never to spend money till I had earned it. If I had but half an hour's work to do in a day, I must do that the first thing, and in half an hour. After this I was allowed to play ; and I could then play with much more pleasure than if I had the thought of an unfinished task before my mind. I early formed the habit of doing everything in its time, and it soon became perfectly easy to do so. To this habit I owe my prosperity." Let every one who reads this go and do likewise, and he will meet a similar reward. XIII. COCOA. Cacao is the seed of a tree which abounds in the West Indies, and in several parts of South America, particularly on the Magdalena and in Guiana. These seeds or nuts are contained in pods resembling cucumbers, from twenty to thirty of them being closely packed in each. They are not unlike almonds in shape and size. The kernel, simply ground, is the cacao, or cocoa, as it is called, of the shops ; when made into a paste, with sugar and vanilla, it is called chocolate, after the Mexican name of the tree, chocolatt. 64 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. XIV. WHALEBONE GLUE INK. Whalebone is a substance very nearly resembling horn, and is obtained from the upper jaw of the whale. It ap- pears to serve the animal instead of teeth. The pieces vary with the size of the whale being from three to twelve feet in length, and, when very large, about one foot broad at the thickest end. It is used for umbrellas, parasols, stays, hoops, etc. etc. GLUE. Glue is made of refuse horns, hoofs, parings of hides, and other similar materials, boiled down to a thick jelly, and repeatedly strained so as to free it from all im- purities. When cold, it makes hard brittle cakes. INK. The chief ingredients in most writing-inks are galls and sulphate of iron, with the addition of gum arable to render the liquid adhesive, and make it flow freely from the pen. xv. CHAUCEE. Geoffrey Chaucer is called the father of English poetry, because he is the first poet of note who wrote in the Eng- lish language. Before his time, little had been written in English worthy of the name of poetry. Chaucer was born about the year 1328, in London. He studied at Cambridge, was a soldier and courtier, having the con- fidence of his king, Edward the Third. He lived in troublous times, but seems to have escaped any greater suffering than occasional imprisonment. He died in 1400, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, where his tomb may be seen. His chief poem is called the Canterbury Tales, A number of pilgrims journeying together to Can- terbury beguile the time by telling tales. The description of these pilgrims gives us a curious picture of English life five hundred years ago. They are written in old English, and cannot be read without difficulty ; but any one over- coming this will be greatly rewarded. There is a curious description of Chaucer written by another English poet a hundred years later, which gives some idea of Chaucer's appearance, and the costume of the time in which he lived. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 05 XVI. VERSES ON CHAUCER. His stature was not very tall ; Lean he was, his legs were small, Hosed within a stock of red ; A button'd bonnet on his head, From under which did hang, I ween, Silver hairs both bright and sheen ; His beard was white, trimm'd round, His countenance blithe and merry found. A sleeveless jacket, large and wide, With many plaits and skirts beside Of water camlet did he wear ; A whittle 1 by his belt he bare. His shoes were corned, broad before ; His inkhorn at his side he wore, And in his hand he bore a book, Thus did this ancient poet look. XVII. THE VICAR. I had scarce taken orders a year before I began to think seriously of matrimony, and chose my wife as she did her wedding-gown not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well. To do her justice, she was a good-natured, notable woman, and as for education, there were few country ladies who could show more. She could read any English book without much spelling ; but for pickling, preserving, and cookery, none could excel her. She prided herself also upon being an excellent contriver in housekeeping ; though I could never find that we grew richer with all her contrivances. However, we loved each other tenderly, and our fond- ness increased as we grew old. There was, in fact, nothing that could make us angry with the world or each other. We had an elegant house, situate in a fine country, and a 1 Small sword. E 66 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEKCISES. good neighbourhood. The year was spent in moral or rural amusements, in visiting our rich neighbours, and relieving such as were poor. We had no revolutions to fear, nor fatigues to undergo ; all our adventures were by the fireside, and all our migrations from the blue bed to the brown. From the Vicar of Wakefield. XVIII. ISAAC ASHFORD. . Next to these ladies, but in nought allied, A noble peasant, Isaac Ashford, died. Noble he was, contemning all things mean, His truth unquestion'd and his soul serene : Of no man's presence Isaac felt afraid ; At no man's question Isaac looked dismayed : Shame knew him not, he dreaded no disgrace ; Truth, simple truth, was written in his face. Yet while the serious thought his soul approved, Cheerful he seem'd, and gentleness he loved : To bliss domestic he his heart resign'd, And, with the firmest, had the fondest mind : Were others joyful, he looked smiling on, And gave allowance where he needed none ; Good he refused with future ill to buy, Nor knew a joy that caused reflection's sigh ; A friend to virtue, his unclouded breast No envy stung, no jealousy distress'd; (Bane of the poor ! it wounds their weaker mind To miss one favour which their neighbours find :) Yet far was he from stoic pride removed ; He felt humanely and he warmly loved. CRABBE. XIX. INDIA-RUBBER. Caoutchouc, or India-rubber, is obtained from the milky juice of various intertropical plants. Either the juice is applied to lumps of clay, and allowed to dry, coating after coating, till the requisite thickness is obtained, when the clay inside is crushed, and shaken out by an orifice left MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 67 for that purpose ; or it is coagulated by an acid, in which case the solid part is the caoutchouc. Most of the caout- chouc in Great Britain is brought from Para, Brazil, where the Indians used to make it into waterproof boots, long before the chemists of Europe found out a method of liquefying it, and so of making waterproof cloth. Gutta Percka is the dried sap of a tree found in Malacca. XX. TEA. Tea is the dried leaves of a shrub grown chiefly in China and Japan, of which countries it is a native. It is an evergreen, grows to the height of from four to six feet, and bears pretty white flowers resembling wild-roses. In China there are a great many tea- farms, generally of small extent, situated in the upper valleys and on the sloping sides of the hills, where the soil is light, rich, and well-drained. The plants are raised from seed, and they are generally allowed to remain three years in the ground before a crop of leaves is taken from them. They last about eight or ten years. When the crop is ready the leaves are carefully picked by hand, one by one. There are generally three or four gatherings each year, the first crop of young leaves in the spring being of the most value. A well-grown bush, well-treated, will produce two or three pounds of tea annually. Tea was first brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Company in 1610, and must have been in use in England prior to 1660. XXI. COFFEE. Coffee is an evergreen shrub indigenous to the table- lands of Ethiopia. Its berries contain the coffee of com- merce, called coffee-beans. The finest quality of coffee is produced in Arabia; but the largest quantities are exported by Brazil and Java. Elevated situations are best suited for the growth oi coffee. The trees are raised from slips, which are allowed 68 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEKCISES. four or five years to grow before the berries are gathered. They attain the height of eight or ten feet, and continue to bear fruit for from thirty to fifty years. They re- semble a handsome laurel, and bear a profusion of clusters of fragrant white flowers, succeeded by brilliant red berries, sweet and pulpy, which ripen to a purple colour, each containing two coffee seeds or stones. Coffee was used in England some years before tea was introduced. XXII. THE NUT : A FABLE. Two boys were once playing under a tree, when a nut fell from it near them. One of them picked it up. The other boy said : " It is my nut, for I saw it fall." u No, it is mine," said the other, " for I picked it up." Just then a bigger boy came along, and he said : " What are you disputing about?" The little boys told him. " Give it to me," said he, " and I will decide your quar- rel for you." So he cracked the nut, and gave one-half of the shell to one boy, saying : " This is for you, because you saw the nut fall." He then gave the other half-shell to the second boy, saying, " This is yours, because you picked up the nut." Then, putting the kernel into his own mouth, he said : " And this is for my trouble in cracking it." XXIII. MAIZE. Maize or Indian Corn is much larger than any grain which grows here. It has a stem as thick as a broom- handle, often eight feet high, and bearing the corn in ears of considerable size called cobs. The cobs are enclosed in a large leafy sheath, which is used for making paper in the United States ; and some of you may have seen chests of oranges and lemons at the grocers' doors in this country, every orange wrapped in one of these sheaths to keep it dry and sound. These oranges have probably come from Spain or Sicily, where the Indian corn is also grown. