I %/* <^%>€+*kr&* +%4***\RESENTED BY ' ;a '"'ff.w;/, r !£T' *'■•« i -as here no (3) ECLECTIC EDUCATIONAL SERIE; MCGUFFEY'S NEWLY REVISED ECLECTIC FOURTH READER: CONTAINING ELEGANT EXTRACTS IN PKOSE AND POETBY, RULES FOR READING, EXERCISES IN ARTICULATION, DEFINING, ETO. 3&tebtsc& anH Sm^robctr. By Wm. H. M c GUFFEY, LL. D. REVISED ELECTROTYPE EDITION. CINCINNATI: SARGENT, WILSON & ITINKLE. NEW YORK: CLARK & MAYNARD. ^ eedg he ~~^ €iSS3 => (3) ill? SUPERIOR SCHOOL BOOKS-, EMBRACED IN THE (Sdctiit (Khtational Bitm. BEST AND CHEAPEST SCHOOL BOOKS EVER PUBLISHED. READING AND SPELLING. McGUFFEY'S ECLECTIC PICTORIAL PRIMER, for little children. McGUFFEY'S ECLECTIC SPELLING BOOK, for primary and com- mon schools. McGUFFEY'S ECLECTIC FIRST READER ; lessons in reading and spelling for the younger pupils. McGUFFEY'S ECLECTIC SECOND READER; lessons in reading and spelling for young pupils. McGUFFEY'S ECLECTIC THIRD READER, for middle classes; chaste and instructive lessons in prose and poetry. McGUFFEY'S ECLECTIC FOURTH READER, for more advanced classes ; elegant extracts in prose and poetry. McGUFFEY'S ECLECTIC FIFTH READER, (Rhetorical Guide); a rhetorical reading book for the highest classes. THE HEMANS 5 READER, for Female Seminaries. Elegant extracts in poetry and prose. NEW ENGLISH GRAMMAR. PINNEO'S PRIMARY GRAMMAR, on the analytic method ; a com- plete work for beginners in the study. PINNEO'S ANALYTICAL GRAMMAR ; a full and complete treatise, for academies and schools. ARITHMETIC. RAY'S ARITHMETIC, PART FIRST ; simple mental lessons and tables for little learners. RAY'S ARITHMETIC, PART SECOND; a complete text-book in Mental Arithmetic, by induction and analysis. RAY'S ARITHMETIC, PART THIRD ; for schools and academies ; a? full and complete treatise, on the inductive and analytic methods of instruction. ALGEBRA. RAY'S ALGEBRA, PART FIRST ; for common schools and academies, a simple, progressive, and thorough elementary treatise. RAY'S ALGEBRA, PART SECOND ; for advanced students in acade- mies, and for colleges ; a progressive, lucid, and comprehensive work. ^TEach PART of the Arithmetical course, as well as the Algebraic, is a complete book in itself, and is sold separately. Entered according to act of Congress, in the year Eighteen Hundred and Fif.y-Thr ee, by Wlnthrop B. Smith, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the ^EANKLIN TYPE FOUNDER CINCINNATI, OHIO. : PREFACE. Tins volume treads in the steps of its predecessors, as far as princi pie is concerned. The chief difference between this and the "Third Eclectic Reader " is, that the rules are more specific ; the exempli- fications more numerous ; the list of errors in pronunciation and articulation more extended ; and the questions more copious, embrac- ing a wider range, and requiring a more vigorous exercise of thought. The mind of the pupil is presumed to have expanded, as he advanced through the preceding numbers of the " Series." In this book, there- fore, he is to expect that higher claims will be made upon his powers of thought, both in the character of the lessons, and in the questions appended to them. The lessons are of a higher grade than in the preceding volumes. The author, however, ventures to predict, that if any of them shall be found unintelligible to the younger classes of readers, it will not be those of the highest character for thought and diction, and especially in the selections from poetry. Nothing is so difficult to be understood as nonsense. Nothing is so clear and easy to comprehend as the sim- plicity of wisdom. By the questions, all the pupil knows, and, sometimes more, will be put in requisition. This will not be unpleasant to those whose minds are sufficiently active and vigorous, to take delight in new efforts, and fresh acquisitions. It may even happen that some of the questions can not be answered by the instructor. Still, there 5 - nothing which an intelligent teacher of a "common school'''' might ;t be expected to learn, or easily acquire. Nothing is so well tan r, as what has been recently learned. It is, however, the wish of tfc tuthor, to incite the teacher to the adoption of the interrogative met. ^d orally, rather than confine him to the printed questions. From no source has the author drawn more copiously than from the Sacred Scriptures. For this certainly he apprehends no censure. In a Christian country, that man is to be pitied, who, at this day, can honestly