and they ought to be kept as distinct as possible. But, when a whole phrase takes the relation of an adjective, the words must be compounded, and the hyphen becomes necessary; as, “An inexpressibly apt bottle-of-small-beer comparison."-Peter Pindar. The occasions for the compounding of words, are in general sufficiently plain, to any one who knows what is intended to be said; but, as we compound words, sometimes with the hyphen, and sometimes without, there is no small difficulty in ascertaining when to use this mark, and when to omit it. "Some settled rulo for the use of the hyphen on these occasions, is much wanted. Modern printers have a strange predilection for it; using it on almost every possible occasion. Mr. L. Murray, who has only three lines on the subject, seems inclined to countenance this practice; which is, no doubt, convenient enough for those who do not like trouble. His words are: A Hyphen, marked thus - is employed in connecting compounded words: as, Lap-dog, tea-pot, pre-existence, self-love, tomorrow, mother-in-law.' Of his six examples, Johnson, our only acknowledged standard, gives the first and third without any separation between the syllables, lapdog, preexistence; his second and fifth as two distinct words each, tea pot, to morrow; and his sixth as three words, mother in law: so that only his fourth has the sanction of the lexicographer. There certainly can be no more reason for putting a hyphen after the common prefixes, than before the common affixes, ness, ly, and the rest."-Churchill's Gram., p. 374.

Accord

OBS. 9.-Again: "While it would be absurd, to sacrifice the established practice of all good authors to the ignorance of such readers [as could possibly mistake for a diphthong the two contiguous vowels in such words as preexistence, cooperate, and reeter]; it would unquestionably be advantageous, to have some principle to guide us in that labyrinth of words, in which the hyphen appears to have been admitted or rejected arbitrarily, or at hap-hazard. Thus, though we find in Johnson, alms-basket, alms-giver, with the hyphen; we have almsdeed, almshouse, almsman, without and many similar examples of an unsettled practice might be adduced, sufficient to fill several pages. In this perplexity, is not the pronunciation of the words the best guide? In the English language, every word of more than one syllable is marked by an accent on some particular syllable. Some very long words indeed admit a secondary accent on another syllable; but still this is much inferior, and leaves one leading accent prominent: as in expostulatory. ingly, when a compound has but one accented syllable in pronunciation, as night' cap, bea'stead, broad'sword, the two words have coalesced completely into one, and no hyphen should be admit ted. On the other hand, when each of the radical words has an accent, as Chris'tian-name', broad-shouldered, I think the hyphen should be used. Good-natured is a compound epithet with two accents, and therefore requires the hyphen: in good nature, good will, and similar expressions, good is used simply as an adjective, and of course should remain distinct from the noun. Thus, too, when a noun is used adjectively, it should remain separate from the noun it modifies; as, a gold ring, a silver buckle. When two numerals are employed to express a number, without a conjunction between them, it is usual to connect them by a hyphen; as, twenty-five, eighty-four: but when the conjunction is inserted, the hyphen is as improper as it would be between other words connected by the conjunction. This, however, is a common abuse; and we often meet with five-d-twenty, six-&-thirty, and the like."-Ib., p. 376. Thus far Churchill: who appears to me, however, too hasty about the hyphen in compound numerals. For we write one hundred, two hundred, three thousand, &c., without either hyphen or conjunction; and as five-and-twenty is equivalent to twenty-five, and virtually but one word, the hyphen, if not absolutely necessary to the sense, is certainly not so very improper as he alleges. "Christian name" is as often written without the hyphen as with it, and perhaps as accurately.

IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.

ERRORS IN THE FIGURE, OR FORM, OF WORDS.

UNDER RULE I.-OF COMPOUNDS.

"Professing to imitate Timon, the man hater."-Goldsmith's Rome, p. 161. [FORMULE-Not proper, because the compound term manhater is here made two words. But, according to Rule 1st," Words regularly or analogically united, and commonly known as forming a compound, should never be needlessly broken apart." Therefore, manhater should be written as one word.]

