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Exercise 99 g.

Errors to be corrected.

1. Confident as you now are in your assertions, and positive as you are in your opinions, be assured the time approaches when things and men will appear in a different light to you.

2. In this age of dissipation and luxury in which we live, how many avenues are constantly open that carry us to the gates of folly!

3. Through extravagance and idleness, and vain inclination of emulating others in the splendid show of life, many run into charges exceeding their property.

4. Objects are separated from each other by their qualities; they are distinguished by the distance of time or place.

5. Clarendon, being a man of extensive abilities, stored his mind with a variety of ideas; which circumstance contributed to the successful exertion of his vigorous capacity.

6. The most high degree of reverence and attention should be paid to youth; and nothing that is indecent or indelicate should be suffered to approach their eyes or their ears.

7. He who is blessed with a clear conscience in the worst conjunctures of human life, enjoys an elevation of mind peculiar to virtue, as well as dignity and peace.

8. The hand of industry may change, in a few years, the face of a country; but to alter the sentiments and manners of a people, requires often as many generations.

9. When the human mind dwells attentively and long upon any subject, the passions are apt to grow enthusiastic, interested, and warm; and the understanding which they ought to obey, they often force into their service.

10. Some years after, being released from prison, by reason of his consummate knowledge of civil law, and of military affairs, he was exalted to the supreme power.

11. The discontented man, (as his spleen irritates and sours his temper, and leads him to discharge his venom on all with whom he stands connected,) is never found without a great share of malignity.

12. We cannot doubt but all the proceedings of Providence will appear as equitable when fully understood, and completely intelligible, as now they seem irregular.

13. All that great wealth gives more than a moderate fortune, generally is, more room for the freaks of caprice, and privilege for ignorance and vice! of flatteries a quicker succession, and a larger circle of voluptuousness.

Exercise 99 h.

Errors to be corrected.

1. The miscarriages of the great designs of princes are recorded in the histories of the world, but are of little use to the bulk of mankind, who seem very little interested in records of miscarriages which cannot happen to them.

2. Were there any man who could say, in the course of his life, that he had never suffered himself to be transported by passion, or had ever given just ground of offence to any one, such a man might, when he received from others unreasonable treatment, have some plea for impatience.

3. Christianity will, at some future period, influence the conduct of nations as well as individuals. But this will be, though its greatest, probably its latest triumph; for this can be only brought about through the medium of private character; and therefore will be not rapid in its progress, and visible at every step; but gradual and visible when considerable effects only have been produced.

4. The British constitution stands, like an ancient oak in the wood, among the nations of the earth; which after having overcome many a blast, overtops the other trees of the forest, and commands respect and veneration.

5. What an anchor is to a vessel amidst a boisterous ocean, on a coast unknown, and in a dark night, that is the hope of future happiness to the soul, when beset by the confusions of the world for in danger it affords one fixed point of rest; amidst general fluctuation, it gives security.

6. Our pride and self-conceit, (by nourishing a weak and childish sensibility to every fancied point of our own honour and interest, while they shut up all regard to the honour or interest of our brethren,) render us quarrelsome and contentious.

7. If there be any first principle of wisdom, it undoubtedly is this: the distresses that are removable, endeavour to remove; bear with as little disquiet as you can the distresses which cannot be removed: comforts are to be found in every situation and condition of life; having found them, enjoy them.

8. Instead of aspiring farther than your proper level, bring your mind down to your state; lest you spend your life in a train of fruitless pursuits, by aiming too high, and at last bring yourself to an entire state of insignificance and contempt.

9. Often have we seen, that what we considered as a sore disappointment at the time, has proved to be a merciful providence in the issue; and that it would have been so far from making us happy, if what we once eagerly wished for had been obtained, that it would have produced our ruin.

Exercise 99 i.

Errors to be corrected.

1. Can the stream continue to advance, when it is deprived of the fountain? Can the branch improve, when taken from the stock which gave it nourishment? Dependent spirits can no more be happy, when parted from all union with the Father of spirits, and the fountain of happiness.

2. Prosperity is redoubled to a good man by means of the generous use which he makes of it; and it is reflected back upon him by every one whom he makes happy: for, in the esteem and goodwill of all who know him, in the gratitude of dependents, in the attachment of friends, and the intercourse of domestic affection, he sees blessings multiplied round him, on every side.

3. Whoever would pass, with honour and decency, the latter part of life, must consider when he is young, that one day he shall be old; and remember that when he is old, he has once been young he must lay up knowledge in youth for his support, when his powers of acting shall forsake him; and forbear to animadvert in age, with rigour, on faults which experience can alone correct.

4. Let us consider that youth is of no long duration; and that when the enchantments of fancy in maturer age shall cease, and phantoms no more dance about us, we shall have no comforts but wise men's esteem, the approbation of our hearts, and the means of doing good: and let us live as men that are to grow old some time, and to whom of all evils it will be the most dreadful, to count their years past only by follies, and to be reminded of their former luxuriance of health, by the maladies only which riot has produced.