object to imbuing the minds of youth with the language aud spirit of the word of God. Among the selections from the Bible are some elegant specimens of sacred poetry, as arranged by Bishop Jebb and Dr. Coit. To the present remodeled and enlarged edition, are added an intro- ductory article on reading ; definitions of the more difficult words in each lesson, in which the proper pronunciation is indicated and the part of speech denoted by the usual abbreviations ; a notation, to a considerable extent, of the proper inflection and emphasis, together with questions, and explanations of the same ; and grammatical ques- tions. To the latter the attention of the teacher is especially invited, as they form a very important and valuable feature of the work. No teacher is aware, until he tries it, how far the study of grammar and that of reading may be united, with decided advantage to both. The exercises on Articulation placed between the lessons, are also, in this edition, very much enlarged and considerably varied. With regard to the general plan of this series, as it has met so universally the approbation of intelligent critics, it needs here no explanation or defense. (3) CONTENTS DIRECTIONS FOR READING. PAGE. Preliminary Remarks, ...... 7 Articulation, 8 Tones, H Inflections (nature of)> 14 Falling Inflection, 15 Rising Inflection, 19 Rising and Falling Inflections, 21 Circumflex, .c 22 Monotone, • 23 Accent, • ...2-1 Emphasis, •• ....25 Absolute Emphasis, 25 Relative Emphasis, 26 Emphatic Phrase, • 27 Emphatic Pause, ...............27 Poetic Pauses, .28 Exercises for Practice, .............. .29 Suggestions to Teachers, *. ...32 PROSE LESSONS LESSON. PAGE. 1. Respect for the Sabbath Rewarded, Ed. Paper. 33 2. The Just Judge, Anonymous. 36 3. The Maniac, • Anonymous. 40 5. True and False Philanthropy, • Anonymous. 44 6. Control your Temper, Todd. 48 8. The "Whale-ship, Prov. Lit. Journal. 53 9. Death at the Toilet, Diary of a Physician. 57 11. Contrasted Soliloquies, Jane Taylor. 61 13. No Excellence without Labor, Wirt. 66 14. On Elocution and Reading, N. A. Review. G8 15. Necessity of Education, .....*.......... Beecher. 71 L7. A Mother's Influence, ..*..••••«.... Ladies' Magazine. 75 (iv) CONTENTS. LESSON. PAQE - 18. The Wife, W. Irving. 80 20. The Intemperate Husband, Mrs: Sigourney. 83 21. The Intemperate Husband— Continued, Mrs. Sigourney. 86 22. The Venomous Worm, » John Mussel. 88 23. The Town Pump, Hawthorne. 90 26. Au End of all Perfection, Mrs. Sigourney. 99 29. Portrait of a Patriarch, Addison. 104 31. Death of Absalom, Bible. 109 33. Speech of Logan, Chief of the Mingoes, Jefferson. 115 34. Charles II and William Penn, Friend of Peace. 117 35. Horrors of War, Robert HalL 120 37. Character of Napoleon Bonaparte, Phillips. 125 39. Capturing the Wild Horse W. Irving. 131 40. Scene at the Sandwich Islands, Stewart. 135 43. Niagara Falls, Hoivison. 144 45. The Alhambra by Moonlight, W. Irving. 151 47. A Morning Ramble, Paulding. 155 50. A Picture of Human Life, Dr. Johnson. 1G4, 51. Remarkable Preservation, Prof. Wilson. 368 53. The Righteous never forsaken, Anonymous. 175 55. Christ and the Blind Man, Bible. 181 57. The Scriptures and the Savior, Rousseau. 186 58. The Blind Preacher, Wirt. 189 61. Decisive Integrity, Wirt. 196 62. The Steamboat Trial, Abbott. 198 64. Love of Applause, • Hawes. 203 65. Tit for Tat, Miss Edgeworth. 206 67. Select Paragraphs, Bible. 21J,, 69. Criminality of Dueling, Nott. 217 70. Effects of Gambling, Timothy Flint. 219 73. Parallel between Pope and Dryden, Johnson. 230 74. Henry Martyn and Lord Byron, Miss Beecher. 233 75. Martyn and Byron, — Continued, Miss Beecher. 236 77. Chesterfield and Paul, Miss Beecher. 241 78. Religion the only basis of Society, Channing. 244 80. The Vision of Mirza, Addison. 248 84. Benefits of Literature, Lord Lyttleton. 260 85. The Bible the best of Classics, Grimke. 264 87. Value of Mathematics, E. D. Mansfield. 263 88. Value of Mathematics — Continued, E. D. Mansfield. 271 89. On Letter Writing, Blackwood's Magazine. 274 91. Rebellion in Massachusetts State Prison, Buckingham. 2S2 95. Charles De Moor's Remorse, Schiller. 296 96. Character of the Puritan Fathers of New England, Greenwood. 297 99. The Patriotism of Western Literature, Dr. Daniel Drake. 313 100. Duty of an American Orator, Grimke. 316 103. Europe and America — Washington, Webster. 324 107. The Celestial City, Bible. 