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 69 XXIV. ROBIN REDBREAST. Good-bye, good-bye to summer I For summer's nearly done, The garden smiling faintly Cool breezes in the sun. Our thrushes now are silent, Our swallows flown away, But Robin 's here in coat of brown And scarlet breast-knot gay. Robin, Robin Redbreast, Robin dear 1 Robin sings so sweetly In the Killing of the year. ALLINGUIAM. XXV. SUGAR. Sugar is a sweet crystallized substance obtained from the juice of the Sugar-Cane, a reed-like plant growing in most hot climates, but supposed to be originally a native of the East. The root of the cane is jointed, and sends up several stems which are also jointed, and which rise to a height ranging from eight to twenty feet. A leaf three or four feet long springs from each joint, the flowers, which are whitish, and enveloped in long down, grow in bunches at the top of the cane. When the canes are ripe, which is generally in Feb- ruary, March, and April, they are cut down close to the root, the leaves are stripped, the stalks are divided into convenient lengths, and taken at once to the crushing-mill. Here they are squeezed between iron rollers, and the juice flows, after passing through a strainer, into large clarifying vessels. After this the juice is several times brought to great heat with a view to cause evaporation, and the depo- sit of a sugary sediment. When the juice is sufficiently boiled down, it is removed into a copper boiler, and from this it is conveyed into a shallow wooden vessel, in which 70 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. it crystallizes. After the lapse of a few hours, the dark- looking mass, consisting of sugar and liquid mollasses (treacle, being that part of the juice which will not crys- tallize), is put into hogsheads with holes bored in the bot- tom. These hogsheads are set on wooden frames over a tank, into which the treacle drains, after which the hogs- heads are filled up, headed in, and are ready for expor- tation. XXVI. DAYBREAK. See, the day begins to break, And the light shoots like a streak Of subtle fire ; the wind blows cold, While the morning doth unfold. Now the birds begin to rouse, And the squirrel from the boughs Leaps, to get him nuts and fruit ; The early lark, that erst was mute, Carols to the rising day Many a note and many a lay. FLETCHER. XXVII. SPENSER. Edmund Spenser is an English poet of great note. He was born in 1553, about a hundred and fifty-three years after the death of Chaucer, and London was his birthplace also. The English language had greatly advanced since the time of Chaucer ; it was rich in poems of different kinds, and in ballads sung by the people. The poems of Spenser may be read with little difficulty, very few obsolete words occurring in them. His language is very fine, and his verses are very sweet. The Fairy Queen is his longest and finest poem. It is an allegory, in which virtues and vices are described as knights and ladies, and the struggles of the human heart are pictured forth in battles and adventures. Una and the lion, in the first book of the Fairy Queen, are well known, often seen in pictures and alluded to in books. The lady lost in the desert, and the lionj overcome by her MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 71 beauty and goodness, guiding and protecting her, are de- scribed in verses that have become famous. Spenser was a scholar, bred at Cambridge, and a friend of many of the great men of his day. Queen Elizabeth gave him a pen- sion and a post in Ireland. But in an insurrection that broke out there, his house was set on fire, his infant child perished in the flames, and all his property-was lost. These misfortunes affected him so deeply, that he died three months afterwards, in 1599. He was buried in West- minster Abbey, near Chaucer. XXVIII. TILE CROW AND THE PITCHER. A crow, ready to die with thirst, flew with joy to a pitcher which he saw at a distance. But when he came up to it, he found the water so low, that with all his stoop- ing and straining he was unable to reach it. Thereupon he attempted to break the pitcher, then to overturn it ; but his strength was not sufficient to do either. At last, see- ing some small pebbles at hand, he dropped a great many of them into the pitcher, one by one, and so raised the water to the brim, and quenched his thirst. Skill and patience will succeed where force fails. Necessity is the mother of invention. XXIX. DEATH THE LEVELLER. The glories of our birth and state Are shadows, not substantial things There is no armour against fate, Death lays his icy hand on kings Sceptre and crown Must tumble down, And in the dust be equal made With the poor crooked scythe and spade. All heads must come To the cold tomb ; Only the actions of the just Smell sweet, and blossom in the dust. SHIRLEY. 72 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. XXX. GREAT BRITAIN. Yet unless I greatly deceive myself, the general effect of this checkered narrative will be to excite thankfulness in all religious minds, and hope in the breasts of all patriots. For the history of our country during the last hundred and sixty years, is eminently the history of physical, moral, and intellectual improvement. Those who compare the age on which their lot has fallen with a golden age which exists only in their imagination, may talk of degeneracy and decay ; but no man who is correctly informed as to the past, will be disposed to take a morose or desponding view of the present. MACAULAY'S History of England. XXXI. THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERDS. A wolf, looking into a hut, and seeing some shepherds comfortably regaling themselves on a joint of mutton : "A pretty row," said he, " these men would have made had they caught me at such a supper 1" Men are too apt to condemn in others the very things that they practise themselves. XXXII. WHAT IS TAPIOCA ? The Mandioca or Tapioca used in South America is derived from a large root which grows wild, and is also cultivated in large quantities. The plant when grow- ing is very poisonous, but its roots, when ripe, and after they have been exposed to the heat of the fire, are quite harmless. The natives first wash the roots, and then grate them upon a wooden rasp into cold water. The water being poured off, a starchy sediment remains at the bottom of the vessel, and this is dried over a slow fire ana prepared afterwards for food. It is often used for puddings in England, and is considered light and nourishing. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 73 XXXIII. " THE SHIP AT ANCHOR." A Tavern. A sailor, who was in the habit of spending all his money at the public-house, one day made a vow to be temperate in future, and kept it. Meeting with an old friend about a twelvemonth afterwards, the following conversation took place : Peter. Hollo, Jack ! here you are, back from America. Jack. Yes, Master Peter. Peter. Won't you come in, and have a glass this cold day? Jack. No, Master Peter, no 1 I cannot drink. Peter. What, Jack, can you pass the door of the " Ship at Anchor " without taking a cup with your friends ? Jack. Impossible, Master Peter. I have a swelling here ; don't you see it ? Peter. Ah ! that is because you don't drink your grog as you used to do. Drink, my boy, and the swelling will soon go down. Jack. You are quite right there 1 [He pulls out of his pocket a large leathern purse full of money J] There 's the swelling I have given myself by steering clear of the " Ship at Anchor." If I begin drinking again, it will soon go down ; there is not the least doubt of that. Peter. Is it possible you have saved so much money, Jack? Jack. It is, indeed, and I mean to go on doing it ; and when I pass the " Ship at Anchor " after my next voyage, I hope to show you a new swelling on the other side. XXXIV. WHAT IS FLAX ? Flax is grown in Great Britain, especially in Ireland, but also, to a large extent, in France, Holland, Germany, Italy, Egypt, and India. It has always been of great importance to the human race. The stalk is long and slender, branching at the top, and bearing several beautiful 74 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. light-blue flowers, about the size of a large buttercup. These are succeeded by little round pods of seed, each about as large as a garden-pea, and containing several of the little flat brown seeds called linseed, from which we extract oil. The stalk is not more than half as thick as a wheaten straw, but very strong, because of the tough fibres which run through it from bottom to top. These fibres, when separated from the pith which is mixed with them, and the skin which covers them, are the flax from which linen is made. In order to obtain them, the plants are pulled up as soon as they have done flowering, and dried in the sun. Small bundles of them are then placed in the shallow part of a river or pond, stones or pieces of wood being laid on them to prevent their floating away. At other times they are simply exposed to the night dew. The moisture which they thus imbibe, quickly causes the soft skin which covers the fibres to decay. After this process is completed, the bundles are spread out to dry, and when dried, the whole stalk can be easily rubbed to a powder, with the exception of the fibres, which are not impaired by the process. The bundles of fibres are next beaten with a heavy wooden implement, or scutched, as it is called ; and to remove the skin and pith broken up by this process, they are next heckled, or drawn through a peculiar kind of iron comb. The fibres which remain after these two operations are raw flax, and are fine enough for making coarse linen cloths ; but they require to be heckled over and over again, through much finer combs, to render them suitable for the manufacturing of fine linen, lawn, and lace. XXXV. THE ASS'S SHADOW. A youth, one hot summer's day, hired an ass to carry him from Athens to Megara. At mid-day the heat of the sun was so scorching that he dismounted, and would have sat down to repose himself under the shadow of the ass. But the driver of the ass disputed the place with him, declaring that he had an equal right to it. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 75 " What ! " said the youth ; " did I not hire the ass for the whole journey?" " Yes," said the other, " you hired the ass, but not the ass's shadow." While they were thus wrangling and fighting for the place, the ass took to his heels and ran away. xxxvi. CHILDE HAKOLD'S GOOD-NIGHT. Adieu, adieu I my native shore Fades o'er the waters blue ; The night-winds sigh, the breakers roar, And shrieks the wild sea-mew. Yon sun that sets upon the sea We follow in his flight ; Farewell a while to him and thee : My native land Good-night I BYRON. XXXVII. WHAT IS HEMP ? The Hemp plant goes through a similar process to the Flax, but is much coarser, and grows to a height of more than six feet. Great quantities are produced in Russia and Poland, and also, though not to the same extent, in Prussia, Germany, Austria, Italy, India, and the United States of America. It would be hard to say what we should do without this very useful plant, for, from the fibres of its stem, after they have been separated and cleaned by pro- cesses similar to those described in the case of flax, we make cloth for the sails of our ships, and ropes for their rigging ; and although many substitutes have been proposed for it, none has been found to answer so well. In addi- tion to sail-cloth and cordage, finer cloths and string of all kinds are made from it. XXXVIII. WHAT IS COTTON ? Cotton consists of the fine long hairs which grow from the seeds of several varieties of Gossypium. These hairs 76 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. are so long and numerous, that they completely fill the pod or seed-vessel. They are very delicate, of the same size throughout, but seldom jointed, and they are each separate from the other. The cotton-plant is chiefly culti- vated in the Southern States of North America and in India. It is produced in great abundance, and is exported to England, where it is manufactured into cloth. The cotton factories are chiefly in Lancashire. XXXIX. THE TWO OXFORD STUDENTS. Leopold. John, go to Mr. Marcus's room, and ask him to lend me Livingstone's Travels in Africa. John. Mr. Marcus, my master sends me to beg you will lend him Livingstone's Travels. Marcus. Tell Mr. Leopold that I make it a rule never to lend my books, but if he will take the trouble to come to my room, he can read Livingstone's Travels as long as he likes. Three months after. Marcus. Thomas, go and ask Mr. Leopold to lend me his bellows to blow my fire. You will never be able to light it without them, I am quite sure. Thomas. Mr. Leopold, your friend Mr. Marcus has sent me to beg the loan of your bellows to blow his fire. Leopold. I am very sorry. Give my compliments to Mr. Marcus, and tell him I make it a rule never to lend my bellows; but if he will give himself the trouble ol coming into my room, he is welcome to blow my fire as long as he likes. XL. SHAKSPEARE. William Shakspeare would come first on our list of great poets were we placing them according to merit, instead of years. He is allowed to be the greatest poet the world has ever seen, and his works have influenced the literature and thought of England, and do still influence it, more than the writings of any other man. Of his personal history we MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEECISES. 77 know very little, though many attempts have been made to twist surmises into facts. He was born at Stratford, on the river Avon, in Warwickshire, April 23, 1564, and he died there on the same day of the month, 1616. The greater part of his life was spent in London, where he was the friend and companion of all the great men of the time, and a favourite with Queen Elizabeth and James i. His occupation was that of an actor. Most of his works are written for the stage, and consist of historical dramas, of tragedies and comedies. It would be difficult to single out of these any better than the rest, so fine are the characters from the highest to the lowest, so suited to each are the speeches given them to utter. Any one wishing to have the richest library attainable in the smallest number of volumes, to become acquainted with the purest and best English, to study the highest standards of beauty in charac- ter and sentiment, should purchase Shakspeare's works, and read and re-read them till they become to him familiar friends. The Englishman who does not know and read Shakspeare, does not know one of England's greatest glories, and will never be able to estimate fully all that his country's language can express. XLI. THE ASS AND THE LAMB. " How hard is my fate ! What sorrows await," Said the Ass to the Sheep, " my deplorable state ! Cold, naked, ill-fed, I sleep in a shed, Where the snow wind, and rain come in over my head. All this day did I pass In a yard without grass : What a pity that I was created an Ass ! As for master, he sat By the fire, with the Cat ; And they both look, as you do, contented and fat. 78 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. Your nice coat of wool, So elastic and full, Makes you much to be envied, ay, more than the bull." " How can you pretend/' Said her poor bleating friend, " To complain ? Let me silence to you recommend. My sorrows are deep/ 1 Continued the Sheep, And her eyes look'd as if she were ready to weep. " I expect, 'tis no fable, To be dragged from the stable, And, to-morrow, perhaps, cut up for the table. Now you with docility, Strength, and civility, Will live some years longer in all probability. So no envy, I beg, For I'll bet you an egg, You will carry the spinach to eat with my leg." MORAL. The situation of those we envy is often much worse than our own. XLII. CORAL. Coral is a secretion from the body of an animal, very low in the scale of creation, called a polyp. The secretion forms a kind of outer skeleton or house for the little ani- mal. Every fresh set of polyps builds on the top of the preceding, and thus, in the course of time, are constructed those coral reefs, which ultimately become habitable islands. Coral is a beautiful and curious material, highly prized for ornaments, especially when of a red or black colour. The little coral polyps inhabit chiefly the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 79 XLIII. IVORY. Ivory is the substance of the large tusks of the elephant, which grow out from either side of the mouth, somewhat like horns. It is much valued for its whiteness, fine grain, and the good polish that it takes. In the countries where elephants abound, hunting them for their tusks is a very profitable though perilous and laborious employment. Our supply of this article comes chiefly from Africa, India, Ceylon, and the countries north of the Malay Peninsula. XLIV. THE GOOD LIFE A LONG LIFE. It is not growing like a tree In bulk, doth make man better be ; Or standing long an oak three hundred year To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sere. A lily of a day Is fairer far in May, Although it fall and die that night : It was the plant and flower of light. In small proportions we just beauties see, And in short measures life may perfect be. BEN JONSON. XLV. POTTERY. Pottery is one of the most ancient as well as one of the most interesting of the arts. From its simplicity it has probably been one of the first manufactures of every nation, sun-dried bricks being one of its earliest products. The chief substance used by the potter is the well-known material clay. Alumina (the oxide of the metal aluminum) united with silica or sand, forms what may be called a typical clay. But most clays contain in addition lime, magnesia, potash, oxide of iron, and other ingredients. Clays which contain little or no oxide of iron are either naturally white or they burn white in the kiln. Such clay a are rare, and are highly prized for the finer kinds of pottery. 80 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. Bricks, tiles, drain-pipes, and common brown earthen- ware vessels, as basins, cans, flower-pots, and the like, are made of ordinary clay, which always burns red in conse- quence of the presence of iron in its composition. XL vi. POTTERY continued. For the white ware of our tables the finer clays of Corn- wall, Devonshire, and Dorsetshire are alone used ; the beautiful china clay from the decomposing granites of Corn- wall being the chief ingredient in English china or porce- lain. A similar material has been in use for centuries in making the famous Chinese porcelain ; but it has been known in Europe only since the beginning of the eighteenth century. Potters' clay is always mixed with a certain proportion of ground flints, and great care and labour are bestowed upon its preparation. Grinding-mills and sieves of various kinds are used to free it from lumps, and to bring it to a fine general consistency resembling dough. The prepared clay is called the body or paste, and is after- wards either " thrown " on a wheel, or " pressed " into moulds which give it the desired form. XLVII. THE DOCTOR'S SERVANT. She was about thirty years old, and had a sufficiently plump and cheerful face, though it was twisted up into an odd expression of tightness that made it comical. But the extraordinary homeliness of her gait and manner would have superseded any face in the world. To say that she had two left legs and somebody else's arms, and that all four limbs seemed to be out of joint, and to start from perfectly wrong places when they were set in motion, is to offer the mildest outline of the reality. To say that she was perfectly content and satisfied with these arrange- ments, and regarded them as being no business of hers, and took her arms and legs as they came, and allowed them to dispose of themselves just as it happened, is to render faint justice to her equanimity. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 81 XLVIII. THE DOCTOR'S SERVANT continued. Her dress was a prodigious pair of self-willed shoes, that never wanted to go where her feet went ; blue stockings ; a printed gown of many colours, and the most hideous pattern procurable for money; and a white apron. She always wore shorteleeves, and always had by some accident grazed elbows, in which she took so lively an interest that she was con- tinually trying to turn them round and get impossible views of them. In general, a little cap perched some- where on her head, though it was rarely to be met with in the place usually occupied in other subjects by that article of dress; but from head to foot she was scrupulously clean, and maintained a kind of dislocated tidiness. In- deed, her laudable anxiety to be tidy and compact in her own conscience as well as in the public eyes, gave rise to one of her most startling evolutions, which was to grasp herself sometimes by a sort of wooden handle (part of her clothing, and familiarly called a busk), and wrestle, as it were, with her garments, until they fell into a symmetrical arrangement. DICKENS. XLIX. NATUBE. It is more accurate to avoid the usual classification ot objects in nature into Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral, and to regard them as divided into two kingdoms, the ORGANIC and the INORGANIC. Everything that has life, whether it be animal or vege- table, is made up of one or more organs, by means of which the processes of life, such as circulation and diges- tion, are carried on. Things destitute of life, on the con- trary, have need of none of these organs, whether they be tubes, cells, or vessels for the continuance