5. The man who considers the poor will give his chief anxiety to the wants of their eternity.

6. We have heard, indeed, of men who affected to hold fast by the tenets of natural religion, while they repudiated those of divine revelation.

7. I know that he is a little hypped, and a man of bizarre manners; but I take it that he is a man of undeniable character.

8. Indeed, he is an irascible fellow; for, though we merely quarrelled one day about a trifle, he stood upon an apology, and would not be reconciled by dint of all the arguments I could adduce.

9. Since this is the case, I must acknowledge and confess my fault, that I may obviate and prevent the effects and consequences of his displeasure.

10. He showed that he had a full comprehension of the whole of the plan, and of the judicious adaptation of the parts to the whole.

Exercise 99j.

Errors to be corrected.

1. Nothing can be more pleasant, than to see virtuoso's, about a cabinet of medals, descanting upon the value, the rarity, and authenticalness of the several pieces.

2. Two rival peoples, the Jews and the Samaritans, have preserved separate exemplars of it.

3. If any minister refused to admit a lecturer recommended to him, he was required to attend upon the committee.

4. A supplication of twenty days was decreed to his honour. 5. Our pleasures are purer, when consecrated by nations, and cherished by the greatest genii among men.

6. The negligence of this leaves us exposed to an uncommon levity in our usual conversation.

7. A letter, relative to certain calumnies and misrepresentations, which have appeared in the "Edinburgh Review," with an exposition of the ignorance of the new critical junto.

8. To engage a private tutor for a single pupil is, perhaps, of all others, the least eligible mode of giving literary instruction. 9. But you are too wise than to propose to yourselves an object, inadequate to your strength.

10. It was due, perhaps, more to the ignorance of the scholars, than to the knowledge of the masters.

11. No man had ever less friends, and more enemies.

12. He has wit enough to make him a pleasant companion, was it polished by good manners.

13. They form a procession to proceed the palanquin of the ambassador.

14. Without having attended to this, we will be at a loss in understanding several passages in the classics.

15. It would be injurious to his character, to suppose, that he would demean himself so far, as to be concerned in those anonymous pamphlets.

16. In order to have this project reduced to practice, there seems to want nothing more, than to put them in mind of our plan.

Exercise 100.-Lesson 100.-Pars. 698 to 718.-p. 254.

Different Kinds of Style.

Questions.-698 to 702. Name the heads under which Style may be considered. State what Style comprises with regard to the Arguments. Describe the Forcible Style. What arguments are employed in this style? Describe the Vehement Style;-the Feeble Style;-the Languid Style.

703 to 706. Describe the Concise Style. How does a writer in this style employ Ornament?-how construct his sentences? Describe the Diffuse Style. When should the Concise Style be employed?-when the Diffuse? 707 to 712. Name the kinds included under Ornament. Describe the Dry Style. Say when only this style is tolerable. Describe the Plain Style. Describe the Neat Style. Explain the construction of the sentences, and the kind of Figures employed. Say what subjects may be written in this style. Describe the Elegant Style. Explain the kind of words,-the structure of sentences,-the thoughts and figures employed. Describe the Florid

Style.

713 to 718. What does Style comprise with regard to the Structure of Sentences? Describe the Idiomatic Style. Name its excellences. Show the advantages of variety of structure. Describe the Laboured Style. Describe the Natural Style, and say to what this style is opposed. Say what the term Naturalness of Style does not mean, and what it does. To what subjects is this style adapted? Describe the Elevated Style. Show what kind of sentences and thoughts are employed. Show in what respects the Dignified diffe s from the Elevated Style. State the structure of the sentences, the ornaments, &c., of the Dignified Style. Name a few authors in the different styles.

Exercise 101.-Lesson 101.-Pars. 719 to 723.-p. 262.

Directions for Studying Style.

719 to 723. State the plan recommended with regard to the meaning of the piece; for argumentative composition ;-for descriptive and narrative pieces. Quote the observations with regard to the order which the sentiments should occupy, and the nature of the Paragraphs.

Quote the observations on the Choice of words;-the Number of words;on the Structure and Sequence of the sentences;-on the Ornament employed; -and the propriety of the figures introduced.

SPECIMENS OF STYLE.

Specimen 1.-The Means of Strengthening Faith.—ADDISON. In studying this Specimen the following Mode must be adopted :

1. Enumerate the leading points, sentiments, or principles which the author appears desirous of developing or enforcing.

2. a. State the kind of Arguments which he adopts to establish his position;-or the particulars which he selects for the exposition and illustration of the subject.

b. Notice the order in which the arguments, facts, or sentiments, are introduced, whether easy and natural, or abrupt and irregular.-c. To what class does the Specimen belong?

3. a. Notice the choice of words, whether Saxon or otherwise. -b. The number of words, and what impression is produced by this.-c. State the class.

4. Notice the Structure of sentences, whether idiomatic and

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