331 VI CONTENTS. POETICAL LESSONS. LESSON. VA.P.E. 4. He never smiled again, • Airs. Hcmans. 42 7. The Child's Inquiry, Doane. 51 10. The Spider and the Fly, Alary Howitt. 59 12. The Pebble and the Acorn, Miss II. F. Gould. 04 1.;. True Wisdom, Dr. Cheever's Hebrew l J o>.ts. 74 19. The Winged Worshipers, Sprague. 82 24. Vision of a Spirit, Bible. 94 25. A rest for the Weary, Atontgomery. 90 27. Life and Death, New Alouthly Magazine. 101 23. The Better Land, Airs. Ilcmuns. 103 30. Ginevra, Rogers. 106 32. Absalom, Willis. 112 36. Battle of Waterloo, Byron. 123 33. Parrhasius. Willis. 128 41. Joyous Devotion, Bible. 139 42. Gods First Temples, W. C. Bryant. 140 44. Niagara Falls, U- & Review. 143 46. April Day, Anonymous. 153 48 The Death of the Flowers, W.C.Bryant. 100 49. It Snowfl, Airs. S. J. Hale. 102 52. Div:ne Providence, Bible. 173 54 The Works of God, Bible. 178 56. Apostrophe to Light, Milton. 184 53. Apostrophe to the Ocean, Byron. 192 ■'60. Nature and Revelation, Bible. 194 63. 1'rocrastination, Young. 202 66. Washing Day, Mrs. Barbauld. i09 63. A Hebrew Tale, Airs. Sigourney. 214 71. The Miser, Pollok. 223 72. Shylock, or the pound of Flesh, Shalcspeare. 225 76. Byron, Pollok. 22S 79. The Gods of the Heathen, Bible. 246 81. A Dirge, Croly. 252 82. The Fall of Babylon, JeWs Sacred Literature. 254 83. Thalaba among the Ruins of Babylon, Southey. 257 86. Midnight Musings, Young. 266 90. Prince Arthur, Shalcspeare. 278 92. The Passions, Collins. 237 93. The Amateurs, Monthly Anthology. 290 9 k Lochiel's Warning, Campbell. 293 97. William Tell Knowles. 301 93 William Tell,— Continued, Knowles. 309 101. Make Way for Liberty, Alontgomcry. 3:9 102. The American Eagle, Neal. 322 104. America— National Hymn, S. F. Smith. 3-7 105. Comfort Ye my People, Bible. 328 106. The Power of God, Bible. 330 DIRECTIONS FOR READING SECTION I, PEELIMINARY REMARKS, The great object to be accomplished in reading as a rhetorical exercise is, to convey to the hearer, fully and clearly, the ideas and feelings of the writer. In order to do this, it is necessary that the reader should himself thoroughly understand those sentiments and feelings. This is an essential point. It is true, he may pronounce the words as traced upon the page, and, if they are audibly and distinctly uttered, they will be heard, and in some degree understood, and, in this way, a general and feeble idea of the author's meaning may be obtained. Ideas received in this manner, however, bear the same resem- blance to the reality, that the dead body does to the living spirit. There is no soul in them. The author is stripped of all the grace and beauty of life, of all the expression and feeling which consti- tute the soul of his subject, and it may admit of a doubt, whether this fashion of reading is superior to the ancient symbolic or hiero- glyphic style of communicating ideas. At all events, it is very certain, that such readers, with every conceivable grace of manner, with the most perfect melody of voice, and with all other advantages combined, can never attain the true standard of excellence in this accomplishment. The golden rule here is, that the reader must oe in earnest. The sentiments and feelings of the author whose language he is reading, must be infused into his own breast, and then, and not till then, is he qualified to express them. In accordance with this view, a preliminary rule of importance is the following. R u l e. — Before attempting to read a lesson, the learner should make himself fully acquainted with the subject, as treated of in that lesson, and endeavor to make hi3 own, the feelings and sentiments of the writer. For this purpose, every lesson should be well studied beforehand, and no scholar should be permitted to attempt to read any thing, which he can not easily understand. ^Yhen he has thus identified (7) 8 DIRECTIONS FOR READING. hiAself with the author, he has the substance of all rules in his owu breast. It is by going to nature that we find rules. The child or the savage ' orator, never mistakes in inflection, or emphasis, or modulation. The best speakers and readers are those who follow the impulse of nature as felt in their own hearts, or most closely imitate it as observed in others. As the first and most important step, then, let the reader or speaker enter deeply into the feelings and sentiments, which he is about to express in the language of another. This direction is placed at the threshold