A*. 'fs^ * '?«?* .0*" V *?^T« A <> '».." ** V % *% ^ J Sa XT* A * v ^ ^0 «\ V 4 o. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER; CALCULATED TO SUCCEED THE ENGLISH AND OTHER SPELLING-BOOKS: CONTAINING A SELECTION OF THE PRINCIPAL PART OF THE WORDS IN COMMON USE, DIVIDED, ACCENTED, DEFINED, AND THEIR PRONUNCIATION ACCURATELY POINTED OUT. ADAPTED TO THE ORTHOGRAPHY AND PRONUNCIATION OF WALKER. INTERSPERSED WITH INSTRUCTIVE AND ENTERTAINING a&eafctufl 3Ltuntmn ; TO WHICH IS ADDED A COMPREHENSIVE ABRIDGEMENT OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR. BY RENSSELAER BENTLEY, AUTHOR OF THE ENGLISH SPELLING-BOOK. * With boys, those things which tend most to nourish the genius, and to enlarge the mind, are proper to be read/ 1 Quintillian. FOURTH EDITION. PUBLISHED BY CLARK & HOSFORD. ». ADAHCOVRT, PRINTER, 1829. Southern District of New- York, ss. * £-* \ wV^ t Be it remembered, That on the eighth day of October A. D. 1824, in the forty-ninth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Rensselaer Bentlet of the said District, hath deposited in this office the title of a book the right whereof he claims as author and pro- prietor in the words following-, to wit : " The American instructor ; calculated to succeed the English and other Spelling-books ; containing a selection of the principal part of the words in common use, divided, accented, defined, and their pronun- ciation accurately pointed out. Adapted to the orthography and pro- nunciation of Walker. Interspersed with instructive and entertaining Reading Lessons : to which is added a comprehensive abridgment of English Grammar. By Rensselaer Bentley, author of the English Spelling-Book. " Witn boys, those things which tend most to nourish the genius, and to enlarge the mind, are proper to be read." Quin« TILLIAN. In conformity to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled '• An act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of - Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned." And also to an act, entitled "An act supplementary to an act, entitled an act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein men- tioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, en- graving, and etching historical and other prints." JAMES DILL, Clerk of the Soidhern District of New- York, To all persons to whom these presents shall come, Greeting : I CERTIFY" that Rensselaer Bentley has, this third day of Ja- nuary, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twen- ty-five, and of Independence the forty-ninth, deposited in the Office of the Department of State, a certain Book consisting of 238 pages, en- titled, " The American Instructer ; calculated to succeed the English and other Spelling-books ; containing a selection of the principal part of the words in common use, divided, accented, defined, and their pro- nunciation accurately pointed out. Adapted to the orthography and pronunciation of Walker. Interspersed with instructive and enter- taining Reading Lessons : to which is added a comprehensive abridg- ment of English Grammar. By Rensselaer Bentley, author of the English Spelling-Book. " With boys, those things which tend most to nourish the genius, and to enlarge the mind, are proper to be read." Quintillian. The copy-right whereof is claimed by Rensselaer Bentley, as au- thor and proprietor, under the provisions of" An act for the encour- agement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned," passed on the 31st day of May, A D. 1790, and of" An act supplementary to an act, entitled ' An act for the encour- agement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the time therein mentioned, 1 and extending the benefits thereof, to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching, historical and other prints," passed disadvantage while pursuing the common course of study \ in which they often form Very erroneous ideas of the defini- tion of many xvords, by not having a suitable book to refer to; and when once they have formed a wrong idea of words, it is difficult to make them sensible of their errour. I hope that Parents and Instructers will consider this subject well, and decide whether it would not be better for the scholar to become acquainted with those words which are mostly used, as soon as he shall be able to comprehend their meaning. While he is engaged in studying the definition of words, he is at the same time improving himself in reading, which ren- ders the study more important, as he is receiving informa- tion in two different ways at the same time. All that is generally thought necessary to be comprehen- ded in teaching children to read, is, a correct pronunciation of the words made use of in reading, with due attention to emphasis and cadence, together" with suitable modulation^ of the voice. But the faculties of speech, with the finest mod illations of the voice, are of but little use without understand- ing. It is of great importance in teaching children to read, to teach them to understand what they read: and in order to understand what they read, they must become acquaint- ed with the definition of the words they make use of in read- ing. In consequence of their not understanding the defini- tion of words, their books become a task to them; they con- tract a dislike to reading; and deriving neither information nor satisfaction from their books, they fall into habits of carelessness and inattention, which perhaps they may never have the fortitude to overcome through life. But if their minds are excited to inquiries after the meaning of words, to the exercises of reflection, to the fixing of the attention, and to the cultivation of the memory, they will arrive to an un- derstanding of many ideas of the writer, which otherwise would have been wholly lost to them. These impressions once made upon the tender mind, will be durable ; they will grow with their growth, and increase with their years. Particular care has been taken to select such pieces for reading, as are adapted to the understanding, and pleasing to the taste of youth ; and at the same time calculated to in- stil into their tender minds, moral and virtuous sentiments. Nothing has been intentionally admitted, but what was thought consistent with the purity of morality and religion, PREFACE. IX und calculated to impress upon the juvenile mind, the love of piety and virtue, and to form a taste for reading. The great importance of early instructing youth in the principles on which our language is constructed, has been an inducement to add to the present work an abridgment of English Grammar. Our Grammars, in general, are so vo- luminous, so much is offered at the first view, that it often dogs the mind of the young pupil ; and instead of becoming a pleasing and interesting study, it often becomes a dry and disagreeable one. Grammar is generally considered as a laborious and irksome task ; children frequently labour year after year without making much progress ; while the whole blame is to be attributed to the unskilful method of instruc- tion. Yet, by taking it up in a natural and simple manner, and gradually developing its difficulties and intricacies, it may be so arranged, as to become a pleasing study. The . present work is stripped of every thing but what is consider- ed essential ; the definitions of the different parts of speecli are interspersed with easy parsing lessons, with the applica- tion of the rules of Syntax, which renders the study at once easy and inviting. It contains matter sufficient to give the pupil a good knowledge of Etymology and Syntax ; and the arrangement, explanations, and specimens of parsing, are such as will, w T ith a little application, enable him to parse the English Language with accuracy. Having illustrated the views which enticed me to the ^present undertaking, I cheerfully submit the following work to the candour and discernment of an enlightened commu- nity. If, upon examination, it should be found to contain any improvements by which the understanding and faculties of youth may be more effectually called forth into operation. my utmost wish will be gratified. R, B „ SOME DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE FOLLOWING WORK, The pupil, in the first place, should be made acquainted with the key to the pronunciation of the words in the spel- ling sections ; likewise with the rules and observations for assisting scholars to read with propriety. He should then proceed in spelling or pronouncing the words, and reading their definition, together with the reading sections, as they are arranged. The Teacher should frequently exercise his pupils in giv- ing the definition of words ; allowing them time to study the lesson, after which he should put out the words, and they should spell them and give their definition. By exercising them in this manner, they will soon become acquainted with the meaning of the principal part of the words they are to make use of through life. After the pupil has sufficiently studied this part of the work, it will be necessary for him to commence the study of grammar, which next occurs. While pursuing the study of grammar, this book will serve him instead of a dictionary, to ascertain the different parts of speech, and the definition of words ; as about all the words made use of in common writing are inserted in it. Thus, the present work wil serve as a reading book, and a grammar, and instead of a dictionary* DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRONUNCIATION OF WORDS IN THE SPELLING SEC- TIONS OP THE FOLLOWING WORK. A TAB1E Representing the different sounds of the simple and diphthong' al vowels referred to by the figures in the following work. Figure 1 represents the long sound of 0, as in late, ta-per ; 1 1 the long sdurid of e or ee } as in me, meet ; 1 1 the long sound of z, as in bile, bi-ble ; 1 1 « the long sound of o or oo } as in dote, door ; 1 l the long sound of u or ew y as in mute, mewl ; 1 1 the long sound of y, as in style, ty-rant. Figure 2 represents 2 2 the short sound of a, as in mat, mar-ry ; 2 2 the short sound of e, as in bet, bet-ter ; 2 2 the short sound of ?, as in pin, tit-tie ; 2 2 the short sound of u } as in cup, but-ter ; 2 2 the short sound of y, as in hymn, sys-tem. Figure 3 represents 3 S the long sound of broad a, as in wall, wa-ter 3 the long sound of broad a made by aw, as in law ; 3 the long sound of broad a made by 0, as in corn. Figure 4 represents 4 4 the flat sound of a, as in farm, mar-ket. J 2 THE AMERICAN INSTItUCTER. Figure 5 represents 6-6 the short sound of broad a, as in wad, wal-let ; 5 5 the short sound of broad 0, as in not, mod-era. Figure 6 represents \ 6 6 the sound of oo proper, as in noon, gloom-y ; 6 the sound of oo proper made by 0, as in prove ; 6 the sound of 00 proper made by w, as in rule Figure 7 represents 7 7 the sound of 00 short, as in hood, wool-ly ; 7 the sound of 00 short made by 0, as in wolf ; 7 the sound of 00 short made by u, as in full. Figure 8 represents 8 the sound of u short made by e, as in her ; 8 the sound of u short made by i, as 10 dirt ; 8 the sound of u short made by 0, as in love ; 8 the sound of u short made by 00, as in flood. Figure 9 represents 9 9 the sound of a long made by e, as in tete, rein. \ Figure 10 represents 10 10 the sound of e long made by *, as in shire, pique* The diphthongs oi and oy represent 8 2 oi cy the long broad 0, and the short i, as in boil, cloy. The diphthongs on and ow represent 3 7 oh on the long broad 0, and the short 00, as in pound, brow. Silent letters are distinguished by being printed in Italick characters ; as in nigh, wrap, &nave, dead, &c. S y when printed in Italick, has the sound of %\ as in xqs% pronounced reze. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 13 r €r has its hard sound at the end of words, and before a, o, u, I, and r ; and its soft sound like J* before e, i, and y ; unless otherwise defined. In the combinations "ion, ien, ian, ier, iar, ious, iour, ium ; ial ; &c. i has the sound of y; unless otherwise denned. N When i } and y, end an unaccented syllable, they are generally pronounced like long e ; as in neg'li-gent, IWer-ty, pronounced neg'le-gent, lib'er-te, &e. except when y is preceded by/, in which case it has its long sound 5 as in jus'ti-fy, pronounced jus^e-fi. JVhas the sound of ng when it ends an accented syllable and is followed by k, q, c ox g hard, and likewise when followed by k in the same syllable 3 thus, an'ger, can'ker, thank, are pronounced ang ger, kang'ker, thangk, &c. X has the sound of ks, except when followed by an accented syllable be- ginning with a vowel or with h, in which it has the sound of gz ; (unless otherwise defined j) thus, exact is pronounced egzact. W, when followed by h in the same syllable, is pronounced after it 3 thus, whale is pronounced hwale, &c. C has its hard sound like k at the end of syllables and words, and before a, o, u, h, I, r, and t ; and its soft sound like s before e, i, and y ; unless otherwise denned. Ch, when immediately preceded by I or n in the same syllable, has the sound ofsh; unless otherwise defined. The different sounds of th are represented thus 3 the first or sharp sound, as in " think„ thin, hath," &c. the second or flat sound, as in " THe, THat, THine," &c. Aw and au when printed in Roman characters, have the sound of broad a long 3 as in law, haul. Ew has the sound oft* long 3 as in hew, mew. Gh has the sound of/*, unless otherwise defined. JPh has the sound of f, unless otherwise defined. Le at the end of syllables and words, printed in Roman characters, has the sound of a weak el, or I only 3 thus, ta'ble is pronounced ta'bl, &c. jR'eatthe end of words, has the short sound of ur3 thus, fi'bre is pronounc- ed fl'bur, &c. When e, in the termination age, is printed in Italick, the preceding a Has the sound of short i ; as in village, pronounced viWid^&c. unless otherwise defined. • ^ When e terminates a syllable, where thj? preceding vowel sound in the same syllable is long, it is printed in a Roman character, as in " late^ shire, there 5" in other terminations it is printed in Italick. The combinations tion, and sion, are* pronounced like shun : tious, cious, eeoits, and scious, like shus : cial, and iial, like shal : dan, like shan : science, and tience, like shens : tient, cient, and sient, like shent. In the Spelling Sections of the following work, the letters have their na- tural sound, unless otherwise defined 3 le, ck, bb, dd, ee, 00, 11, ff ? ss, &c.' are all printed in Roman characters, although one letter would be suffi- cient to express the sound. Such words as are irregular, and not easily pronounced by their customary letters, are written the second time with such lettersasgive the right sound 5 or their pronunciation defined in some other way. In order to give a correct pronunciation to the words, they are divided as they are pronounced in the New- York stereotype edition of Walker's Dic- tionary.* — Mr. Walker, in speaking of the division of words into syllables, observes, that " Dr. LowthVrule is certainly to be followed," which is, " The best and easiest rule, for dividing the syllables in spelling, is, to divide them as they are naturally divided in a right pronunciation, without regard to the derivation of words, or the possible combination of consonants, at the begin- ning of a syllable." * Some words, wher^Ahe letters have vicarious sounds, are differently di- vided j as previous, am-bi'tion, pronounced prfcBh'us, am-blsh'un, &c/ihi§ bejng the mo#t natural, and cufctonaary division. d 14 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED General Rules and Observations, for assisting Schol~ ars to Read with Propriety. The art of reading, is that system of Tides, which teaches us to pronounce written composition with justness, energy, variety, and ease. These rules consist, principally, in the modulation of the voice, comprising accent) emphasis, cadence, pauses, and inflection. Accent is a greater force or stress of voice on one sylla- ble of a word than another, that it may be better heard than the rest, or distinguished from them. The accented sylla- bles should be pronounced with a forcible stress of voice ; the unaccented, with less stress, but distinctly. Emphasis is a particular force of the voice, by which we distinguish the most important word or words in a sentence. The words which are emphatical, are opposed to, or con- trasted with some other words either expressed or under- stood ; as in the following passage ; " 'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill Appear in writing, or in judging ill : But of the two, less dangerous is the offence To tire our patience, than mislead our sense. 71 In this passage, the words in Itaiicks are emphatical. In the second line, judging is opposed to writing ; in the fourth, mislead is opposed to tire, and sense to patience.* Cadence is a«fall or degression of the voice, and general- ly takes place at the close if a sentence. Pauses are marks of silence, usedjn punctuation. Punctuation is the art of dividing a written composition into sentences or parts of sentences, by points or stops, for the purpose of marking the different pauses which the sense requires. Inflections are those slides of the voice either upward or downward, which, in a great measure, constitute the har- mony of pronunciation. • The rising inflection is that upward turn of the voice we generally use at the comma, or in asking a question begin- ning with a verb ; as, No, say you ; did he say. No ? . The falling inflection is generally use the element in which we breathe Bane, n. poison, mischief,ruin BaTHe, v, to wash in water Beak, n* the bill of a bird Beam, n. a main timber; part of a balance ; ray of light Beast, n. an irrational animal Beef, n. the flesh of cattle Bind, v. to confine, fasten Bite, v. to crush with the teeth Blade, n. spire of grass ; the sharp part of a weapon Blame, v. to censure Blaze, n. a flame ; v. to flame Bleach, v. to whiten Bleed, v. to lose or let blood Blind, a. without sight, dark Bloat, v y to swell, to puff up Board, w.a thin piece of wood Boast, v., to brag, magnify Brain, n. a soft substance within the skull, the seat of sensation and intellect for Participle ; for Adverb ; for Preposition ; for Conjunction ; for Interjection. pa, ad, pr, conj, int, 1 Bold, a. daring, confident Brave, a. courageous, gallant Break, v. to part by force ; to tame Breeze, n. a gentle wind Bribe, n. a reward given to pervert judgement ; v. to give bribes Bright, a. shining, clear Brine, n. salt pickle, the sea Cage, n, a place of confine- ment Cake, w. a kind of delicate bread Cape, n. headland ; part of a coat Care, n. caution, anxiety Case, n. a covering, sheath, outer part of a thing Cave, ra.a cavern, den, hollow Cease, v.to stop, be at an end Chair, n. a moveable seat Chain, n. a line of links; v. to fasten with a chain Chaise, [shaze] n. a carriage Change, v. to alter, to mend 2* 18 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Chase, v. to hunt, to pursue ; ». a pursuit Chaste, a. undefiled, pure Cheap, a. at a low price Cheat, v. to defraud ; n. a fraud, trick Cheek, n. side of the face Cheer, v. to comfort, to incite Cheese, n. food made of milk Chide, v. to reprove, blame Chief, a. principal, capital ; n. a leader, a commander Child, n. an infant, an off- spring Choke, into suffocate, stop up, hinder, suppress Claim, ??,. a demand, title ; v. to demand of right Clay, 7i. a sort of earth C^ean,a. free from dirt, neat, elegant Clear, a. bright, transparent, free from mixture, pure Cleave, v. to divide, to split Clim6, v. to ascend Close, v. to shut, to finish, to join [ure Coach, n. a carriage of pleas- Coat, n. the upper garment Coax, v. to flatter, entice Code, n. a book of the civil law Cold, a. not hot, frigid Colt, n. a young horse Cream, n. the oily part of milk Creed, n. a confession of faith Creep, v. to move slowly, to loiter, [fault Crime, n. an offence, great Cube, n. a square solid body Cure, v. to heal, to restore to health Deed, n. an action ; written evidence Dire, a. dreadful, dismal Dive, v. to go under water Door, w. gate of a house, pas- sage Doze, v to slumber, to stupify Dram, v. to empty, to make dry [duck Drake, n. the male of the Dream, n. thoughts in sleep Drive, v, to force, urge, guide Dry, a. having no moisture Ear, n. the organ of hearing ; spike of corn Ease, ik to free from pain; n+ quietness Eat, v. to derour with the mouth, to consume [face Face, n. the visage, front,sur- Fade, v. to lose colour, to wither Fail, v. to be deficient ; to omit ; to break in business Faith, n. belief, fidelity Fame, n. renown, reputation Fate, n. destiny, event Fear, n. dread, awe, anxiety ; v. to dread Feast, n. a sumptuous meal Feat, n. an action, exploit Feed, v. to supply with food Few, a. not many Fiend, n. an enemy, infernal being Fierce, a. violent, furious Fife, n. a small pipe or wind instrument of musick Fight, v. to contend in battle Find, v. to obtain by search- ing, discover Flail, n. an instrument to thrash with THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 19 Flame, «. a blaze, a stream of fire ; v. to blaze Fire, n. the element that burns Fleam, n. an instrument to bleed cattle [sheep Fleece, n. the wool of one Fleet, n. a number of ships in company Float, v. to swim on the water Floor, n. the bottom of a room Flow?, v. to run, to overflow Flue, n. pipe of a chimney ; soft down or fur Flute, n. a musical pipe Fly, n. an insect Foam, w. froth, spume Foe, n. an enemy, opponent Fold, n. a pen for sheep ; v. to double up FoZks, #. people, mankind Force, n. violence, strength Fort, n. a fortified place, for- tification Frail, a. liable to errour, weak Frame, n. a case, form, order Fray, n. a quarrel, battle, broil Free, v. to set at liberty ; a. liberal Freeze, v. to congeal by cold Fright, v. to terrify, to daunt Fume, n. vapour, smoke, pas- sion Gam, «. profit, benefit ; v. to obtain, to win Gale, n. a blast of wind Game, n. a play, sport Gate, w. a large door, an en- trance Ga?fge,ra. a measure, a standi ard ; v. to measure the con- tents of a vessel Gay, a. ^airy, merry, fine, showy 1 Gaze, v. to look earnestly GAost, n. a spirit, an appari- tion Gleorn, n. a sudden shoot of light Glee, n. joy, mirth, merrimenl Glide, v. to flow gently Globe, w.a round body, sphere Glue, n. a strong cement used to join substances Go,*?, to walk, move, proceed Goad, n. a stick used to drive oxen Gold, w. the most valuable of all metals, money Grace, n. favour, virtue, par- don, beauty, ornament Grain, n. corn ; the seed of fruit; a small particle Grave, n. a place for the dead; a. sober, solemn Gray, a. white mixed with black Graze,!?, to eat grass; to touch lightly Grease, ?i.Jat, the soft part of fat Green, a. unripe ; not dry ; n. a colour ; a grassy plain Greet, v. to salute, address Grief, ti. sorrow, trouble Grieve, v. to mourn, to lament Gripe, v. to hold fast, squeeze Grove, n. a small wood, a walk shaded by trees Grow,*?, to vegetate,, to in- * crease [crease Growth, ?i, vegetation, in- Gwide, v. to direct, to conduct G&ile, ?2» deceit, fraud Haste, n. hurry, speed,passion Hate, v. to detest, abhor, dis- like 20 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Hay, n. grass dried for fodder Heap, n. a pile,crowd, cluster Heat, n. warmth, passion ; v. to make hot [tion Heed, n. care, caution, atten- Hei^/it, to* extension upwards, utmost degree Hide, v. to conceal, lie hid ; n. the skin of an animal High, a. tall, lofty Hive^ n. a place for bees Hoarse, a. having a rough voice, rough, harsh Hoe, n. an instrument used to- cut up earth Hole, 71. a hollow place, cavity Home, n. a place of constant residence Hope ? w.a desire of some good Host, n. a landlord, master ; an army, any great number Huge, a. vast, immense Ice, n. frozen water Ire, n. anger, rage^ wrath Jail, n. a prison, place of con- finement [mock Jeer, v. to, scoff, to make Joke, n. a jest ; v. to jest, to be merry Juice, ?i. sap in vegetables : fluid in animals June, w. the sixth month of the year Keel, n. the bottom of a ship Keen, a. sharp, eager Keep, v, to retain, preserve Key, n. an instrument to open a lock ; a tone in musick Kind, a. benevolent, good Kite, n. a bird of prey ; a fic- titious bird made of paper .Kneel, v. to bend the knee, to rejt on the knee ,^ Ifnife, n. a steel utensil to cut with Kno?v> v. to understand ; X® perceive with certainty Lake, w. a large inland water Lame, a. crippled j v . to cripr pie Lane, n. a narrow street La?/, v. to put, to place Lead, v. to guide, to conduct Leaf, n. part of a tree, book, table, &c. League, ?i. a confederacy ; a measure of three miles Leak, v. to drop, run out Lean, v. to rest against, to bend; a. meager, thin, poor Leap, v. to jump, to bound ; n. a jump Lease, m. a temporary con- tract for land Least, a. the smallest Leave, v. to quit, forsake ; n. permission,liberty, farewell Lee, n. the side opposite to the wind Lees, n. dregs ? sediment Life, n. the present state of existence Light, 7i. that by which we see ; a. not heavy ; v. to kindle, to inflame Like, v. to be pleased with* ; a. resembling Lime, n. a viscid substance of which mortar is made ; a species of lemon Line, n. a string ; a mark Lo, int. look ! see ! behold ! Load, n. a burden, a freight ; v. to burden ; to charge a gun Loaf, n. a mass of bread THE AxMERICAN INSTRUCTED 21 LoaTHe, v. to hate, abhor Lone, a. single, without com- pany Low, a. not high ; weak ; mean Mail, n. armour ; a bag of post-letters [cripple Maim, v. to hurt, wound, Main, a. chief, principal Maize, n. Indian corn Make, v. to create, to form Mane, n. the hair on the neck of a horse Mare, n, the female of the horse kind Mate, n. a companion ; sec- ond in command May, n. the fifth month of the year ; v. to be permitted Mead, n. a drink made of honey and water Meal, n. the edible part of corn ; a repast Mean, a. base, low ; n. medi- um, method ; v. to intend Meat, n. flesh to be eaten Meek, a. mild of temper, humble, gentle Meet, v. to join, to come to- gether Wight, n. power, strength Mild, a. kind, tender [rods Mile, n. the distance of 320 •Mind, n. intelligent power, opinion ; v. to mark, regard Mine, n. a place that contains minerals ; pro. belonging, to me Mire, n. mud, wet dirt Mite, w. a small particle; a very small. insect Moan, v. to lament, grieve Mnde, n, form, fashion^ Mole, n? a natural spot ; a small animal Mope, v. to be stupid More, a. a greater number or quantity Most, a. greatest in number or quantity [of matter Mote, n. a very small particle Mowrn, v. to grieve, lament Mow, v.'to cut with a scythe Muse, n. deep thought^; the power of poetry ; v% to pon- der, to study Mute, n. a letter without a sound ; a. silent, dumb Nail, n. an iron spike ; the horny substance at the ends of the fingers and toes Name, n. an appellation, title-; v. to give a name ; to men- tion by name Nay, ad. no, b} r no means Neat, a. elegant, clean, pure New, a. fresh, modern, late News, n. fresh accounts of transactions Niece, n. the daughter of a brother or sister [sunrise Night, n. time from sunset to No, ad. a word of denial Nose, n. part of the face Oak, n. the name of a tree Oar, n. an instrument to row with Oath,??, a solemn or profane appeal to the Divine Being Oats, n. a species of grain Old, a. not new, ancient t Ore, 7i. metal unrefined Page, n. one side of a leaf Pail, n. a wooden vessel Pain, n. sensation of uneasi* ness ; penalty 22 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCT Pair, n. a couple, two things suiting one another Pale, a. faint of lustre, whitish Pane, ft. a square of glass Pare, v. to cut off the surface Pate, ft. the head Pave, v. to lay with stones or brick Pay, 77. to discharge a debt ; ft. wages Peace, ft. rest, quietness ; re- spite from war [sounds Peal, n. a succession of loud Pear, n. a kind of fruit Peel, v. to pare, to take the rind off Peer, ft. a nobleman ; an equal Pew, ft. a seat enclosed in a church Piece, ft. a part,a composition Pier, ft. the column or sup- port of an arch ; a wharf or mound in a river or sea Pierce, v. to penetrate, enter Pile,«. aheap; piece of wood Pine, n. a tree ; 77. to languish Pint, ft. half a quart Pipe, w. a tubr J an instrument ofmusick; two hogsheads Place, ft. locality ; residence ; rank; v. to rank, fix Plagwe, n. pestilence ; v. to trouble, vex Plate, ft. a dish to eat on ; wrought silver Play, v. to sport, to frolick ; ft. recreation ; a drama Plea, ft. form of pleading ; ex- cuse Plead, #. to argue, defend Please, v. to delight, gratify Pole, ft. a long staff 5 a mea- sure of 5 \ yards Poll, ft. the head ; a list of voters at an election Porch, n. a portico, a covered walk [ration Pore, ft. a passage of perspi- Pork, n. swine's flesh [wine Port, ft. a harbour ; kind of Post, ft. a piece of timber; a messenger ; office Prai.se, ft. commendation,hon- our ; 77. to commend, extol Pray, v. to entreat, suppli- cate, implore Preach, v. to deliver a pub- lick discourse on religious subjects Price, ft. value, estimation Pride, ft. self-esteem, haughti- ness Prime, n. the spring of life, best part ; 77. to put pow- der into the pan of a gun Prize, ft. a reward gained ; 77 to rate, to value [ment Probe, ft. a surgeon's instru- Prose, ft. the usual way of speaking or writing ; in op- position to verse Pure, a. unsullied, clear Quail, ft. the name of a bird Quake, v. to shake with cold or fear Queen, ft. the wife of a king Queer, a. odd, strange, droll Quire, ft. 24 sheets of paper Quite, ad. completely, per- fectly Race, ft. a running match ; family, a particular breed Rage, w. violent anger ; r. to be in a fury Rain, n. water falling from the clouds , THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED '23 SECTION III. The diligent Scholar. Who is he that comes along so briskly with a small basket on his arm ? His limbs are strong and active, his cheeks are ruddy, and his countenance is cheerful and good humoured. It is the diligent scholar : he is hastening to school that he may be there in time. It is very seldom that he is a minute after the time fixed, either in the morn- ing, or in the afternoon. He is not afraid of summer's heat, or winter's cold, nor of a little snow T or rain. His teacher tells him that he should be very regular in attending school, in order that he may learn well and quick ^and he always likes to please and oblige his teacher, and to do as he desires. During school time, he always sits or stands in his own place ; and he never goes out of the school with- out his teacher's leave. He reads no book at school but such as his teacher tells him to read. He is very careful not to do any mischief, or put any thing out of its proper place. He is desirous to learn something useful every day, and to remember what he has learned: and he is scarce- ly satisfied with himself, if he does not find that he im- proves every day he lives. When he is at school, he remembers that it is out of kindness and love to him that his parents or guardians have senthim there, or procured him the liberty of going. He takes care not to disappoint them in their views, nor grieve them nor his careful teacher^ by being neg- ligent and careless of his book ; but applies himself with the utmost diligence, to whatever studies or business his master appoints him. In going to "and from school, as well as at all other times, he is careful to behave with decency and respect to every one, whether rich or poor, old or young. He will by no means say or do any thing that would offend any person ; neither torture nor abuse any living treature ; because he is willing to do in all cases, as he would wish to be done unto. 24 THE AMERICAN ixNSTRUCTER^ • The diligent scholar is one who loves, honours and x obeys his parents and teacher, by paying them the ut- most deference and respect, by a becoming reverence for them, a filial affection for their persons, «a tender re- gard for their safety and preservation, a constant and cheerful attention to their advice, and a ready and im- plicit obedience to their commands. His parents, brodiers and sisters, and all his friends, - love him. His teacher loves him too, and commends him very much to all who make inquiries about him, and often speaks of his good conduct to the other scho- lars, and wishes them to take pattern by him, and be- have as he does. When he leaves school, he often thinks of what he learned there, and tries to remember it, and to improve himself in it. He is thankiul to his parents and to his teacher, who were so good to him, and took so much pains to instruct him; and especially he will be thank- ful to God who gave him such kind parents, and so good a teacher. SECTION IV. 1 Reflections on Sun-set/ * Behold now the beautiful evening drawing her sa- ble curtain over the world. All circumstances concur to hush our passions, and soothe our cares; liberty, that dearest of names, and health, the greatest of bless- ings, *give an additional and inexpressible charm to every delightful object. See how that glorious luminary beautifies the western clouds, descending lower, and lower, till his chariot wheels seem to hover on the utmost verge of day. The ground is now overspread with glimmering shades, ma* king a most beautiful landscape. The melodious tribe of feathered songsters, full of grateful acknowledgments, are now paying their last tribute of harmony, and soothing themselves to rest with a song of praise to the great Creator. See ! the distant eminences are tipt with streaming gold ; the loftiest trees THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 25 m the groves, and distant towers, catch the last smiles of day ; all nature still irradiated by the departing beams. But alas ! how transient is the distinction ! how mo" mentary the gift! Like all other blessings which mor- tals enjoy on earth, it is gone almost as soon as granted. See how languishingly it trembles on the lofty spires. The lowing herds are slowly bending their way along the verdant meadow to meet the milk-maid with her pail, who daily robs them of their sweets gathered from nature. The flowers fold up their coloured leaves, and hang their heads on the slender stalk ; and even the gamesome lambs have grown weary of their frolicks. The little vivacity that remains of day, decays every moment. It can no longer hold its station. While I speak, it expires, and resigns the silent world to night. SECTION V. Select Sentences. No man is born wise ; but wisdom and virtue require a tutor ; though we can easily learn to be vicious with- out a teacher. Idleness is the parent of want, and of pain ; but the labour of virtue brings forth pleasure. The hand of diligence defeats want : prosperity and success are the industrious man's attendants. Economy is the foundation of liberality, and the pa- rent of independence. Diligence, industry, and a proper improvement of time, are material duties of the young. Avoid all harshness in behaviour ; treat every one with that civility which springs from a mild and gentle heart. By taking revenge, a man is but equal with his ene- my ; but in passing it over, he is superiour. ( Caution is a necessary lesson to be learned by youth ; and perseverance, one of the best qualities they can be endowed with. It is wiser to prevent a quarrel beforehand, than t* revenge k afterwards. 3 26 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Learning is the temperance of youth, the comfort of old age, and the only sure guide to honour and prefer- ment. Modesty always sits gracefully upon youth ; it covers a multitude of faults, and doubles the lustre of every virtue which it seems to hide. Nothing more engages the affections of men, than a handsome address, and graceful conversation. Our conversation should be such, that youth may therein find improvement, women modesty, the aged re- spect, and all men civility. The happiness of the body, consists in health ; that of the mind, in knowledge. True piety is the foundation of good morals, and a disposition particularly graceful and becoming in youth. Virtue is never safe but when she is secured by the guard of prudence : discretion is her handmaid, and wisdom her counsellor and instructer. Virtue's the friend of life, the soul of health, The poor man's comfort, and the rich man's wealth. SECTION VI. Monosyllables continued. \ 1 Raise, v. to lift, erect, exalt, elevate Rake, n. a farming utensil ; a loose disorderly fellow Rare, a. scarce, uncommon Rate, n, a price ; a tax ; v. to value Ray, n. a beam of light Reach, v. to hold out ; to ar- rive at Read, v. to peruse Ream, w. 20 quires of paper Reap, v. to cut down grain Rear, v. to raise up ; n. the hinder troop ; last class Reed, w. a plant,sniaU pipe Reel, n. a frame on which yarn is wound ; v. to wind on a reel ; to stagger RAyme, to. to agree in sound ; n. harmony of verses, po- etry Rice, n. a kind of esculent grain Ride, v. to be carried on horseback, or in a vehicle RigAt, a. fit, just ; n. justice Rind, w. bark, husk, skin Ripe, a. mature, complete Rise, v. to get up, ascend Rive, v. to split, to cleave Road, n. a way for travelling THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 27 Roam, v> to wander, ramble Roar, v. to make a loud noise Roast, v. to cook meat before the fire Robe, w. a dress of dignity Roe, n. the female of the hart Rogwe, n. a knave, a rascal Roll, v. to move in a circle, to enwrap Rope, n. a cord, string, halter Rose, ?i. a fragrant flower Rote, n. words uttered by mere memory Row, n. a number of things * placed in a line ; v. to im- pel by oars Rye, n. a kind of grain Safe, a. free from danger Sage, a. wise, grave; n. a plant; a man of .wisdom Sail, n. a canvass sheet ; v. to be moved by the wind Saint, n. a person eminent for piety Sale, n. the act of selling Same, a. of the like kind Save, v. to preserve from dan- ger or destruction Say, v. to speak, utter Scale, n. part of the covering of a fish ; a balance Scarce, a. uncommon, rare Scare, v. to frighten, to terrify Scene, n. part of a play, an appearance Scheme, n. a plan, project Scold, v. to find fault Scrape, v. to pare lightly ; erase ; n. difficulty Screak, v. to make a shrill noise Scream, v. to cry out vio- lently Sea, n. the ocean, a collection of water Seal, n. a stamp, mark ; t\ to fasten with a seal Sear, v. to burn Seat, n. a chair, bench See, v. to perceive by the eye Seed, n. that which produces Seek, v. to look for, solicit Seem, v. to appear SeeTH, v. to boil, to make hot Seme, n. a net used in fishing Seize, v. to take by force, to grasp Shade, n. a shadow Shake, v. to tremble, to totter Shame, n. disgrace Shape, n. a form ; v. to form Share, n. a portion, a part ; v* to divide Shave, v* to pare, to cut off Sheaf, n. a bundle of grain Shear, v. to clip, to cut off Sheath, n. a scabbard, the case of any thing SheaTH, v. to put into a sheath Sheep, n. the animal that bears wool Sheet, n. a piece of paper ; linen for a bed ; a sail Shield, n. a buckler, defence Shine, v. to glitter, to glisten Shore^ n, the bank of a river, the coast of a sea Show, v. to exhibit to view ; n. a sight, exhibition Shriek, n. a cry of anguish or horrour ; v. to scream Sight, n. perception by the eye , [token Sign, v. to subscribe ; w. a Size, n. bulk, bigness J Skate^n. a kind of sliding sh©0 m THE AMERICAN WSTRUCTER* Sky, w. the region which sur- rounds the earth, the fir- mament Slate, ft. a gray stone Slave, «. one deprived of freedom Slay, v. to kill, to murder Sleep, n. repose, slumber Sleeve, ». the dress covering the arm Slice, v. to cut into thin pieces Slide, v. to move on a slippery surface Slight, v. to neglect, scorn Sloth, n. laziness ; an animal Slow, a. not swift, dull Sly, a. meanly artful, cunning Smile, v. to express pleasure •by the countenance ; ft. a look of pleasure Smite, v. to strike, destroy Smoke, n. a sooty exhalation Snake, ft. a serpent Snare, ft. a net, a trap Sneer, ». to show contempt ; «. a scornful look Sneeze, v. to emit wind audi- bly by the nose Snipe, n. a kind of bird Snow, n. water frozen in flakes So, ad. in like manner, thus Soak, v. to steep, to wet Soap, ft. a substance used in washing [high Soar, v. to fly aloft, to rise Sole, ft. the bottom of the foot or shoe [painful Sore, n. a place tender and Sow!, ti. the immortal P art °^ man, the spirit Source, n a spring, head \ original cause Sow, v. to scatter, to spread Space, n. extension, room Spade, n. a sort of shovel Spare, v. to do without ; a. scanty, lean Speak, v. to utter articulate sounds, to talk [on Spear,ft. a long pointed weap- Speech, n. articulate utter- ance, talk ; an oration Speed, ft. quickness, haste Sphere, w. a globe, orb ; com- pass of knowledge or action Spice, ft. a vegetable produc- tion flagrant to the smell Spike, ft. a nail ; an ear of corn Spite, ft. malice, rancour Spleen, ft. ill humour ' f Spoke, ft. part of a wheel Sport, w. play, diversion Sprazn, w. a violent extension of the tendons Spume, ft. foam, froth Spy, ft. one who watches an- other's actions * Squeeze, v. to press close Stain, ft. a blot ; infamy ; v. to blot, to daub Stake, ft. a post ; pledge Stare, ?). to look earnestly State, ft. condition, dignity ; a republick, body of a na- tion Stave, v. to break in pieces Stay, v. to continue in a place Steal, v. to take by theft Steam, w. the vapoui or smoke of any thing moist and hot Steel, w. iron refined by fire Steep, v. to soak; a. ap- proaching to a perpendic* ular THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 29 Stone, n. a hard and insipid body | Store, n. a warehouse Stove, n, a place in which fire is made Strange, a. wonderful, odd ; int. an expression of wonder Stray, v. to wander, to rove Stream, n. a running water, a current Street, n. a paved way, a road Strife, n. contention Strike, v. to hit with a blow Strive, v. to endeavour Stroll, v. to wander, ramble Style, n. manner of writing ; title Sue, v. to prosecute by law ; to entreat, beg, request Sure, [shure] a. certain, true Sweet, a. luscious to the taste Swine, n. a hog, a pig Sword, n. a military weapon Take, v. to receive ; to seize ; to captivate Tame, a. gentle, not wild Tare, n. a weed ; an allow- ance in weight Taste, v. to try the relish; n. the act of tasting Tea, n. a Chinese plant ; li- quor made thereof Teach, v. to instruct Tear, n. water from the eye Theme, n. a subject, short dissertation Thief, n. one who steals Tnine, pro. relating to thee Three, a. one and two added Thrice, ad. three times Thrive, v. to prosper; to^grow fat or rich [neck Throat, n. the fore part of the 3* Throne, n. a royal seat Throw, v. to fling, to cast Tide, n. ebb and flow of the sea Tie, v. to fasten, to bind Time, n. measure of duration Toad, n. an animal resem- bling a frog Toe, n. one of the divided ex- tremities of the foot Trade, n. traffick, commerce ; v. to deal, to traflick Tree, n. a large vegetable Tribe, n. a distinct body of people Try, v. to attempt Tune, n. a diversity of notes put together, harmony Twain, a. two; ad. in two parts Twice, ad. two times Twine, v. to *twist, wrap round ; n. a twisted thread Type, n. a printing letter ; an emblem Use, n. service, advantage, habit, custom [fruitless Vain, a. conceited, proud, Veal, n. the flesh of a calf Vice, n. wickedness; an iron press View, n. a prospect, sight ; v. to survey, to see ^ Vile, a. base, wicked, mean ^ Wait, v. to stay * Week, n seven days Weep, v. to shed tears, la- ment, mourn Whale, n. the largest of fish Wheel, ft. an instrument for spinning ; a circular body that turns round upon an axis 30 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 1 Wlie^ n. a species of grain Why, ad. for what reason Wife, n. a married woman Wine, n. the fermented juice of grapes Wise, a. judging right, skilful, prudent Wo, n. grief, sorrow, misery l Write, v. to form letters and words with a pen Year, n. twelve calendar months Yield, v. to resign ; to pro- duce Zeal, n. passionate ardour, warmth i SECTION VII. Monition to Children* Children, your kind parents send you to school that you may be instructed in many things which may render you happy in yourselves, and useful in society. They wish you to improve, and to be obedient to your iftstructers» They know that you must apply your minds to study» or you will not learn any thing ; and the whole ex- pense of your education will be thrown away, and you gro>v up and become a burden to yourselves and parents. It is to little effect that instruction is offered to you, if you will neither listen to, nor observe the precepts which are recommended. You can give no better proofs of a docile temper, than by paying, proper respect to those lessons which are calculated for the improvement, either of the faculties of the mind, or affections of the heart, Think not that the business of education is a hard- ship to which you are subject : it is intended solely for your benefit ; to instruct you in those virtues and ac- complishments which will tend to make you good and happy, useful and agreeable. Consider that your parents, by their conduct in this instance, are discharging that office which is incumbent on them. Your interest, therefore, and their duty, are sufficient inducements for the oite to furnish the means of improvement, and fot the others to be diligent and obedient to their teachers, THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 31 It is hoped that the means of learning which are now offered to you, will be duly estimated ; and that you will do every thing in your power to turn it to a good purpose. No proficiency can be made in any course of study or learning, without application. Apply yourselves to the duties you owe to your pa- rents, relations, and to all others. Tour parents love you sincerely, and do all they can to make you com- fortable and happy ; and surely you should love and be kind to them in return. If you observe the duty you owe to your parents, you will be the better disposed to attend to the love and respect which are due to every body else. You will love your brothers and sisters ; you will try to serve and oblige them, and secure their love to yotr. This spirit of love at home, will attend you wherever you go : it will induce you to respect and oblige your friends ; and if you live in love, you will be kind to all your playmates ; you will pity the poor and afflicted^ and try to relieve their wants. Apply yourselves con- stantly to these things, and you will be sure of obtain- ing the love and friendship of all who know you. Early accustom yourselves to speak the truth. Bad children are often disposed to neglect speaking the mith when they have committed a fault : shame, or the fear of punishment, leads them to conceal it from their parents and instructers. They are suspected, and asked to confess ; but they positively deny, or artfully avoid a direct answer. A confession would always be best ; it would generally secure v a pardon, or a very trifling correction. Take care that you do not imitate such bad examples of folly, deceit and wickedness. Be careful that you do nothing which your friendg would disapprove ; but if you should offend them by doing amiss, and they ask you to confess, do it immediately. In speaking of others, you should avoid prejudice, passion and revenge; but you should always speak of bad behaviour and^ wicked actions as they deserve 32 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED !&nd even if your brothers, sisters or companions whom you loye, do what is wrong, and you are requested to give an account of their actions, speak plainly and faithfully of what you know of the matter. By these means, many evils would be checked in time, and many gross and daring crimes prevented ; the peace of society and that of your young friends would be preserved, and their families also, would be kept free from strife, confusion and unhappiness. SECTION VIII. The Village Green. On the eheerful village green, Scatter'd round with houses neat, All the boys and girls are seen, Playing there with busy feet. Now they frolick, hand in hand, Making many a merry chain ; Then they form a warlike band, Marching o'er the level plain. Then ascends the nimble ball ; High it rises in the air ; Or against the cottage wall, Up and down it bounces there. Or the hoop, with even pace, Runs before the merry crowd : Joy is seen in ev'ry face ; Joy is heard in clamours loud. For, amongst the rich and gay, Fine and grand, and deck'd in laces, None appear more glad than they, With happier hearts, or happier faces. Then contented with my state, Let me envy not the great ; Since true pleasure may be seen On a cheerful village green. 1 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION IX. To a Child Jive years old. Fairest flower, all flowers excelling, Which in Milton's page we see : Flowers of Eve's imbower'd dwelling, Are, my fair one, types of thee. Mark, my Polly, how the roses Emulate thy damask cheek ; How the bud its sweets discloses — Buds thy opening bloom bespeak. Lilies are by plain direction Emblems of a double kind ; Emblems of thy fair complexion, Emblems of thy fairer mind. But, dear girl, both flowers and beauty Blossom, fade, and die away : Then pursue good sense and duty ; Evergreens, which ne'er decay ! 32 SECTION X. Monosyllables continued. Act, n. a deed, exploit ; v. to do, perform Add, v. to join to And, conj. a particle which joins sentences and words Apt, a. ready, quick Ask, v. to entreat, to inquire Bad, a. wicked, imperfect Bed, n. a place to sleep on Beg, v. to ask earnestly Belt, n. a girdle, sash Bench, n. a seat to sit on Bend, v. to crook ; to subdue Bilge, v. to spring a leak Bill, n. the beak of a fowl ; a written paper ; an account of particulars Blank, n. void space ; paper unwritten Bliss, n. happiness, great joy Blunt, a. dull ; unpolite Brag, v. to boast, swagger Bran, w. the husks of ground corn Brass, n. a yellow metal Breadth, w. the measure from side to side Breath, n. air drawn in and discharged by the lungs- Brick, n. a mass of burnt clay Bridge, n. a building over water for the convenience of passing Bring, v. to fetch, to conduct 34 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Brisks a. lively, gay, quick Bud, n. the first shoot of a plant or tree [ter Bunch, w* a hard lump, a elus- BuzZj v. to hum like bees Can, v. to be able ; n, a cup Cap, n. cover for the head Cash, n. money, ready money Cask, n. a barrel Cast, v. to throw, to fling Cat, n. a domestick animal Ca£ch, v. to seize, ensnare Champ, v. to bite, chew Chance, m fortune, accident CAasm, n. cleft, gap, opening- Chat, v. to converse, talk Chest, n. a large box of wood Chin, n face Church, n. a place of worship; the collective body of christians Churn, n. a kind of vessel in which butter is made Clan, 7i. a family, race, sect Class, ra„ a rank, order, degree Cleanse, v. to make clean Clinch, v. to hold fast Cling, v. to twine round Club, n. a heavy stick ; a society Crush, v. bruise Crunch, n, 2 Di^ch, n. a trench Dread, n. fear, av/e Dress, n. clothes, garments Drip, ?% to fall in drops Duck, n. a water-fowl Dull, a. stupid ; blunt Dum6, a. speechless, silent Dusk, n. tendency to dark- ness Dust, n. small particles of dried earth Earth, n. the glo«e we live on, land, soil Edge, n. the sharp part of an instrument Elk, n. a large wild animal of the stag kind lowest part of the j Ell, n. a measure of one yard and a quarter Elm, n. the name of a tree End, n. conclusion, death Err, v. to mistake, stray Fact, n. reality Fast, a. firm, immoveable ; v. to abstain from food Fat, a. the oily part of flesh Fen, n. a marsh, bog Fence, n. a guard, security, hedge Fib, n. a lie, falsehood Fill, v. to make full Film, n. a thin skin Fish, n. an animal that inha- bits the water Fix, v. to place, determine Flash, v. to blaze ; n. a sua - den blaze Flat, a. smooth, level Flax, n. the plant of which linen is made Flesh, 71. a part of the animal body [back ' Flinch, v. to shrink or draw to squeeze ; to [cripples a support used by Cull, v. to select from others Cup, n. a drinking vessel Dead, a. deprived of life Dearth, n. scarcity, famine Death, n. extinction of life De&t, n. what is another's just due Peck, v. to dress, adorn ; n. the floor of a ship THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 35 Fling, v. to throw, cast Flint, n. a hard kind of stone Frank, a. liberal, open, sin- cere Fresh, a. not salt, new [ion Friend, n. a familiar compan- Fringe, n. ornamental appen- dages Fun, n. sport, mirth Fund, n. a stock or bank of money Fur, n. the fine soft hair of beasts Gag, v. to stop the mouth Gang, n. a company, crew Gash, n. a cut or wound Gem, n. a jewel Get, [g hard] v. to procure, to gain G/iost, n. a spirit, apparition Gift, [g hard] n. a thing given Gild, [g hard] t?. to wash over with gold Girl, [gerl] n. a female child, young woman Give, [g hard] v. to bestow Glad, a. pleased, cheerful Glass, n. an artificial transpa- rent substance Glib, «. smooth, quick Glimpse, n. a faint light (xnat, n. a small stinging in- sect Grand, a. splendid, noble Grant, n. to give, admit, be- stow Grasp, v. to hold in the hand, to gripe Grass, n. food for cattle Grim, a. ill-looking, horrible Grit, n. sand, rough hard par- ticles Grudge, n. envy, ill will Gwess, v. to conjecture G?^est, n. one who is enter- tained Gulf, n a bay ; an abyss Gum, n. the substance enclose ing the teeth ; the juice of trees Gun, n. a musket, cannon, fcc. Gush, v. to rush out with vio- lence Hand, n. a part of the body ; the palm with the fingers Hat, n. a cover for the head Have, v. to possess, enjoy Head, n. the part that con- tains the brain ; a chief Health, n. freedom from sick- ness [bushes Hedge, n. a fence made of Help, v. to assist ; n. assis- tance, aid Helve, n. the handle of an axe Hem, n. the edge of a gar- ment Hemp, n. a plant from which ropes are made Hence, ad. from this place Herd, n. a flock, drove Hill, W. an elevation ofground^ high land Hilt, 72. the handle of a sword Hinge, n. a joint on which a door turns Hint, 7i. a remote allusion^ suggestion, intimation Hiss, 7i. noise made by a ser- pent ; expression of con- tempt Hifch, v. to move by jerks Hug, v. to embrace fondly Hulk, 7i. the body of a ship Hull, n. a husk, pod, outside ; the body of a ship * 36 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Hum, v. to sing low, to buzz Hunt, v. to Chase, pursue Hurl, v. to throw with vio- lence Hurt, v. to injure, wound Hush, int. silence ! be still ! v. to quiet, appease Hut, ft. a poor cottage, mean abode Hym», n. a divine or holy song III, a. bad in any respect ; sick Inch, ft. the twelfth part of a foot Ink, ft. a liquid to write with Jerk, n. a sudden jolt 1 Jest, n. a joke, any thing lu- dicrous Jet, n. a very black fossil Jig, ft. a tyiiek dance Judge, n. one who presides in a court ; v. to pass sen- tence, decide Jump, v. to leap, skip Just, a. upright, honest Kick, ft. a blow with the foot ; v. to strike with the foot Kid, n. a young goat King, n. a monarch, chief ru- ler Klick, v. to make a small sharp noise JKhit, v. to unite, join; to make stocking-work Lack, v. to be in want, to be without Lad, ft. a boy, youth Lag, v. to loiter, stay behind Lam6, ft. a young sheep f Lamp, ft. a vessel which con- tains oil and wick for burn- ing Lajace, «. a long spear 5 v, to pier^fe, to cut Land, w. ground, a country Lank, a. loose, not filled up Lash, ft. part of a whip Lass, ft. a girl, young woman Last, a. latest ; v. to contin- ue ; n. the mould on which shoes are formed [door Lateh, ft. a fastening for a Lead, ft. soft heavy metal Learn, v. to gain knowledge , improve Left, a. opposite the right Lend, v. to grant the use of any thing Length, ft. the extent of any thing from end to end Less, ad. in a smaller degree Lest, cortj. for fear that Let,*y. to allow, to suffer; to hire out Lid, ft. a cover Lift, v. to raise, elevate Lim&, ft. a member, joint, bough Limp, v. to walk lamely Link, w. part of a chain ; v. to unite, join Lint, ft. linen scraped soft Lip, ft. the outer part of the mouth Lisp, v. to clip words in then- pronunciation List, ft. a catalogue, a roll ; a strip of cloth Live, v. to be in a state of life, to exist Luck, ft. chance, fortune Lug, 7). to pull or carry with difficulty Lull, v. to compose to sleep Lump, ft. a heap, a whole piece Lungs, ft. the organs of respi ration THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 37 Lynx, w. a spotted beast Mad, a. disordered in the mind Man, n. the male of the hu- man species Map, ft. a delineation of coun- tries [face Mask, ft, a disguise for the Mass, rc. a lump, a body Mast, n. the beam raised above the vessel to which the sail is fixed Ma^ch, n. a contest ; mar- riage ; that which catches fire Melt, v, to dissolve Mend, v. to repair, improve Mess, n. a dish or portion of - food Milk, n. the liquor with which animals feed their young Mill, n. an engine to grind with Mince, v. to cut very small Mint, n. a place for coining ; a plant Mirth, [merth] ft. merriment Miss, v. not to hit ; ft. a young or unmarried woman Mist, ft. fog, fine rain, a low thin cloud Mix, v. to mingle, unite Much, w. a great deal ; ad. in a great degree Mud, n. wet dirt, mire Muff, ft. a soft cover for the hands [out of Mug, ft. a cup used to drink Must, v. to be obliged Nap, n. a short sleep, slumber Neck, ft. a part of the body Nerv«, n. an organ of sensa- tion 2 Nest, n. an abode ; a bed formed by a bird for her young Net, ft. a texture for catching fish, birds, &c. Next, a. nearest in place Nip, v. to pinch, to bite Num&, a. torpid, cold, chill ; v. to make numb, stupify Nurse, ft. one who takes care of a sick person Pack, ft. a large bundle ; a set of cards ; v. to bind up for carriage Pan, ft. a kitchen vessel ; part of the lock of a gun Pang, ft. extreme or sudden pain [earnestly Pant, v. to palpitate, to wish Pass, v. to go beyond ; to en- act a law ; to be current Pat, v. to strike lightly ; ft. a light blow Pafch, v. to piece, to mend Pearl, n. a precious gem Peck, ft. the fourth part of a bushel "Peg, ft. a wooden pin [with Pen, ft. an instrument to write Pert, a. brisk, lively Pest, ft. a plague, mischief t Pet, w. a slight displeasure Pick, v. to choose, select Pig, ft. a young hog [cine Pill, ft. a small ball of medi- Pin, ft. a short pointed wire Pinch, v.. to squeeze Pink, ft. a small fragrant . flower [part Pit, ft. a hole, grave,, hollow Pith, ft. marrow, strength, principal part Plaa, n. a scheme, form 38 THE AMERICAN ltfSTRUCTER* Plank, n. a thick board ; v. to lay with plank Plant, n. a vegetable produc- tion Pledge, n. a pawn Plug, m a stopple Plum, n. a kind of fruit Plum&, m. a leaden weight on a line ; v. to regulate Plunge, v. to put suddenly under water Prank, n. frolick, wicked deed Press, v. to squeeze, to crush; ra.an instrument for pressing Prince, n. a sovereign, the son of a king Print, n. a mark made by im- pression ; v, to mark by im- pression PuiT, v, to blow, to swell with wind Pulp, n. the soft part of fruit ; any soft mass Pulse, 7i. the motion of any ar- tery as the blood is driven through it Pump, n. a water engine ; a kind of shoe ; v. to work a pump Purge, v. to cleanse, purify Purr, v. to murmur as a cat Purse,w.a small bag for money Quack, n. a vain boastful pre- tender to physick ; v. to cry like a duck Quelle v. to crush, subdue Quench, v. to extinguish Quick, a. nimble, active Quill, w. the hard and strong feather of the wing Quilt, n. cover of a bed ; v. to stitch two cloths together Quince, ft. a tree aad its fruit Quit, v. to leave ; discharge Rack, n. an engine of torture ; a frame for hay Raft, n. a float of timber Rag, n. a worn-out piece of cloth Rank, a. strong scented ; n. a line of men ; a degree of dignity ; v. to place in a row Rap, n. a quick smart blow Rash, a. hasty Rasp, n. a large rough file Rat, n. a small animal of the mouse kind Realm, n. a kingdom, state Rend, v. to tear with violence Rent, w. money paid for any thing held of another, , in- come Rest, n, peace, sleep, ease ; v. to be at ease Rich, a. wealthy; fertile Ridge, n. the upper part of a slope, the top Rill, n. a small brook, a stream Rim, n. border, edge Ring, a.- to sound ; n. a cir- cle ; ornament ; a sound Rinse, v. to cleanse by water Rip, v. to tear Risk, v. to hazard ; n. dan- ger, hazard Rough, a. uneven, rugged Rub, v. to clean, scour, wipe Rum, n. a kind of ardent spirits Run, v. to move swiftly Rush, v. to move with vio- lence ; n. a plant Rusk, n. a kind of hard bread Rust, n. the red incrustation of iroQf &c. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 39 ! a Scratch, v. to tear with the my nails Sand, ?i. soft gravelly earth ! Sculk, v. to lurk secretly, Sad, a. sorrowful, dull, gloo- Sap, n. the juice of vegeta- bles [window Sash, «« a belt ; part of a .Scaip, n. the skin and flesh on the scull [rately Scan, v. to examine accu- Scent, 7i. smell, odour hide Scull, n. the brain-pan Search, v. to examine, explore Sell, ?\ to part with for a price Sense, n. faculty of perceiv- ing ; understanding ; mean- ing Schism, n. a division in the I Serve, v. to attend at corn- church j mand, obey SECTION XI. On Reading. Reading may be considered as the key which com- mands our entrance, and gives us access to the various departments of science and literature. It enlarges the sphere of observation , and affords abundant materials for exercising the faculties of the mind. Among ali people distinguished for their refinements and civilization, the most prevalent and important art is that of reading. The improvement of the mind, the cultivation of taste, and the acquisition of knowledge, are the advantages derived from this art. From reading we are made acquainted with the pass- ing events and occurrences in various parts of the world, and are enabled to repeat the sentiments of those who have existed in former times. It brings to view the scenes of departed years, and exhibits the rise and fall, and the revolutions of the an- cient communities of mankind ; and offers to our re- flection all the most important circumstances connected with the improvement of human society. As reading has a great influence in guiding the opin- ions and sentiments of young persons, it is of great im- portance that they read books in which things are rep- resented in their true colours ; that they properly dis- criminate between romance and reality ; and that they 40 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED reflect upon the substance of what they read, and draw suitable inferences from the same. To have good books, and to be able to read ther- well, is a great privilege. They make us both wise/ and better : they instruct us in our duty, and teach ui how to behave ourselves. They comfort us in our dis tresses and afflictions. They pass away our leisure hours pleasantly anc usefully; and the amusement which they afford, is cheaper than almost any other. They are true friends, excellent counsellors, and agreeable companions. Be careful to read with attention. When you are reading, do not be thinking of any thing else. People who read without thinking what they are reading about, lose their time : and they cannot be the wiser, or the better, for what they read. Reflect upon what you have read, or heard other peo- ple read ; and if you have a proper opportunity, con- verse upon it. To* relate what you kave read, or heard, is the best way to help you to remember it. It may afford many useful and pleasant subjects of conversation ; and it may often prevent quarrelling, tel- ling idle tales, silly joking, and talking scandal. In or- der to remember any particular passages in a book, read them over several times. When you have finished reading a book, consider, before you begin another, what you have learned from it that is useful, and most worthy of being remembered. If it contained an account of good persons, or actions, consider whether you have done your best to imitate them. If it instructed you in any particular duty, consider whether you have done your best to practice it. A lit- tle in this way is more improving, than many volumes, however excellent in themselves, read over in a hasty, careless manner. Let nothing tempt you to read abadbook of any kind. It is better not to read at all, than to read bad books. A bad book it is truly said, " Is the worst of thieves ;" it robs us of time, money, and principles. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED T 4i SECTION XII. Mankind are dependant on each other. O child of humanity! thou owest thy convenience, thy security, thy enjoyment of the comforts and pleas- ures of life, to the assistance of others. Rejoice then in the happiness and prosperitj^ of thy neighbour. ! Open not thy ear to slander ; the faults and the fail- ings of men give pain to a benevolent heart. Desire to do good, and search out occasions for it : in removing the oppression of another, the virtuous mind relieves itself. Shut not thine ear against the cries of the poor, nor harden thy heart against the calamities of the innocent. When the fatherless call upon thee, when the widow's heart is sunk, and she implores thy assistance with tears of sorrow ; pity their affliction, and extend thy hand to those who have none to help them. When thou seest the naked wanderer in the street, shivering with cold, and destitute of habitation, let bounty open thy heart, let the wings of charity shelter him from death, that thy own soul may live. Whilst the poor man groans on the bed of sickness ; whilst the unfortunate languish in the horrours of a dun- geon; or the hoary head of age Jifts up a feeble eye to thee for pity ; how canst thou riot in superfluous enjoy- ments, regardless of their wants, unfeeling of their woes ? SECTION XIIL Address from a Teacher to his Pupils, on the useful- ness of learning. My young pupils, unless you have an inclination for learning, unless you feel ambitious to be as forward as any in your class, all my endeavours to instruct you, will be vain and useless. The youth whose mind is de- voted to plays and diversions, and who studies his les- sons merely from a fear of correction, will learn but little ; and the little he does learn, will soon be forgot* ten. 4* 42 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED I hope, however, that I shall never be driven to the painful necessity of compelling you by correction to at- tend to your studies. It will be much more agreeable to me, much more to my credit as a faithful instructer, and much more to your honour as scholars, to have you attend to your studies from a love of learning, and a laudable ambition to excel each other in those branches of literature, to which your attention may from time to time be directed. At present you are unacquainted with the world, and do not foresee the advantages you will hereafter derive from a thorough knowledge of the English Language, a competent skill in Arithmetick, and from being able to write a plain and handsome hand. To point out the advantages to be derived from the above branches of learning? is the object of the following observations. You are all possessed of some kind of ambition. In your amusements, one feels a pride that he is the swift- est runner ; another hat he is the most expert wrestler ; and another, that he can sling a stone the farthest, ok best hit the mark. - \ And why are you pleased with excelling in these lit- tle amusements ? Because it is natural to youth, as well as men, to be pleased with superiority ; because there is a delight in being noticed, and often spoken of with praise. But, to be a swift runner or an expert wrestler,igan object of small importance ; if, therefore, excelling in these trifling amusements, affords you pleasure, or gra- tifies your pride, how much more grateful and pleasing must it be to excel your mates in reading, writing, and arithmetick ; which are objects of importance, and will never fail of affording pleasure, and of adding to your prosperity, usefulness, and respectability in the world. , Although you are young at present, the time will shortly arrive when you must provide and act for your- selves. None of you know where you will hereafter live, or what business you may follow for a livelihood ; but wherever you live, or whatever business you pur- sue, learning will be of immense advantage. Such is the disposition of mankind, so ready are many THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 4S of them to take the advantage of the unlearned and un- experienced, that the youth who is left without learning, to act and provide for himself, will meet with many dif- ficulties, feel many embarrassments, and be liable to a thousand impositions, to which those who are possessed of a good common school education will not be subjected. In every Town, County, and State in America, are offices of honour and profit, which some of you, as you arrive to the age of manhood, will be called upon to fill. Most of these offices require men who are able to read well, to write a f#ir hand, and who understand the use of figures. Those of you who pay attention to your books, wh@ not only learn to read, but to understand what you read, who learn the rules of arithmetick, and understand how to apply them in practice, will be the ones most likely to be promoted* At present, I am happy to see you inspired with a laudable ambition to excel each other in learning. Will you not have the same ambition hereafter, as it respects your rank and situation in the world ? If you should, let me inform you, that a diligent improvement of your present opportunity for learning, is the only way m which you can expect promotion in society. The youth who is inattentive to his books, and re- gards not the lessons and admonitions of his instructer, is seldom afterwards respected. He is considered as a dull, stupid, ignorant fellow, unqualified for the exer- cise of any profitable or useful employment. My young friends, it is not only for your interest to attend with diligence to your studies, but it is a sacred duty which you owe to yourselves, your parents, your country, and your Godv To-yourselves, as it will increase your happiness; to your parents, as it will be the most grateful return you can make them for the pains and expense they bestow on your education ; to }'our country, as it will enable you to reward her for the protection she affords you ; and to your God, as it will render you more caoable of fulfilling the grand objects of your creation. 44 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION XIV. Monosyllables continued. Set, v. to place, put ; n. a number of things suited to each other Sex, n. the distinction betwixt male and female Shad, n. a species of fish Shaft, n. an arrow, weapon Sham, n. delusion, fraud Shed, n. a building, shelter ; v. to spill, to scatter Shell, n. a hard covering Shrill, a. giving a piercing sound Shun, v. to avoid, decline Shut, v. to close, bar, confine Sick, a. afflicted with disease Sieve, n. a bolter, thing used to sift with .Sift, v. to separate by a sieve Silk, n. the thread of the silk- worm, the stuff made of it Sin, n. a violation of the laws of God ; v. to transgress the laws of God Sing, v. to form the voice to melody ; to articulate mu- sically Singe, v. to scorch, burn Sink, v. to go down, settle Sip, v. to drink by small draughts Sit, v. to rest on a seat Six, a. twice three Sketch, n. the outlines • Skiff, n. a small light boat Skill, n. knowledge of any practice or art Skip, v. to leap ; to miss Skirt, [skert] n. the edge,bor- • 4w 2 Slash, v. to cut; to lash Sled, n. a carriage without wheels Slim, a. slender Smell, v. to perceive by means of the nose ; n. scent, odour Smith, n. one who works in metals Snatch, v. to seize hastily Snuff, n. powdered tobacco ; the burnt wick of a candle Speck, n. a small spot, a stain Spell, v. to form words of let- ters Spill, v. to shed, to waste Spin, v.. to draw out into threads Split, v. to cleave, divide Spread, v. to extend, cover Sprig, n. a small branch Spring, n. a season of the year ; a fountain, a source Stab,T. to pierce with a point- ed weapon Stack, n. a large pile of hay, corn, &c Staff, n. a walking stick Stand, v. to be on the feet, to stop ; n. a station, stop Stem, n. a stalk, twig; race ; the forepart of a ship ; v. to oppose a current Step, v. to move the feet, to walk ; n. a footstep Stick, v. to fasten, adhere ; n. apiece of wood Still, v. to silence ; n. a ves- sel for distillation ; a. si- lent ; time ad. till now, to this THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 46 Strength, n. force, vigour Stress, n. force, importance Stretch, v. to extend, expand Strict, a. severe, close, exact String, n. a slender rope, cord Such, pro. of that kind Sum, n. the amount ; the whole of any thing [day Sun, n. the luminary of the Swell, v. to grow bigger Swift, a. speedy, quick Swim,?;, to float on the water; to be dizzy Tang, n. a strong taste, relish Tap, n. a gentle blow, a rap ; v. to touch softly; to broach a vessel Task, n. something to be done imposed by another, em- ployment Tax, n. a rate, duty ; v. to lay a tax Tell, v. to utter, to relate Tempt, v. to entice to ill, provoke Ten, a. twice five Tense, n. a variation of the verb to signify time Tent, n. a moveable habita- tion, a pavilion Term, n. a limit ; the word by which a thing is expressed ; condition Text, n. a sentence of scrip- ture ; that on which a com- ment is (made Thank, v) ; to give or return thanks Theft, n, the act of stealing Thin 3 a. slender, not thick Thing, 7t. whatever is; any kind of matter Thumfc, n. part of the hand Thus, ad. in this manner Touchy v. to reach, to join ; n. the act of touching Track, n. a mark left ; a beat- en path Tract, n. a region ; a quantity of land ; a small book Trap, n. a snare, ambush Trick, n. a cheat, fraud Trim, a. nice, neatly dressed Trunk, n. a sort of chest; the body of any thing Trust, v. to confide in, to be lieve ; n. confidence, credit Tub, 7i. a wooden vessel Turf, n. a clod covered with grass Turn, v. to move round, to change [tooth Tusk, n. a fang, a very large Twelve, a. twice six Twig, to. a small branch Urge, v. to incite, to solicit^ to press Vex, v. to provoke, plague Well, n. a spring, fountain ; a. not sick When, ad. at what time ; at the time that Whim, n. an odd fancy, freak Win, v. to gain by conquest or play Wing, n. the limb of a bird by which it flies Wish, v. to have a strong de- sire ; n. a longing desire Wit, n. the intellect, sense, understanding Wren, n. a small bird • Wretch, n. a miserable or worthless person Yard, n. a measure of three feet; enclosed ground THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER, Awe, n. reverential fear, re- verence Braad, a. wide, large Cause, n. reason, motive ChaZk, n. a kind of white fossil CAord, n. the string of a mu- sical instrument [tide Clause, n. a sentence, an ar- Claw, n. the foot of a beast or bird Corpse, n. a dead body Crawl, v. to creep, to move slowly [light Dawn, v. to begin to grow Drawl, v. to utter slowly Fall, v. to drop, tumble down False, a. not true, dishonest Fault, n. a crime ; defect Fawn, n. a young deer Fork, n. an instrument with two or more prongs Fraud, n. deceit, cheat Gauze, n. a thin transparent silk or linen <7naw, v. 'to bite, to eat by degrees Hall, n. a mansion house ; a large room [a march Halt, v. to stop ; n. a stop in Haul, v. to pull, to drag Hawk,??, a bird of prey Horn, n. a hard substance on the heads of some animals Jaw, n. the bone of the mouth in which the teeth are pla- ced Law, n. a rule, decree, order Lord, n. the Divine Being ; a title of honour [beetle Maul, n. a large hammer or Nor, conj. neither, not even North, n. opposite the south Onght s v, to be obliged, should Pall, w. a cloak of state ; a covering for the dead Pause, 7i. a stop Paw, u. the foot of a beast Pawn, v. to pledge Salt, n. a substance which af- fects the taste and stimu- lates the palate Sauce, n. something to im- prove the relish of food Scald, v. to burn with hot li- quids [tempt Scorn, v. to despise ; 7i. con- Small, a. little, slender Squall, v. to scream suddenly; n. a sudden gust of wind Stall, n. a place for horses and cattle Stork, n. a kind of bird Storm, n. a tempest ; assault ; v. to attack by open force Straw, n. the stalk of gpain Ta/k, v. to speak; n. oral conversation Tall, a. high in stature, lofty Thaw, v. to melt, dissolve Thought, n. the act of think- ing, idea Wa/k, v. to go on foot, travel War, n. open hostility, fight- ing [nish Warn, v, to caution, admo- 4 Alms, n. a gift to the poor Arch, n. part of a circle Arm, 7%. a limb of the body Art, n. skill, science, trade BaZm, n. the name of a plant Barn, n. a storehouse used for corn, hay, stabling, &c. Bath, n. a place to bathe in Ca/m, 7i. stillness ; a quiet, serene 1THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 47 Cart, n. a carriage of two wheels [or meat Carve, v. to cut wood, stone, Charge, v. to entrust, impute Charm, v. to delight Dark, a. without light, blind Farm, ?i. land occupied by a farmer Gward, v. to watch, protect HaZf, n, one of two equal parts Hard, a. firm, solid ; cruel Hark, v. to listen, hear Harm, n. injury, mischief Harp, n. a musical instrument Harsh, a, rough, austere Jar, n, an earthen vessel ; a harsh sound Large, a. bulky, big Lark, n. a small singing bird Lawgh, v. to make that noise which mirth excites Laz/nch, v. to push to sea, set off Mar, v. to injure, damage March, n. the third month ; a movement of soldiers ; a solemn walk or tune ; v. to move in a military form Mark, n. a stamp, object ; v. to make a mark Marl, n. a kind of clay Marsh, n. a swamp, fen, bog PaZm, n. a tree ; inner part of the hand Par, n. a state of equality Parch, v. to scorch, to burn slightly Park, n. a piece of ground en- closed for deer Parse, v. to resolve by the rules of grammar Part, n. a portion, share 5 v. to divide ; to go away Path, n. a foot-road [song jPsa/m, n. a kind of sacred Scarf, n. a loose covering for the shoulders Shark, n. a ravenous fish Sharp, a. keen, piercing Smart, a. quick, active, witty ; v. to feel quick pain Snarl, v. to growl like a dog Spark, ^. a rvill particle of fire Star, n. a luminous body in the heavens ; a mark of reference [ger Starve, v. to perish with hun- Tar, n. liquid pitch ; a sailor Tart, a. sour, acid, keen Yarn, n. spun wool or flax 5 Block, n* a short piece of tim- ber Blot, v, to blur, efface, stain Bond, n. a written obligation Cloth, n. any thing woven for dress Cost, n. expense, price Cez/gh, rc. a disorder of the lungs [craft Dodge, v. to fly from, to use Dog, n. a domestick animal Drop, n. a small quantity of liquid [rust Dross, n. the scum of metalsg Fog, n. a thick mist, vapour Fond, a. tender, much pleas- ed with Fox, n. a wild animal of the dog kind [garment Frock, n. a dress, outward Frog, n. an amphibious animal Frost, w. the power or act of congelation Froth, ». foam, spume „ 48 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Hot, a. fiery, having heat j£nock, v. to beat, clash Jtnot, n. a part which is tied ; a hard place in wood Lock, n. part of a door or gun; a contrivance to raise the water on a canal ; v. to fas- ten 5 Lodge, v. to place ; to har- bour Log, n. a piece of wood Long, a, not short Lop, v. to cut short Loss, n. damage, forfeiture Lost, pa. gone, perished Lot, n. state assigned, fortune SECTION XV. The danger of keeping Bad Company. The danger of keeping bad company, arises princi- pally from our aptness to imitate and catch the manners and sentiments of others. In our earliest youth, the contagion of manners is observable. In the boy yet Incapable of having any learning instilled into him, we easily discover from his first actions, and rude attempts at language, the kind of persons with whom he has been brought up : we see the early spring of a civilized education, or the first wild shoots of rusticity. As he enters farther into life, his behaviour, manners and conversation, all take their cast from the company he keeps. Observe the peasant and the man of educa- tion : the difference is striking. And yet God has be- stowed equal talents on each : the only difference is, they have been thrown into different scenes of life, and have had commerce with persons of different stations. Nor are manners and behaviour more easily caught, than opinions and principles. In childhood and youth, we naturally adopt the sentiments of those about us : and as we advance in life, how few of us think for our- selves ! how many of us are satisfied with taking our opinions at second hand! The great power and force of custom forms another argument against keeping bad company. However shocked we may be at the first approaches of vice, this shocking appearance goes off upon an intimacy with it. Custom will soon render the most disgustful object fa- miliar to our view ; and this is indeed a kind provision THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTOR. 49 of nature, to render labour, toll, and danger, which are the lot of man, more easy to him.- The raw soldier, who trembles at the first encounter, becomes a hardy veteran in a few campaigns. Habit renders danger familiar, and of course indifferent to him. But habit, which is intended for our good, may, like other kind appointments of nature, be converted into a mischief. The well disposed 3'outh, when first entering into bad company, is shocked at what he sees and hears : the good principles which he had imbibed, ring in his ears an alarming lesson against the wickedness of his com- panions. But, alas! this sensibility is of short duration : the next jovial meeting makes the horrid picture of yesterday more easily endured. Virtue is soon thought a severe rule, an inconvenient restraint. A few pangs of conscience now and then whisper to him that he once had better thoughts : but even these by degrees die away, and he who at first was shocked even at the appearance of vice, is formed by custom into a profligate leader of vicious pleasures. Bad company should be avoided for several reasons ; as it hinders religious improvement, takes off the heart from God, gradually lessens the fear of sin, impercepti- bly draws men into the commission of iniquity, and in this way, destrovs both the usefulness and comfort of life. It has been the ruin of thousands, and tens of thou- sands. By it multitudes have been led on to actions and crimes, at the bare thought of which they once shud- dered. By means of evil company, they have had their minds filled with fears, and their consciences overwhelm- ed with horrour. If, therefore, you value your credit and comfort in life, your peace in death, or your happiness in eternity, shun evil company. Oppose the first approaches of sin ; vigilantly guard yourselves against the insidious «nemy ; and abhor the very sound of the expression, had company* 50 THE- AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION XVI, True Pleasure. The man whose heart is replete with pure and im~ affected piety, who looks upon the great Creator of the universe in that just and amiable light which all his works reflect upon him, cannot fail of tasting the sub- limest pleasure, in contemplating the stupendous and innumerable effects of his infinite goodness. Whether he looks abroad on tjie moral or natural world, his reflections must still be attended with delight; and the sense of his own unworthiness, so far from les- sening, will increase his pleasure, while it places the forbearing kindness and indulgence of his Creator, in a still more interesting point of view. Here his mind may dv/ell upon the present, look back to the past, or stretch forward into futurity, with equal satisfaction; and the more he indulges contem- plation, the higher will his delight arise. Such a dis- position as this, seems to be the most secure foundation on which the fabrick of true pleasure can be built. Next to the veneration of the Supreme Being, the love of human kind seems to be the most promising source of pleasure. It is a never failing one to him, who, possessed of this principle, enjoys all the power of indulging his benevolence ; who makes the superiority of his fortune, his knowledge, or his power, subservient to the wants of his fellow creatures. It is true there are few whose power or fortune is so adequate to the wants of mankind, as to render them capable of performing acts of universal beneficence ; but a spirit of universal benevolence may be possessed by all: the bounteous Author of Nature has not pro- portioned the pleasure to the greatness of the effect, but to the greatness of the cause. The contemplation of the beauties of the universe, the cordial enjoyments of friendship, the tender delights of love, and die rational pleasures of religion, are open to all mankind ; and each of them seems capable of trivino- real happiness. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 51 These being the only foundations from which true pleasure springs, it is no wonder that many should be compelled to say they have not found it ; and still cry out, " Who will show us any good*}" They seek it in every way but the right way ; they want a heart for de- votion, humanity, and love, and a taste for that which s truly beautiful and admirable. SECTION XVII. Life is a Flower. 4i The blossoms are fallen, and the beds of flowers are swept away by the scythe of the mower." This is a scene to which w T e are accustomed at the summer sea- son of the year : we see the grass fall by the mower's scythe, and the gay flowers that adorned the meadows, swept away unregarded. The green, the yellow, the crimson, the succulent, fall undistinguished before the fatal instrument that cuts them off. They are scattered on the ground, and with- ered by the intense heat of the day. The blooming flower which stands the pride of the verdant field, glowing in beautiful colours, and shining with the dawn of the morning, ere the sun gains its me- ridian Jieight, falls a sacrifice to the severing steel, and fades in the scorching rays of noon. Thus it is with human life ; the thread is cut, and man falls into the silent tomb. Nothing can ward off the fatal stroke : the aged and infirm, the blooming youth in strength and vigour, and the weak and help- less infant, are without distinction swept away by the scythe of Death, the great destroyer. The active youth, who in the morning rises with health and vivacity, may at noon lie pale and motion- less, at the feet of this great victor ; and at the setting of the morrow's sun, be consigned to the dark and lone- some mansion of the dead. Cities and nations are subject to the same fate. How soon is a flourishing town depopulated by a pestilential 52 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. disease ! How soon is a nation cut off by the raging of a direful war ! " O ! tjhat mine head were waters, and mine eye " Were fountains flowing like the liquid skies ; " Then would I give the mighty flood release, a And weep a deluge for the human race." SECTION XVIII. Monosyllables continued. 5 Mob, 'n. a crowd, rabble Mock, v. to deride, mimick ; a. false, counterfeit Mop, n. a utensil to clean houses Moss, ft. a substance that grows on tfees Moth, ft. a small insect that eats cloth Nod, v. to bow the head Not, ad. a word of denying NoJch, ft. a nick; v. to cut in small hollows Odd, a. not even ; strange Odds, ft. in equality y superi- ority Of, [ov] pr. concerning Off, ad. signifying distance ; from On, pr. upon ; ad. forward Plot, ft. a conspiracy, intrigue ; v. to contrive, to plan Pod, ft. the husk or shell of seeds Pond, ft. a standing water ; a small lake Prong, ft. a branch of a fork Prop, ft. a support ; v. to sus- tain, support Quash, v. to crush Rob, v. to steal, to plunder Rock, ft. a large mass of stone Rod, ft. a perch, pole ; a twig, instrument of correction Scoff, v. to laugh with scorn, to ridicule Shock, v. to shake ; to dis- gust ; ft. a concussion ; a pile of sheaves Shop, ft. a place for the sale of wares, or for work Shot, ft. small balls for the charge of a gun Sob, v. to sigh with convul- sive sorrow ; ft. a convul- sive sigh Sod, ft. a turf, clod Soft, a. tender, not hard Solve, v. to explain Song, n. a composition in verse to be sung Strong, a. vigorous, potent Stop, ft. a pause; cessation of motion ; v. to. hinder; to put an end to Swamp, ft. a marsh, fen, bog Swan, ft. a large water-fowl Throng, ft. a crowd, multitude Tongs, ft. a utensil to take up fire, &c. Wash, v. to cleanse with wa- ter What, pro. that which, which part fx THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED A3 Broom, ft. an instrument te sweep with Bruise, v. to mangle with a heavy blow ; ft. a hurt Brute, n. a creature without reason Choose, v. to select, pick out Food, n. victuals, provision Fool, ft. an idiot Fruzt, ft. the produce of trees and plants Gloom, ft. darkness, heavi- ness of mind Goose, ft. a large water-fowl Loom, ft. the frame in which weavers make their cloth Loose, a. unbound ; v. to un- bind [forfeit Lose, v. to suffer loss ; to Mood, ft. temper of mind ; a term in grammar Moon, ft. the great luminary of the night [day Noon, ft. the middle of the Noose, ft. a running knot Pool, ft. a standing water,pond Poor, a. not rich ; lean Proof, n. evidence, trial Prove, v. to evince, try Rood, ft. the fourth part of an acre Boom, ft. an apartment, place Rude, a. rough, harsh, unci- vil [ernment Rule, v. to govern ; n. gov- ScAool, ft. a place for educa- tion [the foot Shoe, w. the outer cover for Sloop, ft. a small vessel SmooTH, a. even on the sur- face Soon, ad. before long, shortly Soot, ft. condensed smoke 5* Spoon, w. a vessel with a han- dle used in eating liquids Stool, ft. a seat without a back Stoop, v. to bend, submit Swoon, ft. a fainting fit Tom&, ft. a repository or mon- ument for the dead [above Too, ad. likewise, over and Truth, ft. reality, certainty Bush, ft. a shrub, bough Foot, ft. a measure of 12 inch- es ; the part on which we stand Full, a. replete, perfect; ad. without abatement Good, a. virtuous, having desi- rable qualities. Goods, w. merchandise, furni- ture wares Push, v. to urge forward, thrust, press, go j Pull, v. to drag forcibly Put^v. to lay, place 8 Bird, ft. a name applied to fowls Blood, ft. the red fluid that cir- culates through the body Dirge, ft. a mournful ditty Dirk, ft. a kind of dagger Dirt, w. earth, filth > Flirt, ft. a sudden motion L> Flood, ft. a deluge, flow of tide Front, «. the face ; the fore- part of any thing Love, v. to regard with affec? tion ; ft. passion, friendship Month, w. the 12th part of a year None, ft. not any, not one Sir, ft, a word of respect used to men, a title . , : - 54 THE AMERICAN IN8TRUCTER 8 Some, a. a part, more or less Son, n. a male child Stir, v. to move, agitate ; ». a tumult, bustle Thirst, n. the pain suffered for want of drink; v. to feel want of drink Tong, n. the catch of a buckle Tongwe,rc. the organ of speech Word, «. a single part of speech; talk; tidings Work, v. to labour, toil World, n. the universe, the earth, mankind, &c. 9 Freight, n. the loading of a ship Prey, n. something to be de- voured ; t). to feed by vio- lence Reign, v. to rule as a king THere, ad. in that place Vein, n. a tube in the flesh through which the blood flows oc Boil, v. to be agitated by heat Choice, n. act of choosing, thing chosen Coil, v. to gather into a nar- row compass Hoist, v. to lift up i Join, v. to add, unite [meet Joint, n. a point where bones Joist, n. a small beam to sup- port floors Moist, w. wet in a small de- gree Noise, ». clamour, any sound Oil, n. grease, the juica jf olives, &c. Point, n. a sharp end ; a stop! in writing Poi*e, v. to balance Toil, v. to labour, work Voice, n. sound emitted by the mouth °y Boy, n. a male child, lad Joy, n. happiness, gladness ou Cloud, n. a body of vapours in the air Bou&t, v. to question, distrust Douse, v. to plunge into water Gout, n. a painful disease Ground, n. the earth, land Hound, n. a dog used in hunt- ing House, n. a place of abode * Loud, a. noisy > clamorous Mouse, n. a small animal Mouth, n. the aperture in the head where food is receiv- ed ; an opening [thing Noun, n. the name of any Ounce, n. a weight ; a lynx Our, pro. relating to us Out, ad. not within ; to^the end ; at a loss Plough, n. a farming utensil Pounce,^, the claw of a bird Pound, n. a weight ; 20 shil- lings Pout, v. to look sullen, frown Proud, «. haughty, lofty Round, a. circular, smooth Route, n. a road, way, journey Shout, v. to cry in triumph ; ft. a cry of rejoicing Slough, n. a deep miry place Sound, a. healthy, whole ; n m a noise ; a shallow sea ; v. to make a noise ; to search for bottom with a lead Sour, a. acid, tart ; peevish THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. *5 South, n. the place where the sun is at noon ; the south region ; a. southward ; ad. toward the south Spouse, n. a husband or wife Stout, a. strong, valiant Trout, n. a delicate fish. ow Brow, n. the forehead ; edge of a hill Brown, a. the name of a colour Clown, n. an ill bred man ; a rustick [tude Crowd, n. a confused multi- Down, n. very soft feathers Drown ,v. to suffocate in water Frown, n. a look of displeas* ure ; v. to look cross Gown, w. a 1-ong upper gar- ment Growl, v. to snarl, grumble How, ad. in what manner Howl,#.to cry as a wolf or dog Now, ad. at this time Prowl, v. to rove about ; to wander for prey . Scowl, v. to frown ; to look angry Vow, v. to make a promise i n. a solemn promise SECTION XIX. Mortality. I have seen the rose in its beauty ; it spread its. leaves to the morning sun. I looked again ; it was dy~ ing upon the stalk ; the grace of its form was gone, its loveliness was vanished away» its leaves were scattered on the ground, and no one gathered them. A stately tree grew on the plain ; its branches were covered with verdure, its boughs spread wide and made a goodly shadow ; the trunk was like a strong pillar, and the roots were like crooked fangs. I looked again ; the verdure was nipped by the east wind, the branches were lopped away by the axe, the worm had made its way into the trunk, and the heart thereof was decayed ; it mouldered away, and fell to the ground. I have seen the insects sporting in the sunshine^ and darting along the streams ; their wings glittered with gold and purple, their bodies shone like the green em- erald ; they were more numerous than I could count : their motions were quicker than my eye could glance. I looked again ; they were brushed into the pool ; they were perishing with the evening breeze ; the swallow had devoured them ; the pike had seized them ; there were none found of so great a multitude,. 56 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 1 I have seen man in the pride of his strength ; his cheeks glowed with beauty, his limbs were full of ac- tivity, he leaped, he walked, he ran, he rejoiced that he was more excellent than those. I looked again ; he lay cold and stiff on the bare ground ; his feet could no longer move, nor his hands stretch themselves out : his life was departed from him, and the breath out of his nostrils. Therefore do I weep ; because death is in the world ; the spoiler is among the works of God : all that is made, must be destroyed ; all that is born,, must die. SECTION XX. Immortality. I have seen the flower withering on the stalk, and its bright leaves spread on the ground. I looked again ; it sprung forth afresh, its stem was crowned with new buds, and its sweetness filled the air. I have seen the sun set in the west, and the shades of night shut in the wide horizon : there was no colour, nor shape, nor beauty, nor musick ; gloom and dark- ness brooded around. I looked again ; the sun broke forth from the east, and gilded the mountain tops ; the lark rose to meet him from her low nest, and the shades of darkness fled away. I have seen the insect, being come to its full size, lan-> guish and refuse to eat ; it spun itself a tomb, and was shrouded in the silken cone ; it lay without feet, or shape, or power to move. I looked again ; it had burst its tomb, it was full of life, and sailed on coloured wings through the soft air ; it rejoiced in its new being. Thus shall it be with thee, O man ; and so shall thy life be renewed. A little while shalt thou lie in th'* ground, as the seed lies in the bosom of the earth ; but thou shalt be raised again, never to die any more. Who is he that comes to burst open the prison doors of the tomb, to bid the dead awake, and to gather his redeemed from the four winds of heaven ? He descends on a fiery cloud , the sound of a trumpet goes before THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 57 him, thousands of angels are on his right hand. It is Jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour of men, the friend of the good. He comes in the glory of his Father ; he has received power from on high. Mourn not, therefore, child of immortality ! For the spoiler, the cruel spoiler that laid waste the works of God, is subdued. Jesus has conquered death ; — child of immortality no longer mourn. SECTTO^ XXI. jtlealth. Who * s-ne that with graceful steps, and with a lively air, trips over yonder plain ? The rose blushes on her cheeks, the sweetness of the morning breathes from her lips ; joy, tempered with innocence and modesty, spar- kles in her eyes ; and the cheerfulness of her heart ap- pears in all her movements. Her name is Health : she is the daughter of Exercise and Temperance. Their sons inhabit the iriountains and the plain. They are brave, active and lively, and partake of all the beauties and virtues of U^M sister. Vigour strings their nerves, strength dwells in their bones, and labour is their delight all the day long. — The employments of their father excite their appetites, and the repasts of their mother refresh them- To combat the passions is their delight ; to conquer evil habits their glory. Their pleasures are moderate, and therefore they endure ; their repose i$ short, but sound and undisturbed. Their blood is pure, their minds are serene, and the physician does not find the way to their habitations. Invocation to Sleep. Sleep, downy sleep, come close my eyes, Tir'd with beholding vanities : Welcome^ sweet sleep, that drives away The toils and follies of the day. Op thy soft bosom will I lie, Forget the world, and learn to die,. 5B THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION XXII. Words of two syllables, accented on t ht first, 1 A ble, a. having power, capa- ble of doing A corn, n. the seed or fruit of the oak A ere, n. a certain quantity of land A ged, a. old, ancient A gent, n. a deputy, substitute An cient, [ane-tshent] a. old, not modern A pril, n. the fourth month of the year Ba con, n. the flesh of a hog salted and dried [rests Bai* liff, n, an officer that ar- Ba ker, n. a person that bakes Bane ful, a. poisonous, de-f structive Ba sin, n. a small vessel ; pond Ba sis, n. foundation, support Bear er, w. a carrier of any thing ; supporter Beast ly, a. brutal, obscene Bee hive, n. the place where bees are kept [insect Bee tie, n. a heavy mallet $ an Be ing, n. existence Bi ble, n. the sacred volume Blame less, a. innocent, guilt- less Blind ness, n. want of sight Bold ness, ». courage, assu- rance Bol ster, n. a large pillow, long cushion Bra sier, [bra zhur] n. one who works in brass Bri er, n. a prickly bush By word) n. a cant word, pro- verb, jest* scoff, a saying Ca ble, n. a rope for an anchor Ca denci,n. a fall of the voice Cam brick, n. line linen ' Care ful, a. cautious, saving Care less, a. heedless, negli- gent Ce dar, n. a tree Chair man, n. president of an assembly Cham ber, ?i. part of a house Chea ter, n. one who cheats Cheer ful, a. gay, full of life Child hood, n. infancy, the state of a child [pies Ci der, n. liquor made of ap- Clear ness, n. brightness Cli ent, n. employer of an ad- vocate [the air Cli mate, n. a tract of land ; CIotm ier, n. a maker of cloth Coach man, n. a driver of a coach Coarse ness, n. roughness | Cold ness, n. want of heat ) Cra zy, a. broken-witted Crea ture^ [t like tsh] n. a created being Cri sis, a. critical time Dai ly, ad. every day [ish Dam ty, a. delicate, squeam- Dai sy, n. a spring flower Dan ger, n. risk, hazard Dea con, w. a church officer De cent, a. modest, becoming De mon, w. an evil spirit Dire ful, a. dreadful Di vers, a. several, sundry Dole ful, a. sorrowful, dismal Do nor, w. a giver, bestower Do zy ? a. sleepy, stupid THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED, 59 Dra ma, n. the action of a play, a play, a poem Dra per, n. one who deals in cloth Drea ry, a. gloomy, mournful Du el, n. a fight between two persons Du ty, n. obligation ; a tax Ea ger, [ g hard] a. ardent, zealous Ea gle, n. a bird of prey Ea sy, a. not difficult ; at rest E qual, a. even, uniform, alike E ra, w. an epoch ; a point of time [ment E ther, n. pure air, an ele- E ven, a. level, smooth E vil, a. wicked, bad Faint ness, n. feebleness Fair ly, ad. justly, honestly Fair ness, n. beauty ; honesty Faith ful, a. firm to the truth Faith less, a. unbelieving Fa mtfus, a. noted, renowned Fa tal, a. deadly, mortal Fa V0ur, n. kindness ; v. to support Fear ful, a. timorous, awful Fear less, a. very bold, in- trepid Fea ture, [t like tsh] n. the cast of the face Fee ble, a. weak, infirm Feel ing, n. sensibility, hu- manity, tenderness Fe ver, n. a disease, heat Fi bre, n e a small thread ; a very small root Fig A ter, 7i. a warriour, hero Fi nal, a. conclusive, last Fine ness, w. delicacy, purity Fi nite, a. limited, bounded Fire arnw, n. guns, muskets Fla V0ur, n. taste, relish, smell Flu ent, a. eloquent, ready Flu id, n. a liquid, any thing that flows Fore cast, n. contrivance be- forehand Fore man, n. chief man in a shop Fore most, a. first in a place or dignity Fore sight, ra. foreknowledge Fra grance, w. sweetness of smell Fra grant, a. sweet-smelling Fra mer, n. a maker, contriver Free born,n. inheriting liberty Free cost, n. without expense Free dom, n. liberty Free ly, ad. liberally Free ness, n. liberality, qual- ity of being free Fre quent, a. often occurring Fri day, n. the sixth day of the week Frigvk ful, a. full of terrour Fru gal, a. careful, thrifty Fu el, n. matter for the fire Fu ry, n. madness, rage Fu ture, [t like tsh] a. that which is to come hereafter Game ster, n. one addicted to gaming, a gambler Gi ant, n. a man unnaturally tall or large Glo ry, n. honour, fame, hap- piness, praise Gol den, a. made of gold Gold finch, n. a kind of bird Gold smith, n. one who works in gold Grace ful, a. comely, beauti- ful ; with dignity Gra clous, a. merciful, kind 60 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Grate ful, a. having a due sense of favours Gr& ter, n. a rough instrument to grate with Gra tis, ad. for nothing, freely Grave ly, ad. seriously, sol- emnly Gra vy, n. the juice of meat Great ness, n. largeness, dig- nity, merit Gree dy, a. eager, ravenous Gnev 0us, a. afflictive, heavy Gro cer,w. a dealer in liquors, sugars, teas, &c. Gwi dance, n. direction, gov- ernment Gwide less, a. without a guide Has ty, a. quick, passionate Hate ful, a. detestable, vile Ha tred, n. ill will, dislike Ha zy, a. foggy, misty, dark Hear sa«/ ? n. report, rumour Hea THen, n. a pagan, one destitute v of revelation Heed less, a. careless, inat- tentive Heigh ten, v. to raise, increase He ro, n. a brave man ; a great warriour [tie Wigh ness, n. elevation ; a ti- Hind most, a. the last Hire ling, ». one serving for wager loarse ness, n. roughness of voice, harshness Hoi ster, n. a case for pistols Ho ly, a. pure, religious 3ome ly, a. plain, inelegant lope less, a. without hope iu .man, a. belonging to or like man $fti raour, n. general turn of mind ; moisture l Hy phen, n. a short mark be- tween words or syllables I cy, a. cold, full of ice . I die, a. unemployed, lazy I ris, n. the rainbow ; a circle I ron, [i urn] n. a hard metal I tern, n. a new article ; a hint I vy, n. the name of a plant Jai ler, n. the keeper of a pri- son Jews harp, n. a sort of musi- cal instrument Jw cy, a. moist, full of juice Ju ry, n. persons sworn to de- liver truth on such evi- dence as shall be given be- fore them Keep er, n. one who keeps, one who guards Kind ness,n.benevolence,love 2£na vish, a. dishonest, wicked Knowing, a. skilful, intelli- gent [work La hour, n. work, toil ; v. to La die, ?i. a large spoon,vessel La dy, n. a female title of honour ; a woman Lame ness, n. the state of a cripple Late ly, ad. not long ago La tent, a. secret, hidden La va, n. matter which issues from volcanoes La zy, a. unwilling to work Lea der,n. a conductor, com- mander Leaf less, a. without leaves Lea ky, a. open, not close Lea vings, n. things lefi, rem- nant Le gal, a. according to law Li ar, ». one who tells false- hoods THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER, 61 Li bel ? ?t. a defamatory writing Li cense, 7^.permission,liberty Life less, a. dead, inanimate Life time, n. the duration of life Light house, n. a building with lights to direct seamen luxght ning, n. the flash that precedes thunder Li ken, v. to make like, com- pare, resemble Like ness, n. a resemblance Like wise, ad. in like manner Lime kiln, n. a kiln for burn- ing limestones Lime stone, n. the stone of which lime is made Li ning, ?2. the inner covering of any thing Li on,w. a bold strong animal Live ly, a. brisk, gay, cheerful Li vre, n. a French coin Load stone, n. a stone having an attractive power Loath ful, a. odious, abhorred LoaTH some, a. detestable, abhorred [place Lo cal, a. being of or in a Lo cust, n. a devouring insect Lone some, a. solitary, dismal Low land, n. a marsh ; low part of a country Lowly, a. humble, meek Lu cid, a. bright, clear Lu ere, n. profit, gain Lu nar, a. relating to the moon Lu rid, a. gloomy, dismal Main mast, n. the chief or middle mast of a ship Ma jor, n. an officer above a captain ; a. greater in num- ber, quantity, or extent Ma ker, n. one who makes any thing ; the Creator Man ger, n. a wooden trough for animals to eat out of Ma S0n, n. one who works in stone or brick ; a member of the fraternity of Free- masons May or, n. the chief magis- trate of a corporation Mea ger, [g hard] a. weak, lean Mea ning, n. intention, design Mea sles, n. a disease Meek ly, ad. mildly, gently Meek ness, n. mildness Meet ing, n. an assembly Mere ly, ad. simply, only Mighty, a. powerful, strong Mild ly, ad. tenderly, kindly Mild ness, n. gentleness, soft- ness Mi nor, n. one under age ; a. petty, less Mo ment, n. importance, val- ue; an indivisible part of time [part Most ly, ad. for the greatest Mo tion, n. the act of moving Mo tive, n. that which incites to action [mould Mowl dy, a. covered with Mowrn er, n. one that mourns Mowrn ful, a. sad, sorrowful Mowrn ing, n. grief, lamenta- tion ; a dress of sorrow Mu sick, n. harmony ; the science of sounds Name ly, ad. particularly, to wit, that is to say Na tion, n. bedy of people united under one prince or government THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Na live, n. one born in any place ; a. natural, real Na ture, [t like tsh] ?i, the na- tive state of any thing ; dis- position ; compass of natu- ral existence ; state or sys- tem of the world Na val, a. relating to ships Na vy, n. a fleet of ships of war Near ly, ad, closely ; at hand Near ness, n. closeness ; alli- ance of blood or affection Neat ly, ad. elegantly, cleanly Neat ness, n. elegance Nee die, w. a small instrument for sewing Need less, a. unnecessary Nee dy, a. poor, necessitous Ne gro, n. a black man, an African Nei THer, conj. not either Neu ter, a. indifferent, not en- gaged on either side Neu tral, a. being of neither party [ness New ness, n. freshness, late- Nine ty, a. nine times ten No ble, a. illustrious, great Nose gay ,rc.a bunch of flowers No tice, n. information No tion, n. opinion, sentiment No where, ad. not in any place Nm sance, n. something nox- ious or offensive O cean, [o shun]n. the largest body of water on the globe SECTION XXIIL Description of the Sloth. The Sloth which is an animal of South America, makes the most despicable appearance of all the animal race. It is covered with coarse hair, somewhat resem- bling dried grass ; and its eyes are dull and heavy. It has four short feet, which are armed with strong claws ; but though the ieet are short, the legs are still shorter, and proceed from the body in such an oblique direction, that the soles of the feet seldom touch the ground. This poor creature seldom changes his position but by constraint, and when impelled by the severe calls of hunger ; and then it moves only one leg at a time, by scraping on the back of the claws along the surface, and wheeling the limbs circularly about, yet still touch- ing the ground, till at length it places its foot in a pro- gressive position. The other three limbs are brought about with the same difficulty, before the animal is capable of moving his body ; and in a manner so extremely slow, that, ac- THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 63 cording to Goldsmith's account, it has been seen to ad- vance not more than three feet in an hour ; and that a few paces are often the journey of a week. It lives upon the leaves, fruit, and flowers of trees ; and sometimes on the bark itself, when nothing else is left upon the tree for its subsistence. It requires a large share of food for its support ; and therefore it generally strips a tree of all its verdure, before it is willing to eave it. Although this animal is formed for climbing a tree with^great pain and difficulty, yet it is utterly unable to descend like other animals ; but is obliged, when it has stripped the tree of every thing that could serve it for food, to drop like a lifeless mass from the branches to the ground. After remaining some time in a torpid state, from the shock received by the fall, it again prepares for a jour- ney to some neighbouring tree not far distant, to which it crawls so slowly, that one can scarcely perceive it move ; and often baits on vegetables by the way. All motions which it makes, seem to torture it ; every step it takes, it sends forth a plaintive, melancholy cry, which seems its chief defence ; few quadrupeds appear willing to interrupt its progress, either because its flesh is offensive, or they are terrified at its cries. When at length they reach their destined tree, they mount it witfi much greater ease than when they moved upon the plain. They fall to with famished appetite, and, as before, destroy the very source that supplies them. As it finds so great a difficulty in procuring its food, it is often obliged to go several days without any sup- ply ; and we are informed that one remained suspended to a pole across two beams, without any sustenance, for forty days. This strange creature, which appears to live a very wretched life, may serve as a just emblem of the sloth- ful, who spend their time in doing nothing, or that which is worse than nothing ; while they ought to be improv- ing their minds in virtue, and endeavouring for those comforts which render mankind happy. 64 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION XXIV. The Sluggard. - 'Tis the voice of the Sluggard — I hear him complain, i You have wak'd me too soon, I must slumber again.' As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed, Turns his sides and his shoulders, and his heavy head. A e little more sleep, and a little more slumber ;' Thus he wastes half his days, pnd his hours without numbers And when he gets up, he sits folding his hands, Or walks about sauntering, or idle he stands. I pass'd by his garden, and saw the wild brier, The thorn, and the thistle, grow broader and higher. The clothes that hang on him are turning to rags ; And his money still wastes, till he starves or he begs. I made him a visit, still hoping to find He had taken more care in improving his mind ; He told me his dreams, talk'd of eating and drinking; But he scarce reads the Bible, and never loves thinking, I then said to my heart, c Here's a lesson for me ; That man's but a picture of what I might be : But thanks to my friends for their care in my breeding, Who taught me betimes to love working and reading.' SECTION XXV. On Early Rising. How foolish they who lengthen night, And slumber in the morning light ! How sweet at early morning's rise, To view the glories of the skies ! The sprightly lark, with artless lay, Proclaims the entrance of the day. Its fairest form then nature wears, And clad in brightest green appears. How sweet to breathe the gale's perfume, And feast the eyes with nature's bloom ! Along the dewy lawn to rove, And hear the inusick of the grove ! THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 65 Nor you, ye delicate and fair, Neglect to take the morning air. This will your nerves with vigour brace, Improve and heighten every grace. Twill give your breath a rich perfume , Add to your cheeks a fairer bloom ; With lustre teach y our eyes to glow, And health and cheerfulness bestow. SECTION XXVI. Words of two syllables, 1 O dour, n. scent, fragrance O men, n. a sign, prognostick On ly, a. single ; ad. simply, singly O pen, a. unshut ; v. to un- close, divide O ral, a. delivered by mouth O ver, pr. and ad. above, across, more, upon Ow ner, n. one to whom a thing belongs Pa gan, n. a heathen [tive Pain ful, a. full of pain, afflic- Pain ting, n. the art of laying on colours ; a picture Pale ness, n. wanness, white- ness Pa per, n. a substance on which men write and print Pa pist, n. one who adheres to popery Pa rent, n. a father or mother Paste boards n. a thick kind of paper Pa tience, n. calmness of mind, endurance Pa tient, a. resigned, calm under pain or affliction Pa tron, n. supporter, defen- der, advocate 6* accented on the first ; Continued. 1 Pave ment, n. a paved way* a stone or brick floor Pay ment, n. the act of paying Peace ful, a, quiet, mild [ded Pee vish, a. cross, easily offen- Feo pie, 7i. persons in gener- al ; a nation ; v. to stock with inhabitants Pi lot, n. one who steers a ship Pi 0us, a. religious, devout Pi rate, n. a sea-robber Plazn ness, n. flatness, sim- plicity Plain tiff, n. one who com- mences a suit in law Plam tive, a. complaining Play er, n. one who plays Play ful, a. sportive, gay Play house, n. a house used for acting plays in Play thing, n. a toy, trifle Pli ant, a. flexile, bending Plu mage , n. feathers [one Plu ral ,«. implying more than Po em, n. a composition in verse Po et, n. a writer of poems ; a composer of verses Po ny, n. a small horse Port ly, ad. bulky, majestical 66 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Por ter, n. one who has the j charge of a gate ; a kind f of strong beer Post age, n. money paid for the coveyance of letters, &c. Post script, n. a paragraph ad- ded to the end of a letter Po tent, a. powerful Pray er, n. a petition, request Preach er, n. one who preach- es ; a minister Pre cept, n. a command, in- struction, rule Priest craft, n. religious fraud Priest hood, n. the office and character of a priest Pri or, a. former, going be- fore Pri vate, a. secret, alone Pro noun, n. a word used in the place of a noun Pu ny, a. young, small, petty Pu pil, n. a scholar Pure ly, ad. in a pure manner Pu trid, a. rotten, corrupt Que ry, «. a question, inquiry Qui et, a. still, peaceable Quo tient, n. the number pro- duced by division Rai meat, n. dress, clothes Rai ny, a. showery, wet Ra ven, n. a fowl Ra zor, n. a tool used in sha- ving Read er, n. one who reads Read ing, n. study, perusal of books Re al, a. true, genuine Rea son, n. the faculty of thinking ; a cause ; propri- ety ; v. to argue rationally Re cent, a. new, late He gal, a. royal, kingly Re gent,, n. a governour, a deputed ruler Re gion, n. a country, a tract of land Re tail, w. sale by small quan- tities Ri ot, n. an uproar, sedition Ri pen, v. to grow ripe Ri val, n. a competitor Ro gwish, a. knavish Sa cred, a. holy, consecrated Safe ly, ad. in a safe manner Safe ty, n. freedom from dan- ger or hurt Sai lor, n. a seaman Sav lour, n. the Redeemer ; he who saves Sa vour, n. scent, odour Say ing, n. an expression, proverb, maxim Sci ence, n. knowledge, learn* ing, skill, art Sea man, n. a sailor, mariner Sea son, n. one fourth part of a year ; v. to give a relish to Se quel, n. succeeding part, conclusion [heat Sha dy, a. secure from light or Shame ful, a. disgraceful Shame less, a. impudent Shoul der, n. the joint which connects the arm to the body Sign post, n. the post on which a sign hangs Si lenci, n. stillness, secrecy Si lent, a. still, mute Sla vish, a. servile, mean Sloth ful, a. lazy, sluggish Slow ly, ad. not speedily,tar- dily [smoke Smo ky, a. emitting or full of Snow drop, n. an early flower So ber, a. serious, calm THE AMERICAN 1 So fa, n. a splendid seat cov- ered So lar, a. relating to the sun Sol dier,[sol jur] w. a warr- iour; a man engaged in military service Spa cious, a. wide, extensive Spe cie$, n. a sort, class of nature Speech less, a. mute, dumb Spi der, n. the insect, that spins webs [plant Spike nard, 72. the name of a Spite ful, a. malicious, cross SprigAt ly,a. gay, brisk, lively States man, n. one employed in publick affairs 5 one vers- ed in the arts of government Sta tion, n. situation ; v. to fix in a certain place Steel yard, n. a kind of bal- ance for weighing Stee pie, n. the turret or spire of a church Stew ard, n. one who mana- ges the affairs of another Sto ry, n. a narrative, history Stran ger,«. one unacquainted Stu dent, n. a scholar, learner Stu pid, a. dull, heavy [ly Sure ly,[s like sYijad. certain- Sure ty,[s like sh] n. security, certainty Sweet meat, n. fruits preserv- ed with sugar Tai lor, n. one who makes clothes Teach er, n. an instructor ; a preacher Ti tie, n. an appellation ; name of honour ; claim of right To ken 5 n. a sign, mark INSTRUCTED 67 1 Trai tor, n. one who betrays his trust Trea ty, n. negotiation" ; con- tract of parties [tatioi^ Tri al, n. examination ; temp- Tri umph, n. joy or pomp fop success ; conquest ; v. to rejoice for victory Tues day, n. the third day of the week Tu lip, n. the name of a flower Tu tor, n. one who instructs ? a preceptor Twi light, n. the dubious light before sunrise, and after sunset ; a. obscure, dusky Ty rant, n. a cruel despotick ruler ; a severe master Ty ro, rc.one in his rudiments^ a beginner, student [nien^ Use ful, a. serviceable, conve- Use less, a. answering no purpose V'a cant, a. empty, free Vi al, n. a small bottle Vice roy, n. the agent or sub- stitute of a king Vi ol, n. a stringed instru- ment of musick [vice Wa ges, n. pay given for ser- W?A ter, n. an attendant Ware house, n. a storehouse for merchandise [ish Waste ful, a. destructive, lav- 2 Ab sence, n. being absent Ab sent, a. not present Ab stract, n. an abridgment Ac cent, n. manner of pro- nunciation Ac id,[c like s] a. sour, sharp Ac tion, n. a thing done Ac tive, a. quick, nimble Ac tor, n. he that- performs THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Ac tress, n. she that performs Ad der, w. a serpent, viper Af ter, pr. in pursuit of; be- hind p Al um,«. mineral salt Am pie, a. large, wide Ash es, n. the remains of any thing burnt [lungs AstA ma, n. a disease of the At las, n. a collection of maps Ax is, n. the line on which any thing turns [my Bag gag€,w. utensils of an ar- Ban ish,v.to condemn to leave one's own country, to drive away Ban ner, n. a flag, standard Ban quet, n. a feast Bar rel, n. a round wooden vessel ; the hollow tube of a gun Bar ren, a, unfruitful, scanty Bash ful, a. wanting due con- fidence Bat tie, n. a fight, combat Beck on, v. to make a sign Bed stead, n. the frame which supports a bed [begging Beg gar, n. one who lives by Bel low, v. to roar Bel lows, n. an instrument to blow the fire [ness Bet ter, a. superiour in good- Bil low,7i.a large roaring wave Bis cwit, n. hard dry bread Bish op, n. one of the head or- der of the clergy Black smith,w. one Vlio works in iron [for a bed Blank et, n. a woollen cover Bles sing, n. divine favour Blun der, n. a mistake Brackish, a. somewhat salt Bram ble, n. a prickly shrub • Bran dy, n. a strong distilled liquor Break fast, n. the first meal in the day Brit tie, a. apt to break, weak Buc ket, n. a vessel to carry or fetch water in Bzdld ing, n. a house, fabrick Bun die, ft. a number of things bound together [en Bur nish, v. to polish, bright- Bus tie, n. hurry, tumult But ter, n. food made from cream Cab in, n. a room in a ship Cam el, n. a beast of burden Can did, a. fair, open, honest Can dour, n. purity of mind Cap tain, n. the commander of a company or ship Cap tive, n > a prisoner [iour Car riage,rc. a vehicle ; behav- Car rot, n. a garden root Car ry, v. to bear, convey Cas tie, n. a house fortified Cat tie, n. beasts of pasture Cav ern, n. a hollow place in the ground [centra Cen tral, a. relating to the Cen tre, n. the middle dial lenge, n. a summons to fight Chand ler, n. a person who deals in candles [stream Chan nel, n. course for a Chap el, n. a place of worshi p Chap ter,ra. a division of a book Cher ish, v. to support, nurse Cher ry, n. a kind of fruit Cher ub, n. a celestial spirit Chick en,w.the young of a hen Chil ly, a. somewhat cold THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 69 SECTION XXVII. An Address to Parents. The word Parent, is of solemn import ; and the rea- son is, there is a sacred trust implied in it. To be a parent, is to be a guardian of more souls than one. All the children which God hath given to parents, he hath put under their care to devote them to himself ; " To bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Consider, you who are parents, the importance of your trust ; train up the tender offspring committed to your care, in morality and virtue. Upon you it depends whether the child of your bo- som, shall be a blessing, or a curse to yourselves ; a useful, or a worthless member to the community. Prepare him early with instruction, and season his mind with the maxims of truth. Watch the bent of his. inclination, set him right in his youth, and let no evil habit gain strength with his years. Be reasonable in your commands, if you expect a ready obedience. Severity and rigour may create fear> but can never command his love. Mix kindness with reproof, and reason with authority ; so shall your admonitions take place in his heart, and his duty shall become his pleasure. Then shall he rise like a cedar on the mountains ; his head shall be seen above the trees of the forest. — The soil is your own, let it not want cultivation ; the seed which you sow, that also shall you reap. Teach him obedience, and he shall bless you ; teach him modesty, and he shall not be ashamed. Teach him gratitude, and he shall receive benefits ; teach him charity, and he shall gain love. Teach him temperance, and he shall have health ; teach him prudence, and fortune shall attend him. Teach him justice, and he shall be honoured by the world ; teach him sincerity, and his own heart shall not reproach him. Teach him diligence, and his wealth shall increase ; teach him benevolence, and his mind shall be exalted. Teach him science, and his life shall be useful ; teach him religion, and his death shall be happy. 70 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER* SECTION XXVIII. Rich and Poor, The man to whom God hath given riches, and blessed with a mind to employ them aright, is peculiarly favour- ed, and highly distinguished. He looks on his wealth with pleasure, because it affords him the means to do good. He protects the poor that are injured, and suffers not the mighty to oppress the weak. He seeks out objects of compassion, and inquires into their wants ; he re- lieves them with judgement, and without ostentation. He assists and rewards merit ; he encourages inge- nuity, and liberally promotes every useful design. He employs the labourer, he forms new schemes, and the arts receive improvement. He considers the superfluities of his table as belong- ing to the poor of his neighbourhood, and he defrauds them not. The benevolence of his mind is not checked by his fortune ; he rejoices therefore in riches, and his joy is blameless. But wo unto him that heaps up wealth in abundance, and rejoices alone in the possession thereof; that grinds the face v of the poor, and considers not the sweat of their brow. He thrives on oppression without feeling ; the ruin of his brother disturbs him not. He regards not the tears of the orphan, nor the cries of the widow : his heart is hardened with the love of wealth ; no grief nor distress can make any impression upon it. , But the curse of iniquity pursues him : he lives in continual fear ; the anxiety of his mind, and the rapa- cious desires of his own soul, take vengeance upon him, for the calamities he has brought upon others. Oh ! what are the miseries of poverty, in comparison with the gnawings of this man's heart ! Let the poor man comfort himself, yea, rejoice ; for he hath many reasons. He sits down to his morsel in peace ; his table is not crowded with flatterers and de- vourers. He is not embarrassed with a train of depen- dants, nor teased with the clamours of solicitation. Debarred from the dainties of the rich, he also escapes THE AMERICAN IN$TRUCTER. 