"Men load hay with a pitch fork."— Webster's New Spelling-Book, p. 40. "A pear tree grows from the seed of a pear."-Ib., p. 33. "A tooth brush is good to brush your teeth."-Ib., p. 85. "The mail is opened at the post office."-Ib., p. 151. "The error seems to me two fold."-Sanborn's Gram., p. 230. "To pre-engage means to engage before hand.". Webster's New SpellingBook, p. 82. "It is a mean act to deface the figures on a mile stone."-Ib., p. 88. "A grange is a farm and farm house."-Ib., p. 118. "It is no more right to steal apples or water melons, than money."-Ib., p. 118. "The awl is a tool used by shoemakers, and harness makers."—Ib., 150. "Twenty five cents are equal to one quarter of a dollar."-Ib., p. 107. "The blowing up of the Fulton at New York was a terrible disaster."-Ib., p. 54. "The elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu."-Scorт: 2 Kings, x, 5. "Not with eye service, as

p.

According to Aristotle, the compounding of terms, or the writing of them as separate words, must needs be a matter of great importance to the sense. For he will have the parts of a compound noun, or of a compound verb, to be, like other syllables, destitute of any distinct signification in themselves, whatever may be their meaning when written separately. See his definitions of the parts of speech, in his Poetics, Chapter 20th of the Greek; or Goulston's Version in Latin, Chapter 12th.

men pleasers."-Bickersteth, on Prayer, p. 64. "A good natured and equitable construction of cases."-Ash's Gram., p. 138. "And purify your hearts, ye double minded."-Gurney's Portable Evidences, p. 115. "It is a mean spirited action to steal; i. e. to steal is a mean spirited action." -Grammar of Alex. Murray, the schoolmaster, p. 124. "There is, indeed, one form of orthography which is a kin to the subjunctive mood of the Latin tongue."-Booth's Introd. to Dict., p. 71. "To bring him into nearer connexion with real and everyday life."-Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 459. The common place, stale declamation of its revilers would be silenced."-Ib., i, 494. "She formed a very singular and unheard of project."-Goldsmith's Rome, p. 160. "He had many vigilant, though feeble talented, and mean spirited enemies."-ROBERTS VAUX: The Friend, Vol. vii, p. 74. "These old fashioned people would level our psalmody," &c.-Music of Nature, p. 292. "This slow shifting scenery in the theatre of harmony."-Ib., p. 398. "So we are assured from Scripture it self."-Harris's Hermes, p. 300. "The mind, being disheartered, then betakes its self to trifling."-R. Johnson's Pref. to Gram. Com. "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them."-Beacon, p. 115: SCOTT, ALGER, FRIENDS: John, xx, 23. "Tarry we our selves how we will."-Walker's English Particles, p. 161. "Manage your credit so, that you need neither swear your self, nor want a voucher."- -Collier's Antoninus, p. 33. "Whereas song never conveys any of the above named sentiments."-Rush, on the Voice, p. 424. "I go on horse back."-Guy's Gram., p. 54. "This requires purity, in opposition to barbarous, obsolete, or new coined words."-Adam's Gram., p. 242; Gould's, 234. "May the Plough share shine."-White's Eng. Verb, p. 161. "Which way ever we consider it."-Locke, on Ed., p. 83. "Where e'er the silent (e) a Place obtains,

The Voice foregoing, Length and softness gains."-Brightland's Gr., p. 15.

UNDER RULE II.-OF SIMPLES.

"It qualifies any of the four parts of speech abovenamed."-Kirkham's Gram., p. 83. [FORMULE-Not proper, because abovenamed is here unnecessarily made a compound. But, according to Rule 24. When the simple words would only form a regular phrase, of the same meaning, the compounding of any of them ought to be avoided." Therefore, above and named should here have been written as two words.]