of this subject, because the prevailing fault in reading is listlessness and dullness, and the principal cause of this fault, is want of interest in the subject which is or ought to be before the mind. The directions which follow upon the subject of reading, are derived from observing the manner in which the best and most natural speakers and readers express themselves, and arc presented to the learner as a standard for imitation, and by which he may judge of his deficiencies and departure from nature, and correct himself accordingly. Questions. — What is the chief design of reading? In order to do this, what is first necessary ? If a person reads without understanding the sub- ject, what is the consequence? What method of communicating ideas was used in ancient times? When is a person qualified to read well? Repeat the rule. For the purpose of being able to observe this rule, what must be done ? From whence are all rules derived ? Why is the direction, given in the ruje, placed here? SECTION II. ARTICULATION. The subject, first in order and in importance, requiring attention, is articulation. And here, it is taken for granted, that the reader is able to pronounce each word at sight, so that there may be no hesitating or repeating; that he has been taught to read with a proper degree of deliberation, so that there may be no contusion of sounds ) and that he has learned to read exactly what is written, leaving out no words and introducing none. The object to be accomplished, under this head, may be expressed by the following general direction. Give to each letter (except silent letters), to each sylla- ble, and to each word its full, distinct, and appropriate utterance. ARTICULATION. For the purpose of avoiding the more common errors under this head, it is necessary to observe the following rules. Rule I. — Avoid the omission or improper sound of unaccented vowels, whether they form a syllable or part of a syllable ; as, Separate for sep-a-rate ; met-ri-c'l for met-ric-al ; 'pear for ap-pear ; com-p'tent for com-p6-tent; pr'-cede for pre-cede; 'spe-cial for es-pe-cial ; ev'-dent for ev-i-dent; moun-t'n for mount-am ; (pro. mount-in); mem'ry for mem-o-ry ; 'pin-ion for o-pin-ion ; pr'pose for pro-pose ; gran'lar for gran-z(-lar ; par-tic'lar for par-tic-w-lar. In the above instances the unaccented vowel is omitted ; it may also be improperly sounded as in the following examples; viz., Sep-er-ate for sep-a-rate ; met-ric-id for met-ric-al ; 2£p-pear for ap- pear ; com-per-tent for com-pe-tent; dwm-mand for de-mand ; ob-stor- nate for ob-sto-nate ; mem-er-y for mem-o-ry ; wp-pin-ion for o-pin-ion ; pny?-pose for pro-pose ; gra-m/-lar for gran-w-lar ; par-tic-er-lar for par-ti(M{-lar. In correcting errors of the above kind, or of any kind, in words of more than one syllable, it is very important to avoid a fault which is the natural consequence of an effort to articulate correctly Thus, in endeavoring to sound correctly the a in metf-ric-al, the pupil is very apt to say met-ric-al! ', accenting the last syllable instead of the first. In correcting the sound of o, in pro-pose', he will perhaps pronounce it pro' -pose. This change of the accent, and all undue stress upon the unaccented syllable, should be care- fully avoided. Rule 1 1. — Guard particularly against the omission, or the feeble sound of the terminating consonant. Upon a full and correct sound of the consonants, depends very much, distinctness of utterance. The following are examples of the fault referred to in the rule ; viz., An' or un for and ; ban' for band ; moun' for mound ; mor-nin' for morn-ina ; dess for des7c ; mos' for mosque ; near-es' for nenv-est ; wep' for weptf; ob-jec' for ob-jec^; &c. This omission is still more likely to take place, where several consonants come together; as, Thrus' for thrusts ; beace for beasts ; thinks' for thinks^ ; weps' for wept'.s^ ; harms' for harms^ ; wrongs' for wrongd's^ ; twinkles' for twinkl'd'stf ; black'ns' for black'n'd's^, &c. In all cases of this kind, these sounds are omitted, in the first instance, merely because they are difficult, and require care and attention for their utterance, although, after a while, it becomes a 10 DIRECTIONS FOR READING. matter of habit. The only remedy is, to devote that care and attention, which may be necessary. There is no other difficulty, unless there should be a defect in the organs of speech, which docs not often