of their exist- ence, and they are therefore called Inorganic. Of in- organic things, we may say that all those which are either metallic or earthy are minerals, or belong to the Mineral Kingdom. j. BEETE JUKES. F 82 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. L. THE BALD KNIGHT. A certain knight growing old, his hair fell off, and he became bald, to hide which imperfection he wore a peri- wig. But as he was riding out with some others hunting, a sudden gust of wind blew off the periwig, and exposed his bald pate. The company could not forbear laughing at the accident ; and he himself laughed louder than any- body, saying : " How was it to be expected that I should keep strange hair upon my head, when my own would not stay there?" LI. MILTON. John Milton was born in London in 1608. He was therefore eight years of age when Shakspeare died. His name stands next to that of Shakspeare as England's second greatest poet, and his chief fame rests on his poem of Paradise Lost. This famous work describes the happi- ness of man in Eden, his fall and banishment. It is full of grand imagery and vigorous thought, and was written after the poet became blind. Some of his shorter poems the Hymn to the Nativity, written at college, Comus, Lycidas, and his Sonnets are among the finest in the language. Milton was carefully educated, and was a Cambridge student. He lived during a time of civil war, and sided with the Puritans, so that some of his poems bear traces of their peculiar views. His domestic life was not a happy one, and he was blind for twenty-two years. He died in 1674. LII. FROM PARADISE LOST, BOOK V, So spake the Seraph Abdiel, faithful found Among the faithless, faithful only he Among innumerable false ; unmoved, Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified, His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal ; MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 83 Nor number nor example with him wrought To swerve from truth or change his constant mind Though single. From amidst them forth he passed, Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustained Superior, nor of violence feared aught ; And, with retorted scorn, his back he turned On those proud towers to swift destruction doomed. MILTON. LIII* U A SOFT ANSWER TURNETH AWAY WRATH." The horse of a pious man in Massachusetts happening to stray into the road, a neighbour of the man who owned the horse put him in the pound. Meeting the owner soon after, he told him what he had done, and added, " If I ever catch him in the road hereafter, I'll do just so again." "Neighbour," replied the other, "not long since I looked out of my window in the night, and saw your cattle in my mowing-ground, and I drove them out and shut them in your yard : I II do it again" Struck with the reply, the man liberated the horse from the pound, and paid the charges himself. L1V. DRYDEN. John Dry den was born in 1631, when Milton was a young man twenty-three years of age, and he was forty- three years of age when the blind poet died. He too was educated at Cambridge. He published his first poem at the age of eighteen, and up to the last year of his life, at the age of sixty-eight, he was still giving to the world his brilliant rhymes ; his last poems being among the best he ever wrote. His works comprise poems in almost every style ; but his satirical powers were greater than those of his fancy or imagination, hence it is as a satirist that he is most admired. His life was as changeful as the times in which he lived ; and he had often to write for his bread. He was buried in Westminster Abbey with pub- lic honours. 84: MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. LV. CONTENTMENT. There is a jewel which no Indian mine can buy, No chemic art can counterfeit : It makes men rich in greatest poverty ; Makes water wine, turns wooden cups to gold, The homely whistle to sweet music's strain : Seldom it comes, to few from heaven sent That much in little, all in naught CONTENT. LVI. MINES AND MINERALS. A large amount of our comforts and wealth is due to the minerals which the skill of man procures out of the bowels of the earth. The export and import of various minerals form a leading feature of the commerce of the globe, employing and enriching alike the inhabitants of those countries which send away and those which receive them. Of iron alone, about a million tons are annually exported from Britain, while she in turn imports several million ounces of gold. The procuring of the various minerals, and the manufacturing of them into articles of use, such as machinery from iron, water-pipes from lead, boilers and other vessels from copper, culinary utensils from tin and its alloys, and watches and orna- ments from silver and gold, afford occupation to thousands of our fellow-men, and give a field for the exercise of ingenuity and invention to those who work in them. The various materials obtained through the operations of the miner occur either in parallel layers called strata or seams , or they penetrate the rents and fissures of rocks, and form what are called veins or lodes. Of the former, coal, limestone, and clay iron-ore are examples ; and of the latter, the ores of lead, copper, tin, zinc, and of most of the metals. Of course the mode of mining a seam and a vein must so far differ ; but as all the modes of opera- tion more or less resemble each other, it will be sufficient to describe the manner of obtaining coal, one of the most useful and familiar of our minerals. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEECISES. 85 I.vil. THE TWO SPRINGS. Two springs, which issued from the same mountain, began their course together : one of them took her way in a silent and gentle stream, while the other rushed along with a sounding and rapid current. " Sister," said the latter, " at the rate you move, you will probably be dried up before you advance much farther ; whereas, for myself, I will venture a wager, that, within two or three hundred furlongs, I shall become navigable ; and, after distributing commerce and wealth wherever I flow, I shall majestically proceed to pay my tribute to the ocean. So, farewell, dear sister ! and patiently submit to your fate." Her sister made no reply ; but, calmly descending to the meadows below, increased her stream, by numberless little rills, which she collected in her progress, till, at length, she was enabled to rise into a considerable river ; whilst the proud stream, who had the vanity to depend solely upon her own sufficiency, continued a shallow brook ; and was glad, at last, to be helped forward, by throwing herself into the arms of her despised sister. MORAL. His strength in words the blusterer vainly spends, While steadiness in quiet gains its ends. FROM DODSLEY. LVIII. POPE. Alexander Pope was born in 1688. He was therefore eleven years of age when Dryden died, but delighted to recall the fact that he had seen that famous poet. He began to write as a boy of sixteen, and died in the height of his fame at the age of fifty-six. He wrote a great deal of satire ; but his verses are highly polished, his language elegant and full of point. Many of his lines are familiar to us as proverbs. His Essay on Man is his most admired work. He died in 1744. 86 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. LIX. KNOWLEDGE. Fired at first sight with what the muse imparts, In fearless youth we tempt the height of arts ; While from the bounded level of our mind Short views we take, nor see the lengths behind : But, more advanced, behold with strange surprise, New distant scenes of endless science rise. So, pleased at first, the towering Alps we try, Mount o'er the vales and seem to tread the sky ; The eternal snows appear already past, And the first clouds and mountains seem the last. But, those attained, we tremble to survey The growing labours of the lengthen'd way ; The increasing prospect tires our wand'ring eyes, Hills peep o'er hills and Alps on Alps arise. POPE. LX. ON IRON. Iron greatly excels all other metals in importance. The more closely we study its employment in the arts, the more we wonder at and admire its multitudinous and widely different uses. We see it in the ponderous fly- wheel of the steam-engine, amounting sometimes to a mass of many tons, and can trace it through a million gradations of smaller objects, in all of which it scarcely admits of a substitute, till we come to the most delicate watch-spring. Often, too, it admirably replaces other materials, as timber or stone, with the advantages of greater strength, or lightness, or beauty, as in the Levia- than steam-ship, the Menai Bridge, and the Crystal Palace. Iron is also extensively employed in the manu- facture of ink, dyes, and pigments ; and in medicine as well as in photography. But, before we dwell longer on the manifold uses of this most interesting metal, we must look at the mode in which it is extracted from its ores, and converted into Cast Iron, Malleable Iron, and Steel. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 87 LXI. WORDSWORTH. William Wordsworth was born in 1770. There is an interval, therefore, of twenty-six years between his birth and the death of Pope. But England had many poets in that interval, and among them Goldsmith, Burns, and Cowper stand pre-eminent. These poets had paved the way for Wordsworth's writings, for they had left the polished and artificial style of Pope for more simple and natural verses. Of Burns this is especially true. He was a Scotch peasant, and his poems are songs and ballads more like those alluded to as belonging to the early epoch of English poetry. In those days verses like these were all the people had of literature, and they handed them down from parent to child, household possessions, exquisite for their simplicity and pathos. Of this natural school Words- worth is the great master. Wordsworth's poems are of country life and simple people ; he is pathetic and tender, and when he describes a scene in nature he does it so that every detail is present to the reader's eye as it was to the poet's. He wrote many years before his genius was recognised, but he is now so popular that his poems are to be found in every collec- tion. He died at the age of eighty in 1850, and is buried among the Westmoreland hills and lakes of which he sang. Many poets lived and wrote during his long life. Byron, Shelley, Keats, Coleridge, South ey, and Scott, may be named. Wordsworth was poet-laureate, an honour since conferred on our greatest living poet, Alfred Tennyson, whose verses on the charge at Balaclava are or should be known to every English boy. LXII. A WELCOME TO PRINCESS ALEXANDRA, By the Poet Laureate. Sea-kings' daughter from over the sea, Alexandra ! Saxon and Norman and Dane are we, But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee, Alexandra I 88 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet ! Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street ! Welcome her, all things youthful and sweet, Scatter the blossom under her feet ! Break, happy land, into earlier flowers ! Make music, bird, in the new-budded bowers ! Welcome her, welcome her, all that is ours ! Warble, bugle, and trumpet blare 1 Flags, flutter out upon turrets and towers ! Flames, on the windy headland flare ! Utter your jubilee, steeple and spire ! Clash, ye bells, in the merry March air ! Flash, ye cities, in rivers of fire 1 Welcome her, welcome the land's desire, Alexandra I Sea-kings' daughter as happy as fair, Blissful bride of a blissful heir, Bride of the heir of the kings of the sea, joy to the people and joy to the throne, Come to us, love us, and make us your own : For Saxon or Dane or Norman we, Teuton or Celt, or whatever we be, We are each all Dane in our welcome of thee, Alexandra ! TENNYSON. LXIII. LOVEQOLD AND JAMES. (Fielding.} [Lovegold alone. Enter James.'] Lovegold. Where have you been ? I have wanted you above an hour. James. Whom do you want, sir, your coachman or your cook ? for I am both one and the other. Love. I want my cook. James. I thought, indeed, it was not your coachman ; for you have had no great occasion for him since your last pair of horses were starved ; but your cook, sir, shall wait MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEECISES. 89 upon you in an instant. [Puts off Ms coachman } s great- coat, and appears as a cookJ] Now, sir, I am ready for your commands. Love. I am engaged this evening to give a supper. James. A supper, sir ! I have not heard the word this half-year ; a dinner, indeed, now and then ; but for a sup- per, I am almost afraid, for want of practice, my hand is out. Love. Leave off your saucy jesting, and see that you provide a good supper. James. That may be done with a great deal of money, sir. Love. Is the mischief in you ? always money ! Can you say nothing else but money, money, money ? My children, my servants, my relatives, can pronounce nothing but money. James. Well, sir ; but how many will there be at the table ? Love. About eight or ten ; but I will have a supper dressed but for eight ; for, if there be enough for eight, there is enough for ten. James. Suppose, sir, at one end, a handsome soup ; at the other, a fine Westphalia ham and chickens ; on the one side, a fillet of veal ; on the other, a turkey, or rather a bustard, which may be had for about a guinea Love. What ! is the fellow providing an entertainment for my lord mayor and the court of aldermen ? James. Then a RAGOUT Love. I'll have no ragout. Would you burst the good people ? James. Then pray, sir, what will you have ? Love. Why, see and provide something to cloy their stomachs ; let there be two good dishes of soup-maigre ; a large suet pudding ; some dainty fat pork-pie, very fat ; 90 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. a fine small lean breast of mutton ; and a large dish with two artichokes. There ; that's plenty and variety. James. Oh dear Love. Plenty and variety. James. But, sir, you must have some poultry. Love. No ; I'll have none. James. Indeed, sir, you should. Love. Well, then, kill the old hen ; for she has done laying. James. Mercy ! sir, how the folks will talk of it ; in- deed, people say enough of you already. Love. Eh ! why^ what do the people say, pray ? James. Ah, sir, if I could be assured you would not be angry. Love. Not at all ; for I am always glad to hear what the world says of me. James. Why, sir, since you will have it then, they make a jest of you everywhere ; nay, of your servants on your account. One says you pick a quarrel with them quarterly, in order to find an excuse to pay them no wages. Love. Pooh ! pooh ! James. Another says you were taken one night stealing your own oats from your own horses. Love. That must be a lie ; for I never allow them any. James. In a word, you are the by-word everywhere ; and you are never mentioned, but by the names of covet- ous, stingy, scraping, old Love. Get along, you impudent villain ! James. Nay, sir, you said you would not be angry. Love. Get out, you dog ! you LXIV. ON ADDISON. When this man, Addison, looks from the world, whose weaknesses he describes so benevolently, up to the Heaven which shines over us all, I can hardly fancy a human face lighted up with a more serene rapture; a human intellect thrilling with a purer love and adoration than MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 91 Joseph Addison. Listen to him : from your childhood you have known the verses; but who can hear their sacred music without love and awe ? " Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And, nightly to the listening earth, Repeats the story of her birth ; While all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn, Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole. " What though in solemn silence all Move round the dark terrestrial ball ? What though no real voice or sound Amidst their radiant orbs be found ? In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice; For ever singing, as they shine, ' The hand that made us is divine.* " It seems to me those verses shine like the stars. They shine out of a great deep calm. When he turns to Heaven, a Sabbath comes over that man's mind; and his face lights up from it with a glory of thanks and prayer. His sense of religion stirs through his whole being. In the fields, in the town ; looking at the birds in the trees ; at the children in the streets ; in the morning or in the moonlight ; over his books in his own room ; in a happy party at a country merry-making, or a town assembly, goodwill and peace to God's creatures, and love and awe of Him who made them, fill his pure heart and shine from his kind face. If Swift's life was the most wretched, I think Addison's was one of the most enviable. A life prosperous and beautiful ; a calm death ; an immense fame and affection afterwards for his happy and spotless name. THACKERAY'S English Humorists. 92 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. LXV. TRAVELLING IN ENGLAND IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. Of all inventions, the alphabet and the printing-press alone excepted, those inventions which abridge distance have done most for the civilisation of our species. Every improvement of the means of locomotion benefits mankind morally and intellectually as well as materially, and not only facilitates the interchange of the various productions of nature and art, but tends to remove national and pro- vincial antipathies, and to bind together all the branches of the great human family. In the seventeenth century the inhabitants of London were, for almost every practical purpose, farther from Reading than they now are from Edinburgh, and farther from Edinburgh than they now are from Vienna. The subjects of Charles the Second were not, it is true, quite unacquainted with that principle which has, in our own time, produced an unprecedented revolution in human affairs, which has enabled navies to advance in the face of wind and tide, and battalions, attended by all their bag- gage and artillery, to traverse kingdoms at a pace equal to that of the fleetest race-horse. The Marquis of Worcester had recently observed the expansive power of moisture rarefied by heat. After many experiments he had suc- ceeded in constructing a rude steam-engine, which he called a fire water work, and which he pronounced to be an admirable and most forcible instrument of propulsion. But the Marquis was suspected to be a madman, and known to be a Papist. His inventions, therefore, found no favourable reception. His fire water work might, per- haps, furnish matter for conversation at a meeting of the Royal Society, but was not applied to any practical pur- pose. There were no railways, except a few made of timber, from the mouths of the Northumbrian coal pits to the banks of the Tyne. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 93 There was very little internal communication by water. A few attempts had been made to deepen and embank the natural streams, but with slender success. Hardly a single navigable canal had been even projected. The English of that day were in the habit of talking with mingled admi- ration and despair of the immense trench, by which Louis the Fourteenth had made a junction between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. They little thought that their country would, in the course of a few generations, be inter- sected, at the cost of private adventurers, by artificial rivers making up more than four times the length of the Thames, the Severn, and the Trent together. It was by the highways that both travellers and goods generally passed from place to place. And those highways appear to have been far worse than might have been ex- pected from the degree of wealth and civilisation which the nation had even then attained. On the best lines of com- munication the ruts were deep, the descents precipitous, and the way often such as it was hardly possible to distin- guish, in the dusk, from the unenclosed heath and fen which lay on both sides. It was only in fine weather that the whole breadth of the road was available for wheeled vehicles. Often the mud lay deep on the right and the left ; and only a nar- row track of firm ground rose above the quagmire. At such times obstructions and quarrels were frequent, and the path was sometimes blocked up during a long time by carriers, neither of whom would break the way. It hap- pened, almost every day, that coaches stuck fast, until a team of cattle could be procured from some neighbouring farm to tug them out of the slough. But in bad seasons the traveller had to encounter inconveniences still more serious. Thoresby, who was in the habit of travelling be- tween Leeds and the capital, has recorded, in his Diary, such a series of perils and disasters as might suffice for a journey to the Frozen Ocean or to the Desert of Sahara. 