71 their diseases. The bread that he eats, is sweet to his taste ; the water he drinks, is pleasant to his thirst ; yea, far more delicious than the richest draughts of the luxurious. His labour preserves his health, and procures him a repose, to which the downy bed of sloth is a stranger. He limits his desires with humility ; and the calm of contentment is sweeter to his soul, than the acquire- ments of wealth and -grandeur. Let not the rich, therefore, presume on his riches, nor the poor despond in his poverty ; for the providence of God dispenses happiness to them both, and the dis- tribution thereof is more equally made, than is gen- erally imagined. SECTION XXIX. Select Sentences. A WISE man will desire no more than what he "may get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and live upon contentedly. Beauty, as a flowery blossom, soon fades ; but the di- vine excellences of the mind, like the medicinal virtues of a plant, remain in it when all those charms are with- ered. It is more difficult to repair a credit that Is once sha- ken, than to keep in a flourishing condition ttiat which was never blasted. t If the mind is well cultivated, it produces a store of fruit ; if neglected, it is overrun with weeds. Let no man be confident of his own merit ; for the best sometimes err. Let no man rely too much upon his own judgement ; for the wisest are sometimes deceived. Men love to act from their own judgement, and are always most inclined to those that are of the same opin- ion with themselves. The higher character a person supports, the more he should regard his minutest actions. We are all surrounded and beset with evils ; and as they cannot be avoided, the mind ought to be prepared to encounter them. 7& THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Let not your expectations from the years that are to come, rise too high; and your disappointments will be fewer, and more easily supported* Moderation, vigilance, and self-government, are du- ties incumbent on all ; but especially on such as are be- ginning the journey of life. Be not proud of the gracefulness^ strength and beau- ty of thy body, which a little sickness can weaken and deform. Never insult the unfortunate, especially when they implore relief or assistance. If you cannot grant their requests, refuse them mildly and tenderly. Pity the sorrows and sufferings of the poor ; disdain not to enter their wretched abodes, nor to listen to their moving lamentations. While Messed with health and prosperity, cultivate a humble and compassionate disposition : think of the dis- tresses of human life, of the solitary cottage, the dying parent, and the weeping orphan. If we ought to be grateful for services received from our friends, how should our hearts glow with thankful- ness to him who has given us being, and all the blessings we enjoy ! A contented mind, and a good conscience, will make a man happy in all conditions. The temperate man's pleasures are durable, because they are regular ; and his life calm and serene, because it is innocent. > True cheerfulness makes a man happy in himself, and promotes the happiness of all around him. It is the clear and calm sunshine of a mind illuminated by piety and virtue. Out of your acquaintance, choose familiars : and out of your familiars, select friends. Among all human enjoyments, nothing is so rare, so valuable, and so necessary, as a true friend. A true friend is a great comfort in solitude, an excel- lent assistant in business, and the best protection against injuries : he is a counsellor in difficulties, and a sano tuary in distress, , THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 7$ SECTION XXX. Words of two syllables, accented on the first ; Continued, Chim net/, ft. a passage for smoke Cis tern, ft. a vessel to hold water Cit y, ft. an incorporated town Civ il, «. complaisant, well bred Clam our, n. outcry, noise Ctat ter, v m to make a confus- ed noise Cler gy, ft. the whole order or body of divines Clum sy, a. unhandy Clus ter, ft. a bunch, heap Cour age, ft. bravery, valour Cred it, ft. reputation, belief Crim son, ft. deep red colour Crip pie, ft. a lame person Crit ick, n. one skilled in criticism Cun ning, a. skilful, crafty Cur tain, w. furniture of a bed or window Damp ness, ft. moisture Daz zle, v. to overpower with light [tal Dead ly, a. destructive, mor- De5t or, ft. one who is in debt Desert, ft. a wilderness; a. wild, waste Die tion, ft. style, expression Dif fer, v. to be unlike ; to disagree Dim ness, ft. dullness of sight Dis cord, ft. disagreement Dis count, n. an allowance, drawback {spinning Distaff, n. a staff used in Dis trict, iu circuit, territory Dit ty, n. a song, poem 7 Diz zy, «. giddy, thoughtless Doub le, a, twofold, twice as much [ful Dread ful, a. terrible, frrght- Dun geon, ft. a dark close prison Dus ty, a. clouded with dust Dwel ling, ft. a habitation EcA o, ft. a sound returned Effort, ft. attempt, exertion Em blem, ft. a representation; allusive picture Em pire, ft. the region over which dominion is extend- ed ; imperial power Emp ty, a. not full, void End less, «. without end* En gine, n. a machine ; agent En glish, [e like i] a. relating to the country, people, or language of England En trance, ft. passage En vy, ft. vexation at anoth- er's good Er roiuyn. a mistake, blunder Es say, ft. attempt,experiment Eth icks, ft. the doctrine of morality [away Ex it, ri. departure, a going Ex tant, a. now in being ; standing out to view [ed Ex tract, n. substance extract- Fac tion, w. discord, a party Fac tious, a, given to faction •Fam ine, ft. scarcity of food Fan cy, w. imagination, whim Fash ion, n. custom, form Fat ten, v. to make or grow fleshy FeaTH er,n.the plume of birds 74 THE AMERICAN INSTRTJCTER. Fel on, n. one guilty of a cap- ital crime Fer ry, n. a place for passing a river or lake Fer tile, a, fruitful Fer vent, a. ardent, vehement Fie kle, a. changeable, un- steady Fie tion, n. a story invented, device, falsehood Fid die, n. a musical instru- ment [tyP e Fig ure, n. a number ; shape ; Fin ger, [g hard] n. part of the hand Fin ish, v. to end [bleness Fit ness,'tt. propriety, suita- Flan nel, n. a kind of woollen cloth [ness Flat ness, n. evenness ; dul- Flat ten, v. to make flat Flat ter, v. to praise falsely Flex ile, a. pliant, easily bent Flim sy, a. weak, thin Flip pant, a. pert, talkative Flour ish, v. to thrive, adorn Frag ment, n. a part, a bro- ken or imperfect piece Frank ly, ad. freely, readily Frank ness, n. plainness of speech, openness Fran tick, a. mad, distracted Free kle, n. a spot on the skin Fresh ness, n. newness Fret ful, a. peevish, angry Friend less, a. without friends Fnend ly, a. kind [ness Fnend ship, n. favour, kind- Frig ate, n. a small ship of war Fum ble, v. to do any thing awkwardly Fur long, n. the eighth part of a mile Fur lough, n. leave given for absence from duty Fur nish, v. to supply, equip Fur row, n. a trench made by a plough Gal lant, a. gay, brave, bold Gal Ion, n. four quarts Gam bler, n. a gamester Gan der, n. the male of the goose Gar ret, n. the uppermost room in a dwelling [ble GaTH er, v. to collect, assem- Gen tie, a. tame, mild, meek Gen try, n. a class of people above the vulgar Ges ture, [t like tsh] n. ac- tion, motion, posture Gib bet, n. a gallows to ex- pose criminals Gid dy, [g hard] a. heedless GiJ ding, [g hard] n. gold or silver laid on for ornament Gim let, [g hard] n. an instru- ment to bore with Gin gle, v. to make a sharp clattering noise [fully Glad ly, ad. joyfully, cheer- Glad ness, ft. exultation, joy Glim mer, v. to shine faintly Gram mar, n. the science of speaking or writing cor- rectly Grap pie, v. to fasten, grasp Gras sy, a. covered with grass Grav el, n. coarse hard sand Grid die, n. a pan to bake cakes in Grim ness, n. ^rightfulness of countenance Grum ble, v. to murmur Gwilt less, a. innocent [ed Gwil ty, a. not innocent, wick* THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 75 Gum ea, n. a gold coin Gun smith, w. one who makes guns Gus set, ?i. part of a garment Gut ter, n. a passage for water Hab it, n. customary use ? state of any thing, dress Had dock, ?i. a sea-fish Hag gle, v. to mangle Hal low?, v. to consecrate Ham let, n. a small village Ham mer, n. an instrument to drive nails Han dy, a. ready, skilful Hap pen,#. to come to pass Hap py, a. blessed, pleased Har row T n. an instrument of husbandry Ha^ch et, ». a small axe Hat ter, n. a maker of hats Haz ard, n, danger, chance Head stall, n. part of a bridle Health y,a.free from sickness Heav y, a. weighty ; drowsy Hetf er, ?i. a young cow Hei met, n. armour for the head Help er, n. an assistant Help less, a. destitute of help; wanting power or assistance Hence forth, ad. from this time forward Her bage, n. herbs, grass, pasture [person Her mit, w. a solitary devout Her ring, n. a small sea-fish Hin der, v. to prevent, stop Hith er, ad. to this place Hud die, v. to crowd together in a confused manner Hun dred, a. ten times ten Hun ger, [g hard] n. a desire of food Hun gry ? a. feeling pain for want of food [animals Hun ter, n. one who chases Hur ry, n. hasie, bustle ; v. to hasten Hurt ful, a. injurious Hus band, n. a married man Hus #e, v. to shake together IB? ness, n. sickness Im pulse, w n communicated force, motion, idea In come, n. revenue, rent In cense, n. a perfume offered to some deity In dex, ?z.thc table of contents toabook; a mark thus ((£?*) In fant, n. a young child In got, n. a mass of metal In jure, v. to annoy, to hurt unjustly [ink Ink stand, n. a vessel to hold In let, n. a passage, entrance In most, a. deepest within, re- motest In ner, a. interiour In quest, n. judicial inquiry In road, n. sudden invasion In sect, n. a small creeping or flying animal In side, n. the interiour part In sight, n. an inspection, view, knowledge In stance, n. example In stant, n. the present mo- ment or month ; a moment In step, n. the upper part of the foot In stinct, n. a natural desire or aversion In suit, n. insolence, abuse In to, pr. noting entrance In voice, n. a bill or list of ! goods with the price annexed 76 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Is su«,[ish shu]n. termination, end ; v. to come or send out Ist^ mus r ft. a neck of land joining larger portions of land .Tab ber, .v. to talk idly Jac ket, ft. a waistcoat ; a kind of short close coat Je«l ous, a. suspicious [noise Jin gie, v. to make a rattling Jour nal, ft. a diary ^ book, newspaper Jour ney, n. a passage from one place to another Jug gle, v. to play tricks by sleight of hand Jus tice, ft. equity, right ; an officer [ly Just ly, ad. uprightly, honest- Ket tie, ft. a kitchen vessel to boil things in Kid nap, v. to steal persons Kin die, v. to set on fire Kin dred, ft. relation King dom, n. the dominion of a king King ly, a. royal, noble Kitfch en, ft. a room where provisions are cooked Kit ten, w. a young cat Lad der,ft. a frame made with steps for climbing Lan cet, n. a surgical instru- ment to let blood Land lord, ft. the master of an inn ; an owner of land or houses Land tax, ft. a tax put upon land and houses •Lan guage, ». human speech Lan guid, a. faint, weak Lan guish, v. to grow feeble Lan guor, n. faintness Lan tern,w.a case for a candle Lap dog, ft. a little dog for the lap Last ly, ad. in the last place LaTH er, ft. froth of soap and water Lat ter, a. the last of two Lav ish, a. wasteful Lear ning, ra. erudition, skill in any thing [ing any thing Lear ner, w. one who is learn* LeaTH er, ft. the hide of an animal dressed Lee ture,[t like tsh] n. a dis- course on any subject Lem on^ft. the name of a fruit Leng then, v. to make longer Leop ard,ft. a beast of prey Les sen, v. to diminish Les son ; n* a task to learn or read Les sor, ft. one who grants a lease to another Let ter, ». one of the charac- ters of the alphabet; a writ- ten message Lev el, a. even Lev y, v. to raise, impose Lil y, ft. a beautiful flower Lim ber, a. easily bent, pliant Lim it> n. a bound, border ? v. to confine within bounds Linch pin, w, an iron pin to keep a wheel on the axletree Lin en, w. cloth made of flax Lin ger,[g hard] v. to loiter Lin guist, n. a person skilled in languages Lin net, ».a small singing bird Liq uid, w. a fluid substance Liq wor, n. strong drink ; a liquid Lit tie, a. small, diminutive THE~AMEBICAN INSTRUCTED 77 2 Liv ing, n. maintenance, sup- port [animal Liz ard, n. a small creeping Lub ber, n. a lazy clumsy fellow [nate Luc ky, a. successful, fortu- Lug gage, n. any thing cum- bersome or heavy Lum ber, n. useless furniture ; timber, boards, staves, &c. 2 Lus cious, a. sweet, pleasing, rich Lus tre, n. brightness, gloss Lus ty, a. large, stout Mad am, n. a term of address to a lady Mad den, v. to make mad Mad ness, w.rage,fury,passiori Mag ick,[g soft] n. enchant- ment, dealing with spirits SECTION XXXI. The Close of Life. When we contemplate the close of life, the termina- tion of man's designs and hopes, the silence that now reigns among those who a little while ago were so bu- sy or so gay ; who can avoid being touched with sensa- tions at once awful and tender ? What heart but then warms with the glow of humanity I in whose eye doth not the tear gather, on revolving the fate of passing and short lived man ? Behold the poor man who lays down at last the bur- den of his wearisome life. No more shall he groan un- der the load of poverty and toil. No more shall he hear the insolent calls of the master, from whom he re- ceived his scanty wages. No more shall he be raised from needful slumber on his bed of straw, nor be hurried away from his homely meal, to undergo the repeated la- bours of the day. While his humble grave is preparing, and a few poor and decayed neighbours are carrying him thither, it is good for us to think, that this man too was our brother ;. that for him the aged and destitute wife, and the needy children now weep ; that, neglected as he was by the world, he possessed perhaps both a sound understand- ing, and a worthy heart ; and is now carried by angels to rest in Abraham's bosom. At no great distance from him, the grave is opened to receive the rich and proud man. For, as it is said with emphasis in the parable, " the rich man also died 7* 79 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED and was buried." He also died. His riches prevented not his sharing the same fate with the poor man ; per- haps, through luxury, they accelerated his doom. Then indeed, " the mourners go about the streets ; w and while, in all the pomp and magnificence of wo, his funeral is preparing, his heirs, impatient to examine his will, are looking one on another with jealous eyes, and are already beginning to dispute about the division of his substance. i One day we see carried along the coffin of the smi- ling infant; the flower just nipped as it began tp blos- som in its parent's view : and the next day we behold che young man, or young woman, of blooming form and promising hopes, laid in an untimely grave. While the funeral is attended by a numerous uncon- cerned company, who are discoursing to one another about the news of the day, or the ordinary affairs of life, let our thoughts rather follow to the house of mourn- ing, and represent to themselves what is passing there. There we should see a disconsolate family sitting in silent grief, thinking of the sad breach that is made in •heir little society ; and, with tears in their eyes, look- ing to the chamber that is now left vacant, and to every memorial that presents itself of their departed friend. By such attention to the woes of others, the selfish hardness of our hearts will be gradually softened, and melted down into humanity* Another day we follow to the grave, one who in old age, and after a long career of life, has, in full maturity, sunk at last into rest. As we are going along to the mansion of the dead, it is natural for us to think, and o discourse, of all the changes which such a person has seen during the course of his life. He has passed it is likely, through varieties of fortune. He has experienced prosperity and adversity. He has seen families and kindreds rise and fall. He has seen >eace and war succeed in their turns : the face of his country undergoing many alterations, and the very city n which he dwelt, rising in a manner, new around him. After all he has beheld, his eyes are now closed for p THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 79 ever. He was becoming a stranger in the midst of a new succession of men. A race who knew him not, had risen to fill the earth. Thus passes the world away. Throughout all ranks and conditions ; "one generation passeth, and another generation cometh ;" and this great inn is by turns evacuated, and replenished by troops of succeeding pilgrims. O vain and inconstant world ! O fleeting and tran- sient life ! When will the sons of men learn to think of thee as they ought ? When will they learn humanity from the afflictions of their brethren ; or moderation and wisdom, from the sense of their own fugitive state ? SECTION XXXII. The Funeral. How solemn is the scene, when friends draw near, To pay to parted worth the fun'ral tear ! How precious are the sacred tears that rise, And flow successive from the mourner's eyes ! How solemn is the sight, ('tis so to me,) Extended in the " narrow house" to see The pale precursor of our certain doom, A silent votary for the lurid tomb ! No language can describe, no tongue can tell The heart's keen anguish at the last farewell, When the lid closes on the faded face, Where late serenely smil'd each softer grace, Plac'd on the sable hearse, the mournful throng, In sad procession, slowly move along ; Bow'd down with sorrow, to the grave repair, And leave their fellow friend to moulder there. Then home return : — Oh ! what a blank appears ! The heart then gives the few remaining tears ; How gloomy all, where late so sweetly smil'd The lovely friend, that ev'ry care beguil'd ! - Those who have lost what worlds cannot supply, Can give the sympathetick tear and sigh : Though friendship can a soothing balm impart, L 'Tis Heav'n alone can heal the mourner's heart, 80 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. SECTION XXXIIL The Rose. How fair is the rose, what a beautiful flower \ In Summer so fragrant and gay ! But the leaves are beginning to fade in an hour, And they wither and die in a day. r Yet the rose has one powerful virtue to boast, Above all the flowers of the field : When its leaves are all dead, and its fine colours lost, Still how sweet a perfume it will yield. So frail are the youth and the beauty of men, Though they bloom and look gay like the rose; Yet all our fond care to preserve them is vain, Time kills them as fast as he goes. Then I'll not be proud of my youth or my beauty >. Since both of them wither and fade ; But gain a good name by performing my duty ; This will scent like the rose when Fm dead. SECTION XXXIV. Words of' two syllables, accented on the first ; Continued. Mag net, n. the loadstone Mag pie, n. the name of a bird Mai ice, n. ill will, hatred Mai let, n. a wooden hammer Man age,*; .to conduct, govern Man date, n. a command,pre- cept [ing Man ful, a. bold, stout, dar- Man gle, v. to lacerate, to cut or tear in pieces Man ly, a. brave, noble Man ner, n. form, method Man ners, n. behaviour, con- duct Man sion,ra. a dwelling house, abode Man tie, n. a kind of cloak Man y,[a like e] a, numerous, several Mar row, w. a substance in bones [subject Mat ter, n. body, substance, Max im, n. a general princi- ple, rule Mead ow y n. a grass-field from which hay is made Meas ure, [s like zh] n. that by which any thing is meas- ured ; v. to compute, allot Med al, n. an ancient coin; a piece stamped in honour of some remarkable per* formance Mel \ow y a. softj fully ripe Mel on, w. a kind of fruit Mem ber, n. a limb, -a part Men tal, a. belonging to the mind intellectual THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. si Men tion, v. to express in words or writing; n. an expression Mer chant, n. one who deals in merchandise [pardon Mer cy, ft. pity, compassion, Mer it, n. desert, reward ; v. to deserve [cheerful Mer ry, a. gay, laughing, Mes sage ft. an errand Mess mate, n. one who eats with another [body Metal, ft. a hard compact Meth od, ft. order, rule Mid day, n. noon Mid night, n. the middle of the night [a mill Mil ler, ft. one who attends Mil let, n. a plant ; a kind of fish [sand Mill ion, n. ten hundred thou- Mill stone, «. the stone by which grain is ground Mim ick, v. to imitate, ridi- cule ; n. one who imitates another Min gle, v. to mix, join Min ute, n. the sixtieth part of an hour Mir ror, n. a looking-glass Mis chief, ft. disturbance,harm Mis sion, ft. a commission, le- gation Mis tress, n. a woman who governs ; a woman teacher Mis ty, a. cloudy, damp Mit tens, n. covering for the hands Mud dy, a. dirty, thick Muf fle, v. to wrap up, to blindfold Mum ble, v. to mutter 5 to speak inwardly Mur der, n. the act of killing unlawfully; v. to kill un- lawfully [ble Mur mur, v. to mutter, grum- Mus ket, ft. a soldier's hand- gun Mus lin, n. a fine kind of cloth mado of cotton [seed Mus tard, ft. a plant and its Mus ty, a. mouldy, spoiled with damp Mut ter, v. to grumble Mut ton, n. the flesh of sheep Neck lace, n. an ornament worn by women on the neck Neph ew, [nev vu] n. the son of a brother or sister NeTH er, a. lower, not upper Net tie, ft. a stinging herb Nev er, ad. at no time Nib ble, v. to eat slowly, bite at Nick name, w. a name givea in contempt Nim ble, a. quick, active [ly Nim bly, ad. quickly, speedi- Num ber, n. the species of quantity by which it is com- puted how many; v. to count, reckon Num& ness, it. stupefaction, torpor^ deadness Nup tial, a. pertaining to marriage Nup tials, n. marriage Nur ture, [t like tsh] n. edu- cation ; food, diet ; v. to bring up, to educate Pac ket, n. a mail of letters ; a coasting vessel for pas- sengers Pad die, v. to row; to play in water ; n. an oar Pad lock, n.ji hanging lock THE AMERICAN TNSTRUCTE1 Pal ace,w. a royal or splendid house Pam phlet, n. a small book Pan cake, n. a kind of thin cake baked or fried in a pan Par rot, n. a kind of bird Pas sage, ft. a clause or sen- tence; act of passing Pas sion, ft. anger, zeal, ar- dour, love [fering Pas sive, a. submissive, suf- Pass port, n. a permission in writing to pass Pas time, ft. amusement, sport s Pas tor, ft. a minister of a congregation ; a shepherd Pas ture, [t like tsh] ft. land on which cattle feed Pat ent, ft. a grant of an ex- clusive right [ample Pat tern, ft. a specimen, ex- Peas ant, ft. one who lives by rural labour Peb ble, ft. a sort of hard stone Peddle, v. to travel and re- tail goods Pen cil, n.a small brush of hair for drawing and painting Pen &nife, ft. a knife used to cut pens Pen man, ft. a writer Pen ny, ft. the twelfth part of a shilling Pen sion, n. a settled yearly allowance Pen sive, a. sorrowful Pep per, ft, a spice, plant of many kinds Per il, n. danger, hazard Per ish, v. to decay, die Per son, n. a human being, an individual ]?es tor, v. to plague, disturb Pes tie, ft. an instrument with which any thing is broken in a mortar Pet tish, a. fretful, peevish Pet ty, a. small, trifling Pheas ant, ft. the name of a bird Phthis ick, ft. a consumption ; shortness of breath Pic kle, ft. a thing pickled, brine Pic ture, [t like tsh] ft. a re- semblance in colours Pig eon, [g soft] ft. a kind of bird Pil fer, v. to steal Pil Jage, ft. plunder ; v. to rob Pil lar, ft. a column, prop Pill ion, ft. a soft saddle, a cushion [head on Pil low, ft. a thing to lay the Pim pie, ft. a small red pustule Pin ion, v. to bind, shackle,tie Pis mire, ft. an ant ; emmet Pis tol, ft. a small hand-gun PiZch fork, ft. a fork to pitch hay with Fitch er, ft. an earthen vessel Pith y, a. consisting of pith ; energetick, forcible [thy Pit y, ft. compassion, sympa- Piv ot, ft. a pin on which any thing turns Plan et, ft. a star which re- volves round a centre in an orbit Plan tain, ft. an herb Plant er, ft. a farmer, one who cultivates Plas ter, ft. lime prepared to cover walls ; a salve Plat form ,n. a horizontal plane flat ter, w,.«a large flat dish THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED €3 Pleas ant, a. delightful Pleas ure, [s like zh] n. de- light, gratification Plen ty, n. abundance Plum met, n. a leaden weight or pencil [by force Plun der, v. to pillage, to rob Prac tice, n. habitual use,rule Prac tise, v. to do habitually Prat tie, v. to talk lightly, to chatter Pre cious, a. valuable, costly Preface, n. an introduction to a book [present Pres ence, n. state of being Pres ent, a. not absent, face to face ; n. a gift Pret ty, [e like i]a. beautiful, neat ; ad. in some degree Prim er, ?t. a small book for children Prim rose, n. a flower Prince ly, ad. royal, grand Prin cess, n. the daughter of a king, the wife of a prince Print er, n. one who prints Pris on } ?i. a jail, place of con- finement Pub lish, v. to make known Pub lick, n. the body of a na- tion ; a. not private, open, common Pulp ne ? s speech Stand ard, n. an ensign of war ; undoubted authority Stat ue,[stat tshu] n. an image Stat ute,[stat tshute] w. an act of the legislature, a law, decree Stead fast, a. fixed, firm Stead y, a. firm, not wavering Stig ma, ?i. a mark of infamy Stin gy, a. covetous Stran gle,i\to choke,sufibcate Strip ling, n. a youth Strug gle, v. to strive, con- tend ; n. a contest, agony Stub born, a. obstinate Stud y,n. application to books and learning ; an apart- ment for books ; i?. to med- itate, muse Stum ble, v. to trip in walk- ing ; to err Stur dy, «. hardy, stout Stur geon,n.the name of a fish Sub ject, n. the matter treat- ed of; one under the do- minion of another Sub stance, n. being, matter Sud den, a. without previous notice, hasty Suf fer, v. to endure, to bear Sul ky, a. sullen, obstinate Sul len, a. morose, obstinate Sul try, a. hot and cloudy Sum mer, n. the second sea- son of the year Sum mit, n. the top, the ut- # most height Sun beam, n. a ray of the sun Sun day, n. the first day of the week Sun dry, a. several, various Sup per, n. the evening meal Sur face, n. the outside Sur ly, a. morose, uncivil Syl van, a. woody, shady Symp torn, n. a sign, token Syn tax, n. a system, con* struction of words Sys tern, ?i. a scheme, meth- od, theory Tal ent, n. a certain weight or sum ; faculty Tal on, n. the claw of a bird Tar ry, v. to stay, loiter Tat tie, v. to prate, talk idly Tern pest, n, a violent wind, storm, tumult [cate Ten der, a. soft, young, deli- Ten don, n. a sinew Ten dril, n. the clasp of a vine Thank fill, a. full of gratitude Thim ble, n. a cap for the needle finger This tie, n. a prickly weed i Thith er, ad. to that place Thun der, n. a loud noise in the air [the week Thurs day, n. the fifth day of Tick et, *. a token of right on the delivery of which admission is granted Til lage, n. husbandry Tim id, a • fearful, timorous Tip pet, n. a kind of covering for a woman's neck 8* m THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Traf lick, n. commerce,trade ; v. to trade, to deal [foot Tram pie, v. to tread under "■Tram quil, a. quiet, peaceful -Trav el, v. to go, to make a journey ■ Treats ure,[s like zh]n. wealth laid up, riches Trent ble, v. to shake, quiver Tres pass, n. an offence, un- lawful entry ; v. to trans- gress Tres ses, n. curls of hair Trib ute, n. payment made in acknowledgment of sub- jection Triph thong,n.a union of three vowels Troub le, n. calamity, afflic- tion [down Turn ble, v. to fall, to throw Tur kej/, n. a large fowl Tur tie, n. a kind of dove ; a tortoise Twen ty, a twice ten Ul cer, n. a running sore Vm pire, n. one who decides disputes Un cle, n. a father's or moth- er^ brother - % Un der, pr. in a state of sub- jection [up Up right, a. honest ; straight Ut most, a. extreme, highest ; n-c the most that can be Ut ter, v. to speak Vai iant, «. stout, brave VaJ le^ n. low ground be- tween two hills Val our, n. courage, bravery Val ue } n. a price, worth ; v. to fix a price, to rate Yan ish, v. to disappear Ver diet, n. determination of a jury, decision, opinion Ver y, a real, true ; ad. in a great degree Ves sel, n. any thing used to hold liquors ; a ship Vic tim, n. a sacrifice Vict uals, n. food, provisions Vig our n. force, strength Vil lage, n. a small collection of houses \ r ir tue,[ver tshu] n. moral goodness, excellence, effi- cacy Vul gar, a. mean, low ; n. the common or lower people Wag on, n. a four wheeled carriage fqr burdens Wednes day, n. the fourth day of the week Welfare,?!, happiness, pros- perity Whis per, v. to speak in a low voice Wick ed, a. given to vice Wid on), n. a woman whose husband is dead Wil ful 7 a. stubborn, perverse Win ter, n. the fourth season of the year Wis dom, n. the power of judging rightly, sapience With er, v. to fade, waste Wit ness, n testimony, evi- dence Wit ty, a. ingenious, smart PTran gle, v. to dispute pee- vishly ; n. a quarrel Young ster, n. a young person 3 Al so, ad. likewise Al ways, ad. continually, for- ever, perpetually THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 91 Auc tion, n. a publick sale to the highest bidder Au gust, w. the eighth month of the year Au thor,n. an in venter, writer Au tumw, n. the third season of the year Aw ful, a. terrible, hateful Awk ward, a. unhandy, un- polite [icine Bal sam, n. an ointment, med- Braad cloth, n. a very fine kind of woollen cloth Cau tion, n. prudence, care Cau tious,a.watchful, prudent Daugh ter, n. a female child False hood,n.a lie, an untruth Fault less,.to pledge prop- erty to a creditor for se- curity Mor tise, n. a hole cut in one piece of wood to admit the tenon of another Naug7* ty, a. bad, wicked Nau seous, a. loathsome, of- fensive, disgustful Or bit,rc.the line described by the revolution of a planet Or chard, n. a field of fruit trees Or der, n.a command, method Ord nance,n. cannon, artillery Or phan, n; a fatherless or motherless child Pal sy, n. a privation of the sense of feeling Pau per, n. one who receives alms, a poor person Quar ter, w. a fourth part ; v. to divide into four parts Quar to,n.a book in which ev- ery sheet makes four leaves Sau cer, n. a small vessel into which a tea-cup is set Sau cy, a. impudent, insolent Scorn ful, a. haughty, proud Shor ten, v. to make short Short ly, ad. soon, quickly SlaugA ter, n. massacre ; v. to slay, to kill Sor did, a. mean, vile, base Storm y, a. tempestuous Thought ful % , a. contempla- tive, careful Thought less, a. negligent, careless 92 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Tor ment, n. pain, misery Tor toise, n. an amphibious animal [ish Taw ny, a. brownish, yellow- 4 Alms house, w. a house for the poor Ar dent, a. hot, fiery, zealous Ar gue, v. to reason, dispute Ar nitfur, n. defensive arms Ar my,n.a body of armed men Art ful, a. cunning, dexterous, artificial Art ist, n. a professor of an art Bar ber, n. a man that shaves beards [ment Bar gain, n, a contract, agree- Bar ley, n. a sort of grain Bar ter, v. to exchange [ness CaZm ness, n. mildness, still- Car cass, n. a dead body Car pet, n. a covering for a floor Car tridge, n. a paper-case for gunpowder and ball Car ver, n. one who carves Char coal, n. a coal made by burning wood under cover Charm ing, a. pleasing Dark ness, n. absence of light Far mer, n. one who culti- vates ground [tance Far THer, a. at a greater dis- Far THest, a. at the greatest distance [penny Far THing, n. the fourth of a Fa THer, n. a parent Gar den, n. a place planted withherbs,flowers,&c. [ers Gar land, n. a wreath of flow- Gar lick, 7i. a plant[the body Gar ment, ?i. a covering for Har hour, n. a port, shelter Har den, v. to make hard Hard ness, n. severity ; a hard quality Hard ship, n. fatigue, injury Hard ware, n. wares made of iron, steel, brass, &c. Harm less, a. innocent Harsh ness, n. roughness Har vest, n. the season for gathering wheat, maize^&c. the crop gathered Hear ken, v. to listen, attend Hear ty, a. healthy, strong Jar gon, n. unintelligible talk, gibberish Lar board, n. the left hand side of a ship or boat Laz^gh ter, n. a convulsive merry noise Mar ble, n. a fine hard stone ; a. made of marble Mar gin, n. the edge, border Mar ket, n. a place and time of sale Mar quis, n. one of the sec- ond order of nobility, next in rank to a duke Mar shal, n. an officer of an army ; a sheriff ; v. to ar- range, rank in order Marsh y, a. swampy, boggy Mar tial, a. warlike, brave Mar tyr, n. one who by his death bears witness to the truth Mar vel, v. to wonder Ma ster, n. an owner, propri- etor ; a ruler, teacher Par boil, v. to half boil Parch ment, n. skins dressed for writing on Par dan, v. to forgive 5 n. for- giveness THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 93 SECTION XXXVIII. Cleanliness, Cleanliness may be recommended under the three following heads : as it is a mark of politeness ; as it pro- duces affection; and as it bears analogy to purity of mind. In the first place, it is a mark of politeness ; for it is universally agreed upon, that no one unadorned with this virtue, can go into company without giving a man- ifest offence. The different nations of the world are as much distinguished by their cleanliness, as by their arts and sciences. The more advanced in civilization, the more they consult this part of politeness. In the second place, cleanliness may be considered the foster-mother of affection. Beauty commonly pro- duces love, but cleanliness preserves it. Age is not unamiable while it is preserved clean and unsullied : like a piece of metal constantly kept smooth and bright* we look on it with more pleasure, than on a new vessel that is cankered with rust. As cleanliness renders us agreeable to others, so it makes us easy to ourselves ; it is an excellent preserva- tive of health ; and several vices destructive both to mind and body, are inconsistent with the habit of it.. In the third place, it bears great analogy with purity of mind, and naturally inspires refined sentiments and passions. We find from experience, that through the prevalence of custom, the most vicious actions lose their horrour, by being made familiar to us. On the contrary, those who live in the neighbourhood of good eidmples, fly from the first appearance of what is shocking ; and thus pure and unsullied thoughts are naturally suggested to the mind, by those objects that perpetually encompass us. In the East, where the warmth of the climate makes cleanliness more immediately necessary than in colder countries, it is considered as a part of religion : the Jewish law, (as well as the Mahometan, which in some things copies after,) enjoins frequent bathings, and other rites of the like nature : and we read several injunctions of this kind \xi the book of Deuteronomy, 94 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION XXXIX. Honour. The influence of honour on the character and Im- provement of the mind, is no less happy than that of virtue. As a virtuous man would not do a criminal action, because it is repugnant to the laws of God, and injurious to his neighbour, so would an honourable man despise a mercenary deed, because it is abhorrent to his feelings, and the genuine principles of rectitude. The ideas many have of honour, and of the means to attain it, are as different, and perhaps as erroneous as those they have of true happiness. Persons who entertain right conceptions of honour, enjoy a double advantage. Stimulated by its dictates, and instructed by the precepts of virtue, they scorn whatever is low, and aspire at that which is amiable. Ambitious to gain the esteem of the world, the man of honour makes virtue his guide ; his life is marked with integrity ; his soul beams sincerity, and justice ever graces the tenour of his conduct. Others, who have wrong ideas upon this subject, commit crimes of the vilest nature, and suppose their guilt is veiled, from the mistaken notion that their vices are honourable, because they are fashionable. Ask the dissipated man why he carouses at midnight revels, and riots in the luxuries of pleasure, he will answer, u to maintain my honour, and support the dignity of a gentleman. " Ask the duellist why he would take away the life of— perhaps a brother, he will answer, " to vifttiicate my honour, and act the part of a man." Such is the force of custom, to convert the basest crimes into a fashion- able point of honour. Alas ! Such may have become fashionable, but they will ever be contemptible. Flattered by a false notion of honour, the voluptuary endeavours to exculpate the criminality of his conduct. Uncontrolled by principles, he gives unbounded scope to his desires, and riots with intemperate festivity. Unacquainted with what is truly honourable, the du- THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. 95 ellist, for the most trivial offence, thus challenges his an- tagonist: " Equip yourself with sword and pistol, meet me at such a time and place, and prove yourself a gen- tleman" His antagonist, if like himself, destitute of honour, thus answers: "I accept your challenge with pleasure, and am happy to give you and the world this proof." But, if his antagonist be endued with just and hon- ourable principles, he thus replies : " Sensible what dis- grace a compliance with your request would bring upon us both, and humanity itself, I condemn your offer as derogatory to the human character. If in fault, I am willing to make every reasonable confession, and ready to give satisfaction. 55 As the man of virtue fears, so the man of honour scorns to do a mean action. Seneca speaks in the no- ble and genuine language of honour, when he says, «' Were there no God to see and punish vice, he would not commit it, because it is of so mean, so base, and vile a nature." Should those persons who court vice and folly for pleasure, study decency, and cultivate true principles, they would soon discard those fashionable vices, which they vainly flatter themselves, accomplish the real mail of honour. The vices of the present age, like dress, have their fashions. Were we to inquire into the cause, should we not find that many of them owe their rise to a mista- ken notion of honour f Excess of pleasure, says the sensualist, is fashionable, consequently, honourable. But were he sensible that nothing but what is virtu- ous, is worthy of this name, that the principles of hon- our would teach him to ennoble his soul with concep- tions of the just and amiable, he would forsake the lap of pleasure, for that of virtue. Then let the debauchee quit his vain delights ; the voluptuary the bed of pleasure ; the duellist his dagger, for that which is great, noble, and virtuous ; and b* persuaded that honour is the child of virtue, and tfre p*£* Action of a benevolent and generous soul 96 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION XL. Words of two syllables, accented on the first : Continued* Pars ley, n. a plant Par son, n. a clergyman, min- ister, priest Par tial, a. inclined to favour one party more than the other Part ner, n. a sharer, partaker Par tridge, n. a bird of game Par ty,n.a number of persons confederated, a select as- sembly Tar dy, a. slow, dilatory 5 Bon dage, /i. captivity, slavery Bond man, m. a man slave Bond maid, rc. a woman slave Bonds man, n. one bound for .another Bor row, v. to take upon loan Bot tie, w. a glass vessel Bot torn, n. lowest part Clos et,rc.a small private room Cob ble, v. to mend coarsely Cob bler,rc.a mender of shoes Cob web,w.the web of a spider Cof fee, n. a drink ; a berry Col lar, n. something worn round the neck Col league, n. a partner Col lege, n. a house for learn- ing [round pillar Col umn,n. part of a page ; a Com et, n. a kind of star Com merce,?i. trade, traffick Com pend, ». abridgment Con duct, n. behaviour Con gress, n. an assembly,, meeting [gained Con quest, n. victory, a thing Con science, n. natural knowl- edge, reason Con sort, n* a companion, partner Con stant, a. firm, unvaried Con test, W. a dispute, debate Con tract, n. a bargain, agree- ment Con trite, a. penitent [ed Con vict, n. a person convict- Cost ly, a, of great price Doc tor, n. a title in divinity, law, physick, &c. Doc trine, n. the principles of any sect ; a precept Dol lar, w. a silver coin Fod der, n. food for cattle F °g gy> [g ha *d] a. misty, cloudy Fol low, v. to go after, pursue Fol ly, n. foolishness Fond ness, n. tenderness, ex- cess of love Fore head, n. the upper part of the face For eign, a. belonging to an- other country For est, n. a wild uncultiva- ted tract Fos ter, v. to nurse, cherish Fros ty, a. like frost, cold Glos sy, a, shining, showy Gob let, n. a bowl or cup Gos ling, n. a young goose Hoi low, 72. a cavity, den Horn age,w.obedience,service Hon est, a. upright, just Hon ow,n. dignity, reputation Hor rid, a. hideous, dreadful Hov el, n. a. shed, cottage Joe und, a. merry, gay, lively Jog gle, v. to shake, push ► Jol ly, a. merry, gay THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 97 Jos t\e } v.