happen. Rule III. — Avoid uniting into one word, syllables which belong to different words. This fault, when united with that last mentioned, forms perhaps: the most fruitful source of error in articulation. The following lines furnish an example. Here — res-e-zed upon th'lapper verth, A youth tofor turnan tofa munknown, Fairsci ensfrow noton ezum blebirth, Unmel anchol eniark dimfor erown. With some difficulty these lines may be deciphered to mean as follows : Here rests his head upon the lap of earth, A youth to fortune and to fame unknown, Fair science frowned not on his humble birth, And melancholy marked him for her own. Very full exercises and directions for practice in articulation, may be found in the Eclectic Second and Third Headers of this series, to which it is supposed the reader has already paid some attention. In every reading lesson, this subject should receive its appropriate attention. Between the lessons in this book, also, are examples, constituting a series of exercises upon difficult combina- tions, and upon vowel sounds, which, it is believed, will be found of great utility, and to which the learner is directed for practice. The teacher will recollect, that in correcting a fault, there is always danger of erring in the opposite extreme. Now, properly speaking, there is no danger of learning to articulate too distinctly, but there is danger of contracting a habit of drawling, and of pro- nouncing unimportant words with too much prominence. This should be carefully guarded against. It is a childish fault, but is not always confined to children. Question s. — What subject is first in importance to the reader ? Re- peat the general direction. Repeat the first rule. Give some examples in which the vowel is left out. Give some in which it is improperly sounded. In correcting these errors, what fault is it necessary to guard against? What is the second rule ? Give examples. When is the omission still more likely to take place? Give examples. What is the cause of this defect ? What is the remedy ? Is there often any defect in the organs of speech ? What is the third rule ? Illustrate it by an example. What kind of exercises are adapted for improvement in articulation \ What error must be guarded against ? TONES. 11 SECTION III. TONES. If any one will notice closely a sentence as nttered in private conversation, he will observe, that scarcely two successive words are pronounced in exactly the same tone. At the same time, how- ever, there is a certain pitch or key, which seems, on the whole, to prevail. This hey note or governing note, as it may be called, is that upon which the voice most frequently dwells, to which it usually returns when wearied, and upon which a sentence generally commences, and very frequently ends, while, at the same time, there is a considerable play of the voice above and below it. This note may be high or low. It varies in different individuals, and at different times in the same individual, being governed by the nature of the subject, and the emotions of the speaker. The range of the voice above and below this note, is called its compass. When the speaker is animated, this range is great; but upon abstract subjects, and with a dull, lifeless speaker, it is small. If, in reading or speaking, too high a note be chosen, the lungs will soon become wearied ; if too low a pitch be selected, there is danger of indistinctness of utterance; and, in either case, there is less room for variety of tone, than if one be taken between the two extremes. On this point, let the following rule be observed. Rule I. — The reader or speaker should choose that pitch, in which he can feel himself most at ease, and above and below which he may have most room for variation. Having chosen the proper key note, he should beware of confining himself to it. This constitutes monotony, one of the greatest faults in elocution. One very important instrument for giving expression and life to though \ is thus lost, and the hearer soon becomes wearied and disgusted. There is another fault of nearly equal magnitude, and of very frequent occurrence. This consists in varying the tones without any rule or guide. In cases of this kind, there seems to be a desire to cultivate variety of tone, without a knowledge of the 12 DIRECTIONS FOR READING. principles upon which it should be done. Sometimes, also, thero is a kind of regular variation, but still not connected with the