94 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXEECISES. On one occasion he learned that the floods were out be- tween Ware and London, that passengers had to swim for their lives, and that a higgler had perished in the attempt to cross. In consequence of these tidings he turned out of the high road, and was conducted across some meadows, where it was necessary for him to ride to the saddle-skirts in water. In the course of another journey he narrowly escaped being swept away by an inundation of the Trent. He was afterwards detained at Stamford four days on account of the state of the roads, and then ventured to proceed only because fourteen members of the House of Commons, who were going up in a body to Parliament with guides and numerous attendants, took him into their company. On the roads of Derbyshire travellers were in constant fear for their necks, and were frequently compelled to alight and lead their beasts. The great route through Wales to Holyhead was in such a state that, in 1685, a viceroy, going to Ireland, was five hours in travelling fourteen miles, from Saint Asaph to Conway. Between Conway and Beaumaris he was forced to walk great part of the way; and his lady was carried in a litter. His coach was, with great difficulty, and by the help of many hands, brought after him entire. In general, carriages were taken to pieces at Conway, and borne, on the shoulders of stout Welsh peasants, to the Menai Straits. In some parts of Kent and Sussex none but the strongest horses could, in winter, get through the bog, in which, at every step, they sank deep. The markets were often in- accessible during several months. It is said that the fruits of the earth were sometimes suffered to rot in one place, while in another place, distant only a few miles, the sup- ply fell far short of the demand. The wheeled carriages were, in this district, generally pulled by oxen. When MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 95 Prince George of Denmark visited the stately mansion of Petworth in wet weather, he was six hours in going nine miles ; and it was necessary that a body of sturdy hinds should be on each side of his coach in order to prop it. Of the carriages which conveyed his retinue several were upset and injured. A letter from one of his gentlemen- in-waiting has been preserved, in which the unfortunate courtier complains that, during fourteen hours, he never once alighted, except when his coach was overturned or stuck fast in the mud. On the best highways heavy articles were, in the time of Charles the Second, generally conveyed from place to place by stage waggons. In the straw of these vehicles nestled a crowd of passengers, who could not afford to travel by coach or on horseback, and who were prevented by infirmity, or by the weight of their luggage, from going on foot. The expense of transmitting heavy goods in this way was enormous. From London to Birmingham the charge was seven pounds a ton ; from London to Exeter twelve pounds a ton. This was about fifteen pence a ton for every mile, more by a third than was afterwards charged on turnpike roads, and fifteen times what is now demanded by railway companies. The cost of conveyance amounted to a prohibitory tax on many useful articles. Coal, in particular, was never seen except in the districts where it was produced, or in the districts to which it could be carried by sea, and was indeed always known in the south of England by the name of sea- coal. MACAULAY. LXVI. THE BETTER LAND. " I hear thee speak of the better land ; Thou callest its children a happy band : Mother 1 where is that radiant shore ? - Shall we not seek it, and weep no more ? 96 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. Is it where the flower of the orange blows, And the fire-flies dance through the myrtle boughs ?" " Not there, not there, my child ! " " Is it where the feathery palm-trees rise, And the date grows ripe under sunny skies ? Or 'midst the green islands on glittering seas, Where fragrant forests perfume the breeze, And strange bright birds, on their starry wings, Bear the rich hues of all glorious things ?" " Not there, not there, my child ! " " Is it far away in some region old, Where the rivers wander o'er sands of gold ? Where the burning rays of the ruby shine, And the diamond lights up the secret mine, And the pearl gleams forth from the coral strand, Is it there, sweet mother, that better land?" " Not there, not there, my child I " Eye hath not seen it, my gentle boy ! Ear hath not heard its deep songs of joy ; Dreams cannot picture a world so fair Sorrow and death may not enter there : Time doth not breathe on its fadeless bloom ; For beyond the clouds, and beyond the tomb, It is there, it is there, my child !" MRS. HEMANS. LXVII. WONDERS OF CIVILISATION. The condition of the present inhabitants of this country is very different from that of their forefathers. These, generally divided into small states or societies, had few relations of amity with surrounding tribes, and their thoughts and interests were confined very much within their own little territories and rude habits. Now, how- ever, every one sees himself a member of one vast civil- ized society which covers the face of the earth, and no part of the earth is indifferent to him. In England, a man of small fortune may cast his regards around him, MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 97 and say with truth and exultation : "I am lodged in a house that affords me conveniences and comforts which even a king could not command some centuries ago. There are ships crossing the seas in every direction, to bring what is useful lo me from all parts of the earth. In China, men are gathering the tea-leaf for me ; in America, they are planting cotton for me ; in the West India Islands, they are preparing my sugar and my cof- fee ; in Italy, they are feeding silk-worms for me ; in Saxony, they are shearing the sheep to make me clothing ; at home, powerful steam-engines are spinning and weav- ing for me, and making cutlery for me, and pumping the mines that minerals useful to me may be procured. u My patrimony was small, yet I have carriages running day and night on all the roads to carry my correspondence ; I have roads, and canals, and bridges, to bear the coal for my winter fire ; nay, I have protecting fleets and armies around my happy country, to secure my enjoyments and repose. Then I have editors and printers who daily send me an account of what is going on throughout the world, among all these people who serve me ; and in a corner of my house I have books, the miracle of all my possessions, more wonderful than the wishing- cap of the Arabian tales ; for they transport me instantly, not only to all places, but to all times. By my books I can conjure up before me, to vivid existence, all the great and good men of antiquity ; and for my individual satisfaction, I can make them act over again the most renowned of their exploits ; the orators declaim for me ; the historians re- cite ; the poets sing ; in a word, from the equator to the pole, and from the beginning of time until now, by my books I can be where I please." This picture is not overcharged, and might be much extended ; such being the miracle of God's goodness and providence, that each individual of the civilized millions that cover the earth may have nearly the same enjoyments as if he were the single lord of all. ARNOTT. G 98 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. LXV1II. THE FIRST PARLIAMENT. It was a great date for Englaud, that of the First Par- liament. There had been a Council of the great land- holders, secular and ecclesiastic, from Anglo-Saxon times ; and it is believed by some that the Commons were at least occasionally and to some extent represented in it. But it was during a civil war, which took place in the middle of the thirteenth century, marvellously like that which marked the middle of the seventeenth, being for law against arbitrary royal power, that the first parlia- ments, properly so called, were assembled. Matthew of Paris, in his Chronicle, first uses the word in reference to a council of the barons in 1246. At length, in Decem- ber 1264, when that extraordinary man, Simon de Mont- fort, Earl of Leicester a mediaeval Cromwell held the weak King Henry in. in his power, and was really the head of the State, a parliament was summoned, in which there should be two knights for each county, and two citizens for every borough; the first clear acknowledg- ment of the Commons' element in the State. This parliament met on the 20th of January 1265, in that magnificent hall at Westminster 1 which still survives, so interesting a monument of many of the most memorable events of English history. The representatives of the Commons sat in the same place with their noble associates, probably at the bottom of the hall, little disposed to assert a controlling voice, not joining indeed in any vote, for we hear of no such thing at first, and far of course from having any adequate sense of the important results that were to flow from their appearing there that day. There, however, they were an admitted Power, entitled to be consulted in all great national movements, and, above all, to have a say in the matter of taxation. The summer months saw Leicester overpowered, and himself and nearly all his associates slaughtered; many changes afterwards * Fabyan's Chronicle, L 858. MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. 