"After awhile they put us out among the rude multitude."- -Fox's Journal, Vol. i, p. 169. "It would be ashame, if your mind should falter and give in."-Collier's Meditations of Antoninus, p. 94. "They stared awhile in silence one upon another."-Rasselas, p. 73. "After passion has for awhile exercised its tyrannical sway."-Murray's Gram., ii, 135 and 267. "Though set within the same general-frame of intonation."-Rush, on the Voice, p. 339. "Which do not carry any of the natural vocal-signs of expression."-Ib., p. 329. "The measurable constructivepowers of a few associable constituents."-Ib., p. 343. "Before each accented syllable or emphatic monosyllabic-word."-Ib., p. 364. "One should not think too favourably of oneself.”—See Murray's Gram., Vol. i, p. 154. "Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you."Barclay's Works, Vol. i, p. 355. "I judge not my ownself, for I know nothing of my ownself."Wayland's Moral Science, p. 84. "Though they were in such a rage, I desired them to tarry awhile."-Josephus, Vol. v, p. 179. "A instead of an is now used before words beginning with long."-Murray's Gram., p. 31. "John will have earned his wages the next new-year's day." -Murray's Gram., p. 82. "A new-year's-gift is a present made on the first day of the year." See Johnson, Walker, Webster, et al. "When he sat on the throne, distributing new-year's-gifts." -STILLINGFLEET, in Johnson's Dict. "St. Paul admonishes Timothy to refuse old-wives'-fables." -Author. "The world, take it altogether, is but one."-Collier's Antoninus, B. vii, Sec. 9. writings of this stamp we must accept of sound instead of sense."-Murray's Gram., p. 298. male-child, A female-child, Male-descendants, Female-descendants."— Goldsbury's C. S. Gram., p. 13; Rev. T. Smith's Gram., p. 15. "Male-servants, Female-servants. Male-relations, Femalerelations."-Felton's Gram., p. 15.

"In "A

"Our discriminations of this matter have been but four footed instincts."-Rush, on the Voice, p. 291.

[FORMULE-Not proper, because the term four footed is made two words, as if the instincts were four and footed. But, according to Rule 3d, "Words otherwise liable to be misunderstood, must be joined together, or written separately, as the sense and construction may happen to require." Therefore, four-footed, as it here means quadruped, or having four feet, should be one word.]

"He is in the right, (says Clytus,) not to bear free born men at his table.”—Goldsmith's Greece, Vol. ii, p. 128. "To the short seeing eye of man, the progress may appear little."-The Friend, Vol. ix, p. 377. "Knowledge and virtue are, emphatically, the stepping stone to individual distinction."-Town's Analysis, p. 5. "A tin peddler will sell tin vessels as he travels."- Webster's New Spelling-Book, p. 44. "The beams of a wood-house are held up by the posts and joists."Ib., p. 39. "What you mean by future tense adjective, I can easily understand."-Tooke's Diversions, Vol. ii, p. 450. "The town has been for several days very well behaved."-Spectator, No. 532. A rounce is the handle of a printing press."-Webster's Dict.; also El. Spelling-Book, p.

118.

"The phraseology we call thee and thouing is not in so common use with us, as the tutoyant among the French."- Walker's Dict., w. Thy. "Hunting, and other out door sports, are generally pursued."-Balbi's Geog., p. 227. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden."SCOTT, ALGER, FRIENDS: Matt., xi, 28. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son to save it."-Barclay's Works, i, p. 71. See Scorr's BIBLE: John, iii, 16. "Jehovah is a prayer hearing God: Nineveh repented, and was spared."-N. Y. Observer, Vol. x, p. 90. "These are well pleasing to God, in all ranks and relations."-Barclay's Works, Vol. i, p. 73. "Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle."-Numb., xvii, 13. "The words coalesce, when they have a long established association."-Murray's Gram., p. 169. "Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go in to them."-OLD BIBLE: Ps., cxviii, 19. "He saw an angel of God coming into him."-See Acts, x, 3. "The consequences of any action are to be considered in a two fold light."- Wayland's Moral Science, p. 108. "We commonly write two fold, three fold, four fold, and so on up to ten fold, without a hyphen; and, after that, we use one."-Author. See Matt., xiii, 8. "When the first mark is going off, he cries turn! the glass holder answers done!"-Bowditch's Nav., p. 128. "It is a kind of familiar shaking hands with all the vices."Maturin's Sermons, p. 170. "She is a good natured woman;" "James is self opinionated;" “He is broken hearted." ·Wright's Gram., p. 147. "These three examples apply to the present tense construction only."-Ib., p. 65. "So that it was like a game of hide and go seek."—Edward's First Lessons in Grammar, p. 90.