sense. A sentence is commenced with vehemence, and in a high tone, and the voice gradually sinks, word by word, until, the breath being spent, and the lungs exhausted, it dies away at the close in a whisper. The habit of sing-song*, so common in reading poetry, as it is a variation of tone without reference to the sense, is a species of the fault above mentioned. If the reader or speaker is guided by the sense, and if he gives that emphasis, inflection, and expression, required by the meaning, these faults will speedily disappear. The tones of the voice should vary, also, in quantity or expression, according to the nature of the subject. We notice, very plainly, a difference between the soft, insinuating tones of persuasion • the full, strong voice of command and decision ; the harsh, irregular, and sometimes grating explosion of the sounds of passion ; the plaintive notes of sorrow and pity ; and the equable and unimpas- sioned flow of words in argumentative style. In dialogue, common sense teaches, that the manner and tones of the supposed speaker should be imitated. In all varieties of style, this is equally proper, for the reader is but repeating the language of another, and the full meaning of this can not be conveyed, unless uttered with that expression which we may suppose the author would have given to it, or in other words, which the subject itself demands. The following direction, upon this point, is worthy of attention. Rule II. — The tones of the voice should always correspond with the nature of the subject. If the following extracts are all read in the same tone and manner, and then read again with the expression appropriate to each, the importance of this point can not fail to be, at once, perceived. " Come back ! come back ! " he cries with grief, " Across the stormy water, And I '11 forgive your Highland chief, My daughter ! oh, my daughter ! " I have lived long enough : my way of life Is fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf: And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have. A very great portion of this globe is covered with water, which is called the sea, and is very distinct from rivers and lakes. TONES. 13 Burned. Marmion's swarthy cheek like fire, And shook his very frame for ire, And— " This to me ? " he said ; " An't were not for thy hoary beard, Such hand as Marniion's had not spared To cleave the Douglas 7 head ! " E'en in thy pitch of pride, Here, in thy hold, thy vassals near, I tell thee, thou 'rt defied ! And if thou said'st, I am not peer To any lord in Scotland here, Lowland or Highland, far or near, Lord Angus, thou hast lied ! " In our attempt to imitate nature it is important to avoid affecta- tion, for, to this fault, even perfect monotony is preferable. To improve the voice in all these respects, practice is necessary. To increase its compass or range of notes, commence, for example, with the lowest pitch the voice can comfortably sound, and repeat whole paragraphs and pages upon that key. Then rise one note higher, and practice on that, in the same way, then another, and so on, until the highest pitch of the voice is reached. The strength of the voice may be increased in the same way, by practicing with different degrees of loudness, from a whisper to full rotundity, taking care to keep the voice on the same key. The same note in music may be sounded loud or soft. So, also, a sentence may be pronounced on the same pitch with different degrees of loudness. Having practiced with different degrees of loudness on one key, make the same experiment on another, and then on another, and so on. It will be found, that the voice is capable of being changed and improved by exercise and practice to a much greater degree than is generally supposed. Q u est i ons. — What is meant by the key note? Is this the same at all times, and in all individuals? What circumstances cause it to differ? What is meant by compass of voice? Under what circumstances is this range great? When is it small? If too high a key note be selected, what is the consequence? If the note be too low, what danger is there? What is the rule on this subject? What is monotony? What are the evils arising from this fault? What other faults of tone are mentioned? What manner of reading poetry is mentioned? How are these faults to be corrected? What is said with regard to varying the tones in quality or expression? What is said of the reading of dialogues,