difplay of it, as any compofition whatever. A gentle fatire, a repartee, or a burlesque, may sometimes be introduced with fuccefs; nay, it is often expected, in letters on domeftic fubjects, between familiar friends. It is needlefs to give copies of letters on different occafions, in fuch a number as is ufually done; the fubjects of letters being as various as those of converfation: any attempt, therefore, to give fpecimens of letters, to ferve for every purpose for which the writer may have occafion, muft be abfurd. A learner who copies his letter from any prece dent, will not be able to express his own thoughts with ease and freedom. By being confined to a copy, from which he will find it difficult to depart, his letters will carry an awkward stiffness and formality; and he will be a long time before he acquires that freedom, and unadorned elegance, always expected in extemporary writing. To form an epiftolary writer no more is requifite than an intimate acquaintance with English grammar; whereby he will be able to deliver his fentiments with propriety in converfation. If he poffefs this qualification, it will fuperfede the neceffity of any artificial helps; but if this be wanting, other affiftances will be of little ufe, except to serve to publifh his deficiency to his correfpondents. Nevertheless, in conformity to general cuftom, I have added a few examples. It need hardly be mentioned, that the name, by which the person is addreffed, be placed on the left hand fide of the page, at the top of the letter; and the letter begun just under it: the name of the writer at the bottom of the letter, on the right hand; the date of the letter, either on the right hand, at the top of the letter, or on the left, and at the bottom: and the letter fhould conclude with the name by which the receiver of it is addressed at the beginning. From From a Mafter to his Scholar, during the Holidays. Dear George, I take the first opportunity that has offered, to inquire after your health, and that of your friends. And I expect, that you will regularly anfwer each of my letters, that, during this time of leifure, I may have an opportunity of obferving, whether you remember, or have forgotten, the rules I formerly gave you, concerning writing letters. I now, therefore, call upon you to put those rules into practice. But, willing to grant you every indulgence at this time of feftivity, and left your recollection fhould not be so clear, as when in conftant exercife, I shall briefly repeat thofe rules, to which, I hope, you will pay a strict attention, You remember, no doubt, my first direction was, to be very correct and circumspect in your spelling: this is the first, and most effential requifite in all kinds of writing: and make use of no word, of which you do not perfectly understand the ferife. The vulgar part of the world, in general, are very much addicted to this abfurdity. You will, now, often hear people condemn a work, as ungrammatical, and deficient in the ornaments of style, though themselves be unacquainted with the first form of grammar, and know not the meaning of a flower in rhetoric.-Avoid repetitions: they always offend the judicious ear, and are feldom proper, except when they enforce any particular meaning, or explain it more fully. Parentheses are always inelegant, and fhould never be used but when abfolutely neceffary), as they render the fentence too complex. Never use the long in a word, except when two meet, in which cafe it is neceffary for diftinction. A letter interlined has a very ungraceful appearance; it is also an affront: for it indicates either lazinefs or indifference, or both. Ufe no capital letters, but at the beginning of a sentence, to proper names, and to the first word of every line in poetry. When you wish to lay a ftrong emphasis on any word, or in tend tend that it should be particularly noticed, it is common to draw a stroke under it with the pen, thus; fuch words, when printed, are put into Italics; but when thefe emphatical words are employed too frequently, they lose their effect, and when ufed improperly, they puzzle the reader. Beware of ufing many monofyllables, they are infignificant words; nor use many too long words, left you exceed comprehenfion. Shun particles, as much as poffible: be very fparing of your ands, fors, and buts. Be not fond of inventing new words; there are enough, already, to exprefs all our ideas; and more, I fear, than you will ever fully comprehend. Be attentive to the rules of grammar, and do not jumble the prefent, past, and future times of the verb together; as many incorrect writers do neither confound the genders of the pronoun; nor ufe the fingular, for the plural verb; which is frequently done: as, you was, for you were. If the fentence be conditional, ufe the conditional mode. and perfpicuous, and your fentences fhort: let it be as concife as poffible; for a prolix writer tires the patience of his reader. Obferve that your points be all placed juftly, which will add grace and perfpicuity to your writing. These hints I hope will be attended to: let me fee the effects of them in your next letter; while I remain, with compliments to your father and mother, Dear George, Let your ftyle be fimple Berkshire, Jan. 2, 1803. Your fincere friend, &c. &c. Honoured Sir, The Scholar's Answer. I return you my fincere thanks for the kind attention you fhew me. It fhall always be my study and ambition to follow your inftructions. I never write a letter to any of my friends, but I pay a particular regard to all the directions you have given me, on the subject of letter-writing. I exercife myself daily, in grammar, arithmetic, or fome other part of literature; my father infifts upon my setting apart two hours every morning for that purpose. My father and mother defire, their best respects to you, and return you their kind thanks for the trouble you have taken in your late letter. I remain, with the greatest respect, London, Jan, 10, 1803. Honoured Sir, Your very much obliged. GEORGE ***. A Letter from a Father to his Son, at School, My dear Boy, I am exceedingly happy to hear of the great progrefs you have made in your learning. I hope you will continue to pay the fame attention to all your mafler's instructions as you have done hitherto. I have herewith fent you a prefent of a gold watch; which I defign, in the first place, as an encouragement for you to proceed; and in the fecond place, as a monitor to remind you of the fwiftnefs and importance of time. This little machine travels with the hours, yet keeps pace with months; it keeps time with minutes, yet does not outrun years. Whenever you look upon this little prompter, let it remind you of your time. Every complete revolution of the minute-hand filently informs you, that there has elapsed, what a whole world cannot redeem-an hour of your precious time. And, though you may perform in the following hour, or half-hour, the business. that should have been done in the foregoing hour, yet you muft remember, that one hour is for ever irrecoverably loft. The whole life of man, at the longeft, is but fhort; there is no time to lofe. Though you make the best use of your VOL. I. L time * time poffible, while young, you will hereafter (if you have any serious reflection) chide yourself, that you improved your time no better. Suffer no portion of your time, though ever so small, to pafs unemployed; but let me give you the advice which Lord Chesterfield gives his fon, on this subject: "Take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves." I have read of an Augustine monk, who kept a daily diary of his time, for upwards of thirty years, that he might know how many hours, out of each twentyfour, he had employed in literary and religious exercises, how many in fleep, how many in the neceffary avocations of the day, and how many he had fhamefully loft in floth, or unprofitable converfation. And Cato, having spent a day in which he had done nothing, thought it a matter of such confequence, as to be lamented during the reft of his life. I do not mean by what I have faid, that I would have you always at your book, and allow you no time for recreation. In the hours appointed for play, if you find yourself so difposed, join in the diverfions of your companions; but if, at any of these times, you prefer your book, either to anticipate your future tasks, or to refer to any of those you have gone through, it will better aufwer the purpose of your residence at fchool, which is to improve your mind in ufeful knowledge, and not in childish sports; it will redound more to your prefent credit, and contribute infinitely more to your future advantage. All that I mean by what I have advanced, is, that I would never have you perfectly idle, When you are not at your play, be at your work; and when you are not engaged at your work, you may join in play at the appointed times, but no others. Beware of an inanimate indolence; fome boys are too great cowards to play, and too great dunces to learn. Hence they stand idle fpectators of all that pafs, and generally, in the iffue, prove idle men, who are the most unprofitable animals in the creation. The Arabians have a proverb, that" an idle perfon is a playfellow for the devil." And it |