"That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,

Whereto the climber upward turns his face."-Bucke's Gram., p. 97.

UNDER RULE IV:-OF ELLIPSES.

"This building serves yet for a school and a meeting-house."

[FORMULE.-Not proper, because the compound word schoolhouse is here divided to avoid a repetition of the last half. But, according to Rule 4th," When two or more compounds are connected in one sentence, none of them should be split to make an ellipsis of half a word." Therefore, "school" should be "schoolhouse," thus, "This building serves yet for a schoolhouse and a meeting-house."]

"Schoolmasters and mistresses of honest friends [are] to be encouraged."—N. E. Discipline, p. XV. "We never assumed to ourselves a faith or worship-making-power."-Barclay's Works, Vol. i, p. 83. "Pot and pearl ashes are made from common ashes."-Webster's New Spelling-Book, p. 69. "Both the ten and eight syllable verses are iambics."-Blair's Gram., p. 121. "I say to myself, thou, he says to thy, to his self; &c."-Dr. Murray's Hist. of Europ. Lang., Vol. ii, p. 121. "Or those who have esteemed themselves skilful, have tried for the mastery in two or four horse chariots."-Zenobia, Vol. i, p. 152. "I remember him barefooted and headed, running through the streets.". Castle Rackrent, p. 68. "Friends have the entire control of the school and dwelling-houses."-The Friend, Vol. vii, p. 231. "The meeting is held at the first mentioned place in the first month, at the last in the second, and so on."-Ib., p. 167. "Meetings for worship are held at the same hour on first and fourth days."-Ib., p. 230. "Every part of it, inside and out, is covered with gold leaf."-Ib., p. 404. "The Eastern Quarterly Meeting is held on the last seventh day in second, fifth, eighth, and eleventh month."-Ib., p. 87. "Trenton Preparative Meeting is held on the third fifth day in each month, at ten o'clock; meetings for worship at the same hour on first and fifth days.”—Ib., p. 231. 'Ketch, a vessel with two masts, a main and mizzen-mast."-Webster's Dict., "I only mean to suggest a doubt, whether nature has enlisted herself as a Cis or Trans-Atlantic partisan?"-Jefferson's Notes, p. 97. "By large hammers, like those used for paper and fullingmills, they beat their hemp."-MORTIMER: in Johnson's Dict. "Ant-hill, or Hillock, n. s. The small protuberances of earth, in which ants make their nests." Ib. "It became necessary to substitute simple indicative terms called pro-names or nouns.' Enclytica, p. 16.

66

"Obscur'd, where highest woods, impenetrable

To star or sun-light, spread their umbrage broad.”—Milton.

UNDER RULE V.-THE HYPHEN.

Evilthinking; a noun, compounded of the noun evil and the imperfect participle thinking; singular number;" &c.-Churchill's Gram., p. 180.

[FORMULE-Not proper, because the word evilthinking, which has more than one accented syllable, is here compounded without the hyphen. But, according to Rule 5th, "When the parts of a compound do not fully coalesce, or when each retains its original accent, so that the compound has more than one, or one that is movable, the hyphen should be inserted between them." Therefore, the hyphen should be used in this word; thus, evil-thinking.]