99 took place in the constitutional system of the country ; but the Commons, once allowed to play a part in these great councils, were never again left out. Strange that other European states of high civilisation and intelligence should be scarcely yet arrived at a principle of popular representation, which England, in comparative barbarism, realized for herself six centuries ago ! CHAMBERS'S Book of Days. LXIX. BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN. Here must they pause ; for, in advance As far as one might pitch a lance, The Monarch rode along the van, The foe's approaching force to scan, His line to marshal and to range, And ranks to square, and fronts to change. Alone he rode from head to heel Sheathed in his ready arms of steel ; Nor mounted yet on war-horse wight, But, till more near the shock of fight, Reining a palfrey low and light. A diadem of gold was set Above his bright steel bassinet, And clasp'd within its glittering twine Was seen the glove of Argentine ; Truncheon or leading staff he lacks, Bearing, instead, a battle-axe. He ranged his soldiers for the fight, Accoutred thus, in open sight Of either host. Three bowshots far, Paused the deep front of England's war, And rested on their arms awhile, To close and rank their warlike file, And hold high council, if that night Should view the strife, or dawning light. gay, yet fearful to behold, Flashing with steel and rough with gold, 100 MISCELLANEOUS DICTATION EXERCISES. And bristled o'er with bills and spears, With plumes and pennons waving fair, Was that bright battle -front ! for there Rode England's King and peers : And who, that saw that monarch ride, His kingdom battled by his side, Could then his direful doom foretell ! Fair was his seat in knightly selle, And in his sprightly eye was set Some spark of the Plantagenet. Though light and wandering was his glance, It flash'd at sight of shield and lance. " Know'st thou," he said, " De Argentine, Yon knight who marshals thus their line ?" " The tokens on his helmet tell The Bruce, my Liege : I know him well." " And shall the audacious traitor brave The presence where our banners wave?" " So please, my Liege," said Argentine, " Were he but horsed on steed like mine, To give him fair and knightly chance, I would adventure forth my lance." " In battle-day," the King replied, " Nice tourney rules are set aside. Still must the rebel dare our wrath ? Set on him sweep him from our path !" And, at King Edward's signal, soon Dash'd from the ranks Sir Henry Boune. LXX. OLIVER GOLDSMITH. Goldsmith might now be considered as a prosperous man. He had the means of living in comfort, and even in what to one who had so often slept in barns and on bulks must have been luxury. His fame was great and was con- stantly rising. He lived in what was intellectually far the best society of the kingdom; in a society in which no talent or accomplishment was wanting, and in which the art of conversation was cultivated with splendid success. MISCELLAKEOUS DICTATION EXEECISES. 101 There probably were never four talkers more admirable in four different ways than Johnson, Burke, Beauclerk, and Garrick ; and Goldsmith was on terms of intimacy with all the four. He aspired to share in their colloquial renown ; but never was ambition more unfortunate. It may seem strange that a man who wrote with so much perspicuity, vivacity, and grace, should have been, whenever he took a part in conversation, an empty, noisy, blundering rattle. But on this point the evidence is overwhelming. So extra- ordinary was the contrast between Goldsmith's published works and the silly things which he said, that Horace Walpole described him as an inspired idiot. " Noll/' said Garrick, " wrote like an angel, and talked like poor Pol." Chamier declared that it was a hard exercise of faith to believe that so foolish a chatterer could have really written the Traveller. Even Boswell could say with contemptuous compassion, that he liked very well to hear honest Goldsmith run on. " Yes, sir," said Johnson, " but he should not like to hear 'hiirsejf/' Minds differ as rivers llth October 1864. I am directed by His Grace the Duke of N. to request you to furnish him with an exact statement of the details of the incident which recently took place in your neighbourhood, and which has called forth so much ani- madversion from the public press. You will be good enough to lose no time in complying with his Grace's wishes. I have the honour to be, SIR, Your most obedt. servant, GEORGE WETHERBY. To HENRY HATFIELD, Esq., J.P. FOEMS OF LETTERS. 117 (Official Letter^ NEWTON, HERTFORDSHIRE, 14th October 1864. SIR, I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the llth October, in which you inform me that his Grace the Duke of N. " requests an exact state- ment of the details of the incident which recently took place in this neighbourhood, and which has called forth so much animadversion from the public press," and further requesting me "to lose no time in complying with the request. " Presuming that the incident to which you refer is that commonly headed in the newspapers the " Grange Road Mystery," I took immediate steps for obtaining accurate information on the facts of that case. These facts, in so far as they could be ascertained by me, are enclosed under cover with this letter, and are headed : MEMORANDUM respecting the incident which took place in the parish of Newton, on or about the 2d October 1863, commonly spoken of as the " Grange Road Mystery." To that Memorandum I now have the honour respect- fully to refer his Grace. I have the honour to be, SIR, Your most obedt. servt., HENRY HATFIELD, J.P. To GEORGE WETHERBY, Esq. (Application for a situation as Nurse.) BALING, September 15, 1864. MADAM, I have been told that the place of head nurse- maid is vacant in your family. I have had great experi- ence as a nurse, and can be trusted to wash and dress children, to attend to them in sickness, and to make and 118 FOEMS OF LETTEES. mend their clothes. I beg leave respectfully to apply for the place in your family, and to enclose copies of my cer- tificates of character from former mistresses. I can refer you to Mrs. Brunton, Surrey Villa, Camberwell, in whose family I have been for three years and a half. I am, MADAM, Your very obedient servant, HANNAH MORE. MRS. EASTWOOD. (Application for the situation of Gardener.) HEFFORTH, CUMBERLAND, SIR, 21^ May 1864. I understand that you are in want of a gardener. I was brought up to the work in Scotland, and left my place with a very good character. I enclose a certificate from the master whom I last served, which will show that my character has always been good, and that I understand the management of fruit and flower, as well as vegetable gardens. I have been accustomed to manage forcing- houses. I am, SIR, Your very obeclt. servant, JOHN MACKINTOSH. To SIR GEORGE WARREN, Bart. (Application for the situation of Clerk. ,) WEDGEWOOD, STAFFORDSHIRE, SIR, March 27, 1864. I learn from an advertisement that you have a vacant clerkship in your establishment at present. I beg leave respectfully to request that you would accept me as FORMS OF LETTERS. 119 a candidate for the post, and examine the testimonials which I enclose. The Rev. Mr. Williams, the clergyman whose church I attend, has given me a certificate of cha- racter, and has also given me permission to refer you to him for any further information regarding me which you may wish to have. The teacher whose school I last at- tended has kindly stated in his certificate the progress I made under him in arithmetic and other subjects taught in his school. This letter is in my own handwriting. I shall be happy to wait upon you, should you wish to see me before deciding on my fitness. As I have never yet had any business appointment, I shall be happy to accept whatever salary you may consider enough for one who has to learn his duties. I am, SIR, Your very obedt. servant, JOUN NELSON. To WILLIAM ELWOOD, Esq. (Letter from one wishing to emigrate.) PLOCTON, DORSETSHIRE, SIR, I am a labouring man on the farm of Eatly in this parish. I have a wife and five children, and I wish to emigrate to Australia, as I hear that I can. get, both for myself and my children, a better livelihood there than in the old country. Will you be kind enough to tell me what I am to do, and how much it will cost me altogether to take my family to the colony. I have the honour to be, SIR, Your mo. obedt. humble servant, WILLIAM HODGSON. To the Secretary to the Emigration Commissioners. 120 FOKMS OF LETTERS. (Letter accepting a Situation.] NORTON, RUTLAND, August 16, 1864. SIR, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt oi your kind letter of the 15th August, telling me that you have appointed me to the situation of gamekeeper. I beg leave respectfully to thank you for the favour you have done me, and to assure you that I shall always do my best to deserve the continuance of your good opinion. I am, SIR, Your obedt. humble servant, JAMES S. LAWSON. (Note of Invitation.) Mr. and Mrs. Brown present their compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Williams, and request the pleasure (or honour) of their company at dinner on Saturday, 1 the 7th Septem- ber, at six o'clock. 22, BRIXTON SQUARE, LONDON, August 81, 1864. (Note of Acceptance?) Mr. and Mrs. Williams will have much pleasure in dining with Mr. and Mrs. Brown on Saturday, the 7th September, at six o'clock. 15, HIGHBURY TERRACE, LONDON, Septr. 1, 1864. 1 If it is an evening party, then write, " company on the evening of 7tt September, at nine (or ten) o'clock." FORMS OF LETTERS. 121 (Business Note.) 18, RIVER STREET, LONDON, To Messrs. TRUMAN AND WYE. Nov. 5, 1864. GENTLEMEN, Have the goodness to forward to us at your earliest convenience one bale of cotton, and charge the same to our account. We are, GENTLEMEN, Your obedient servants, HANBURY AND Ross. (Reply.") 8, WATER ST., LIVERPOOL, To Messrs. HANBURY AND Ross. Nov. 7, 1864. GENTLEMEN, We beg leave to acknowledge receipt of your favour of the 5th Nov., and have to-day forwarded, per goods-train, the bale of cotton, as ordered by you, and we have charged the same to your account. The invoice is enclosed. Waiting further orders, We are, GENTLEMEN, Your obedt. servants, TRUMAN AND WYE. DIRECTIONS AS TO MODES OF ADDRESSING OTHERS IN WRITING. (1.) In writing to a gentleman, knight, baronet, or lady, always address, " Sir," or " Madam," and conclude, " I have the honour to be, Sir (or Madam), your most obedt. servant." (2.) If the lady you are addressing is the wife of a knight, baronet, or baron, conclude, I have the honour to be, Madam, Your ladyship's most obedt. servant, T. C. and in the body of the letter use the words "your ladyship," in- stead of the word " you." 122 FORMS OF LETTERS. (3.) In addressing barons, viscounts, earls, and marquises, begin, " My lord," and conclude, " I have the honour to be, My lord, (If a marquis, ' My lord marquis ') Your obedt. humble servant, A. B." (In the body of the letter, say " your lordship" instead of " you.") The superscription should be, if to a baron, To Lord .* If to a viscount, To the Right Hon. Viscount B . If to an earl, To the Eight Hon. Earl C . If to a marquis, To the most Honourable The Marquis of D . (4.) In addressing a duke, begin, "My Lord Duke." (In the body of the letter say " your Grace " instead of " you.") Conclude, I have the honour to be, My Lord Duke, Your Grace's most obedt. servant, G. W. N.B. Viceroys and Governors of colonies are addressed as " Youi Excellency." Clerical Addresses. (Bishop.) " My Lord Bishop." Address as " Your Lordship," and superscribe, To the Right Rev. The Lord Bishop of . (Archbishop.) " My Lord Archbishop." Concluding, I have the honour to be, My Lord Archbishop, Your Grace's most obedt. servant, T. L, Superscribe, To His Grace The Archbishop of -. (Dean.) Superscribe, To the very Rev. The Dean of > MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES ON SPELLING. 