- to push ? shake Knot ty, a. full of knots,hard J^ho^l edge, n. understand- ing, skill [a room Lob by, ». an opening before Lob ster, n. a shell-fish Lock et,n.an ornamental lock Lof ty, a. proud, stately, high Log ick, [g soft] n. the art of reasoning Log wood, n. a wood much used in dying Mod el, n. a copy, represen- tation ; v. to plan, to shape Mod era, a. late, not ancient Mod est, a. diffident, chaste Mon arcA,w. a king,sovereign Mon ster, n. something un- natural or horrible Mon stn?us, a. unnatural, enormous Mor al, a. upright, relating to vice or virtue ; n. the in- struction of a fable Mor als, n. natural principles, duties Mor TQiv, n. the next day af- ter the present one [moss Mos sy, a. overgrown with Mot to, ft. a sentence prefix- ed or added, a device Non sense, ra. words without connected meaning [nose Nos tril, n. the cavity in the Nov el, n. a feigned story or tale Nov ice, w. an unlearned or unskilful person Nox ious, [nok shus] a. hurt- ful, offensive Ob ject, n. that about which any power or faculty is employed 9 Ob long, a. longer than broad Odd ness, n. strangeness, par- ticularity Offer, u.to present, propose; n. price bid, proposal Of fice, n. a publick employ- ment ; a place where busi- ness is transacted 01 ive, n. a tree and its fruit ; an emblem of peace On ward, ad. forward [ion Op ticks,?z.the science of vis- Op tion, n. choice, will Or ange, n. a kind of fruit Os trich, n. a very large Afri- can fow4 [mai Ot ter, n. an amphibious ani- Polish, v* to make smooth and glossy, to refine Pom ptfus, a. splendid, grand Pon der, v. to consider, muse Pon iard, n, a dagger Pop gun, n. a wooden gun for children Pop lar, n. the name of a tree- Pop py, ?i, the name of a plant Por ridge, n. a kind of broth Pos ture, [t like tsh] n. posi tion, place, situation Pot ter, n. a maker of earthen vessels [pints Pot tie, n. a measure of four Prob lem, n. a question pro- posed for solution Proc ess, [c like s] n. meth- od, progress, course Prod uce, n. product,amount, fruit [duced Prod uct, n. something pro Prof it, n. gain, advantage Prog ress, n. improvement, course [scheme Proj ect, n. a contrivance, 98 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED From is e,v. to give one's word, to assure Prop er, a. fit, peculiar Proph et, n. one who tells future events Pros pect, ft. a view Pros per, v. to be successful Pros trate, a. lying at length ; v. to throw down [saying Prov erb,rc.a maxim, common Prov ince, ft. a region ; a country governed by a del- egate Quar relj'y. to brawl, debate ; n. a dispute, strife Quar ry, n. a stone mine Rob ber, n. a thief, plunderer Soft ness, n. quality of being soft, effeminacy Sol ace, n. comfort, pleasure Sol enift, a. awful, religiously grave Sol id,«. firm, compact, sound Sol vent, a, able to pay debts Son net, ft. a short poem Sor rel, n, an acid plant Sor ro&>, ft. trouble, grief Sor ry, a. grieved for some- thing past Spot less, a. pure, immaculate Squab ble, ft. a low brawl, petty quarrel [fusely Squan der, v. to spend pro- Swal loiv, n. a small bird ; the throat Tor rent, n. a rapid stream Tor rid, a. violently hot, par- ched Wan der, v, to rove, ramble 6 Bru tal, a. cruel, inhuman Cru el, a. hard-hearted, inhu- man Fool ish, a. weak of intellect^ imprudent Fru*t less, a. barren, unprofit* able [choly Gloom y, a. obscure, melan- Loo sen, v. to let loose Lo ser, n. one that has suffer* ed loss Moon light, n 6 light afforded by the moon Moon shine, n. the lustre of the moon Move ment, ft. motion Pru dent, a. discreet, practi- cally wise Pru dence, ft. wisdom applied " to practice, discretion Rude ness,ra. incivility, coars©* ness of manners Ru in, ft. destruction, over- throw ; v. to destroy, de- molish Ru ler, ft. a govern our ; an instrument by which lines are drawn Ru ral, a. belonging to the country, retired ScAool boy,ft. a boy at school^ a learner SmooTH ness, ft. evenness, mildness, softness 7 Bui let, ft.a round ball of met- al [pecks Bush el, n. a measure of four But cher, ft. a person who kills animals to sell Cue koo, «. a bir J Cush ion, ft. a soft pad placed upon a chair [feet Foot stool, ft. a stool for the Ful ness, ft. state of being full, completeness THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER- Good ly, a. comely, beautiful Good ness, n. desirable qual- ities, virtue, piety Pud ding, n. a kind of food Pul let, n. a young hen Pulley, w.a small wheel for a running cord Pul pit, n. an exalted place to speak from [human race Worn an, ?i. the female of the Wool len, a. made of wool 8 Com bat, n. a battle, duel Come ly, a. graceful, decent Com fort, n. pleasure, joy Cov et, v. to desire earnestly Doz en, ?i. the number of twelve Flood gate, n. a gate to stop or let out water Gov ern, v. to rule, regulate Hon ey } n. the sweet juice of vegetables collected by bees Love ly, a. exciting love, ami- able Lov er, n. one who is in love Lov ing, a. kind, affectionate Mon day, n. the second day of the week Blon e#, n. metal coined for publick use Mon key, n. an ape, baboon Month ly, ad. once a month Shov el, n. a utensil broader than a spade SmoTK er, v. to suffocate Some times, ad. now and then Stir rup, n. an iron for a horse- man's foot Thir teen, a. ten and three Thir ty, a. three times ten Won der, v. to be astonished ; n, amazement, admiration 8 Wor ship, n. religious rever- ence, adoration ; a term of honour ; v. to adore,honour Wor THy, a. deserving, noble 9 Eigh teen, a. twice nine Eigh ty, a. eight times ten llein 0us, a. very wicked Neigh hour, n. one who lives near another oi Joint ly, ad. together, not sep- arately Loi tcr, v. to linger, lag Moist ness, n. dampness Mois ture,[t like tshjrc. damp- ness, jitciness Noi sy,a. clamorous,turbulent Oil y,a.consisting of oil,greasy Poi son,n. that which destroys life ; v. to infect with pok son, to corrupt oy . Boy ish, a. childish, trifling Joy ful, a. full of joy, glad Lov a I, a. true or obedient to a sovereign Oys ter, n. a shell fish Roy al, a. kingly,noble,regal Voy age, n. a passage by sea Bound less, a. unlimited [ity Boun ty, n. free gift ; generos- D&uht ful, a. uncertain Foul ness, n. filthiness Fcun der, n. a builder,former House hold, n. a family Loud ly, ad. noisily Loud ness, n. noise, clamour Moun tain, n. a high hill Mouse trap, n. a trap to catch mice in [peiled Out cast, n. an exile, one ex- 100 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Out cry, n. a cry of distress, noise, clamour Outlet, n. passage outwards Out rage, n. open violence Out side, #. the outward part Out ward,a.external,apparent Proudly, ad. haughtily, arro- gantly Scoun drel, n. a mean low fellow, a villain 070 Bow er, w. an arbour Clown ish, a. uncivil, ill bred Cow af d, n. one destitute of courage [flower Cow slip, n. the name of a Dow ny, a. covered with down ow Drow sy, a. sleepy, stupid , dull Flow-er, n. the blossom of a plant Low er, v. to appear dark and gloomy [powdei Pow der, n. fine dust, gun Pow er, n. authority, com- mand, ability Show er, n. a fall of rain Tow el, n. a cloth on which the hands are wiped Tow er, n. a high building Town ship, n. the territory or land of a town Vow el, n. a letter which can be uttered by itself SECTION XLL On bridling the Tongue. 11 The tongue can no man tame." If this had not been the language of inspiration, ex- perience has proved it to be the language of truth. The tongue is the most untameable thing in nature. All kinds of beasts, birds, and serpents, have been tamed by mankind ; but not so with the tongue. Who among the sons of men ever yet tamed his own tongue ? Not one. A person can bridle his tongue, or hold it : but no sooner does he take off the bridle, or let go his hold, than this little member runs wild, and out slips some- thing from it in the moment of passion or levity, which the speaker presently wishes back. Mark Anthony, it has been said, tamed lions, and drove them harnessed to his chariot through the streets of Rome. Had he tamed his own tongue, it would have been a greater wonder still. The rattle-snake has been tamed, and even the crocodile ; but the tongue never. Pythagoras imposed on his pupils constant silence for months and years together. But what did it all sig* THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 101 nify ? No sooner were they permitted to talk, than they gabbled a deal of impertinence — Besides, to withhold the tongue from speaking at all,, is destroying its end and use, rather than taming it. The gift of speech is too precious to be thrown away. Let the tongue be accustomed to speak, and to speak as it ought. " A word spoken in due season, how good it is !" Unruly tongues, on the contrary, produce a world of iniquity. Some are full of deadly poison : such are they that curse men and blaspheme God, and which utter lies for mischief or sport. Such too is the deceitful tongue, " whose words are smoother than oil ; yet are they drawn swords." There is the sly, whispering tongue, and the babbling, tattling tongue ; each of which " separateth very friends." The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds ; he wounds others thqpeby, and himself too ; for the mouth of such a fool is his destruction. An impertinent, meddling tongue, makes bad worse ; even when employed in offices of friendship. When Job was smitten from head to foot, the busy tongues of his wife and friends, were a sorer plague to him than all his biles. And thus it often happens, that a person under misfortunes, suffers as well from the bu- sy meddling tongues of friends, as from the malicious tongues of enemies. There are fiery tongues. " The tongue is a fire." Such is the tongue of the passionate man or woman, whose mouth foaming with rage, casteth abroad words which are as " fire-brands, arrows and death." Such also is the tongue of the slanderer and backbiter, which puts whole neighbourhoods and communities in a flame, and " setteth on fire the course of nature.** How many a pretty mouth has been disfigured aad made hideous, by the fiery tongue in it ! What then is to be done with this unruly little mem- ber, which " boasteth great things," and occasioneth infinite mischief in the world? Since no man nor woraaa ean quite tame it, how is the best way to manage it ? First, correct the heart, and keep that with all diii- 9« 102 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED gence. The foolishness of the lips is first uttered in the heart. " For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Next, carefully bridle the tongue ; keep the bit upon it at all times ; especially in the mo- ment of sudden anger, and in the hour of joy and con- viviality. Self-command, as respects the tongue, is as necessa- ry as it is difficult. For we are told from divine author- ity, u If any man offend not in word, the same is a per- fect man, and able also to oridle the whole body." V As it is of the utmost importance that we rule our own tongues, so on the other hand, it is of no small importance that we be guarded against the unruly tongues of others. And here I will suggest one cau- tion, and commend it to the particular remembrance oi the young and unexperienced. Beware of close intimacy with those whose tongues are calumnious toward almost every one except their present company, to which they are ever smooth and fair. For he that commonly indulges himself in calumniating or ridiculing the absent, plainly shows his company what they have tp expect from him after he leaves them. SECTION XLII. An Indian king's advice to his Son. M¥ son* said the expiring monarch, the angel of death is now approaching, and in a few moments, a breathless corpse will be all that remains of the once pow- erful Kalahad. Remember, therefore, my son, that thou must now govern this mighty empire alone/ Remem- ber, O youthful monarch oflndostan, that thy example will influence multitudes of people ; it will constitute either their happiness or misery. If thou art careful to direct thy paths by the precepts of reason, and to listen to the dictates of conscience, it thou art indefatigable in punishing oppressors, and those who wallow in wickedness, and careful to encour- age virtue and merit wherever they are found, then shall happiness dwell in thy palace, and plenty smile M^uad thy habitations* THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 103 "Treachery shall be banished from the empire of In- dostan, and rebellion seek refuge in the dark coverns of the mountains. The tongue of the hoary sage shall bless thee, and the s.hepherd as he tends his flocks in the pas- tures of the Ganges,shall rehearse the glories of thy reign. Thus shall thy life glide on serenely ; and when the angel of death receives his commission to put a period to thy existence, thou shalt receive the summons with tran- quillity, and pass without fear the gloomy valley, that separates time from eternity ; for remember, my son, this life is nothing more than a short portion of duration, a prelude to another, which will never have an end. It is a state of trial, a period of probation ; and as we spend it either in the service of virtue or vice, our state in the regions of eternity will be happy or miserable* Farewell, my son, I am arrived at the brink of the preci- pice that divides the regions of spirits from those inhab- ited by mortals. Treasure up the instructions of thy dying father in thy breast; practise them, and be happy* SECTION XLIIL Words of two syllables] accented on the second, A base, v. to humble, to cast down A bate, v. to decrease A bide, v. to stay in a place A board, ad. in, or on board a ship A bode, n. habitation Ab stain, v. to refrain from A buse, v. to revile, to make an ill use of [thing A buse, n. the ill use of any Ac cuse, u. to blame Ac quaint, v. to inform Ac quire, v. to gain A cute, a. sharp, keen Ad here, v. to stick close to A dteu, ad. farewell Ad mire, v. to esteem i A dore, v. to worship Ad vice, n. counsel, notice Ad vise, v. to counsel A fraid, a. fearful A grec, v. to consent [ner A like, ad. in the same man- A lone, a. without company Al THougky conj. notwith* standing A maze, v. to confuse A muse, v. to divert Ap peal, v. to refer to another as judge Ap pear, v. to be visible Ap ply, v. to put one thing to another Ap proach, v. to draw near to A rise, v. to rise up,mount up 104 TH;E AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Ar raign, v. to call to answer in court, to accuse Ar range, v. to set in order Ar ray, v. to put in order ; to dress [paid Ar rear, n. part of a debt un- Ar rive, v. to come to a place As cribe, v. to attribute to A sleep, ad. at rest, sleeping At tain, v.. to gain, to reach A wake, v. to rouse out of sleep Be gwile, v. to deceive J3e hold, v. to see, to view Be lief, w. credit, opinion Be lieve, v. to credit, to have faith, to think true Be moan, v. to lament, bewail Be queaTH, v, to give by will Be reave, v. to deprive of Be seech, v. to beg, entreat Be side, ? j v p -a > pr .over and above Be siege, v, to beset, attack Be wail, v t to lament, grieve Be ware, v. to be cautious Bias pheme, v. to speak wick- edly, to curse Block ade, t?. to shut up Ca reer, n. a course, race Ghas tise, v. to punish, correct Com pare, v. to examine one thing by another [ment Com plain, v. to murmur, la- Com plaint, ». an accusation ; a disease Com plete, a. pei fect,fi nished Com ply, v. to yield or sub- mit to Com pose, v. to put together Com pute, v. to recke/i Con ceive, v. to understand Con cise^ a* brief, short Con elude, v. to finish, decide Con fide, v. to trust in Con fine, v. to imprison, limit Con fuse, v. to disorder Con fute, v. to disprove Con geal, v. to freeze,harden Con sole, v. to comfort, cheer Con strain, v. to compel Con straint, n. compulsion Con sume,X7.to spend, destroy Con tain, v. to hold, comprise Con trive, v. to plan, invent Con vene, v. to call together, to assemble Cre ate, v. to form, produce De base,, v. to degrade, lessen De bate, v. to dispute, argue De cay, vAo consume,decline De ceit, n. fraud, treachery De ceive, v. to impose upon De cide, v. to determine De clare,i>.to amrm,pro claim De crease, v. to diminish De cree, n. a law, rule De face,?;, to disfigure,destroy De fame, v. to censure falsely De feat, n. destruction, over- throw ; v. to disappoint De file, v. to pollute, to make foul, taint De fine, v. to explain, limit De fy y v. to challenge, dare De grade, v. to place lower De lay, v. to put off, hinder \ De ligAt, n. joy, pleasure De lude, v. to deceive De note, v. to mark, show De ny, v. to refuse, disown De plore, v. to lament, bewail De prive, v. to take from, be- reave [der De range, v. to put out of or- De ride, v. to laugh at, mock THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. 105 De scribe, v. to represent by words or figures De sire, v. to wish, long for ; n. a wish De spise, v. to disdain, scorn De tain, v. to keep, withhold De vice, n. a contrivance, scheme [ep De vote, vXo dedicate,to give Dis close, v. to reveal, to tell Dis cowrse, n. conversation Dis creet, a. prudent,cautious Dis dain, v. to scorn [ness Dis ease, n. distemper, sick- Dis like,r. to hate, disapprove Dis place,i\toput out of place Dis please, v. to offend Dis pute, n. a contest, contro- versy Dis taste, w. dislike, disgust Di vide, v. to part, separate Ef face, v. to blot out,destroy E lope, v. to run away Em brace, v. to comprise ; to hold fondly [round En close, v to fence in, sur- En croach, v., to invade, in- trude En dear, v. to make dear En dure, v. to undergo ; to continue En force, v. to compel, urge En gage, v. to enlist, oppose En grave, v. to cut characters En rage, v. to provoke En robe, v. to dress, adorn En rol, v. to record, register En slave, v. to deprive of liberty En sure, [s like sh] v. to se- cure, ascertain En throne,x>.to set on a throne En tice, v. to allure, attract En treat, v. to solicit, beg E rase, v. to rub out, destroy E scape, v. to get out of dan- ger, to shun E state, n. property, rank E steem, v. to think well of, to regard ;w.reverential regard E vade, v. to avoid, escape Ex ceed, v. to excel, surpass Ex change, v. to give one thing for another Ex cite, v. to stir up, move Ex claim, v. to cry out, to rail against Ex elude, v. to shut out, debar Ex cuse, v. to forgive, pardon Ex pire,T\to breathe out,to die Ex plain, ?;. to illustrate Ex plore,i7. to examine,search into Ex pose, v. to put in danger^ lay open Ex treme, n. utmost point, ex- tremity For bear, v. to cease, decline Fore bode, v. to foretell Fore know, v. to know be- forehand Fore see, v. to see beforehand For sake, v. to leave, desert Gen teel, a. polite, graceful Gran dee, n. .a man of great rank or power Here by, ad. by this, by these means Hu mane, a. kind, tender Im bibe, v. to drink in, to ad- mit into Im pair, v. to diminish, injure Im peach, v. to accuse by publick authority Im pede, v. to hinder, obstruct Im plore ? 0. to beseech, be*; 2 OS THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Im ply, v. to comprise, suggest Im pose, v. to enjoin as a du- ty ; to deceive Im pure, a. unholy, foul Im pute, v. to charge upon, attribute In case, v. to cover, infold In cite, v. to stir up, animate In cline, v. to bend, to be dis- posed In elude, p., to comprehend, to take in In crease, v. to grow [ity In deed, ad. in truth, in real- In duce, v. to persuade In flame, v. to set en fire, heat In fold, v. to in wrap In fuse, v. to pour in, to instill In quire, v. to ask In sane, a. distracted, mad In scribe, v. to write on any thing ; to dedicate [gle In snare, v. to entrap, entan- In spire, v. to breathe into, to infuse into the mind In twine, v. to twist or wreath together In vade, v. to enter or seize in a hostile manner fn vite, v. to bid,ask,persuade In voke, v. to call upon, to pray to Ju ly, n. the seventh month of the year Les see, w. a person to whom a lease is given Man kind,n. the whole human race Ma ture, a. ripe, perfect, full Mi nute, a. small, little Mis deed, w. an evil action Mislead, v. to guide in^ a wrong way Mis place, v. to place wrong Mis take, n. errour, miscon- ception [badly Mis use, v. to abuse, to use Mo rose, a. peevish, sullen North east, n. the point be- tween the north and east Oh scene, a. immodest, dis- gusting Ob tan), v. to gain, acquire Ob tuse, a. not pointed, dull O paq?/e, a. dark, not trans- parent [ject Op pose, v. to act against, oh- Or da?'n, v. to appoint, estab- lish [der Par ade, w. show, military or- Par take, v.- to have or take a part, to participate Per cefve, *;. to discover Perfume, v. to make asweet odour ; to scent Per spire, v. to sweat or steam Per suade, v. to bring to an opinion, to influence Per tain, v. to relate, belong Pe ruse, v. to read, examine Po lite, a. of genteel manners Pol lute, v. to defile, corrupt Post pone, v. to put off, delay Pre cede, v. to go before in rank or time Pre cise, a. exact, strict, nice Pre elude, v. to shut out Pre pare, v. to make ready, to fit [tell Pre sage, v. to forebode, fore- Pre scribe, v. to order, direct Pre side, v. to superintend Pre vail, v. to take place, in- duce, overcome [ture Pre sume, v. to suppose, ven~ Pro ceed, v, to go forward THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER, 101 Pro claim, v. to tell openly, to promulgate Pro duce, x\ to exhibit, to bring forth Pro fane, a. wicked, polluted; x?. to violate Pro fuse, a. lavish, wasteful Pro mote, v. to forward, exalt Pro pose, v. to offer for con- sideration Pro vide, x?. to procure,furnish Pro voke, v. to rouse, enrage Pur sue, v. to follow, continue Pur suit, n. the act of folio wing Re buke, x?. to reprove, chide Re cede, v. to fall back, desist Re ceipt, n. an acquittance ; a reception Re ceive, v. to take, admit Re cite, v. to repeat, rehearse Re claim,??, to reform, correct Re cluse, a. shut up, retired ; n. a person shut up or' retired Re course, n, an application for help [save Re deem,-*?, to ransom,rescue, Re duce, x?. to make less Re fine, x?. to purify, improve Re frain, x?. to forbear, abstain Re fuse,-??, to deny, reject Re fute, x>. to prove false or erroneous [anew Re gain, v. to recover, to gain Re late, v. to tell, recite Re lease, x>. to set free ; n. a dismission, discharge Re lief, n. help, alleviation Re lieve, v. to assist, succour Re ly, x?. to put trust in Re main, x?. to continue, to be left Re mind, v. to put in mind Re mote, a. distant, far off Re new, v. to restore to the former state ; to make anew Re pair, v. to mend, refit Re pay, v. to pay back Re peal, i?. to make void, an- nul ; n. an abolition Re peat, v. to recite, rehearse Re pine, v. to grieve, murmur Re place, v. to put again in place [answer Re ply, v. to answer ; n. an Re port, x>. to give an account of; n. a rumour [sleep Re pose, x?. to lay to rest, to Re prieve, x?. to respite from punishment Re proach, x?. to censure Re quire, x?. to demand Re side, x?. to live in a place Re sign, v. to give up, submit Re store,x\togive back,relieve Re strain, v. to withhold Re straint, «. abridgment of liberty Re sume, x?. to begin again % to take back Re tail, x?. to sell in small quantities Re tain, x?. to keep Re take, v. to take again Re tire, v. to withdraw,retreat Re treat, x?. to retire Re veal, v. to make known ? disclose [our Re vere, v. to reverence,hon- Re vile, X?. to reproach, vilify Re vise, x». to re-examine, t& review Re vive, x?. to renew, quickea Re voke, x>. to recall, repeal Sa lute, v. to greet, to hail n. salutation, a kiss Se crete, v. to hide, cc&ceal 108 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION XLIV. TJte PupiPs address to his School Companions. My dear fellow pupils, The power of Art and Industry, has turned the wild wilderness and the barren waste into a fruitful field ; and now the dews of heaven light on those branches which gladden the heart of man. Even so the barren, barba- rous, uncultivated human mind, will produce nothing but ignorance and immorality, unless timely cultivated, by a well-appointed, and well-disciplined education. O Education, I owelhee much — Parents and Teach- ers, I owe you much also; and may the glow of grati- tude to my God and you, which this moment fills my breast, be taken as a pledge of my future care, to walk by the same rule, to mind the same things — and let us, my literary companions, joy and rejoice, that the bud and the fruit do in some degree appear. Let us to-day resolve, that nothing shall stop us in pursuing, with an ardour worthy the greatness of the acquisition, those heights and depths of learning which lie before us, and to which we know we have not yet at- tained. Let us ever remember, that vice and idleness are fa- tal obstacles to mental improvement ; that it is only by constant study and application, that w r e can attain to the honour of being good scholars, or famous literary characters — and this boon once obtained and virtuously applied, will procure for us credit and consequence in every station of life. And that this maybe the case, let us by all means hon- our God and keep his commandments; let us obedient- ly love and revere our parents ; let us live in peace and love with our school-fellows, and nobly emulate each other in striving which shall be the wisest and best. And let us, I entreat you, seriously and constantly regard the instructions, admonitions and reproofs of our respected teachers ; so shall we, by these means, lay a good foundation for the time to come, and with our ows> hands, form a laurel wreath, that shall never fade away f THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER 109 SECTION XLV. The fall of the Leaf. See the leaves around us falling, Dry and wither'd to the ground ; Thus to thoughtless mortals calling. With a sad and solemn sound. u Sons of Adam, (once in Eden Blighted when like us he fell,) Hear the lecture we are reading : ? Tis alas ! the truth we telL Virgins, much, too much presuming On your boasted white and red $ View us, late in beauty blooming, Number'd now among the dead Griping misers, nightly waking, See the end of all your care ; Fled on wings of our own making, We have left our owners bare. Sons of honour, fed on praises, Fluttering high in fancy'd worth ; Lo ! the fickle air that raises, Brings us down to parent earth. Youth, though yet no losses grieve you, Gay in health and manly grace, Let not cloudless skies deceive you ; Summer gives to Autumn place. Venerable sires, grown hoary, Hither turn the unwilling eye ; Think amidst your falling glory, Autumn tells a winter nigh. Yearly in our course returning, Messengers of shortest stay ; Thus we preach the truth concerning, Heaven and earth shall pass away. On the tree of Life Eternal, Man, let all thy hopes be stay'd ; Which alone, for ever vernal, Bears a leaf that ne'er shall fade." 10 110 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION XLVI. The Cuckoo. Hail beauteous stranger of the wood Attendant on the Spring ! Now heaven repairs thy vernal seat, And woods thy welcome sing. Soon as the daisy decks the green, Thy certain voice we hear ; Hast thou a star to guide thy path, Or mark the rolling year ? Delightful visitant ! with thee I hail the time of flowers, When heaven is fiiPd with musick sweet Of birds among the bowers. The school-boy wandering in the wood, To pull the flowers so gay, Oft starts, thy curious voice to hear, And imitates thy lay. Soon as the pea puts on the bloom, Thou fly'st the vocal vale ; An annual guest in other lands* Another spring to hail. Sweet bird, thy bower is ever green, Thy sky is ever clear ; Thou hast "no sorrow in thy song, No winter in thy year. O ! could I fly, Fd fly with thee ; We'd make, with joyful wing, Our annual visit o'er the globe, Companions of the spring. SECTION XLVII. Heavenly Wisdom. How happy is the man who hears Instruction's warning voice ! And who celestial wisdom makes His early, only choice. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Ill For she has treasures greater far Than east or west unfold ; And her reward is more secure Than is the gain of gold. In her right hand she holds to view A length of happy years ; And in her left, the prize of fame And honour bright appears. She guides the young, with innocence, In virtue's path to tread : A crown of glory she bestows Upon the hoary head. According as her labours rise, So her rewards increase : Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. SECTION XLVIIL Words of two syllables, accented on_ the second; Continued. Se cure, v. to make certain Se date, a. calm, serene Se duce, v. to tempt, mislead Se rene, a. calm, undisturbed Se vere, a. cruel, rigid Sin cere, a. pure, honest Sub due,v. to conquer, reduce, tame, oppress Sub lime, a. exalted, high Sub scribe, v. to sign, consent Sue ceed, v. to follow in or- der ; to prosper Sup ply, v. to fill up, relieve ; n. a relief of want, aid Sup port, v. to sustain, endure Sup pose, v. to imagine Su preme, a. highest in digni- ty or authority Sur prise, v. to take unawares, astonish ; n. astonishment Sur vive, v. to remain alive, to live after Sus tazn, v. to bear, support tin bind, v. to loose, untie Un clean, a. foul, filthy Un close, v. to open Un fa^r, a. not fair, dishonest Un fold 5 u. to expand,discover U nite, v. to join, to agree Un kind, a. not kind, cruel, unfavourable Un known, a. not known, not discovered [ous Un safe, a. not safe, danger- Un wise, a. defective in wis* dom, foolish Where by, ad. by which With hold, v. to keep back, restrain 2 A breast, ad. side by side A bridge, v. to shorten i Ab rupt, a. sudden, hasty Ab stract, v. to separate ideas 112 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Ab surd, a. unreasonable Ac curse, v. to doom to misery Ac quit, v. to set free A dapt, v. to fit, to suit Ad dress, v. to speak or write to ; n. a verbal application A dept, n. one well versed in an art Adjust, v. to regulate Ad mit, v. to allow, to suffer Ad vance, v. to come forward Afflict, v. to grieve Af fix, v t to subjoin A' men', ad. so be it, so may it be, so it is A mend, v. to correct A midst, pr. in the middle An nex, v. to join, add Ar rest, v. to seize, stop As cend, v. to go up, rise As sess,i>. to charge with any certain sum As sist, v. to help, relieve At tempt, v. to try, attack Be friend, v. to favour Be he&d, v. to cut off the head Ca nal, n. a course of water made by art ; a passage Ca ress, v. to treat kindly Ce ment, v. to unite, join Col lect, v. to gather Com mence, v. to begin Com mend, v. to praise Com pact, a. firm, close, solid Com pel, v. to force, drive Con cur, v. to agree, unite Con dense, v. to make or grow more thick Con fess, v. to acknowledge Con nect, v. to join, unite Con sent,*?, to agree to Con sist, v a to be made of €on struct, t\ to form, build Con suit, v. to ask adviee Con temrc, v. to despise Con tempt, n* scorn, disdain Con tend, v. to dispute, strive Con tent, a. satisfied, easy Con tract,!;, to shorten, draw together ; to bargain Con verse,?;, to discourse,talk Cor rupt, a. wicked ; rotten Cra vat, n. an ornament for the neck De bel ? v. to conquer De duct, v. to subtract De feet, n. fault, blemish De fend, v. to guard, protect De pend,?;. to rely on, trust to De sert, v. to forsake, leave De serve, ». to be worthy of De sist, v. to cease from, stop Di gress, v. to depart from the subject Dis miss, v. to discharge, to send away Dis pel, v. to drive away Dis perse, v. to scatter Dis tinct, «. clear, unconfused Dis tract, v. to perplex, vex, make mad Dis tress, n. misery, want Dis turb,z>. to perplex, disquiet Di vest, v. to strip,make naked Di vulge, v. to publish, reveal E clipse, n. an obscuration of a luminary E lapse, v. to pass away E lect, v. to choose, select E merge, v. to rise out of ob- scurity E mit, v. to send forth, dis- charge En act, v. to establish, decree En camp, v. to pitch tents En chant v.to bewitch charm THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 113 En hance, r. to raise the price E naugh, a. sufficient, plenty En rich, v. to make wealthy En trap, v. to entangle,to trap E quip, v. to dress or fit out E vent, n. incident, end Ex act, a. accurate, punctual Ex eel, v. to out do, surpass Ex cess, n. intemperance, su- perfluity Ex ist, v. to have a being Ex pect, v. to wait or look for Ex pel, v. to drive out, banish Ex pend, v. to lay out, spend Ex pense, n. cost, charges Ex pert, a. ready, skilful Ex tend, v. to stretch out, enlarge Ex tent,w. compass of a thing Ex tinct,c.extinguished, abol- ished, at an end [select Ex tract, v. to draw out of, Ex ult, v. to rejoice Fare well, n. adieu, leave Fi nance, n. revenue, income For bid, v. to order not to do For get, [g hard] v. to lose memory of For give,[g hard]r. to pardon Ful fil, v. to accomplish Gal lant, n. a suiter, lover, attendant Ha rangwe, n. an oration Im mense, a. unlimited Im merse, v. to put under wa- ter [drive on Im pel, v. to urge forward, to Im plant, v. to infix, insert Im print, v. to print ; to fix on the mind In cur, v.. to become liable to In dulge,v.to humour, gratify I» feet, v, to taint, polhite In fest, v. to disturb, harass In fleet, v. to change or vary ; to bend In flict, v. to punish, lay up- on, impose In fringe, v. to violate In sert,T;. to place in or among other things In sist, v. to urge, persist in In graft, v. to insert a sprig of one tree in another ; to fix deep In spect, v. to examine, view In still, u. to insinuate, to in- fuse by drops In struct, v. to teach, direct In suit, v. to treat with inso- lence In tend, v. to design, to meaa In tense, a. vehement, ardent In tent, n. a design, aim In ter, v. to bury In trench, v. to fortify with a trench [out In vent, v. to contrive, find In vert, v. to change, to turn upside down [array In vest, v. to confer, dress, In wrap, v. to cover, involve Ja pan, n. a varnish made to work in colours La ment, v. to mourn, weep Mis chance, n. ill luck Mis judge, v. to judge wrong Mis matfeh, v. to match un« suitably Mis print, v. to print wrong Mis trust, v. to suspect ; ft. suspicion Mo lest, v. to trouble, disturb North west, n. the point be tween north and west^ Ob ject, v. to oppose 10* It* THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Ob serve, v. to watch, mind Ob struct, v. to liinder Oc cult, a. secret, hidden Oc cur, v. to come, to happen Offence, it. a crime, fault Offend, v. to displease, affront O mit, v. to leave out, pass by Op press, v. to injure, subdue Out run, v. to run faster than another Out wit, t*. to cheat, to over- come by stratagem Per haps, ad. peradventure Per mit, v. to allow, to suffer Per plex, v. to vex, disturb, entangle Per sist, v. to persevere Per vert, v. to mislead, corrupt Pos sess, v. to enjoy, obtain Pre diet, v. to foretell Pre fer, v. to regard more Pre fix, v. to place before Pre sent, x>. to exhibit ; to give Pre serve, v. to save, keep ; n. fruit preserved with sugar Pre tence, n. showing what is not real Vre tend, v. to show falsely, to show hypocritically Pre vent, v. to hinder, stop Pro fess, v. to declare openly Pro ject, v. to jut out ; to contrive, invent Pro pel, v. to drive forward Pro tect, v. to defend Pro test, v. to declare, affirm Pro tract, v. to lengthen Re %el, v. to oppose lawful authority Re build, v, to build over again Re cant, v. to recall, to re- tract an opinion a 2 Re cess, n. retirement, retreat, privacy Re dress, v. to set right, cor- rect ; n. remedy,amendment Re fit, v. to repair [back Re fleet, v. to think ; to throw Re fresh, v. to revive, cheer Re fund,v. to pay back,restore Re gret, n. grief, sorrow; v. to repent, to grieve at [off Re ject, v. to refuse, to cast Re lent, v. to feel compas- sion, to soften Re mit, v. to forgive ; to send money to a distant place Re pass, v. to pass again Re past, n. a meal, the act of eating Re pent, v. to think on any thing with sorrow Re print, v. to print a new edition Re pulse, v. to beat back Re quest, v. to solicit, ask $ n. an entreaty, petition Re sent, v. to take as an affront Re serve, v. to keep in store, to retain Resist, v. to oppose,withstand Re spect, v. to regard ; n. es- teem, regard Re strict, v. to limit [elusion Re suit, n. consequence, con- Re tract, v. to recall, recant Re turn, v. to come or go back; n. the act of coming back Re venge, n. return of an in- jury ; v. to return an injury Ro bust, a. strong^ vigorous Se lect,*u. to choose in prefer- ence ; a. well chosen Sub mit, v. to yield, resign Sue cess, it, prosperity, event THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 115 Su perb, a. grand, pompous Sup press, v. to crush; conceal Sur pass, v. to excel, exceed Tran* act, v. to manage, ne- gotiate [convey Trans fer, v. to make over, to Trans gress, v. to violate Un fit, a. improper,unsuitable Un just, a. dishonest Un til, ad. to the time that 3 Ab hor, v. to hate, detest Ac cord, v. to agree A dorn, v. to dress, decorate Ap plause, n. publick praise As sault, v. to attack, invade Be cause, conj. for this reason Con form, v. to comply with De fault, n. failure, neglect De form, v. to disfigure De fraud, v. to cheat, injure Ex alt, v. to lift up, magnify, extol [vise Fore warn, v. to caution, ad- For lorn, a. forsaken, lost In form, v. to instruct, to tell In stall, v. to put into posses- sion, invest Out waJk, v. to walk faster than another Per form, v. to do, to execute Re cord, v. to register, enrol Re form, v. to grow better, to amend Re morse, n. pain of guilt Re sort, v. to have recourse to Re tort, v. to throw back, to return Re ward, n. recompense ; v. to give in return, to pay Trans form, v. to change the shape [retreat WiTH m draw, v. to take back,to Ca tarrA, n* a disease in the head Com mand,tf. to order,govem De mand, n. a claim ; v. to ask, to claim Dis arm, v. to divest of arms Dis charge, v. to dismiss ; un- load ; to fire En large, v. to increase, swell Guit ar, n. an instrument of musick Im part, v. to communicate, to give Re gard, n. esteem ; v. to re spect, to esteem Re mark, ^.observation, note ; v. to observe Un bar, v. to unbolt 5 Ab scond, v. to hide one's self Ac cost, v.-\o address Be long, v. to be the proper- ty of; to appertain to Be yond,j?r. farther onward than ; remote from Dis solve, v. to melt, separate Ex tol, v. to praise, magnify In volve, v. to entangle, in- wrap Pro long, v. to lengthen out Re solve, v. to determine ; to answer, solve Re sponse, n. an answer,reply Re volve, v. to perform a rev- olution Un lock, v. to open a lock 6 A do, n. trouble, difficulty Ap prove, v. to like, justify Dis prove, v. to confute Fore doom, v. to predestinate Im prove, v. to make or be- come better 116 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. Mis do, v. to do wrong Out do, v. to excel, surpass Re move, v. to change place ; to put from its place Re proof, ». blame, rebuke Re prove, v. to chide, blame Sur towt, n. a close overcoat Un do, v. to ruin ; to take to pieces 8* A bove, pr. higher in place or rank ; ad. overhead a \ i pr» mingled with A mongst, ) r b Be come, v. to befit, adorn Un done, a. ruined ; not per- formed 9 Con vey, v. to carry, transfer O bey, v. to pay submission to Sur vey, v. to overlook, view, measure 10 Cha grin, [ch like sh] n. ill humour, vexation In trig?*e, n. a plot, scheme ; v. to carry on private designs Machine, [ch like sh] n. any engine to aid human power in the application of force Ma rine, a. relating to the sea Po lice, ft. the government of a city ot A void, v. to sjvun, escape \p point, v. to fix, establish Ex ploit, n. an achievement, action Me moir, ». an account of any thing Re joice, v. to be glad, exult Re join, v. to join again Sub join, v. to add at the end A ° V An noy, v. to vex, to incom- mode De coy, v. to allure, mislead De stroy, v. to kill, to put an end to [to busy Em ploy, v. to keep at work, En joy, v. to feel with pleas- ure ; to obtain possession of ; to live in happiness ou A bound, v. to have in great plenty A bout, pr. near to, relating Ac count, n. a computation of debts or expenses A mount, n. the sum total An nounce, v. to publish A round, pr. on every side, about A rouse, v. to wake from sleep ; to excite [to quaff Ca rouse, v. to drink freely, Com pound, v. to mingle, to mix Con found, v. to perplex De vour, v. to eat ravenously De vout, a. pious, religious Ex pound, v. to explain Pro found, a. deep, learned, submissive Pro nounce, v. to speak, utter Pro pound, v. to propose,ofler Re nounce, v. to disown Re sound, v. to echo, to re- turn sounds Sur round, v. to encompass, enclose With out, pr. not with ; not within compass of 010 Al low, v. to admit En dow, v. to give a portion Re nown, n. farae,celebrity THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED lit SECTION XLIX. Drunkenness. If by an awful visitation of divine Providence, there were spreading over all parts of this country a foul and loathsome leprosy, which poisoned and disfigured the bodies of its victims, and affected their minds with mad- ness and idiotism ; if this leprosy had seized a great part of our useful labourers, and rendered them a burden to community ; if the prospects and the hopes of a large portion of our promising young men had been already blasted and destroyed by it ; if it had infected, more or less, every town and village, and were spreading its ravages from year to year, wider and yet wider ; if this were the actual condition of our country, there is no telling how great would be the alarm. But Heaven be praised, neither this nor any similar calamity, has been brought upon our country by the direct hand of Providence, which has showered on us blessings without number, and in great abundance. But human folly and wickedness abuse the kindness of Providence, and change its blessings into curses. Let sober reason judge, whether drunkenness, habit- ual drunkenness, be not as bad as the fatal leprosy de- scribed ; nay, even worse. It impairs and corrupts both body and mind, and brings down the noble creature man to a level with the brute. It destroys all moral principle, all sentiments of hon- our, and all feelings of humanity. It changes good nature to churlishness, a kind husband to an unfeeling monster, a dutiful son to an unprincipled villain without natural affections, and an industrious thriving man to an idle vagabond. It preys upon and devours every thing that is esti- mable and amiable, both in disposition and character. It eats up the substance of its votaries, and is an inlet to all other vices, and to almost every evil and calamity that can be named. This detestable demon might say in truth, "my name is legion, for we are many." Ma- ny indeed are the evils, the calamities and abominations that follow in the train of drunkenness. 