Evilspeaking; a noun, compounded of the noun evil and the imperfect participle speaking.”— Ib. "I am a tall, broadshouldered, impudent, black fellow."-SPECTATOR: in Johnson's Dict. "Ingratitude! thou marblehearted fiend."-SHAK.: ib. "A popular licence is indeed the manyheaded tyranny."-SIDNEY: ib. "He from the manypeopled city flies."-SANDYS: ib. “He many languaged nations has surveyed."-POPE: ib. "The horsecucumber is the large green cucumber, and the best for the table."-MORTIMER: ib. "The bird of night did sit, even at noonday, upon the market-place."-SHAK.: ib. "These make a general gaoldelivery of souls, not for punishment."-SOUTH: ib. Thy air, thou other goldbound brow, is like the first.”—SHAK.: ib.

"His person was deformed to the highest degree; flatnosed, and blobberlipped."-L'ESTRANGE: ib. "He that defraudeth the labourer of his hire, is a bloodshedder."-ECCLUS., xxxiv, 22: ib. Bloodyminded, adj. from bloody and mind. Cruel; inclined to blood-shed."-See Johnson's Dict. "Bluntwitted lord, ignoble in demeanour."-SHAK.: ib. "A young fellow with a bobwig and a black silken bag tied to it."-SPECTATOR: ib. "I have seen enough to confute all the boldfaced atheists of this age."-BRAMHALL: ib. "Before milkwhite, now purple with love's wound."-SHAK. ib. "For what else is a redhot iron than fire? and what else is a burning coal than redhot wood?"-NEWTON: ib. "Pollevil is a large swelling, inflammation, or imposthume in the horse's poll, or nape of the neck just between the ears."-FARRIER: ib.

"Quick-witted, brazenfac'd, with fluent tongues,

Patient of labours, and dissembling wrongs."-DRYDEN: ib.

UNDER RULE VI.-No HYPHEN.

"From his fond parent's eye a tear-drop fell."-Snelling's Gift for Scribblers, p. 43.

[FORMULE-Not proper, because the word tear-drop, which has never any other than a full accent on the first syllable, is here compounded with the hyphen. But, according to Rule 6th, "When a compound has but one accented syllable in pronunciation, and the parts are such as admit of a complete coalescence, no hyphen should be inserted between them." Therefore, teardrop should be made a close compound.]

66

66

"How great, poor jack-daw, would thy sufferings be!"-Ib., p. 29. "Placed like a scare-crow in a field of corn."- Ib., p. 39. "Soup for the alms-house at a cent a quart."-Ib., p. 23. • Up into the watch-tower get, and see all things despoiled of fallacies."-DONNE: Johnson's Dict., w. Lattice. "In the day-time she sitteth in a watchtower, and flieth most by night."-Bacon: ib., w. Watchtower. "In the daytime Fame sitteth in a watch-tower, and flieth most by night."ID.: ib., w. Daytime. "The moral is the first business of the poet, as being the ground-work of his instruction."-DRYDEN: ib., w. Moral. "Madam's own hand the mouse-trap baited."-PRIOR: b. Mouse-trap. By the sinking of the air-shaft the air hath liberty to circulate."-RAY: ib., . Airshaft. "The multiform and amazing operations of the air-pump and the loadstone."WATTS: ib, w. Multiform. "Many of the fire-arms are named from animals."-Ib., w. Musket. "You might have trussed him and all his apparel into an eel-skin."-SHAK.: ib., w. Truss. "They may serve as land-marks to shew what lies in the direct way of truth."-LOCKE: ib., w. Landmark. "A pack-horse is driven constantly in a narrow lane and dirty road.”—Id. ib., w. Lane. "A mill-horse, still bound to go in one circle."-SIDNEY: ib., w. Mill-horse. "Of singing birds they have linnets, goldfinches, ruddocks, Canary-birds, black-birds, thrushes, and divers others"-CAREW: ib., w. Goldfinch. "Of singing birds, they have linnets, gold-finches, blackbirds, thrushes, and divers others."-ID.: ib., w. Blackbird. "Of singing birds, they have linnets, goldfinches, ruddocks, canary birds, blackbirds, thrushes, and divers other."-ID.: ib., w. Canary bird. "Cartrage, or Cartridge, a case of paper or parchment filled with gun-powder."-Johnson's Dict., 4to.

"Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,
The time of night when Troy was set on fire,
The time when screech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl."

SHAKSPEARE: ib., w. Silent.

"The time when screech-owls cry, and bandogs howl."

IDEM.: ib., w. Bandog.

PROMISCUOUS ERRORS IN THE FIGURE OF WORDS.

LESSON I-MIXED.

"They that live in glass-houses, should not throw stones."-Old Adage. "If a man profess Christianity in any manner or form soever."- Watts, p. 5. "For Cassius is a weary of the world." -SHAKSPEARE: in Kirkham's Elocution, p. 67. "By the coming together of more, the chains were fastened on."- Walker's Particles, p. 223. "Unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.”—Jer., i, 3. “And the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad."-Numbers, xxxiv, 8. "And the goings out of it shall be at Hazar-enan."—Ib., ver. 9. "For the taking place of effects, in a certain particular series."-Dr. West, on Agency, p. 39. "The letting go of which was the occasion of all that corruption."-Dr. J. Owen. "A falling off at the end always hurts greatly."-Blair's Lect., p. 126. "A falling off at the end is always injurious."-Jamieson's Rhetoric, p. 127. "As all holdings forth were courteously supposed to be trains of reasoning."Dr. Murray's Hist. of Europ. Lang., Vol. i, p. 333. "Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."-Micah, v, 2. "Some times the adjective becomes a substantive."-Bradley's Gram., p. 104. "It is very plain, I consider man as visited a new."-Barclay's Works, Vol. iii, p. 331. "Nor do I any where say, as he falsely insinuates."-Ib., p. 331. "Every where, any where, some where, no where."-Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 55. "The world hurries off a pace, and time is like a rapid river."-Collier's Antoninus, p. 58. "But to new model the paradoxes of ancient skepticism."-Brown's Estimate, Vol. i, p. 102. "The south east winds from the ocean invariably produce rain."-Webster's Essays, p. 369. "North west winds from the high lands produce cold clear weather."-Ib. "The greatest part of such tables would be of little use to English men."-Priestley's Gram., p. 155. "The ground floor of the east wing of Mulberry street

meeting house was filled."-The Friend, vii, 232. "Prince Rupert's Drop. This singular production is made at the glass houses."-Red Book, p. 131.

"The lights and shades, whose well accorded strife

Gives all the strength and colour of our life."-Murray's Gram., p. 54; Fisk's, 65.

LESSON II-MIXED.