123 (Archdeacon.) Superscribe, To the Venerable The Archdeacon of . Clergymen not dignitaries, as well as Deans and Archdeacons, are addressed, " Keverend Sir." " Right Honourable " is prefixed to the designations of all above the rank of earls' eldest sons and Privy Councillors. MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES ON SPELLING, BEING THE WORDS MIS-SPELT BY CANDIDATES FOR CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTMENTS. acquiescence abstinence advisable cathedral assassination apology acquainted cavaliers ability assembled aid cavalry aspen arithmetic accountant celebrated acclamations appointed arguing ^ censures accounts accompanied accomplices champion arbitrary acme annually character accuracy acquitted animated cheerfulness annulled asserting aquiline chieftains ambassador adjacent besiege chronicles approached augur behaviour circumstance appreciate apprehension baptized civilisation apprentice anxious business clapped adequately agreement blockade clerk ambitious abbey brilliant cloisters amiability apartment beginning coalition Archipelago adultery barbarous colleagues admirably adulation burgesses collision anomalous animosities barrels committed authority accusation buried committee ascended author buoyant commonalty appalling arranging bowels comparative agreeable archives bloodiest compelled allegiance administered banished competent abhorred avaricious capacious complacent aggression alacrity caprice complaisant allowance anticipated career completely allege anonymous catastrophe complexion 124 MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES ON SPELLING. concealment degradation entertainment finances conceived Deity exaggerations flagellation concluded deliberations every fain condescend deliverance earnest forest condign derived encouraging fascinating condition describe extremities ferocity confederacies designs enormous federal conferred desiring especially finally confidence desolation expedient fundamental conqueror dissolution evening furlong conscience dissolved executing family consequence desponding expenses further considerable desperate expressed fulfil consistent despotism enticing fervour conspicuous diligent empowered facility conspirator disagreeable enacting feigned constitute disappointing eminence grandeur consummate discerned eminently grievances continually discipline establishing guardian contractors discretion eligible gaoler contrary discussed exercising genealogists control disorderly early guidance convenience displayed expectation government corpse distinguished endeavour geographically correspondent dissatisfaction enrolled heptarchy corruptible dissent exotics horizon countenance dissipating eighth hostess counties distinction exhausted hierarchy courageous duchies extirpate hostages courtesy ecclesiastical economy hypocrite credulity enthusiasm existence humane crisis embraced enemies human criticism elements efficacy hereditary decent etiquette extraordinary heroic deceit enveloped excellent inoperative decreed ensued evident intercourse deficiencies emancipated earthenware inestimablo definitely emolument foreign illustrious MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES ON SPELLING. 125 irresistible independence indecision inseparably implacable intermixed inevitably jealous insurrections joyous integrity jewellery irreproachable knowledge irreparable knocked improvement knew inconvenience leisure impetuous labourers intellectual lie intelligence linen interfered liberties increased losses intricate liveliness island laborious incorrigible legate idolaters language insensibly licentiousness impostor mountains inordinate melancholy industrious memorial memorable moral myrtle mansion indebted immigrant ignorance imbecile inscriptions mastiff imaginary magnanimity innocent mentioned innocence mortgaging incendiaries manuring illiterate managing imperceptible misfortune innumerable malcontents indispensable moderated immediately maze inconsistent martial mizen mission material ministers minstrels menacing mere mercy military militia making mead muzzle mulattoes magazines monarchs miserable mechanically machinery maddened mean measure martyr mathematics mightiest manifested minority monks mouldering merchandise might massacre neighbour nourishment narrative noisy nauseous non-existence ordinary official offences owner opportunity operate orders occurred opposite own opposition origin ornament obliged ocean pretensions powerful prize position prevailed parricide patiently prorogued possess particularly partiality precipitately period perpetually priest postponing pernicious peaceably Parliament pitied prepossessed preparatory practise 126 MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES ON SPELLING. practice reverence scheme travellers practicable receive stoically traitors practically relieved subjects threw philosophy reassemble sufficiently tendency prebendaries rudiments successive tense persuasion rigour stratagem usurper panegyrics rode stretch unanimous parallels ridiculous shield unfortunate politician renowned scruples unfledged privileges reins style undoubtedly presidencies review symmetry unsuitable plainness symptoms satire universities proselytes sovereign swayed unscrupulous punctilious swept scarcely unskilfully prophet signature separate usually privacy sojourned shepherd vexatious perceive prejudices species slaughtered superiority several vigilance victorious pursue secretaries sacrificed vengeance promiscuous surgeon suspicion violent perilous system second volumes precipices sincerely sour villain people soul successful vats prayers susceptibility stolidly vizier poems sepulchre subduing village pamphlet surrendered suggested where quarrels solicitor scarcely waned qualities sheriff serious wear really saltpetre tenacious warmth regiments shrewd tyrant whirlwind revenue salaries tomb women requisites seized terrible wives reign shipping their worse recommend superstition twilight woollen readily straits tranquillity wharves right specie traffic yielding recesses scene tacit 127 LATIN AND FKENCH PHRASES IN COMMON USE. Ab initio, from the beginning. Adfinem, to the end. Ad hominem, pertaining to the man. Ad infinitum, without limit. Ad libitum, at pleasure. Ad valorem, according to value. Alias, otherwise. Alibi, elsewhere ; proof of having been elsewhere. Alma mater, a cherishing mother. Anglice, in English. Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord. Audi alteram partem, Hear the other side. Bonafide, in good faith. Gacocethes scribendi, an itch for writing. Cceteris paribus, other things being equal. Compos mentis, of a sound mind. Cornu copias, the horn of plenty. [pose ? Cui bono, to what good pur- Dei gratia, by the grace of God. De facto, in fact; in deed. De jure, by right or law. De novo, over again ; anew. Dramatis personcB, actors representing the charac- ters in a play. Epluribus unum, one formed of many. [The motto of the United States.] Ergo, therefore. Excelsior, loftier. Ex officio, by virtue of office. Ex parte, on one side. Exit, he goes out. Facsimile, a close imitation. Habeas corpus, you may have the body. Hicjacet, here he lies. Incognito, unknown ; dis- guised. In forma pauperis, as a pauper. In limine, at the outset. In propria persona, in his own person. In statu quo, in the same state. In terrorem, as a warning. In toto, altogether. Ipse dixit, he himself said it ; an assertion. Ipso facto, by the fact itself. Lapsus lingua, a slip of the tongue. Literatim, letter for letter. Lusus natures, a freak of nature. Magna Charta, the great charter. Halum per se, an evil of itself. Mala fide, in bad faith 128 LATIN AND FRENCH PHRASES IN COMMON USE. Maximum, the greatest. Memento morij be mindful of death. Minimum, the smallest. Mirdbile dictu, wonderful to tell. [operating. Modus operandi, mode of Multum in parvo, much in a little. [unanimously. Nem. con., no one opposing ; Ne plus ultra, the utmost extent. Ne quid nimis, nothing in excess. [willing. Nolens volens, unwilling or Nisi prius, unless before. Passim, everywhere. Per annum, by the year. Per diem, by the day. Per se, by itself. Post mortem, after death. Prima facie, on the first ap- pearance. Pro bono publico, for the public good. Pro et con, for and against. Pro re nata, for the occasion. Pro tempore (Pro tern.), for the time. Quam primum, immediately. Quantum, how much. Quantum sufficit, sufficient quantity. Quid pro quo, something for something. Quondam, formerly. Requiescat in pace, may he rest in peace. Sanctum sanctorum, the Holy of Holies. Secundem artem, according to art. [fied. Sine die, without day speci- Sine qua non, that which is indispensable. Suaviter in mo do, gently in manner. Summum lonum, the chief good. [giving. Te Deum, a hymn of thanks- Terra fir ma, solid earth. Una voce, with one voice. Ultra, beyond ; excessive. Veni, Vidi, Vici, I came, I saw, I conquered. Versus, against. Via, by the way of. Vice versa, the terms being exchanged. Viva voce, with the living Vide, see. [voice. Vox populi, the voice of the people. Beau monde, the gay world. Bon mot, a lively phrase ; a jest. Cap-a-pie, from head to foot. En masse, all together. Melee, a conflict ; a fight. Nonchalance, indifference. Sang froid, coolness ; un- concern, [ment. Soiree, an evening entertain- Sans souci, without care or anxiety. [Queen. Vivat Regina, long live the THOS. LAURIE, EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHED MUSIC. THE ELEMENTS OF MUSICAL ANALYSIS : A of the Theory of Music. By the Rev. JAMES CURRIE, Ant "Common School Education." Part I., MELODY, 2s. P; HARMONY, 2s. Or in one Vol, 4s. Gd. INFANT SCHOOL HYMNS AND SONGS, WITH Ml By the same Author. Part I., Hymns, 4d. Part II,, Son; HISTORY. A NEW HISTORY OF ROME, from the German of Mj sen. By E. BERKLEY. Crown Svo, 5s. HISTORY OF ROME for Junior Classes. By the Author. Cloth, 2s. HENRY'S FIRST HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Author of "Home and its Duties." Is. ; cloth gilt, Is. 6d. j THE LAST CENTURY OF BRITISH HISTORY, Outlines of the British Constitution, Colonies, Literature, S and Religion. By W: S. Ross. Pp.130. Is. 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