66

"In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah." -1 Kings, xvi, 15. "In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah, began Omri to reign over Israel."-Ib., xvi, 23. "He cannot so deceive himself as to fancy that he is able to do a rule of three sum."-Foreign Quarterly Review. "The best cod are those known under the name of Isle of Shoals dun fish."-Balbi's Geog., p. 26. "The soldiers, with down cast eyes, seemed to beg for mercy."-Goldsmith's Greece, Vol. ii, p. 142. "His head was covered with a coarse worn out piece of cloth."-Ib., p. 124. "Though they had lately received a reinforcement of a thousand heavy armed Spartans."-Ib., p. 38. "But he laid them by unopened; and, with a smile, said, 'Business to morrow.' "-Ib., p. 7. Chester monthly meeting is held at Moore's town, the third day following the second second day."-The Friend, Vol. vii, p. 124. Eggharbour monthly meeting is held the first second day."—Ib., p. 124. "Little Egg Harbour Monthly Meeting is held at Tuckerton on the second fifth day in each month."-Ib., p. 231. "At three o'clock, on first day morning the 24th of eleventh month, 1834," &c.—Ib., p. 64. "In less than one-fourth part of the time usually devoted.”—Kirkham's Gram., p. 4. "The pupil will not have occasion to use it one-tenth part as much."-Ib., p. 11. "The painter dips his paint brush in paint, to paint the carriage."-Ib., p. 28. "In an ancient English version of the New-Testament."-Ib., p. 74. "The little boy was bare headed."-Red Book, p. 36. "The man, being a little short sighted, did not immediately know him."—Ib., p. 40. "Picture frames are gilt with gold."-Ib., p. 44. "The park keeper killed one of the deer."-Ib., p. 44. "The fox was killed near the brick kiln." -Ib., p. 46. "Here comes Esther, with her milk pail."—Ib., p. 50. "The cabinet maker would not tell us."-Ib., p. 60. A fine thorn hedge extended along the edge of the hill.”—Ib., p. 65. "If their private interests should be ever so little affected."—Ib., p. 73. "Unios are fresh water shells, vulgarly called fresh water clams.”—Ib., p. 102.

"Did not each poet mourn his luckless doom,

Jostled by pedants out of elbow room."-Lloyd, p. 163.

LESSON III-MIXED.

"The captive hovers a-while upon the sad remains."-PRIOR: in Johnson's Dict., w. Hover. "Constantia saw that the hand writing agreed with the contents of the letter."-ADDISON: ib., w. Hand. "They have put me in a silk night-gown, and a gaudy fool's cap."—ID.: ib., w. Nightgown. "Have you no more manners than to rail at Hocus, that has saved that clod-pated, numskull'd ninnyhammer of yours from ruin, and all his family?"-ARBUTHNOT: ib., w. Ninnyhammer. "A noble, that is, six shillings and eightpence, is, and usually hath been paid."-BACON: ib., w. Noble. "The king of birds thick feather'd and with full-summed wings, fastened his talons east and west."-HOWELL: ib., w. Full-summed. "To morrow. This is an idiom of the same kind, supposing morrow to mean originally morning: as, to night, to day.”—Johnson's Dict., 4to. "Today goes away and to-morrow comes."-Id., ib., w. Go, No. 70. 'Young children, who are try'd in Go carts, to keep their steps from sliding."-PRIOR: ib., w. Go-cart. "Which, followed well, would demonstrate them but goers backward."-SHAK.: ib., w. Goer. "Heaven's golden winged herald late he saw, to a poor Galilean virgin sent."-CRASHAW: ib., w. Golden. My penthouse eye-brows and my shaggy beard offend your sight."-DRYDEN: ib., w. Penthouse. "The hungry

lion would fain have been dealing with good horse-flesh."-L'ESTRANGE: ib., w. Nag. "A broad brimmed hat ensconced each careful head."-Snelling's Gift, p. 63. "With harsh vibrations of his three stringed lute."-Ib., p. 42. "They magnify a hundred fold an author's merit."-Ib., p. 14. "I'll nail them fast to some oft opened door."-Ib., p. 10. "Glossed over only with a saint-like show, still thou art bound to vice."-DRYDEN: in Johnson's Dict., w. Gloss. "Take of aquafortis two ounces, of quick-silver two drachms."-BACON: ib., w. Charge. "This rainbow never appears but when it rains in the sun-shine."-NEWTON: ib., w. Rainbow.

"Not but there are, who merit other palms;

Hopkins and Stern hold glad the heart with Psalms."

British Poets, Lond., 1800, Vol. vi, p. 405.

CHAPTER IV. OF SPELLING.

Spelling is the art of expressing words by their proper letters. This important art is to be acquired rather by means of the spelling-book or dictionary, and by observation in reading, than by the study of written rules; because what is proper or improper, depends chiefly upon usage.