118 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Who hath wo ? Who hath sorrow ? Who hath con- tentions ? Who hath wounds without cause ? The drunk- ard. Whose fields are neglected and overgrown with thorns and brambles? Whose house is tumbling into ruins for want of necessary repairs ? Whose wife is con- sumed with weeping ? Whose babes are suffering hun- ger and nakedness ? The drunkard's. Who disturb people's repose with their midnight rev- ellings and yells ? Who are the persons most commonly engaged in quarrels, in fightings, in riots, and in all scenes of confusion and uproar ? Drunkards. Who are the lowest of all madmen, the most despicable of all idiots? Drunkards. The natural idiot and madman, who have become so by the act of God, are objects not of reproach, but of compassion. But the drunkard, who is in fact an idiot or a madman for the time, is so by his own volun- tary act ; he wilfully quenches in himself the lamp of reason, and with his own suicidal hands, destroys that noble faculty which distinguished him from the beasts that perish. — Q&&-— SECTION L. Ravages of Dissipation. Not the jaws of Charybdis, nor the hoarse rocks in Scylla 5 Not all the fell dangers that lurk in the deep, Not the earthquake's deep yawn, nor the volcano's lava, Not the pestilence' breath, nor the hurricane's sweep : Not all the dread monsters that live through creation Have caus'd such destruction, such misery and wo, As from that arch pest of mankind, dissipation ; Through the civilized world it doth constantly flow. *Tis a vortex insatiate on whose giddy bosom The victim is whirl'd till his senses are gone, Till, lost to all shame and the dictates of reason, He lends not one effort to ever return. Ah ! view on its surface the ruins of genius, The wreck of a scholar, the christian and friend THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER* 119 The learning, the wit, the graces that charmM us, In the mind-drowning bowl meet a premature end. Ah ! hear, drown'd in tears, the disconsolate mother, Lament the lost state of a favourite son ; Hear the wife and the child, the sister and brother Mourn a husband, a father, a brother undone. SECTION LI. Description of a Battle. A free man takes a musket on his shoulder, and fix- «s on it the murderous bayonet ; he leaves his habita- tion,^ ploughman quits his plough, the handicraftsman his workshop, the young man deserts the hymeneal al- tar, a beloved son abandons an infirm father, and an af» flicted family : they go to swell the crowd of combat- ants, whose hearts are gradually opened to licentious- ness, ferocity and violence* Here are a hundred thousand opposed to as many of the opposite party ; they draw near each other in a vast plain, which will soon be covered with blood. What a prodigious number of men compacted against each other, spreading their moving phalanx, and ranged in combined order, to put each other to death ! Blind instruments silently await the signal ; fierce through duty, they are ready to destroy their fellow creatures without resentment or anger. The majestick sun rises, whose setting so many unhappy wretches will never behold. The earth is covered with verdure ; mild Spring with her azure veil, embraces the air ; nature smiles as a tender mother ; the glorious sun diffuses his beneficent rays, which gild and mature the gifts of the Creator : all is calm, all is harmony in the universe. Wretched mortals alone, agitated with gloomy fren- zy, carry rage in their bosoms ; they meet to slaughter each other on the verdant field. The armies approach ; the promised harvest is trodden under foot — death flies. What a horrible tumult ! All nature groans in an in- stant with the fury of man. 120 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER Hear the thundering noise of those horrible instru- ments of human revenge ! Emulous of, and more terri- ble than the thunder, with their roar they drown the plaintive groans of the dying ; they repel soft pity, wishing to make a passage into the heart ; a cloud of smoke from gunpowder arises towards the^heavens, as if to hide a collection of 'such horrours. Alas ! who would have expected such a slaughter ? Tigers, bears and lions, impelled with voracious hun- ger, are not inspired with such atrocious cruelty* Be- hold these rivulets of blood ! Here twenty thousand men are sacrificed to the caprice of one ; behold them fall one upon another, nameless, unthought of, unre- gretted, into oblivion ! Thus perish these unhappy mortals ; the skies re- sound w T ith their lamentations ; trampled on by horses, by their countrymen, whom they vainly implore, they expire a thousand different ways, in the most horrible agonies. Others, yet more to be pitied, preserving a remnant of life, and consumed by thirst, the most intolerable of all torments, cannot yet die ; while others, forgetting death, surround them, fall furiously on their mutilated comrades, and without compassion or pity to their wounds, unmercifully strip their mangled, trembling limbs. Oh, Creator of the world ! is this man ? this the au- gust creature endowed with a feeling heart, and with that noble countenance that smiles erect towards hea- ven, who has such conceptions, who cherishes the soft emotions of pity, and generous transports of benevo- lence, who can admire virtue and greatness, and can weep with sensibility ? Is it his hand that can erect the standard of victory on heaps of carcasses, with an odious, triumphant joy ? Where is the victory ? I see nothing but tears and blood. Where is the triumph ? Plunder does not en- rich ; the tears of mankind will never make an indi- vidual happy ; for, what ambition sweeps in its unbri- dled career, fleets from the usurper's hand. THE AMERICAN INSTR CTER 121 SECTION LIL Words of three syllables, accented on the first. l A re a, n. superficial contents Beau ti ful, a. fair, comely Bravery, n. courage, heroism By stan der, n. a looker on, one unconcerned Ca pa ble, a. able, sufficient Care ful ness, n. watchfulness Care less ness, n. inattention Change a ble, a. inconstant, subject to change Cheer ful ness, n. liveliness Cu ri flus, a. exact, neat Dan ger ous, a. hazardous De cen cy, n. modesty, pro- priety Di a lect, n. manner of ex- pression, particular style Di a \ogue,n. conversation be- tween two or more persons Di a per, n.'a. kind of flower- ed linen Di a ry, n. a daily account, a journal [tain Du bi ous, a. doubtful, uncer- Du ra ble, a. lasting, firm Du ti ful, a. obedient, submis- sive, kind Ea si ly, ad. without difficulty E vcn ness, n. levelness, reg- ularity JBu lo gy, n. praise ? encomium Faith ful ly, ad.honestly,truly Faith ful ness, n. honesty Fa tai ly, ad. mortally Fa vour ite,n. one who is much beloved Fear ful ness, n. timorousness Fee ble ness, n. weakness, in- firmity Fier y, a, warm, passionate Fi na ble, a. subject to a fine Fi nal ly, ad. lastly Fi ner y, n. fine dres$ show Fla vtfur ous,a. fragrant, odor- ous [bility Flu en cy, n. eloquence, volu- Fo li age, n. leaves, tufts of trees [ful For ci ble, a. strong, power- Fra gran cy, n. sweetness of smell Free hoi der, n. a person pos- sessed of a freehold Fre quent ly, ad. often FrigAt ful ly, ad. dreadfully, ^ terribly FrigAt ful ness, n. the power of impressing terrour Fu ri 0us, a. mad, fierce Ge ni us, n. intellectual pow- er, nature, wit Glo ri fy, v. to praise, worship Glo ri 0us, a. noble, excellent Grace ful ly, ad. elegantly Grace ful ness, n. elegance, comeliness Grate ful ness, n. gratitude Gree di ness, n. ravenousness Grfev 0us ly, ad. painfully Has ti ly, ad. in a hurry Hate ful ness, n. odiousness Heed less ness,». carelessness Ho li ness, n. piety, religion Home li ness, n. plainnoss, coarseness, rudeness Hu man ize, v-. to soften, to civilize I die ness, n. lazi»ess, sloth I vor y, n. the tusk of the el- ephant [jewels Jew el ler, n. one who deals in Jo vi al, a* merry, cheerful 222 THIS AMERICAN m&TRUCTfilU Ju bi lee, iu a publick festivi- ty, a feast Ju ry man, n, a person who serve*, on a jury Ju ve nile, a. youthful, young Knsk ver y, n. dishonesty, de- ceit, vijlany Know ing ly, ad. designedly, wilfully La hour er, n. one who is em- ployed in toilsome work Ladyship, n. the title of a lady La 7A ness, n. idleness, sloth- fulness Le gal ly, ad. lawfully Li a ble, a. subject, exposed Li' bel bus, a. defamatory, abusive [books Li bra ry, n. a collection of Like li hood, n. probability Li on ess, n. a female lion Live li hood, n. the means of living, maintenance Live li ness, n. briskness LoaTH some ness, n. the qual- ity of raising hatred n. speech at the end of a play Ep i taph, n. an inscription upon a tomb-stone Esti mate, t>. to rate, to value Ev i dence, ?i. proof, witness Ev i dent, a. plain, clear Ex eel lent, a. eminent, be- ing of great virtue Ex e cute, v. to put to death ; to perform Ex er cise, n. labour, practice Ex tri cate, v. to set free, de- liver [mind Fac ul ty, n. ability, power of Fal la cy, n. deceit, fraud Fam i ly, n. a household, race Fel lota ship, ». intercourse^ partnership, connexion Fel on y, n. a capital crime Femi nine, a, female,delicate Fes ti val, n. a feast, a day of civil or religious joy Flat ter y, n. false praise Fret ful ness, n. peevishness Friv o bus, a. slight, trifling Fur Tner more, ad. besides^ moreover Gen oral, n. one that com- mands an army, a military officer Gen er mis, a. liberal, noble Gen tie ness, u. meekness^ tenderness SECTION LIIL Filial Affection and Intrepidity* Story of Volney Beckner, who was. devoured by a Shark % at the age of twelve years. The child who is here commemorated, had' not the advantage of descending from a wealthy or distinguish- ed family: but of what importance is birth ? What are the effects of riches ? They often corrupt the morals. He who is worthy, he who is honest and wise, has no need of ancestors* Volney Beckner was the son of a poor Irish sailor : he received but little instruction, except what related to his father's profession. Yet, destitute as he was of edu- cation, he is not the less deserving a place in biography. The Author of nature had endued his body with sin- gular address and agility, and his mind with unusual in- telligence and penetration. He had a soul of no com- mon temper ; and from his ^earliest years he discovered sentiments of valour, which would doubtless have led him to great enterprises, ha,d he not been extinguished in n>iaority. Soon after little Volfiey waswewed, his father taught THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 127 him to move and guide himself in the water. He be- came so daring, so able, and so vigorous, that from his sixth year, he would follow the ship in which he had been brought up, swimming for a considerable distance; and when not extremely fatigued, he would cling dex- terously round a rope that was thrown out to him, and climb up into the vessel. As he grew older, he began to acquire the dexterity of rendering himself useful to the crew. In tempestu- ous weather, when the wind blew with violence, and the rain fell in torrents, he was not one of the last in climb- ing the ropes and sail-yards. ^ And when he was at the top of the highest mast, even in the fiercest of the storm, he appeared as little agitated as a passenger stretched upon his hammock. Such was his industry and improvement, that in his twelfth year he was judged worthy of a higher station, and double pay. The captain of the ship on board of which he served, cited him as a model to the other boys* He even said in the presence of the whole crew, " If this little man continues to conduct himself with so much prudence and valour, I have no doubt of his obtaining a place much above that which I occupy." Although little Volney was deprived of the study of letters, which cultivates the mind, increases our know- ledge, and extends our ideas, yet he loved virtue by in- stinct ; and made great efforts for the acquisition of hon- our and preferment. From several instances of his in- trepidity, which he manifested in many dangerous emer- gencies, the following is selected : since this alone ""& sufficient to confer lasting praise on the memory of the young sailor. It happened that a little girl, daughter of a rich Amer- ican, who was going to Port-au-Prince in France, slip- ped away from her nurse, (who was ill, and taking some repose in the cabin,) and ran upon deck : and whilst her eyes were fixed with anxious curiosity on the immense expanse of water, a sudden heaving of the ship caused a giddiness, and she fell into the sea. The father of Volney perceiving her, darted after 128 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED her, and soon caught her by the frock. Whilst he swam with one hand to regain the vessel, and wdth the other held the child close to his breast, he perceived at a dis- tance, a shark advancing directly towards him. » He called out for assistance. The danger was press- ing. Every one ran upon deck, but no one durst go farther : they contented themselves with firing off seve- ral carbines. In the mean time, the shark, opening his frightful jaws, seemed eager to seize his prey. In this terrible extremity what strong men would not venture to attempt, filial piety excited a child to execute. Little Volney armed himself with a broad and point- ed sabre, threw himself into the sea, and plunging with velocity, he slipped under the animal, and bold- ly stabbed him with his sword. Thus suddenly as- sailed and deeply wounded, the shark quitted pursuing the sailor, and turned doubly exasperated against the aggressor, who attacked him with repeated blows. What a heart-rending sight ! How worthy of admira- tion ! To behold on one side, the American trembling for his little daughter, who seemed devoted to destruc- tion ; on the other, a generous mariner exposing his life for a child that was not his own ; and what was more dreadful, to see young Volney contending with an enemy so greatly superiour, and encountering inev- itable death, to divert it from his father ! But the combat was too unequal, and no refuge re- mained but a speedy retreat. A number of ropes were quickly thrown out to the father and son, and they each succeeded in seizing one. They were hastily drawn up ; already they were more than ten feet above the surface of the water ; already cries of joy were heard : " Here they are, here they are, they are saved !" Alas ! no — they were not all saved ! For the shark, enraged at seeing his prey about to escape from him, plunged to make a vigorous spring, then darting for- ward with impetuosity, he seized the intrepid and un- fortunate youth, and, with his sharp teeth, tore his bo- dy asunder while suspended in the air. The remaining THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 129 part of his palpitating and lifeless body, was drawn up to the ship with his father and the little girl. Thus died, at the age of twelve years and some months, this hopeful young sailor. — When we reflect on the generous action which he performed, and the motive by which he was animated to the enterprise, we are penetrated with sorrow .to see him sink under it. Yet the memory of this great example has not perished with the individual. May a faithful relation of it, ani- mate, with a generous zeal, the tender minds of youth, and produce from age to age, the repetition of actions not less praise-worthy. SECTION LIV. Divine Providence, The Providence of God is over all his works ; he rules and directs with infinite wisdom. He has institu- ted laws for the government of the world, and has won- derfully adapted diem to the nature of all beings. In the depths of his mind, he revolves all knowledge ; the secrets of futurity lie open before him. The thoughts of thy heart are naked to his view, he knows thy deter- minations before they are made* Wonderful he is in all his ways ; his counsels are un- searchable ; the manner of his knowledge surpasses thy conception. Pay therefore to his wisdom, all honour and veneration, and bow thyself in humble and submis- sive obedience to his supreme direction. The Lord is gracious and beneficent ; he created the world in mercy and love. His goodness is conspicuous in all his works ; he is the fountain of excellence, the centre of perfection. The creatures of his hand declare his goodness, and all their enjoyments speak his praise. He clothes them with beauty, he supports them with food, and preserves them from generation to generation. If we lift up our eyes to the heavens, his glory shines forth ; if we cast them down upon the earth, it is full of his goodness. The hills and the valleys rejoice and sing ; fields, rivers and woods, resound his praise. ISO THE AMERICAN INSTKUCTEfU But thee, O man ! he has distinguished with peculiar favour, and exalted thy station above all the creatures* He has endued thee with reason, to maintain thy domin- ion ; he has furnished thee with language, to improve by society ; and exalted thy mind with the powers of meditation, to contemplate and adore his inimitable perfections. And in the laws which he has ordained as the rule of thy life, he has so kindly suited thy duty to thy nature, that obedience to his precepts is happiness to thyself, O praise his goodness with songs of thanksgiving, and meditate in silence on the wonders of his love. Let thy heart overflow with gratitude and acknowledgements ; let the language of thy lips be praise and adoration ; j let the actions of thy life show thy love to his law. The Lord is just and righteous, and will judge the earth with equity and truth. Has he established his laws in goodness and mercy, and shall he not punish the transgressors of them-? Think not, bold man, be- cause thy punishment is delaj^ed, that the arm of the Lord is weakened ; nor flatter thyself with hopes that he winks at thy evil doings. His eye pierces into the secrets of every heart, and he remembers them forever. He respects not the per- sons nor the stations of men : the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the wise and the ignorant, when the soul has shaken off the cumbrous shackles of this mor- tal life, shall equally receive from the sentence of God a just and everlasting retribution according to their works. Then shall the wicked tremble and be afraid ; but the hearts of the righteous shall rejoice in his judge- ments. O fear the Lord, therefore, all the days of thy life, and walk in the paths which he has opened before thee. Let prudence admonish thee, let temperance restrain, let justice guide thy hand, benevolence warm thy heart, and gratitude to Heaven inspire thee with devotion. These shall give thee happiness in thy present state* and bring thee to the mansions of eternal felicity in the paradise of God. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED JSft SECTION L Words of three syllables, accented on the first ; Continued. Gen u in«, a. true, not spurious GAast li ness, n, horrour of countenance, paleness Gran a ry, n. a storehouse to put grain in [Hght Grat i fy, v. to indulge, de- Gratitude,n. a desire to re- turn benefits ; duty to ben- efactors [gravel Grav el ly, a. abounding with Grav i ty, n. weight,tendency to the centre ; seriousness Grid i ron, [grid i urn] n. a kind of grate to broil meat upon Gttilt i ness, n. the state of be- ing guilty [tent Hap pi ness, n. felicity, con- Haz ar d a. seven and ten Sev en ty, a. seven times ten Sig na tare, n. a mark, a name signed Sig ni fy, v. to mean, express Sil ver smith, n. one who works in silver Sim i lar, a. like, resembling Sim pii fy } v. to make less complex Sin ful aess, n. wickedness Sin ^u lar, a. odd, rare, par- \ ticular 1 only one Skil ful ly, ad. witl^ skill Skil ful ness, w. dexterity, ability Slan der er, n. one who belies another Slan der ous, a. uttering re*- proachful falsehoods Slip per y, a. smooth, glib Spec i men, [c like s] n. an example, a sample [ly Splen did ly, ad. magnificent- Stip u late, v. to contract, bar- gain Strat a gem, n. artifice, trick Stub born ness, n. obstinacy THE AMERICAN LNSTRUCTER. 139 Sub se quent, a. following in due order Sub 5ti tute, n. one acting in the place of another Sud den ly, ad. in an unex- pected manner Suf fer er, n. one who en- dures or suffers Suf fer ing, n. pain suffered, distress Suf fo cate, v. to choke, stifle Sump tu 0us, [t like tsh] a. Gostly, expensive, splendid Sup pli cate, v. to implore, entreat Sus te nance, n. food, main- tenance Syllable,n.as"much of a word as is uttered by one articu- lation Sym pa thize, v. to feel with or for another Tax a ble, a. that which may be taxed Tel e sccpe„ n. a glass by which distant objects are viewed Tern per ance, n. moderate indulgence of appetites or passions Tern per ate, a. moderate Ten der ly, ad. mildly, gently Ten der ness, n. softness ; kindness [ful Ter ri ble, a. dreadful, fright- Ter ri fy, v. to fright, make afraid Tes ta ment, n. a will ; the name of the holy scripture Tes ti fy, v. to witness, certify Tim or 0us, a. fearful Trag e dy, [g soft] n. a serwus drama ; a mournful event Trav el ler, n. one who goes a journey Treach er er, n. a man whose wife is dead Wil der ness, n. a desert Wil ful ly, ad. obstinately Wil ful ness, n. obstinacy, stubbornness Wrench ed ness, n. miser y } unhappiness 3 Al der man, n. a magistrate Al ma nack, n. a calendar Au di ence, n. hearers, audit- ory, interview Au tho rize, v. to empower 140 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED For mal ist, n. one who is at- tached to forms For mer ly, ad. in time past For ti fy, v. to strengthen, to secure For ti tude,n.courage,strength For tu nate, [t like tsh] a. luc- ky, successful Gau di ness, n. showiness, fi- nery Haugh ti ness, n. pride, arro- gance Horse man ship,?z. art of riding Lau da ble, a. commendable, praiseworthy Law ful ly, ad. in a lawful manner Law ful ness, n. legality Mor bid ness, n. a diseased state Mor tal ly, ad. deadly, fatally, irrecoverably [vex Mor ti fy, v. to corrupt ; to Or di nance, n. law, rule Or gan ize, v. to construct, to form Or na ment, n. decoration, embellishment Or tho dox, a. sound in opin- ion or doctrine Plau si ble, a. superficially pleasing, fair [hog Por cu pine,n. a kind of hedge- Sau ci ness, ft. impudence, im- pertinence Scorn ful ly, ad. insolently Sor cer y, n. magick, enchant- ment Straw berry, n. a kind of fruit 4 Ar bi trate, v. to decide Ar cAe type, n. the original Ar du aus fd like j"* a. difficult Ar gu ment, n. debate, subject of discourse Ar se nal, n. a repository for arms, a magazine Ar ti fice, n. stratagem, trick Bar ba r#us, a. inhuman, cruel Car pen ter, n. an artificer in wood, a builder Car tridge box, n. a box to contain cartridges [ther Fa THer less, a. without a fa- Gar den er, n. one who cul- tivates gardens Gwar di an, n. one who has the care of another person Harm less ly, ad. innocently Har pjon y, n. agreement, just proportion of sound Harp si cAord, n. a musical instrument Hear ti ly, ad. sincerely Lmtgh a ble,«. exciting laugh- ter, droll Mar tin gal, n. a leathern strap used to curb a horse Mar tyr dom, n. the death of a martyr Mar vel bus, a. wonderful Par X\a ment, n. the chief as- sembly of England Par tial ly, ad. with unjust favour Par ti cle, n. any small por- tion of a greater substance Part ner ship,w. union in trade, joint interest Phar ma cy, n. the act of pre- paring medicines 5 Bot a ny, n. the knowledge or description of plants Bot torn less,#. without bottom Cog ni zance^n. judicial notice THE AMERICAS INSTRUCTED 141 Com e dy,n.a dramatick piece Com mon ly, ad. frequently Com pe tent, a. qualified, fit Con fer ence, n. discourse ; meeting for religious con- verse [ance Con fi dence, n. trust, assur- Con fi dent, a. positive, bold Con se crate, v. to dedicate Con se quencc, n. an effect, importance Con stan cy, n. firmness Con stant ly, ad.- steadily Con sti tute, v. to produce, appoint, to make Con ti nent, n. land not sep- arated by seas [verse v Con tra ry, a. opposite, ad- Doc u ment, n. an instruction, direction, precept [lows Fol low er, n. one who fol- For eign er, n. one of another country, an alien [round Glob u lar, a. like a globe, Glos si ness, n. smooth polish Hoi ly hock, n. a plant, the rose mallow [a feast Hoi y day, n. an anniversary, Hon est ly, ad. uprightly, justly Hon es ty,. n. justice, truth Hor ri ble, a. dreadful,terrible Jol li ty, n. merriment Lof ti ness, n. height ; haugh^ tiness Lou gi tude, n. length ; the distance of any part of the earth either east or west from any given place Lot ter y, n. a game of chance Moc ker y, n. derision,ridicule Mod er ate, a. temperate, mild ; v. to regulate- Mod est ly, dd. with modesty Mod esty,n.decency,chastity Mod i fy, *r. to change the form, to shape, soften Mon ar chy, n. a kingly gov- ernment ; a kingdom Mon i tor, n. one who warns of faults, or informs of duty Mon u ment, n. a memorial, tomb, pillar, statue Mor al ist, w. one who teach- es morality [not real Nom i nal, a. only in name, Nom i nate, v. to name, pro- pose [els Nov el ist, n. a writer of nov- Ob li gate, v. to bind, compel Ob so lete, a. disused, grown out of use [struction Ob sta cle, ?i; hinderance, ob- Ob sti nate, a. stubborn, firm Ob vi 6>us, a. easily discover- ed, open, plain Oc cu pant, n. one who holds or takes possession Oc cu py, v. to possess; hold Of fer ing^ n. a sacrifice Of fi cer, n. a man in oifice^ a commander Op er ate, v. to act, perform Op po site, a. contrary ; pla- ced in front Op u lent, a. rich, wealthy Or a tor,n.a man of eloquence^ a publick speaker Or i gin, n. beginning, rise Or i fice, n. an opening, per- foration Pol i cy, n. the art of govern- ment, prudence Pol i ticks, n. the science or art of government [people Pop u lace, n. the common 142 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. Pop u lar, a. pleasing to the people [people Pop u late, v. to increase in Pop u bus, a. full of people P05 i tive, a. absolute, real, certain Pos si ble, a. having the pow- er to be or do Pov er ty, n. want, necessity Prob a ble., a. likely [ness Prob i ty, n. honesty, upright- Prod i gal, n. a spendthrift ; a. profuse, wasteful Prof li gate, a. wicked, aban- doned Prog e ny,[g soft] n. offspring, issue, race Prom i nent, a. jutting or standing out Prop a gate, v. to spread, in- crease, promote Prop er ly, ad. fitly, suitably Prop er ty, n. an estate, pos- session ; quality Proph e cy #v n. a prediction Proph e sy, v. to predict, fore- tell, foreshow Proph et ess, ». a female prophet [sue Pros e cute, v. to pursue ; to Pros e lyte, n. one converted to a new opinion Pros o dy, n. the art of met- rical composition Pros per ous, a. successful Prot es tant, n. one who pro- tests against popery Prov en der, n. food for brutes Prov i dence, n. the care of God over created beings, divine superintendence Quad ru ped, n. a four-footed animal Quad ru pie, a. fourfold Qual i fy, v. to make fit Qual i ty, n. nature relatively considered, property, rank Quan ti ty, n. bulk, weight, a part [quarrel Quar rel some, a. inclined to ScAol ar ship, n. learning Shop keep er, n. a trader whc sells in a shop [manner Sol emn ly, ad. in a solemn Sol i tude, n. lonely life, a lone place, a desert Sol ven cy, n. ability to pay ' Soph is try, n 9 a fallacious reasoning Sor row ful, a. mournful, sad Tol er ate, v. to allow, permit Wrong ful ly, ad. unjustly 6 * Fool er y, n* folly, habitual folly Fool ish ness, n. destitute of understanding ; follv [Jy Gloom i ly, ad. dismally, dim- Gloom i ness, n. obscurity* Goose ber ry, n. the name of a bush and its fruit Move a ble, a. capable of be- ing moved [ture Move a bles, n. goods, furni- ScAool fel low, n. one bred at the same school ScAool mas ter, n. a man who teaches a school School mis tress, n. a woman who teaches a school Shoe ma ker, n. one who makes shoes Come li ness, n. grace, beauty Com for ter, n. one who com- forts THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 143 *ess, a. wi thout 8 Com fort comfort Com pa ny, n. an assembly of persons ; joint partners Con jur er, n. a fortune teller Gov ern ment, n. an establish- ment of legal authority ; administration of publick affairs Gov er nour, n. a chief execu- tive magistrate, commander Love li ness, n. amiableness Thor ough ly, ad. complete- ly, fully [ishing Won der ful, a. strange, aston- 9 Neigh hour hood, n. place ad- joining [kind "Neigh hour ly, ad. friendly, 01 Bois ter . to equip Im prove ment, n. advance- ment, the act of improving Im pru dence, n. indiscretion, negligence Im pru dent, a. injudicious, indiscreet, negligent In tru der, n. one who forces himself into company In tru sion, [s like zh] n. the act of intruding Re mov al, n. the act of mov- ing, a dismission [fertile Un fruit ful, a. barren, not Un ru \y, a. ungovernabl turbulent 8* An oth er, a. not the same, one. more , At tor ney, n. a lawyer/ an agent [gant Be com ing, a. graceful, ele- Dis cov er, v. to disclose, find out/to make known En com pass, v. to surround Re cov er, w. to grow well, regain 9 Conveyance,^, the act of re- moving any thing Sur xey or, n. an overseer ; a measurer of land oi Ap point ment, n. a decree, order [figure work Em broi der, v. to adorn with oy Em ploy ment, n. business, office En joy ment, n. happiness ou De vout ly, ad. piously, reli- giously Un. bound ed, a. unlimited IQ-q THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTOR. SECTION LXVIL On Procrastination. Few things are more ruinous, even to our secular af- fairs, than customary procrastination. It confuses and blights every kind of worldly business; for business not attended to in the proper time and season, is either not done at all, or done vvith more labour and difficulty and to less purpose. Some men are in the practice of letting their accounts lie unsettled for several years together. It is no mat- ter forsooth ; they are near neighbours and close friends, and can come to a reckoning at any time. At length a settlement commences : the accounts of each, however honest, are swelled beyond the expectation of the other. On both sides, several items are vanished from the re- membrance of him who is charged with them. A warm dispute ensues ; perhaps an arbitration ; peradventure an expensive lawsuit ; and these close friends are sev- ered forever. Some men neglect to make their wills 9 though they know their estates would be inherited contrary to their own minds and to the rule of equity, if they should chance to die intestate. Knowing this, aud sincerely wishing that right may be done to their heirs, they are fully determined to perform? the necessary act and deed, some time or other. a But why just now ? Another time will do as well." And thus they delay the thing from year to year, till at last the time of doing it is gone by ; a precious widow, or a beloved and deserving child, is left to suffer through life the bitter consequences of this default. Some Farmers, double their labour, and lose half their profits, for want of doing things in their proper season. Their fields are overgrown with bushes and thorns, all which a little seasonable labour might have prevented. Their fences, and even their buildings, are neglected, till the cost of repairs becomes increased several fold ; besides their sustaining a train of inconveniences, and of serious injuries from the neglect. Their crops also cost more labour, and at the same THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED ISi time are leaner in bulk, or inferiour in quality, by rea- son that much of the labour that had been bestowed up- on them was out of season. Nor is it uncommon to see farmers of this sort in a mighty hurry and bustle. They are behind their business, and running to overtake it ; which is the cause of their being so often in a greater hurry than their neighbours. Many a one loses his custom as a mechanick, by not doing his work in season. It makes no odds, he thinks, whether the thing be done precisely at the time agreed upon — but his customers do not think so. What does not a merchant lose, in custom, in credit, and in cash, by neglecting his books, though it be on- ly a few days. How hard does he find it to set right, what might easily have been kept right, if he had done the work of each day within the day. Honest Jonathan borrows a sum of money of his par- ticular friend, on the express promise of scr&pulous punctuality. He gets the money by the day ; but be- ing busy here and there, he delays to carry or send it. The money happens to be wanted the very day it be- comes due ; and with that particular friend, Jonathan's borrowing credit is utterly lost. Sometimes a doctor, who possesses undoubted skill in his profession, loves talk better than practice. Called away in a case of pressing emergency, he sets out with speed ; but meets an old acquaintance, to whom he opens a budget of news and politicks, which takes up half an hour in the relating; and by the time he ar- rives, all is over. Half an hour sooner, and his pa- tient might have been saved. Violent pains and fevery chills seize us ; if they go not off, we will send for the physician to-morrow. Ere to-morrow arrives, the distemper gains a firmness that baffles the physician's skill. Hark! The cry of fear and dismay. The Small- pox ! Our children have caught the contagion ; we meant to have had them vaccinated, but have put it off, and the time for it is now past. Upon the whole— that which may be flone at any 162 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED time, is seldom done in season, and often left undone j. whereas a little time that is known to be the only time, suffices for bringing much to pass. Again, when we have various means of obtaining our object, we are less like- ly to obtain it than if w r e had only one, and that a fea- sible and good one y for a vibrating mind is inactive, and he that loiters rarely succeeds. For the same rea- son, one good calling is better than half a dozen. SECTION LXVII. Woman. Give ear, fair daughter of innocence, to the instruc- tions of prudence, and let the precepts of truth sink deep in thy heart ; so shall the charms of thy mind add lustre to the elegance of thy form ; and thy beau- ty, like the rose it resembles, shall retain its sweetness when its bloom is withered. Remember thou art made man's reasonable compan- ion, not the slave of his passions. The end of thy be- ing is to assist him in the toils of life, to sooth him with thy tenderness, and to recompense his care with soft endearments. Who is she that wins the heart of man, that subdues him to love, and reigns in his breast ? Lo ! yonder she walks in maiden sweetness, with innocence in her mind, and modesty on her cheek. She is clothed with neatness, she is fed with temper- ance ; humility and meekness are as a crown of glory encircling her head. Decency is in all her words, in her answers are mildness and truth. When virtue and modesty enlighten her charms, she is beautiful as the stars of heaven. The innocence of her eye is like that of the turtle ; simplicity and truth dwell in her heart. She presides in the house, and there is peace ; she commands with judgement, and is obeyed. She arises in the morning, she considers her affairs, and appoints to her maidens their proper business. The care of her family is her delight ; to that she ap- THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 163 plies her study ; and elegance with frugality is seen in her mansion. The prudence of her management is an honour to her husband, and he hears her praise with a secret delight. She informs the minds of her children with wisdom ; she fashions their manners from the example of her own goodness. The word of her mouth is the law of their youth, the motion of her eye commands obedience. In prosperity, she is not puffed up ; in adversity, she heals the wounds of fortune with patience. The troub- les of her husband are alleviated by her counsels, and sweetened by her endearments. Happy is the man that hath made her his w r ife ; hap- py is the child that calls her mother. That such may be thy happy lot, fair daughter of America, listen to the directions of wisdom, and regu- late thy heart and life by the principles of piety and virtue. SECTION LXVIII. Words of three syllables, accented on the third. Al sen tee,n. a person absent Ad ver tise, v. to give notice As cer tain, v. to make cer- tain [cannon Can non ade, v. to batter with Co in cide, v. to agree Dis a gree, v. to differ Dis ap pear, v., to vanish Dis be h'eve, v. not to credit Dis com mode, v. to put to inconvenience Dis u nite, v. to separate Dom i neer, v. to hector, to behave with insolence Ev er more, ad. always, for- ever Fore or dain, v. to determine beforehand Here to foro, ad. formerly Tm ma ture, a. Hot ripe Im po lite, a. rude, uncivil In com mode, v. to hinder^ embarrass, disturb In com plete, a. not perfect In dis creet, a. imprudent In dis pose, v. to make unfit, to disorder In se cure,a,notsecure ; unsafe In sin cere, a. deceitful In ter cede, v. to mediate^ entreat, interpose In ter fere, v* to interpose In ter line, v. to write be- tween lines In ter pose, y. to mediate, to place between Lem on ade, n. a mixture of water, sugar and lemons Mis ap ply, v. to apply to wrong purposes 164 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Mis be have, v. to behave im- properly Mis be Kef, n. a wrong belief Mis re port, n. a false account Mort ga gee,n. one who takes a mortgage O ver floz0, v. to run over, to deluge O ver hear, v. to hear secret- ly or by chance O ver pay, v. to pay more than the just price- O ver prize, v, to value at too high a price O ver seer, n. a superintend- ent [long O ver sleep, v. to sleep too O ver take; v. to come up with, to catch O ver throw, v.to throw down, defeat, destroy Pat en tee, n. one who has a patent granted him [tinue Per se vere,z».to persist, con- Pri va teer, n. a ship of war belonging to private citizens Re as sume, v. to resume, to take again [forces Re en force, v. to send new Re in state, v. to replace in a former state Re u nite, v. to unite again Sub di vide, v. to divide again Su per fine, a. eminently fine Un be lief, n. infidelity, in- credulity. Un der go, v. to suffer, endure tin der take, v. to engage in Un fore seen, a. not known before it happened 2 Ac qui esc€, v. to yield, sub- mit Ap pre hend, v. to seize, take Co a lesce, v. to unite, join Com pre hend, v. to under- stand, include [mit Con descend, v. to yield, sub- Con tra diet, v. to oppose Dis af feet, v. to fill with dis- content [nui Dis an mil, v. to abolish, an- In cor rect, a. not correct, not exact In cor rupt, a, pure, honest In di rect, a. not straight In dis tinct, a. confused In ter cept,^. to stop, obstruct In ter lapse, n. the time be- tween two events In ter mix, v. to mingle, mix In ter rupt, v. to hinder, stop, Over cast, v. to cloud, darken; a. clouded O ver , head, ad. aloft, above O ver spread, v. to cover over O ver turn, v. to throw down, to conquer O ver whelm, v. to crush, sub- due, overpower Re ad mit, v. to admit again Re as cend, v. to climb up a- gain Rec ol lect, v. to recover to memory [new Re com mence, v. to begin a- Rec om mend,i?. to commend to another [new Re com mit, v. to commit a- Re e lect, v. to elect again Re pos sess, v . to possess agai <. Rep re sent, v. to exhibit ; to appear for another Un der stand, v. to compre- hend fully Yi o lin, n. a fiddle THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 165 Mis in form, v. to deceive by false accounts 5 Gor re spond, v. to suit, to fit 6 Dis ap prove, v. to dislike O ver do, v. to do more than enough 8 O ver come, ih to subdue, con- quer SECTION LXIX. Words of four syllables, accented on the first 2 9 Dis o bey, v. to break com- mands 10 Mag a zine, n. a storenouse ; a pamphlet oi Dis ap point, v. to defeat 5 oC expectation ow Dis al low, v. to deny, reject, not to grant A mi able, a. lovely Du ti ful ness, n. obedience, respect Fa V(?ur a ble, a. kind, tender For ci ble ness, n. violence, force [madly Fu ri 0us ly, ad. violently, H\i mor ous ly, ad. merrily Ju di ca ture, n. a power to distribute justice Lu mi na ry, n. a body that gives light [improve Me li o rate, v. to make better, Mo men ta ry, a. lasting for a moment Pa per ma ker, n. one who makes paper [country Pa tri ot ism 7 n. love of one's Pre vi ous ly, ad. beforehand Re« S0n a ble, a. agreeable to reason Se ri 0us ly, ad. solemnly Sta tion a ry, a. fixed^ settled 2 Ac cu ra cy, n. exactness Ac cu rate ly, ad. exactly Ad mi ra ble, a. to be admired Ad ver sa ry, n. antagonist Am i ca hie, a. friendly, kind An nu al ly, ad. every year An ti mon y, n. a mineral sub- stance Ap o plex y, n. a disorder that affects the brain [or Ap pli ca ble, a. suitable, pro]>- Cal cu la tor, n. a reckoaer Cat er pil lar, n. a worm, am insect Cer e mon y, n. outward rite \ forms of civility Char i ta ble, a. kind, liberal Cred it a ble, a. reputable [a! Cus torn a ry, a. common, usu- Del i ca cy, n. softness, nicety Des pe rate ly, ad. rashly, fu- riously Des pi ca ble, a. contemptible Die tion a ry, n. a book con- taining the words of any language [ent manner Dif fer ent ly, ad. in a differ- Dif fi cul ty, n. trouble Ef fi ca cy, n. ability to effect El e gant ly, ad. in a pleasing manner En vi a ble, a. exciting envy Es ti ma ble, a, worthy of es- teem 166 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Ev i dently,3J.plainly,clearly Ev i ta ble, a. avoidable Fash ion a ble, a. approved by custom, fine Feb ru a ry, n. the second month of the year Fig u ra tive, a. typical, not literal Gen er al ly, ad. in general, commonly, frequently Gen er ous ly, ad. liberally Hab i ta ble, a. fit to be in- habited Ig no min y , n. disgrace, shame Im pi 0us ly, ad. wickedly Im pu dent ly, ad. shameful- ly, boldly [lessly In do lent ly, ad. lazily, care- In fa mans ly, ad. vilely In no cent ly, ad. without guilt /»-In so lent ly, ad. haughtily In ter est ing, a. affecting, moving In ti ma cy, n. close familiar- ity, union [plexity In tri ca cy, n. difficulty, per- In ven tor y, n. a list or ac- count of separate articles of goods Jan u a ry, n. the first month of the year jKhit ting nee die, n. a wire used to knit with Lam ent a ble, a. mournful Lib er al ly, ad. generously Lit er a ry, a. relating to let- ters or learning Lit er a ture, n. learning Mag is tra cy, [g soft] n. the office of a magistrate Mat ri mon y, n. marriage Mel an chol y, n. gloominess ; L a. dismal, gloomy Membra ble, a. worthy of re- membrance Mer chant a ble, #. fit to be bought or sold [derl v Mer ci ful ly, ad. kindly, ten- Mil i ta ry, a. warlike, sol- dierly Mil lin er y, n. goods sold by a milliner Mis eel la ny, n. a collection of various kinds Mis chief ma ker, n. one who makes mischief Mis er a ble, a. unhappy Mis sion a ry, n. one sent to preach the gospel,and prop- agate religion Nat u ral ize, [t like tsh] v. to admit to native privileges Nav i ga ble, a. passable for ships or boats Nee qs sa ry , [c like s] a. need- ful, proper Nee ro man cy, n. magick, enchantment, conjuration Pal at a ble, a. pleasing to the taste, agreeable Pat ri mon y, n. an estate pos- sessed by inheritance [cute Pen e tra tive, a. piercing, a- Per ish a ble, a. liable to perish Per ma nent ly, ad. durably Per se cu tor, n. one who per* secutes Pet ti fog ger, [g hard] n. a petty lawyer Pit i a ble, a. deserving pity Plan e ta ry, a. pertaining to the planets Prac ti cal ly, ad. by practice Prefer a ble, a: eligible before something else Prin ci pal ly, ad. chiefly •* *E AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 167 Keg u lar ly, ad. methodical- ly, justly Res o lute ly, ad. steadily, firmly [riour Sec on da ry, a. second, infe- Sec re ta ry, n. one who writes for another Sem i cir cle, n. a half circle Sem i na ry, n. a place of ed- ucation Sem i vow el, n. a consonant which has an imperfect sound Sep ar ate ly, ad. singly, apart Ser vice a ble, a. useful 'Pes ti mon y, n. evidence, proof Tran si tor y, a. continuing but a short time Ul ti mate ly, ad. in the last state or consequence Val u a ble, a. of great price Veg e ta ble, [g soft] n. any thing that has growth with- out sensation Ven er a ble, a. deserving reverence r 3 For feit a ble, a. liable to be forfeited For mi da ble, a. terrible, dreadful Or di na ry, a. common, usual Or tho dox y, n. soundness in opinion and doctrine Or tho e py, n. the right pro- nunciation of words Or tho e pist, n. one skilled in pronunciation 4 m Ar bi tra ry, a. absolute, des- potick Ar bi tra tor, n. a judge Ar cAi tec ture, [t like tsh] n. the science of building Mar ket a ble, a. fit for sale at market Com mis sa ry, n-. a delegate, deputy, officer Com mon al ty, n. the bulk or body of the people Com pli men ter, n. a flatterer How out a ble, a. illustrious, noble, generous [ness Hor ri ble ness, n. dreadful- Hos pi ta ble, a. kind to stran- gers, friendly, civil Mod er ate ly, ad. mildly, temperately Nom i na tivc, a. the first cas< in grammar Ob sti na cy, n. stubbornness Oc cu pan cy, n. the act of ta- king possession Oc cu pi er, n. a possessor Or a tor y, n. the science of rhetorick, eloquence Pos i tivc ly, ad. absolutely Prof it a ble, a. advantageous Prom is sor y, a. containing a promise [cape Prom on tor y, n. a headland,, Sol i ta ry, a. retired, single, dismal Tol er a ble, a. supportable, passable 8 Com for ta ble, a. receiving comfort, pleasing Cov e t0us ness, n. avarice, greediness, eager desire Drom e da ry, n. a sort of camel Gov era a ble, a. subject to rule, manageable, mild 168 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTOR. SECTION LXX. Agriculture. Agriculture, or husbandry, is the art of cultiva- ting or tilling the ground, so that it may produce, in the greatest abundance and perfection, those vegetable pro- ductions which are necessary for the food, comfort and convenience of mankind. In a country like the United States, where by far the greater part of the inhabitants are devoted to agricul- tural pursuits, it must be considered an object that mer- its particular regard. It is from the hand of agriculture, that manufactures and commerce, and indeed every other branch of indus- try, receive their support. The cultivation of the earth may therefore be considered as the most useful and laudable of all pursuits. Here, as in some other countries, we have many ex- amples of distinguished individuals, who have left the seat of power, the theatre of political action, and the splendour and opulence of cities, that they might enjoy tJ|p pleasure of cultivating their native fields. The pursuits of agriculture are connected with that love of country, which may be called a universal passion. The charms of nature are here fully displayed, and ev- ery mind which is not debased by vicious habits, or en- slaved by irregular desires, is eager to enjoy them. A principle so universally felt, has never failed to call forth the powers of genius ; and writers of all ages have expatiated on rural scenes and occupations, with the most lively satisfaction. Every poet more especially claims the country as his peculiar province; from it he derives the most beauti- ful and striking descriptions, and is enabled to represent those various prospects of nature which are so highly gratifying to every ingenious mind. Agriculture is not only essential to the good order of society, in a rude and unpolished state, but is equally re- quisite in every stage of its refinement. As an incitement to its constant and uniform pursuit, it repays the exertions of the husbandman with regular and abundant returns. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED " 169 From the remotest ages, it has been esteemed worthy of general attention. The simplicity of ancient man- ners, rendered it an object not inconsistent with the rank and situation of persons of the greatest eminence. Gideon, the renowned champion and judge of Israel, quitted the thrashing-floor to preside in the publick as- sembly of his countrymen ; and Cincinnatus, the con- querer of the Volsci, left his plough to lead the Roman armies to battle ; afterwards declined the reward gained by his victories, to return to his native fields. And in modern times this occupation has been held in no less esteem. There are not wanting those among the English nobility, who take a lively interest in all ru- ral improvements, and preside at the annual meetings of agriculturists, with no less reputation to themselves, than beneficial to the art. Washington, the late celebjrated president of the Uni- ted States of America, found the most pleasing relaxa- tion of publick cares in the superintendence of his own estate. The emperor of China, at the beginning of every spring, goes to plough in person, attended by the prin- ces and grandees of his empire: he celebrates the close of the harvest among his subjects, and creates the best farmer in his dominion a mandarin. In various ages, many have written to explain the principles, and celebrate the excellences of this art- Some have adorned it with the elegance of fancy, and others have methodised it with the precision of rules* Hesiod was one of the earliest of the Grecian poets, to sing the praises of the plough ; and in a work nearly coeval with the Iliad itself, has combined with the prin- ciples of the art, many curious observations on the sea- sons most propitious to its various employments. At a period of society when its advantages were bet- ter understood, and it¥ practice more generally diffused, Xenophon expatiated in his economicks, on the impor- tance of agriculture, and describes its influence on the prosperity of the arts, and the advancement of civilization* Virgil has described at large, the rural occupations 35 I TO THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED of his countrymen, the cultivation of the land, the season most favourable for tillage, and the nature of grazing and planting. He has adorned every branch of his sub- ject with refined and striking beauties of composition ; and has so fully collected the best observations, and choicest maxims of antiquity, as to render it almost a su- perfluous task to consult the works of other authors, rel- ative to the progress which his predecessors had made in this subject. SECTION LXXL Extract from a Poem, entitled, " Agriculture, or, Happy American Farmer" Then murmur not at Heaven's fix'd decree But as you're happy, so contented be ; Your country 'H rise the emporium of wealth Your country's sons, the sons of peace and health. Hail blest Columbia ! whose delightful soil Repays with richest good the labourer's toil ! What dainties thy delicious gardens yield ! What rich supplies adorning every field ! Happy thy sons, around thy splendid board, Who taste the luxuries which thy fields afford ! Our fathers, freed from dire oppression's hand, Found an asylum in this happy land. The savage Canaanites have left our soil. We the true Israel taste the wine and oil ; With milk and honey our fair country flows, Deserts rejoice and blossom as the rose. Thanks to the mercy of Almighty Heaven, For Washington to fair Columbia given ! Our laws, of freedom's chosen sons the choice, Shall live, while truth or reason has a voice. Nature convuls'd our Continent may shake, And earth and skies in consternation quake ; Yet still our laws and liberty secure, Though time and nature die, shall firm endure, In Heaven the work shall stand, like noontide Sun, Spotless as virtue, pure as Washington THE AMERICAN TNSfRUCTER. 1 71 SECTION LXXIL Words of four syllables, accented on the second. Ab bre vi ate, v. to shorten Ah ste mi 011s, a. temperate, sober [gether Ac cu mn late, v. to pile to- Ad vi 5a ble, a. prudent [air A e ri al, a. belonging to the A gree a ble, a. pleasing Al ie vi. ate, v. to ease An ni hi late, v. to reduce to nothing [ance An nu i ty, n. yearly allow- Ap pro pri ate, v. to consign to any particular use ; a. peculiar Ap pre ci ate, [ci like she] v. to value, estimate # A3 so ci ate, [ci like sha§ v. to unite, accompany Cen so ri 0us, a. severe Col le gi an, n. a member of college Co me di an, n. an actor of comick parts, a player Com mo di 011s, a. conveni- ent, suitable Com mu ni cate, v. to impart, reveal Con cer ted ness, n. pride De cezt ful ness, n. tendency to deceive [ness I)e Wghi ful ness, h. pleasant- De plo ra ble, a. lamentable De pre ci ate, [cilike she] v. to lessen in value De s\ ra ble, a. pleasing, wor- thy of desire De spi 5a ble, a, mean, con- temptible [ly Pe spite ful ly, ad. malicious- Dis grace ful ness,?2.dishonpur E hi ci date, v. to explain E ma ci ate, [ci like she] v. to lose flesh, pine away, waste En co mi um, n. praise,eulogy E nu me rate, v. to number Er ro ne ous, a. full of errours Ex cu sa ble, a. pardonable Ex pe ri encc, n. knowledge by practice Fe lo ni ous, a. wicked, vile Fu ne re al, a. suiting a fu- neral, dark, dismal Fu tu ri ty, n. time to come, a future state of being Gram ma ri an, n. one skilled in grammar Har mo ni 0us, a. musical He ro i cal ? a. brave, spirited His to ri an, n. a writer of history II le gal iy, ad. in a manner contrary to law [adorn II -lu mi nate, v. to enlighten, II lu sor y, a. deceiving [ent Im me di ate* a, instant, pres- Im mu ta ble, a. unalterable, invariable Im pa tient ly, ad. uneasily Im pe ri al, a. royal, belong- ing to an emperor Im pe ri 0us,a. haughty, arro- gant, lordly - Im pi e ty, n, wickedness, ir- reverence Im p ♦ ca ble, a. malicious, constant in enmity Im pu ri ty, n. foulness ; guilt In ca pa ble, a. unable, not fit In cu ra ble, a. hopeless, not to be cured In de cen cy, n. any thing contrary to good manners 172 THE AMERICAN IIYSTRUCTER. la de cent ly, ad. without de- cency In fe ri our, n. one in a lower rank ; a. Lower in place In ge ni ous, a. witty, inven- tive, acute In glo ri ous, a. void of hon- our, mean, base In hu man ly, ad. cruelly In ju ri ous, a. hurtful, unjust In te n our, a. internal In vi ting ly, ad. in a pleas- ing or enticing manner Ir ra di ate, v. to illuminate, brighten. La bo ri ous> a. diligent in work, tiresome Li, bra ri an, n. one who has the care of a library Ma te ri ai, a. consisting of matter, corporeal Ma te ri als, n. the substance of which any thing is made Ma in ri ty, n. ripeness, com- pletion Me lo di ous, a. harmonious, musical Me mo ri al, n. a monument, something to preserve me- " inory Mys te ri ous, a. that which is not easily understood Neu tral i ty, n. a state of in- diiference [known No to ri ousy a. publickl} r Ob scu ri ty, n. darkness, un- noticed state Ob tain a ble, a. that which may be obtained [rage Out ra geous ncss,w. violence, Pre ca ri 011s, a. uncertain Pro pri e tor, n. a possessor in his own right 1 Pro pri e ty, n. accuracy, just- ness ; exclusive right Re mu ner ate, v. to reward Sa l'u bri ous, a. wholesome, healthful Sa lu bri ty, n. wholesomeness Se cu ri ty, n. safety, protec- tion So bri e ty, n. temperance, calmness So ci e ty, n. community ? company, fraternity Un change a ble, a. not to be changed Un du ti ful, a. disobedient Un ea si ness, n. trouble, perplexity Un ho li ness, n. impiety Va^ri e ty, n. change, mixture % A bil i ty, n. power, capacity A bun dant ly y ad. in plenty A cad e my, n. a school of liberal arts and sciences Ac ces si ble, a. that which may be approached Ad min is ter, v. to give, to supply, to perform Ad mis si ble, a. that which may be admitted Ad ver si ty, n. misfortune Affec tionate, a. fond, tender Af fin i ty, n. relation A gil i ty, n. activity A lac ri ty, n. cheerfulness Am phib i ous, a. living in two elements [parts A nal y sis, n. separation of A nat o my, n. the art of dis section An tag o nist, ». an opponent A rith me tick, n. the science »}f computation THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED m Ar til ler y, n. weapons for war j cannon As cen den cy, n. superiority As sas si nate, v. to murder Aux il ia ry, «. helping, aid- ing, assisting Bar bar i ty, n. cruelty Be at i tude, n. felicity, hap- piness Be nef i cencc, n. generosity, active goodness Be nev o lence, n. kindness, good will, charity Be nev o lent, a. kind, good Ca lam i ty, n. misfortune Ca lum ni ate, v, to slander Ca pac i ty, [c like s.] r n. abilir ty, sense, state, space, con- dition [very Cap tiv i ty, n. bondage, sla- Cer tif i cate, n. a testimony Cir cum fer ence, n. limits of a circle Ci vil i ty, n. politeness Co ag u late,, v. to curdle, congeal Col lee tive ly, ad. in a body Com mem o rate, v. to pre- serve the memory, to cele- brate Com par i son, n. an estimate Com pas sion ate, a. tender, merciful Com pat i ble, a. consistent Com pet i tor, n. a rival, op- ponent Con fed er ate, v. to unite, league Con sid er. ate, a. thoughtful Con spic u 0us, a. eminent Con spir a cy, n. a plot, law- less combination ©on tarn i nate, v. to defile 15* - Con temp ti ble, a. base, ob- serving contempt Con tin u al, a. incessant Con tin u ance, n. duration De bil i tate, v. to weaken De liv er ance, n. freedom, rescue De liv er er, n. one who de- livers, a preserver De liv er y, n. release De riv a tive, a. a word deri- ved from another Dex ter ity, n. activity, skill Di am e ter, n. aline passing through the centre of a circle Di min u tive, a. small, little Dis par age ment, n.a disgrace Di vin i ty 7 n. the Deity ; the science of divine things Ef fee tu al, [t like tsh] a. powerful, efficacious, real. Em bar rass ment, n. perplex- ity, entanglement [ment Em oel lish ment, n. orna- Em phat i cal, a. forcible Err com age ment, ra. incite- ment, favour, support E quiv a lent,<2. equal in value E rad i cate, v. to root up E stab lish ment, n. settle- ment, fixed state [tion E ter ni ty, w. endless dura- E vac u ate, t v. to quit, to empty, to make void E van ge list, n. a writer or 'preacher of the gospel E vap o rate, v. to drive or fly away in vapours Ex ec u tor, n. one who per- forms the will of another Ex per i mem, n trial of any thing 174 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Ex em pli fy, v. to illustrate by example [largely E& ten sive ly, ad, widely, Ex trav a gance, w. waste Ex trav a'gant, a. wasteful Ex trem i ty, n. remotest parts Fa cil i tate, v. to make easy Fa nat i cism, n. enthusiasm, religious phrensy Fa tal i ty, n. a decree of fate Fe lie i ty, [c like s] n. hap- piness Fes tiv i ty, n. joyfulness, mirth [honesty Fi del i ty, n, faithfulness, Fbr get ful ness, [g hard] n. loss of memory, careless- ness [mony For mal i ty, n. form, cere- Fra ter ni ty, n. brotherhood, society Fru gal i ty, n. good husban- f dry, thrift Gen til i ty, n. elegance of behaviour, politeness Hil ar i ty, n. merriment Hu man i ty, n. benevolence ; the nature of man Hu mil i ty, n, submission, inodesty I den ti cal, a. the same I den ti ty, n. sameness II lib er al, a. not generous II lit er ate, a. unlearned 11 lus tri 0us, a. noble, eminent Im mac u late, a. pure,spotless Im men si ty, n. unbounded greatness, infinity Im ped i ment,w.hinderance, obstruction Im pen i tence, w. hardness of heart,- continuance in evil courses Im pen i tent, a. obdurate, void of repentance [folly Im per ti nence, n. intrusion, Im pet u 0us, [t like tsh] a. violent, vehement [ment Im pris on ment, n. confine- In ac cu rate, a. not exact, not accurate In ad e quate, a. defective In an i mate, a. void of life, without animation In clem en cy, n. severity, hardness, cruelty In cred i ble, a. not to be credited In def i nite, a. unlimited In del i ble, a. not to be blot- ted out [cency In del i cate, a. without de- In dem ni fy, v. to secure against loss or penalty In die a tiv£, a. showing, poin- ting out, affirming In differ ent, a. unconcerned In dus tri #us, a. diligent, la- borious [cable In el e gant, a. mean, despi- In el o quent, a. not eloquent In fal li ble, a. incapable of mistake, certain, true In fin i tive, a. unlimited ; a mood in grammar In fin i ty, n. immensity, boundlessness [fair In gen u ous, a. open, candid, In grat i tude, n. unthankful- ness In hab it ant, n. one who dwells in a place In her it ance, n. a patrimo- ny, a possession In im i cal, a. hostile, con- trary, adverse THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER 175 In iq ui tous, a. unjust, wicked In iq ui ty, n. injustice, wick- edness In i ti ate, [in ish e ate] v. to admit, to instruct In san i ty, n. the state of be- ing insane [ly, to instill In sin u ate, v. to hint artful- In teg ri ty, n. honesty, puri- ty of mind In tel li gence, n. notice In tel li gent, a. knowing, skilful In tem per ance, n. excess, want of moderation In tem per ate, a. immode- rate, ungovernable, drunken In ter pre ter, n. an explain- er, a translator In ter ro gate, v. to examine In tim i date, v. to make fear- ful, to frighten In ves ti gate, v. to search out, explore In vet er ate, a. obstinate, long established In vig o rate, v. to strength- en, to animate In vis i ble, a. not to be seen, imperceptible Ir reg u lar, a, deviating from rule, immethodical Ir res o lute, a. wavering, un- settled, unsteady I tin er ant, a. wandering, unsettled Ju di cious ly, ad. wisely Li cen tious ness, n. a con- tempt of just restraint Mag nan i mous, a. great in mind, brave, heroick Mag nif i cence, n. grandeur, splendour Mag nif i cent, a. grand, splendid Ma lev o lence, n. ill will, spite, hatred Ma lev o lent, a. ill disposed towards others Ma li cious ly, ad. with au intention of mischief Ma lig nan cy, n. malice, ma- levolence Me rid i an, n. a line drawn from north to south Mi rac u lous, a. wonderful, supernatural Mis man age ment, n. bad management, ill conduct Mo ral i ty, n. the doctrine of the duties of life Mor tal i ty, n. human nature, death, havock Ne ces si ty, n. poverty, want, compulsion No bil i ty, n. persons of high rank ; dignity, fame Non sen si cal, a. unmeaning, foolish Nu mer i cal, a. numeral, de- noting number O bliv i on, n. forgetfulness Om nip o tence, n. almighty power O rig i nal, [g soft] n. first copy ; a. primitive O rig i nate, [g soft] v. to be- gin, to give rise to Par tic u lar, a. singular, in- dividual ; n. a single in- stance or point Pen in su la, [s like sh] n. a piece of land almost sur- rounded by water Per cep ti ble, a. that which may be seen or perceived m THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER Per pet u al, [t like tsh] a. continual Per plex i ty, n. difficulty Per spic u 0us, a. clear, plain Phil an thro py, n. love of mankind, humanity Pi rat i cal, a. plundering Po et i cal, a. relating to po- etry [kicks Po lit i cal, a. relating to pol- Pos ter i ty, n. succeeding generations Prac ti tion er, n. one enga^ ged in any art Pre des ti nate, v. to decree beforehand Pre em i nence, n. superiority Pre em i nent, a. excellent above others [delay Pro eras ti nate, v. to put off. Pro fes sion al, a. relating to a profession [ment Pro fi cien cy, n. improve- Pro gres sive ly, ad. by a reg- ular course Pro mis cu 0us, a. mingled together [fortune Pros per i ty, n. success, good Ra pid i ty, n. velocity, swift- ness Re al i ty, n. truth, certainty Re an i mate, v. to restore to life, to revive Re gen er ate, v. to renew, to produce anew Re pub li can, n. a friend to republican government ; a. i placing the government in the people Re spec ta ble, a. deserving respect or regard Re tal i ate, v. to repay, to , make a return I r 2 Ri die u bus, a. exciting laughter, odd, mean Se ren i ty, n. calmness Se ver i ty, n. cruel treatment Si mil i tude, n. comparison, likeness Sim plic i ty, [c like s] n. plainness, folly Sin cer i ty, n* purity of mind,. honesty So lil o quy, n. a discourse made by one in solitude to himself [iness Sta bil i ty, n. firmness, stead-. Stu pid i ty, n. dullness, heav- iness of mind Sub lim i ty, n. loftiness, ex- cellence Su per la tive, a. expressing the highest degree Sus cep ti ble, a. capable of admitting Ter res tri al, a. earthly Tran quil li ty, n. peace of mind, stillness Ty ran ni cal, a. like a tyrant U nan i maus, a. being of one mind [mean Un gen er 011s, a. not liberal, Un lim it ed, a. having no bounds [uncivil Un man ner ly, ad. ill-bred, U til i ty, n. usefulness, profit Vi cin i ty, n. neighbourhood, nearness [olution Vi cis si tude, n. change, rev- 3 Con for ma ble, a. agreeable E nor mi ty, n. great wicked- ness In au di ble,#.not to be heard In cor po rate, v. to form in- to one body, to join THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 177 Sub or di nate r a. inferiour in order Un for tu nate [t like tsh] a. unprosperous, unlucky 4 Im par tial ly, ad. justly, with- out regard to party or in- terest Hard heart ed ness, n. cruel- ty, want of tenderness Re mark a ble, a. worthy of notice, odd, observable 5 1 Ac com mo date, v. to supply Ac com plish ment, n. com- pletion ; embellishment, el- egance [fession Ac knowl edg ment, ». con- A pol o gize, v. to plead for A pol o gy, n. an excuse As ton ish ment, n. amazement As trol o gy, n. the art of fore- telling by the stars As tron o my, n. a science teaching the knowledge of the celestial bodies Au thor i ty, n. legal power Bi ogra phy,n. history of lives CAro nol o gy, ?i, the science of computing time Com mod i ty, n. an article of traffick, goods, wares Con sol i dc>te, v. to harden De spon den cy, n. despair Dis con so late, a. melancho- ly? sad [frugality E con o my, v. management, E mol u ment, n. profit, gain Em pov er ish, v. to make poor [ness E qual i ty, ?i. evenness, like- Ge og ra phy, n. a description ofihe ea$th His tor i cal, a. pertaining to history Hy poc ri sy, n. dissimulation I dol a try, n. the worship of images Im mod er ate? a. excessive, extravagant Im mod es ty, n, want of modesty Im pos si ble, a. that which cannot be done Im prob a ble, a. unlikely In com petent, a. inadequate, unsuitable [ness In con stan cy, n. unsteadi- In sol ven cy, n. inability to pay debts In tox i cate, v. to make drunk Ma hog a ny, n. a valuable brown wood [number Ma jor i ty, n. 4he greater Me thod i cal, a. regular, ex- act [of a country Me trop o lis, w.the chief eity Mi nor i ty, n. the smaller number ; state of being un- der age Mo not o ny, n. a want of va- riety in cadence Or thog ra phy, n. the art or practice of spelling Fhe nom e non, n. an appear- ance in the works of nature Phi los o pher, n. one who is skilled in philosophy Phi los o phy, n. knowledge moral or natural Prog nos ti cate, a. to foretell Re spon si ble, a. answerable Sy non y mous, a. of the same signification Tau tol o gy, n. repetition of the same words 178 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. The ol o gy, n. the science of divinity Ther mom e ter, n. an instru- ment for measuring the de- grees of heat and cold Ty pog ra phy, n. the art of printing 8 Ac com pa ny, v. to join with another Re cov er y,. n. from sickness restoration Em broi der y, n variegated needle-work ou Ac coun ta ble, a. subject to an account Un dou5t ed ly, ad. without doubt, unquestionably •*-@0®*««- SECTION LXXIII. The wisdom of Providence displayed in the Seasons. In contemplating on the various scenes of life, the vicissitudes of the seasons, the perfect regularity, order, and harmony of nature, we cannot but be filled with wonder and admiration at [the consummate wisdom and beneficence of the all-wise and gracious Creator. His consummate wisdom and goodness have made the va- rious seasons of the year perfectly consonant to the re- fined feelings of man, and peculiarly adapted them to the universal preservation of nature. Dreary winter is past ; its severe cold is mitigated ; the returning zephyrs dissolve the fleecy snow, and un- lock the frozen streams, which overflow the extensive meadows, and enrich the teeming earth. At length, the rapid streams begin to glide gently within their banks ; the spacious meadows soon receive their usual verdure, and the whole face of nature assumes a cheerful aspect. By the refreshing showers, and vivifying power of the genial sun, we behold the rapid and amazing progress of vegetation. What is more pleasing to the eye, or grateful to the imagination, than the agreeable and delightsome return of spring? The beauties of nature at once expel the gloomy cares of a dreary winter. The benign influence of the sun gives a brisk circulation to the animal fluids, and happily tends to promote the propagation of anima- ted nature, In spring we behold the buds putting forth THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTfiRT 1 79 their blossoms ; in summer we meet the charming pros- pect of enamelled fields, which promise a rich profusion of autumnal fruits. These delightful scenes afford to man a pleasing an- ticipation of enjoying the bounties of Providence ; they cheer him in adversity,and support him under the various misfortunes incident to human life. In the spring, when we behold plants and flowers peeping out of the ground* reviving and flourishing at the approach of the vernal sun ; when we behold the seed, which the laborious hus* bandman casts into the earth, starting into life, and rising into beauty, from the remainder of that which perished in the preceding autumn, we are filled with the most pleasing sensations of the universal reanimation of nature. The warm and invigorating sun produces myriads of insects, which have been lifeless through the hoary frosts of winter. The herds go forth to graze on the verdant plains. The numerous flocks quit their folds with their young, to feed on the distant mountains. The lark^ with all the charming choir which nature wakes to cheerful- ness and love, tune their melodious voices to hail the welcome return of spring. The busy bee flies over the fields, and extracts the liquid sweets from every flower. How pleasing ! how wonr^rful ! how delightful are the scenes presented to our view ! The spring of the year is strikingly emblematical of that grand and uni- versal Resurrection, which shall commence at the final consummation of all things. May its beauties there- fore raise our affections to those superiour regions of bliss, into which the truly virtuous shall then enter, and forever enjoy an unfading and eternal spring. SECTION LXXIV. Advice to Youth, on decent Behaviour. As learning, honour and virtue, are absolutely neces- sary --to gain you the esteem and admiration of mankind, politeness and good breeding are equally necessary to make you agreeable in conversation and common life. Awkwardness can proceed but from two causes ; ei- 180 THE AxMERICAN INSTEUCTER ther from not having kept good company, or from not having attended to it. Attention is absolutely neces- sary for improving in behaviour, as indeed it is for every thing else. Good breeding does not consist in low bows, and for- mal ceremonies ; but in an easy, civil and respectful behaviour to every person, particularly to the aged, , and to strangers. There is a difference between modesty and bashful- Bess. Modesty is the characteristick of an amiable mind ; bashfulness discovers a degree of meanness. Nothing is more sure to sink a young man into low company, than bashfulness. , If he- thinks he shall not please, he most surely will not. Vice and ignorance are the only things we ought to be ashamed of ; v while we keep clear of them, we may venture any where without fear or concern. Always regard what is said to you by those who are your superiours, either in age or learning ; and reply, If necessary, with respectful modesty. Never slight their advice, but let your looks and deportment indicate your intention to endeavour to profit by their instructions . When any person speaks to you, or you to him, on any occasion, look him in Jie face with modesty and at- tention ; and begin not to answer before he has done speaking ; and then answer respectfully, and with the face turned towards him ; for to reply with the face another way, indicates awkwardness and disrespect. Be not forward in speaking, when strangers or those who are your acquaintance, come into the presence of # your parents or superiours ; but wait until they have spoken; and let modesty and decency govern your * words and deportment. Never attempt to tell a story, with which you are not well acquainted ; nor fatigue your hearers with relating little trifling circumstances. Relate the principal points with clearness and precision, and you will be heard with pleasure. Carefully observe whether the person with whom you are discoursing, be pleased with your conversation or THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 181 not ; for if he appears to hear you with indifference, you had . much better be silent, and not try to detain him in order to be heard. Be studiously careful not to deserve the character of a great talker ; for incessant talkers are very disagree- able companions. The greatest wisdom of speech is to know when, and what, and where to speak ; the time, matter and manner ; the next to it, is silence. Avoid disputes as much as possible^; and never con- tradict, nor oppose the opinion of another, but with great modesty. A modest person seldom fails of gaining the good will of those with whom he converses : whereas, those who contradict, and appear dogmatical upon all ' occasions, will surely procure disgust. Carefully avoid whispering, when yoy are in compa- ny ; it is a mark of ill breeding, and seems to insinuate that the persons whom you wish should not hear, are unworthy of your confidence, or it induces them to sup- pose that you are speaking improperly of them. When you are in company with a stranger, never be- gin to question him about his name, his place of resi- dence, and his business. This impudent curiosity is the height of ill manners. Some persons apologize, in a good natured manner, for their inquisitiveness ; by an " If I may be so bold : 5J » " If I may take the liberty ;" or, " Pray sir excuse my freedom." These attempts to excuse one's self, imply that a man thinks himself an impudent fellow, and if he does not, other people think he is, and treat him as such. Frequent and loud laughter, is the characteristick ot folly and ill manners ; it is the manner in which silly people express their joy at silly things. Whistling in company, humming a tune, drumming with the fingers, and making a noise with the feet, are all breaches of good manners, and indications of con- tempt for the persons present. Nothing is more common, although disgusting, than to see persons of all ranks and degrees, criticise on the dress and general deportment of their departed guests : and often ridicule and condemn those things behind 16 132 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. their backs, which to their faces, they approved and applauded. Let nie entreat you never to make your friends ap- pear in a disadvantageous light ; but on the contrary, extol the perfections and accomplishments they possess, and cast a veil over their defects. Above all, adhere to mojals and religion with im- moveable firmness. Whatever effect outward show and accomplishments may have, in recommending a man to others, none but the good are really happy in themselves* SECTION LXXV. Words of four syllables, accented on the third. Ac cla ma tion, 1%. a shout of applause [cusing Ac cu 5a tion, n. the act of ac- Ad mi ra tion, n. the act of admiring [ship Ad o ra tion, n. divine wor- Ad van ta geous, a. profitable Af fee ta tion, n. an artificial appearance Af fi da vit, n. a declaration upon oath [ an g^r Ag gra va tion, n. exciting to Al ter a tion, n. the act of changing An i ma tion, n. the act of enlivening An te ce dent, ri. that which goes before Ap pel la tion, n. a name, title Ap pli ca tion, n. the act of applying [approving Ap pro ba tion, n. the act of Ar bi tra tion, n. a decision Cal cu la tion, n. computa- tion, reckoning Cel e bra tion, n. a solemn performance,remembrance Com men da tion, n. praise l Com pen sa tion, n. recom- pense Com pu ta tion, 71. calculation Con dem na tion, n. sentence of punishment Con gre ga tion, n. an assem- bly, a collection Con so la tion, n. comfort Con stel la tion, n. a cluster of fixed stars Con ster na tion, n. fear, as- tonishment, wonder, dread Con sti tu tion, n. a law, de- cree, form of government ; the frame of body or mind Con tern pla tion, n. medita?- tion, study Con tri bu tion, n. the act of contributing [discourse Con ver sa tion, w. familiar Cor po ra tion, n. a body cor- porate, a body politick Cul ti va tion, n. improvement Dec la ma tion,n. a discourse, speech, harangue Dec la ra tion, n. affirmation, publication fdress Dec o ra tion, n. ornament, THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. 183 Des o la lion, n. destruction Dis a gree ment, n. difference Dis so lu tion, n. dissolving, ruin Ef fi ca cious, a. powerful EI era tion, n. a raising up, exaltation, height [speech El o cu tion, n. fluency of Em i gra tion, n. a change of habitation or place En ter tarn ment, n. treat- ment,reception,amusernent Ex hor ta tion, n. an incite- ment to good Ex pec ta tion, n. the act or state of expecting [tion Ex pla nation, n. interpreta- Gen er a tion, n. an age, a race, family, production Hab i ta tion, n. a place of abode, dwelling Hes i ta tion, h. a stop in speech, doubt Im i ta tion, n. an attempt to resemble Im pre ca tion, n. an invoca- tion of evil, a curse In cli na tion, n. tendency to- wards any point, affection In de co rum, n. indecency In di ca tion, n. a mark or sign, token In dig na tion, n. anger mix- ed with contempt In flam ma tion, n. an inflam- ed state, heat, swelling In for in a tion, n. intelligence given, notice, instruction In spi ra tion, n. divine wis- dom ; the act of drawing in the breath In sti tu tion, n. an establish- ment, a law In ti ma tion, n. a hint, indi- rect declaration In un da tion, n. an overflow of water, a deluge In vi ta tion, n. the act of in- viting, a bidding In vo ca tion, n. the act of calling upon by prayer Lam en ta tion, n, an expres- sion of sorrow Leg is la tion, [g soft] n. the act of giving or passing laws Lib er a tion, n. the act of setting free Lit er a ti, n. the learned Me di a tor, n. an interces- sor, an adviser Med i tation, n. deep thought, contemplation Mis be hav i0ur,?*. ill conduct Mod er a tion, n. calmness of mind, mildness Nav i ga tion, n. the act of passing by water Nona i na tion, n. a naming, the power of appointing Nu mer a tion, n. the art of numbering [ment, bond Ob li ga tion, n. an engage- Ob ser va tion, n. a remark, the act of observing Oc cu pa tion, n. employ- ment, business Op er. a tion, n. action, ef- fect, agency [daining Or di national, the act ofor- Os ten ta tious, a. boastful, vain, proud Per se cu tion, n. the act of persecuting [sweating Per spi ra tion, n. the act of Pop u la tion, n. the number of inhabitants 184 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Prep a ra tion, n. a making ready for some purpose Pres er va tion, n. the act of preserving Proe ia ma tion, n. a publica- tion by authority, notice Pub li ca tion, n. the act of publishing [diversion Rec re a tion, n. amusement, Ref or ma tion, n. a change from worse to better Reg u la tion, n. method, rule Rep u tation,«. honour,credit Res o hi tion, n. fixed deter- mination, constancy Res pi ra tion, n. the act of breathing [restoring Res ti tu tion, n. the act of Rev o lu tion, n. a returning l_ motion ; a change of govern- ment in a state or country Sal ti ta tion, n. the act of sa- luting [disjunction Sep ar a tion, n. a parting, Stip u la tion, n. a bargain Su per vi sor, n. an overseer,, an inspector [end Ter mi na tion, n. conclusion, Trib u la tion, n. vexation, distrejsg Un der ta king, n. enterprise, engagement [ation Va ri a tion,. n. change, devi- Ven er a tion, n. reverent re- gard, awful respect 2 *Ap pre hen sion, n. fear Ar ti fi cial, a. made by art Ben e die tion, n. blessing Ben e fac tor,n. one who does acts of kindness Ben e fi cial, a. advantageous, profitable, useful Com po si tion, n. a mixture ; a written work Com pre hen sive, a. having the power to understand ; comprising much Def i ni tion, n. description Dis ad van tage, n. loss, injury Dis con ten ted, a. uneasy Dis con tin ue, v. to leave off Dis in her it, v. to deprive of inheritance [dency Dis po si tion, n. temper ; ten- Er u di tion, n. learning, in- struction Ev er las ting, a. perpetual, lasting without end [tive Ex pe di tious, a. quick, ac- Im per fee tion, n. a defect, failure, fault [regard In at ten tion, ri neglect, dis- In at ten tive, a. careless,neg- ligent In con sis tent, a. incompati- ble, absurd, contrary [ly In cor rect \y,ad. inaccurate- In cor rup tion, n. a state of ' purity In de pen dence, n. freedom, exemption from control In de pen dent, a. 'free, no? subject to control In dis tinct ly, ad. confusedly In of fen sive, a. harmless In sur rec tion, n. rebellion, a seditious rising In ter ces sion, n. mediation In ter ces sour, w.a mediator In ter mis sion, n. a pause, a cessation for a time In ter rup tion, n. obstruc- tion, hinderance, stop In ter sec tion,n.a point where lines cross each other THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 185 In tro due tion, n. the act of conducting to, a preface Mai e fac tor, n. a criminal Man u mis sion, w. the act of freeing slaves, freedom Math e mat icks, n. the sci- ence of number and measure Mem o ran dum, n. a note to help the memory Non ex is tence, n. state of not existing Not with stand ing, conj. nev- ertheless, in spite of Om ni pres ence, n. the quali- ty of being every where present [every place Om ni pres ent, a. present in Op po si tion, n. resistance, a party opposing O ver val ue } v. to rate at too high a price Per ad ven ture, [t like tsh] ad. perhaps Pol i ti cian, n. one who is skilled in politicks [rious Prej u di cial, a. hurtful, inju- Pres i den tial, a. pertaining to a president Prov i den tial, a. effected by providence Rec ol lee tion, n. recovery of thoughts, memory [peating Rep e ti tion, n. the act of re- Res ur rec tion r n.revivalfrom the dead Sat is fac tion, n. the state of being satisfied Un der stand ing, n. intellec- tual powers, skill Un sue cess ful, a. unlucky, not successful 5 Cor re spon dencc, n. inter course, engagement Pa tri ot ick, a. having patri- otism, noble SECTION LXXVI. Writing. Writing is that art which enables us to express our ideas by letters. It may be considered as the parent of numberless improvements, and as one of the highest ornaments of social life. It affords us the means of preserving the fruits of our mental investigations ; and has presented us with innu- merable lessons of instruction from the ancient narra- tions of history. To enumerate all the advantages derived from alpha- betical writing, would be to range a boundless field of observation, and to trace the progress of improvements from the first use of letters to the present period. The benefits conferred dm mankind by this art, can- not be too highly appreciated ; since from the simple process of writing, we can rive a faithful representation 16* 18$ THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. of our thoughts and sentiments, which we can wrap up* and transmit to other parts of the world :. and by this kind of communication, keep up a social intercourse with our most distant friends. The rudiments of the art of writing are very simple, Its advancement to its present state of improvement, slow and gradual. In the first use of visible language, marks were used as signs of things ; and we can trace it through all its stages, from the simple picture, to the arbitrary wo^k for the elements of sound. The writing of antiquity, was a specie^ of engraving. Pillars and tables of stone were first used for> this pur- pose, and afterwards plates of the softer metals, such as lead ; or tables of wax, and skins of parchment* A pol- ished point of iron, called the stylus, was used to scratch letters on the wax ; but the writing on parchment was performed with pen and ink. In noticing the various methods of writkig which have prevailed in different nations, we find that it has been customary for some people to begin their lines at the right hand side of the page, and write towards the left : others have extended their lines from the top to the bot- tom, in a perpendicular manner. The former was the method pursued by the Hebrews, Phenicians, and Arabians ; and the latter custom still prevails with the Chinese. But in modern times, the most prevalent method is to write from left to right, as practised by all the civilized nations in Europe and America, . .. . SECTION LXXVII. On saying too much. The art of holding the tongue, is quite as necessary as the art of speaking ; and in some instances, it is even more difficult to learn. In a biographical notice of a celebrated speaker in the British House of Conimons, it is remarked, that " he never said loo much" This is, in truth, a rare com* tnendation of a publick speaker. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 1&7 One who without circumlocution or parade, comes to the matter in hand at once, and pertinaciously adheres to it throughout — who seizes on the strong points in the argument, and sets them to view hi the clearest light — who says all that is proper, and nothing more — whose every sentence strikes home,*and who remembers " to leave off when he has done :" such a publick 'speaker, whether in the hall of legislation, in the pulpit, or at the bar, will never tire his hearers. Man, or even Woman, when enjoying the freedom of the tongue, and gifted with the faculty of using it flu- ently, is more apt to say too much than too little. When a room full of ladies are all speaking at the same instant, only with this difference, that some tune their voices higher, and some lower — it is pretty clear that 'they say too much. But this is tender ground, on which I would tread lighdy. They who expect to be listened to by every body, but are unwilling themselves to listen to any body — who Will hold you by the sleeve or button if you attempt to escape them, and din you the harder, the more you show signs of weariness ; this tribe of talkers, as all'Lut them- selves will readily admit, say too much. Persons who have wit, or who think they have it, are in particular hazard of saying too much. It is one of the hardest things in the world to make a temperate use of real, or of self-supposed wit; and more particularly ot the talent for raillery. And hence, many a one, not ill- natured, and meaning nothing more than to show off his wit, multiplies enemies, and sometimes wounds his best friends. To make use of a line in one of Crabbers poems, " He kindles anger by untimely jokes." 'They who talk merely with intent to shine in com- pany, or for the sake of showing off to advantage their own parts and learning, always say too much. The fond pair, who entertain their visitants by the hour, with setting forth the excellent qualities or smart sayings of their own children, or with ridiculous details of the rare conjugal affection that subsists between them- selves — say too much / 188 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Those who are inordinately fond of speaking in the first person — I myself- — it is more than an even chance that they will say too much. When a young man whose stock is small, is more eager to expend it in talking, than to increase it by pa- tient listening, he is very apt to say too much. Old men are prone to say too much, when, getting into the preterplwperfect tense, they represent the for- mer days as every way better than these : as if the hu- man family, notwithstanding the perpetual accumula- tion of experience, were perpetually retrograding in- stead of advancing. It is seldom that men do not say too much, in their convivial moments. It is then that they are peculiarly apt to say something which they are sorry for on the morrow ; for " when wine is in, discretion is out." 1 will conclude with a caution. — Let not him that talketh not, despise him that talketh. There have been some wights of the human family, both male and female, that have obtained the reputation of abilities and wisdom by their grave taciturnity — every body thinking that they could say a great deal if they would — when, in so- ber truth, their habitual silence was owing rather to dearth of ideas or to dulness. To be humdrum in company, is as wide from the true mark, as to be garrulous. x SECTION LXXVI1I. Words of five syllables , accented on the second. x A gree a ble ness, n. the qual- ity of pleasing [take Er ro ne ous ly, ad. by mis- Har mo ni ous tyyw/.musically He ro i cal ly,ad. courageous- ly, bravely, boldly Im me di ate ly, ad. instant- ly, at the present time In ge ni ous ly, ad. wittily Id nu mer a ble, a. not to be numbered i In va ri a ble, a. unchangea- ble, constant [bly In va ri a bly, ad. unchangea- In vi o la ble, a. not to be bro- ken or profaned Un rea son a ble, a. unjust? not agreeable to reason 2 Af fee tion ate ly, ad. fondly Con fed er a cy, n. a league, bond, union .THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 189 Con sid er a ble, a. worthy of regard, important [ness Con temp ti ble ness, n. vile- Con spic u 0us ness, n. clear- ness, fame, renown [pause Con tin u al ly, ad. without De ter mi nate ly, ad. reso- lutely Em phat i cai ly, ad. forcibly Ex cep tion a ble, a. liable to some objection Ex trav a gant ly,, ad. by way of 190 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED. Im mod er ate ly, ad, m an excessive degree In com pe ten cy, n. inability In com pe tent ly, ad. unsuit- ably In hos pi ta ble, a. unfeeling, unkind to strangers In tol er a ble, a. insufferable, very bad, vile In vol un ta ry, a. not done willingly Me thod i cal ly, ad. accor- ding to method, exactly Un prof i ta ble, a. useless, vain 8 Un com for ta ble, a. misera- ble, dismal, gloomy SECTION LXXIX. Words of jive syllables, accented on the third. As si du i ty, n. diligence Cer e mo ni al, a. formal, ob- servant of old forms Con sti tu tion al, a. legal, consistent with the consti- tution Dis a gree a ble, a. unpleasant Ex com mu ni cate, v. to ex- clude, expel) put out [cutes Ex e cu tion er, n. he that exe- 1m mate ri al, a. unimportant Im ma tu ri ty, n. unripeness Im me mo ri al, a. past the time of memory Im pro pri e ty, n. unfitness In com mo di ous, a. inconve nient, unsuitable In con cei va ble, a. incom prehensible In ere du li ty, n. hardness of belief [excused Li ex cu sa ble, a. not to be In ex pe ri ence, n. want of experimental knowledge In ge nu i ty, n. wit, genius, acuteness [cal Xln har mo ni ous, a. unmusi- In stan ta ne ous, a. done in u an instant* immediate In sup por ta ble, «. not to bo endured Ir re du ci ble, a. that which cannot be reduced - Mat ri mo ni at, a. nuptial, pertaining to marriage Mer i to ri ous, a. deserving of reward or honour Mis eel la ne ous, a. mingled, composed of various kinds Op por tu ni ty, n. a fit place, time, convenience Pat ri mo ni al, a. derived by inheritance [plainness Per spi cu i ty, n. clearness, Rev o l.u tion ist, n. one en- gaged in a revolution [plus Su per flu i ty, n. excess, over- 2 Af fa bil i ty, n civility An ni ver sa ry, n. a yearly festival [round Cir cum nav i gate, v. to sail Com pre hen sive ness, n. the quality of containing much in few words Dis a bil i ty, n. weakness, want of power [ing Du ra bil i ty, n. power of last- THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Ml Ev an gel i cal, a. agreeable to gospel, divine Ge ne al o gy, n. history of famiiy descendants Gen er al i ty, n. the main body, most part Hos pi tal i ty, n. liberality in entertainments ; the prac- tice of entertaining stran- gers Hyp o crit i cal, a. insincere, false, dissembling Im mo ral i ty, n. want of vir- tue [from death Im mor tal i ty, ». exemption Im per cep ti ble, a. not to be perceived In a bil i ty, n. want of pow- er, weakness In ac tiv i ty, n> idleness In com bus ti ble, a. not to be consumed by fire In com pas sion ate, a, void of pity, cruel In com pat i ble, a, inconsis- tent [thoughtless In con sid er ate, a. careless, In con sis ten cy, n. disagree- ment, absurdity, contradic- tion [ly In con sis tent ly, ad. absurd - In dis crim i nate, a. undis- tinguished, confused In dis pen sable, a. necessa- ry, not to be spared In di vis i ble, a. that which cannot be divided |n effectual, [t like tsh] a. without power, weak In ex pres si ble, a. not to be described, unutterable In hu man i ty, n. cruelty, barbarity In of fen sive ly, ad. without harm In sig nif i cance, n. unimpor- tance, want of meaning In sig nif i cant,a,unimportant In tel lee tu al, [t like tsh] a. relating to the understanding In tre pid i ty, n. fearless- ness, courage, bravery In tro due tor y, a. previous^ preparatory to something else Ir re sis ti ble, a. that which cannot be resisted Lib er al i ty, n. generosity, kindness Mag na nim i ty, n. greatness of mind, bravery Min er al o gy, n.the doctrine of minerals ". [spelled Or tho graph i cal, a, rightly Per pen die u lar, ?i. anything directly upright [of right Plau si bil i ty, n. appearance Pop u lar i ty, n. the favour or love of the people Pos si bil i ty, n. the state of being possible Prob a bil i ty, n. likelihood Prod i gal i ty, n. extrava- gance, waste Punc tu al i ty, [t like tsh] n, exactness, nicety Reg u lar i ty, w. order, meth- od, exactness Rep re sent a tivc, n. a substi- tute in power, a deputy Sen si bil i ty, n. quickness of sensation Sim i lar i ty, n* likeness, re- semblance Su per ex eel lent, a. uncom- monly excellent 192 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Su per nat u ral, [t like tsh] a. above the powers of na- ture [ly Un ex pec ted ly, ad. sudden- U ni ver si ty, m a general school of liberal arts 8 In con for mi ty, n. incompli- ance U ni for mi ty, n. sameness, resemblance 5 An i mos i ty, n. hatred ^ Ar is toe ra cy, n. a govern- ment by nobles Cu ri os i ty, n. niceness, in- quisitiveness Ec o nomi cal,a.savmg, pru- dent, frugal Et y mol o gy 9 n. the deriva* tion of words , Gen er os i ty, n. liberality Im me thod i cal, a. irregu- lar, confused In e qual i ty, n. unevenness Lex i cog ra pher, w. writer of a dictionary Trig o nom e try,n. the art of measuring triangles 6 [removed Ir re move a ble, a* not to be oi Un a void a ble, a. inevitable, not to be shunned SECTION LXXX. What is Time 9 I ask'd an aged man, a man of cares, Wrinkled and curv'd, and white with hoary hairs 3 " Time is the warp of life," he said — " O tell The young, the fair, the gay, to weave it well." 1 ask'd the ancient, venerable dead, Sages who wrote, and warriours who bled : From the cold grave a hollow murmur flow'd a Time sow'd the seeds we reap in thjs abode." I- ask'd a dying sinner, ere the stroke Of ruthless* death, life's golden bowl had broke, I ask'd him what is time — " Time," he replied, " Fve lost it, ah ! the treasure ;" and he died. I ask'd the golden sun and silver spheres, Those bright chronometers of days and years, They answer'd, u Time is but a meteor's glare," And bade me for eternity prepare. 1 ask'd the seasons in their annual round, Which beautify or desolate the ground ; And they replied, (no oracle more wise,) ; " ? Tis folly's blank* and wisdom's highest prize," THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 193 Of things inanimate, my dial I Consulted, and it made me this reply — " Time is the season fair, of living well, The path to glory, or the path to hell." I ask'd the Bible, and methinks it said, " Time is the present hour, the past is fled Live — live to day ! to-morrow never yet On any human being rose or set." SECTION J.XXXI. Youth. What is youth like ? 'tis like a flower That opens to the morning sun, That's lovely to the eye an hour, When lo, its blushing beauty's gone. 'Tis like a dream, when fancy reigns, And spreads her airy mantle round, Imagination rules the brains, And judgement lies in sleep profound. 'Tis like a fragile bark when tost, High bounding o'er the restless wave, That's in a moment wreck'd and lost Forever in a watery grave. 'Tis like the spring when verdure yields A pleasing prospect to the eye, When vestments, through a thousand fields, Lose, by summer suns, their die. 'Tis like the infant ice laid o'er The peaceful bosom of the lake, Where boys, adventurous from the shore, Their sudden, woful exit make. 'Tis like a faithless promise' lure, Which prospect paints to fancy's eye, And renders disappointment sure, Which leaves the lamp of hope to die. 'Tis like the falling snow, you've seen Descending from its frozen store, 194 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTOR When driven on the running stream, It disappears, is seen no more: 'Tis like those varying colours bright, ■ Reflected from an ev'ning cloud, Which, fading at the approach of night, Are mantled in a murky shroud SECTION LXXXII. Night. The sun goes down, he sinks in western skies, Darkness prevails, and now the twilight dies. Now twinkling stars unmeasured space look through* Our thoughts invite beyond the ethereal blue The silver moon, from ocean's rolling tide, Comes forth to rule, extends her sceptre wide ; O'er forests, hills and dales, her placid ray Delights to wander till returning day. Well, I remember, when in tender years, ? My ev'ning walks, quite free from worldly cares/ With pleasure I beheld with eager eye, Those gems of light revolving through the sky. I By the kind moon's most calm, unclouded light,' I walk'd o'er brooks and rivulets by night ; Her mild, her placid face T oft have seen Well pleas'd reflected from the gurgling stream. But night's the time for rest and calm repose, When cares subside, and toil and labour close ; When sleep his dreamless curtain spreads around, And locks us fast in thoughtlessness profound. Such may be death, when life's short race is run, Its hours past, and sinks its ev'ning sun ; No twinkling star shall light the silent tomb, Nor moon's soft beam disturb the dreary gloom. As we retire to sleep, in hope to rise, When Sol's bright beams shall blush in eastern skies, Immortal hope shall cheer our latest breath, Expecting day beyond the nigh o** death* THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER 195 ' SECTION Words of Jive syllables, l Ab bre vi a tion, n. the act of shortening A- bom i na tion, n. hatred, pollution Ac com mo da tion, n. con- venience Ad min is tra tion, n. the act of administering Ad min is tra tor, n. a man that administers Ad min is tra trix, n. a wo- man that administers Al le vi a tion, n. the act of making light Ap pro pri a tion, n. applica- tion to some particular use Ar tic u la tion, n. the act of forming words Ca lum ni a tion, n. a false report, slander Civ i li za tion, n. the state of being civilized, politeness Clar i fi ca tion, n. the act of making clear Co ag u la tion, n. the act of, or body formed by curdling Con fed er a tion,n. close al- liance, league Con sid er a tion, n. serious thought, regard, prudence De ter mi na tion, n. conclu- sion, resolution, decision Dis ap pro ba tion, n. cen- sure, condemnation Ed i 6 ca tion, n. improve- ment, instruction E lu ci da tion, n. explanation E nu me ra tion, rc. the act of numbering or counting over For ti fi ca tion, n. a place built for defence LXXXIII. accented on the fourth. 1 Grat i fi ca tion, n pleasure, delight, reward Hu mil i a tion, n. the act of humility II lu mi na tion, n. a giving light, brightness Im ag in a tion, [g soft] n. fancy, idea, notion In oc u la tion, n. the act of inoculating or grafting In ter pre ta tion, n. an ex- planation In ter ro ga tion, w. a question put; a point marked thus(?) In tox i ca tion, n\ drunken- ness [tion In ves ti ga tion, n. examina- Ir ra di a tion, n. an enlight- ening Jus ti fi ca tion,n. vindication, defence Man i fes ta tion, n. a discov- ery, a publication Mis ap pli ca tion, n. applica- tion to a wrong purpose Mod i fi ca tion, n. the act of modifying Mor ti fi ca tion, n. putrefac- tion, gangrene Mul ti pli ca tion, n. the act of multiplying No ti fi ca tion, n. the act of- making known Pre des ti na tion, n. preordi- nation, a fatal decree Pro eras ti na tion, n. a de- lay, stop Prog nos ti ca tion, n. the act of foretelling Pu ri fi ca tion, n. the act of making pure 196 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 1 Qual i fi ca tion, n. an accom- plishment Rat i fi ca tion, n. confirrna* tion Rec cm men da tion, n. the act of recommending Re gen er a tion, n. the new birth, birth by grace Re rau ner a tion, n. a reward Rep re sen ta tion, n. like- ness, description He tal i a tion, n. return of like for like Sane ti fi ca tion, n. tne act of making holy Sig nif i ca tion, n. a meaning by signs or words Sub or di na tion, n. the state of being inferiour [of form Trans fig n ra tion, w.a change 2 Math e ma ti cian, n. one vers- ed in mathematicks [take Mis ap pre hen sion, n. mis- Mis un dcr stand irig, n. mis- conception, errour. SECTION LXXXIV. fVo7'ds of six, seven, and eight syllables ; in which the accent* cd syllables are defined by the figures being placed over them. Dis a gree a ble ness, n. of- fensiveness, unpleasantness In com mo di ous ness, n, in- convenience In stan ta ne ous ly, ad, soon, in an indivisible point of time Sii per nu mer ar y, a. being above the stated number 2 Cir dam nav i ga ble, a. that which may be sailed round Hyp o crit i cal ly, ad. with- out sincerity, falsely In ar tic u late ly, ad. indis- tinctly In con sid er a ble ness, n. small importance In con sid er a ble, a. unwor- thy of notice In con sid er ate ly,arf.thought- lessly In con sid er ate ness, n. inat- tention [ed In de fat i ga ble, a. unweari- In de ter mi na ble, a. not to be fixed, not to be defined In de ter mi nate ly, ad. in aa unsettled manner * In ex tin guish a ble, a. un- quenchable Or tho graph i cal ly, ad. ac- cording to the rules of spel- ling Un in tel li gi ble, a. such as cannot be understood Un in tel li gi bly, adi not to be understood 5 Im me thod i cal ly, ad. ir- regularly, without method 8 lr re cov er a ble, a. not to be regained [recover^ lr re cov er a bly ? ad. beyond l An te di lu vi an, a. existing before the flood Me di a to ri al, a. belonging to a mediator THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 197 1 s Pre des ti na ri an, n. one that holds the doctrine of pre- destination 2 Exrper i men tal ly, ad. by ex- perience, by trial Im mu ta bil i ty, n. exemp- tion from change Im pos si bil i ty, n. impracti- cability, that which cannot be done Im prob a bil i ty, n. unlike- lihood, absurdity In ca pa bil i ty, n. inability, a disqualification In com pre hen si ble, a. not to be conceived In cu ra bil i ty, n. an impos- sibility of cure In stru men tal i ty, n. subor- dinate agency In vis i bil i ty, n. the -state of being invisible Ir reg u lar i ty, n. a devia- tion from rule Per cep ti bil i ty, n. the pow- er of perceiving Plen i po ten tia ry, h. a ne- gotiator invested with full power Prac ti ca bil i ty, n. possibil- ity of being performed Sem i di am e ter, n. the half of a diameter Su per in tend en cy, n. the act of overseeing Sus cep ti bil i ty, ft. the qual- ity or state of admitting | 5 -* In fe ri or i ty, n. a lower state of dignity or value Su pe ri or i ty, n. pre-emi- nence, the quality of being greater 1 Cir cum nav i ga tion, n. the act of sailing round Mis rep re sen ta tion, n. a wrong representation Pre de ter mi na tion, n. de- termination made before* hand Rec on cil i ation,rf. a renew- al of friendship, atonement 2 Im pen e tra bil i ty, n. an impenetrable quality In di vis i bil i ty, n. state in which no more division can be made In sep ar a bil i ty, n. an in- separable quality 2 In com pre hen si bil i ty, n. unconceivableness DECLARATION OF CONGRESS. " We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain un- alienable rights ; that among these are life, lib- erty, and the pursuit of happiness." This is the language of America, of Reason^ and of Truth 7» 198 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION LXXXV. The Fourth of July. This day eommemorates the glorious epoch in our national history, when indignant Americans burst the thraldom of British tyranny, and asserted the rights with which God and Nature invested them, and decreed their just inheritance : when the voice of the American na- tion, by the mouth of their delegated sages and patri-* ots, declared " that these United States are, and of right ought to be, free, sovereign and independent." This resolution they bravely carried into effect, on the fourth day of July , in the ever-memorable year of Seventy-six ; and boldly pledged their lives, their for-* tunes, and their sacred honour, to support it. Still da their sons retrace with proud delight the record of theiF noble deeds ; still are millions ready to renew the pledge* Still do their bosoms glow with indignation at the story of their oppressions, exult in their successes, and weep over their misfortunes ; and contemplate with admira- tion their unshaken constancy, and more than Roman virtue, in that gloomy period when scarce a ray of hope gilded the dreariness of the prospect — when a licentious soldiery wasted our fields, pillaged our villages, confla- grated pur towns, butchered our citizens, violated the temples of our God— carrying terrour and dismay, fire and sword, through every section of our country. The enthusiasm with which the return of this day is hailed, is a pledge that the spirit of seventy-six is not extinct : although, most of the sages and heroes of the revolution, have yielded to the law of nature, and launch- ed that gulf whence none return, yet their mantles still rest on their sons. Americans ■! place constantly before your sight the deplorable scenes of your servitude, and the enchanting picture of your deliverance ! Begin with the infant in his cradle ; let the first word he lisps, be Washington. Let his first lessons of history be the wrongs which you suffered, and the courage which set you free. Let his daily prayers be expressions of gratitude to God, for raising you up accomplished chiefs ; for leading on THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 129 your armies ; and for strengthening the arm of your peasants against the discipline and tyranny of Europe. Let the youth grow up amidst annual festivals, com- memorative of the events of war, and sacred to the memory of your heroes. Let him learn from his father to weep over the tombs of those heroes, and to bless their virtues. Let his first study be your declaration of independence, and the code of your constitution, which were sketched out amidst the clashing of arms. Let him stop at the end of the field which he ploughs* and while the tears start into his eyes, let him read, en- graven upon the rude stones ; " here savages in the pay of despotism, cast an infirm old man into the flames : here they dashed against the trees, children that were snatch- ed away from the breasts of their dying mothers." Are any so base as to sacrifice Liberty and Indepen dence to foreign ambition ? Would any exchange lib- erty and equal laws for despotism and oppression ? If any such there are, let them be marked for the detes- tation of freemen, the curse of heaven. Guard against the spirit of conquest : the tranquillity of empire decreases, as it is extended. Have arms for your defence, but have none for offence. Seek ease and health in labour ; prosperity in agriculture and manu- factures ; strength in good manners and virtue. Make the sciences and arts prosper, which distinguish the civilized man from the savage. Especially watch over the education of your children. It is from publick schools, be assured* that skilful magistrates, disciplined and courageous soldiers, good fathers, good husbands, goodbrothers, goodfriends, and honest men come forth. Wherever we see the youth depraved, the nation is on the decline. Let Liberty have an immoveable foundation in the wisdom of your con- stitutions ; and let it be the cement which unites your states, which cannot be destroyed. In view of all the blood-purchased blessings you enjoy, cultivate peace-> wisdom and integrity ; and u The bliss of these States in rapture shall run, " Till nature shall freese at the death of the Sun." 200 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECTION LXXXVI. Ode for the Fourth of July. Let hymns of triumph rise around The shrine of Liberty ; Her temples fill with joyful sound, Of songs and minstrelsey. It is a nation's natal day, 'Tis Freedom's jubilee : With thankful hearts due homage pay, The homage of the free. ~ From thraldom's dream our father's woke, And spurn'd at tyrants' sway ; The sceptre of the mighty broke, And cast their chains away. Great Vvas the work, and great their souls Who made their country free — Their names are written on the rolls Of immortality t Others have fought, and battles won, In vain — their hope expires : Their chief was not a Washington, Their soldiers, not our sires. To despot rod let Europe bow, And shake her gilded chains ; Free as our streams to ocean flow, We tread our native plains. Uncheck'd, Columbia's Eagle soars, With wide and glorious sweep ; Her mountain Oak her thunder pours Triumphant o'er the deep. Invincible in battle field, Her march is victory ! — Strong are the arms in fight that wield The sword of Liberty. And long as justice holds her sway, And valour shields the brave, Undimm'd her stars shall shed their ray, And high her banners wave. These blessings claim our highest praise,. Of thankfulness and love — Loud hallelujahs let us raise T6 Him who rules above. 201 AN ABRIDGMENT OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR. English Grammar is the art of speaking and writing the English Language correctly. It is divided into four parts ; viz. Orthography, Etymology, Syntax, and Prosody. Orthography teaches the nature and powers of letters, and the just method of spelling words. Etymology treats of the different sorts of words, their va* rious modifications, and their derivation. Syntax treats of the agreement, government, and proper arrangement of "words and sentences. Prosody treats of the just pronunciation of words, and the laws of versification. ETYMOLOGY AND SYNTAX. i Words are divided into ten sorts ; commonly called parts of speech ; viz. 1. Article, - 6. Participle, 2. Noun or Substantive, 7. Adverb, 3. Adjective, 8. Preposition, 4. Pronoun, 9. Conjunction, and 5. Verb, 10. Interjection. Syntax principally consists of two parts, Concord and Government. Concord is the agreement which one word has with anoth- er, in person, number, gender, or case. Government is that power which one part of speech has over another, in directing its mood, tense, or case. OF ARTICLES. An Article is a word prefixed to nouns to limit their signification ; as, a man ; an apple ; the tree ; the stars. There are two articles, a or aw,* and the. A or an is call- ed the indefinite article. The is called the definite article. *A is used before words beginning- with a consonant, orw long; as a man, a unicorn. It is also used before one ; as, many a one. An is used before words beginning with a vowel or silent h / as, an apple, an hour. 202 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED The indefinite article limits the noun to one of a kind y but generally to no particular one ; as, " give me a book ;" that is, any book. The definite article limits the noun to one or more par- ticular objects ; as, u give me the book ;" " bring me the ap- ples ;" meaning some particular book, or apples referred to. OF NOUNS. A Noun is a word which is the name of any person, place, or thing ; as, man, house, New- York, faith, charity* Nouns are of two kinds, proper and common, A proper noun is a name given to one thing, to distin- guish it from other things of the same kind ; as, John T Alba~ ny, London, America. Common nouns are the names of whole sorts or species ; as, man, tree, river, city. To nouns belong person, number, gender, and case. Nouns are of the second person when spoken to, and of the third person when spoken of; as, " Charles, come here ^ " George is a good scholar." Number is the distinction of nouns with regard to the objects signified, as one or more. Nouns have two numbers ; the singular and plural. The singular number denotes but one object ; as, pen, hook, man. The plural number denotes more objects than one ; as, fens, books, men* Gender is the distinction of nouns with regard to sex. There are three genders, the Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter. The Masculine gender denotes males ; as, man, boy, king, husband, horse. The Feminine gender denotes females ; as, woman, girl, cow, hen. The Neuter gender denotes objects which are neither males nor females ; as, book, house, field A * Some nouns, from the nature of the things which they express, are used only in the singular form ; as, rye, jlax, flour, gold, silver, pride, Spc. others only in the plural form; as, ashes, snuffers,, shears, scissors, lungs, riches, victuals, Sfc. Some words are the same in both numbers; as, deer, sheep, swine, salmon, fyc. 1 t Some nouns, naturally neuter, are by a figure of speech, converted into the masculine or feminine gender ; as, when we say of the sun, ht is setting:; and of a ship, she sails well. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 203 The English language has three methods of distinguish- ing the sex ; viz. 1 . By different words ; as, Male. Female. Male. Female. Brother Sister Man Woman Father Mother Nephew Niece Husband Wife Sloven Slut King Queen Son Daughter Lad Lass Uncle Aunt Lord Lady Wizard Witch 2. By a difference of termination ; as, Male. Female. Male. Female. Actor Actress Jew Jewess Emperor Empress Patron Patroness Executor Executrix Poet Poetess Governour Governess Prince Princess Heir Heiress Prophet Prophetess Hero Heroine Shepherd Shepherdess 3. By prefixing some word indicating sex ; as. Male. Female. A man-servant A maid-servant A male-child A female-child A he-goat A she-goat Male descendants Female descendants Case is the different state or situation of nouns with re- gard to other words. Nouns have three cases, the nomina- tive, possessive, and objective. The Nominative case denotes the actor, or subject of the verb ; as, " John walks." a The boys play." The Possessive case denotes the relation of property or possession ; and is formed by adding an apostrophe with the letter s, to the noun ; as, " John's hat ;" u Women's bon- nets :" But when the plural ends in s, and sometimes also when the singular ends in ss, the apostrophe only is added ; as, " The Ladies' school ;" u For holiness 5 sake." The Objective case denotes the object of an action, or of a relation ; as, " John strikes Thomas ;" " he lives in New- York. Nouns are declined in the following manner. Singular. Plural. Singular. Plural. Norn. Man Men Men's Nom. King Kings Pos. Man's Pos. King's Kings' Obj. Man Men Obj. King Kings 204 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED As soon as the pupil has committed to memory the defini- tions of the Article and Noun, he should be exercised in par- sing these parts of speech, as they are arranged in the fol- lowing Parsing Lesson. , PARSING LESSON I. Article and Noun. A book. Instructer. Pupil. What part of speech is a ? An article. What is an article ? What kind? - - - - Why? - - What does it belong to ? According to what rule ? What part of speech is book ? What is a noun ? An article is^a word prefixed to nouns to limit their signification. The indefinite. The indefinite article limits the noun to one of a kind. It belongs to book. Rule i.* (repeat the ride.) A noun. A noun is a word which is the name of any person, place or thing. Common. Common nouns are the names of whole sorts or species. The third. Because it is spoken of. The singular. Because it denotes but one object. The neuter. Because it denotes neither male nor female. The Nominative.f *RULE I. Articles belong to nouns which they limit or define ; as, A book ; an apple ; the house ; the stars." What kind ? Why? What person ? Why? . - What number ? Why? What gender ? Why? What case ? A boy A house A tree A garden A chair A table A unicorn An orange An apple An hour An eagle The garden The stars The clouds The rainbow Virtue Temperance A hammer t As soon as the pupil receives information enough to enable him to parse without giving the definitions, he may omit them and parse »b the usual way. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 205 The horizon The sciences The shoes Boston The continent A whim An earthquake The school A man Europe A fever The men America The Thames The woman The constitution A river The end PARSING LESSON II. LJouns in the Possessive case. John's book. Solution, John's is a proper noun, third person, singular number, masculine gender, possessive case, and governed by the noun book, according to Rule ii. (which repeat,) Book is a common noun, third person, singular number, neuter gender, and nominative case. The man's hat A painter's brush The prophetess' pre- William's paper Jacob's ladder diction A horse's bridle Cicero's orations Woodbridge's geog- The scholar's duty Job's comforters raphy U W oman's bonnet Murray's grammar John's brother's son The ship's masts Perry's victory Cicero's speech RULE II. A noun or pronoun in the possessive case, is governed by the noun it possesses; as, "John's book ;" "Perry's victo ry;" "Every tree is known by its fruit." OF ADJECTIVES. An Adjective is a word which expresses some quality or property of a noun ; as, " a good scholar ; a tall man/' Adjectives admit of three degrees of comparison; the positive, comparative, and superlative. The Positive degree expresses the quality of an object without any increase or diminution ; as, good, wise, great. The Comparative degree increases or lessens the positive in signification ; as, wiser, greater, less wise. The Superlative degree increases or lessens the positive to the highest or lowest degree ; as, wisest, greatest, leastwise. Comparison of Adjectives. The Simple word, or positive, becomes the comparative, by adding r or er ; and the superlative, by adding st ox est to the end of it ; as, Positive. Comparative. Superlative. Wise, Wiser, Wises* Great, Greater, Greatest. 18 205 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTOR. The words more and most, less and least, have the same effect ; as, Positive. Comparative. Superlative. Wise, more wise, most wise. Virtuous, less virtuous, least virtuous. Some adjectives are irregularly compared ; as, Positive. Comparative. Superlative Little, less, least. Bad, worse, worst. Good, better, best. PARSING LESSON III. Article, Adjective, and Noun. Delicious fruit. Pupil. Instructer. What part of speech is delicious? - What is an adjective? An adjective. An adjective is a word which ex- presses some quality or property of a noun. What degree of com- parison ? - Why? - The positive. Because it expresses the quality of the object without increase or diminution. Pos. delicious, Com. more deli- cious, Super, most delicious. It belongs to fruit. According to what rule? Rule hi. (Repeat the rule.) RULE III. Adjectives belong to the nouns, or pronouns which they qualify ; as, " A wise man ; a great house ; he is good." How is it compared? What does it belong to ? A sweet apple A bad pen A great house The verdant fields The industrious bees The dutiful stork The diligent farmer A temperate climate A free government The noblest prospect Aa obedient son American independence Virtue's fair form [tion Ramsay's American Revolu- A woman amiable The cool sequestered vale Life's gay varieties The rich man's prosperity The poor man's comfort A cheerful good old man The American war Washington's fareweB address THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 237 OF PRONOUNS. A Pronocn is a word used instead of a noun, to avoid re- peating the same word ; as, u The man is happy ; he is be- nevolent ; he is useful. " There are three kinds of pronouns. Personal ^ Relative } and Adjective. Personal Pronouns » Personal pronouns stand for the name of some person or thing. They are I, thou, he, she, it ; with their plurals, we } ye or you, they. Personal pronouns admit of per son, number, gender, and case* The personal pronouns are thus declined. Person and Gender. Case. Singular. Plural C Norn. I, We, First person. < Pos. Mine, Ours, Ibj. Me J Us. fom, Thou, Ye or you, Second person. ^ Pos. Thine, Yours, ( Obj. Thee. You. m, . , C Nom. He, They, Third person V Hi The f r ' Mascuhne genaer. J Qbj# ^ Them ' mi . j f Nom. She, Thev, Third person \ pos _ Rer ' Th ^ Feminine gender. ^ Obj. Her Them / rr,, . , C Nora. It, They, Third person, V P( , s ^ T1 , -T Neuter gender. ^j'. ft / tf^* The word self is frequently joined with personal-pronouns; as, himself, herself, itself Relative Pronouns. Relative pronouns are such as relate, in general, to some preceding word or phrase, called the Antecedent ; they are who, which, what, and that* Wliat is a kind of compound relative, including both the antecedent and the relative ; and is mostly equivalent to (hat which ; as, i' I have heard what has been alledged ;" that is, k6 I have heard that which has been alledged." * The word as, may be considered as a relative pronoun when it is equivalent to which or that ; as, "The same arguments are applicaole, as were applied to the theory of uniformity of perceptions." Here as may be considered synonymous with which ; referring to arguments, aod nominative to were applied, *,._ 208 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Who is applied to persons ; as, " The man who is idle does not improve." Which is applied to animals and inanimate things ; as, "The birds which we have taken, are beautiful." "The fields which we roved through, were delightful." That is applied to both persons and things ; as, " He that is honest will be rewarded." " Habits that are vicious ^ should be avoided." Who is of both C Norn. Who, numbers, and is ^ JPos. Whose, thus declined. £ Obj. Whom. Who, which, and what, when used, in asking questions, are called interrogative pronouns ; as, "Who was he?" " Which is the man ?" " What are you doing ? Adjective Pronouns. Adjective pronouns are of a mixed nature, having (he properties both of pronouns and adjectives. They are di- vided into four sorts; Possessive, Distributive, Demonstra- tive, and Indefinite. The Possessive adjective pronouns are those which re- late to property or possession. They are my, thy, his, her r our, your, their. The Distributive adjective pronouns are those which de- note the persons or things that make up a number, taken separately, and singly. They are each, every, either. The Demonstrative adjective pronouns are those which precisely point out the subjects to which they relate. Tbey are this, that, these, those. \ The Indefinite adjective pronouns are those which ex- press their subjects in an indefinite or general manner. They are some, one, any, all, other, such. One and other are thus declined. Singular. Plural. Singular. Plural. Norn. One, Ones, Nom. Other, Others, Pos. One's, Ones 5 , Pos. Other's, Others' Obi.. One. Ones. Obj. Other. Others. OF VERBS. A Verb is a word which expresses action or being ; as, " John writes ; the boys read; the city sta?ids." * This and these, refer to things nearest or last mentioned ; that and those, to things farther distant, orjirst mentioned ; as, " This house is. mine, that is my brother's. " " The path of virtue, and the road ot vice, are open before you: that leads to happiness, this to misery/ 5 " These books are mine, those are John's/' THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 209 Verbs are of three kinds ; active, passive, and neuter. They are also divided into regular, irregular, and defective. An active verb denotes action or energy which terminates on some object; as, " Cain smote Abel; Cesar conquered Pompey." A passive verb denotes action received, or endured, by the person or thing which is the nominative ; as, " Pompey teas conquered by Cesar." It is formed by adding the per- fect participle of an active verb, to the verb be, through all its changes of number, person,, mood, and tense. A neuter verb denotes being or existence, or it denotes action which is limited to the subject ; as, cc I am; he sleeps ; John walks." Regular verbs are those whose imperfect tense and per- fect participle end in ed ; as, Present, Imperfect. Perfect part. I love, I loved, loved, I favour, I favoured^ favoured. Irregular verbs are those whose imperfect tense and per- fect participle do not end in ed ; as, Present. Imperfect.. Perfect part. 1 know, I knew, known. 1 begin, I began, begun. Defective verbs are those which are used only in some of their moods and tenses ; as, Present. Lnpeifect.. 4 Perfect part. Can, Could. May, Might. Auxiliary verbs are those by the help of which other verbs are principally conjugated. They are, do, be, have, shall, will, may, can, with their variations, and must, which has no variation. Do, be, have, and wiM, are sometimes principal verbs. To verbs belong Number, Person, Mood, and Tense. Verbs have two numbers, the singular and the plural ; as, He runs, we run, &c. In each number there are three persons; as, Singular. Plural. First person I love, * We love, Second person Thou lovest, Ye or you love, Third person. He loves. They love. Mood or Mode is the manner of representing action or being. There are five moods of verbs ; the Indicative, Subjunc- tive, Potential, Infinitive, and Imperative. i Tense is the division of time. There are six tenses ; the present, imperfect, perfect , plu- perfect, first future, and second future. 18* 210 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED The conjugation of a verb, is the regular combination and arrangement of its several numbers, persons, moods, and . -nse$» Conjugation of the Verb to love. INDICATIVE MOOD. The Indicative Mood simply indicates or declares a thing, or asks a question ; as, " He loves ; he is loved ;" " Does he love ?» « Is he loved?" Present Tense Singular member. Plural number *\ denotes present time ; 1. 1 love, We love, as, 2. Thou lovest,[flr loves. Ye or you love, 3. He, she, or it loveth, They love. Imperfect Tense Singular number. Plural number* denotes past time, 1. 1 loved, We loved, however distant } as, 2. Thou lovedst, Ye or vou loved, 3. He loved. "■ They loved. Perfect Tense ' Singular number. Plural number. denotes past time, hut 1. I have loved, We have loved, has reference also to 2. Thou hast loved, Ye or vou have loved, the present j as, 3. He hath or has loved. They nave loved. Pluperfect Tense de- Singular number. Plural number. notes p&iit time, but as 1. 1 had loved, We had loved, prior to some other 2. Thou hadst loved, Ye or you had loved, past time specified; as, 3, He had loved. They had loved. First Figure Tense Singular number. Plural jiumber. denotes- future time ; 1. 1 shall or will love, We shall or will love, as, 1 2. Thou shalt or wilt Ye or you shall or will love, love. 3. He shall or will love. They shall or will love. Second future Tense Singular number. Plural number. denotes,; future time, 1. I shall have loved, We shall have loved, but as prior to some 2. Thou shalt or wilt Ye or you shall or will other future time spe- have loved, [loved, have loved, [loved, cified ; as, 3. He shall or will have They shall or will have PARSING LESSON IV. Noun f Pronoun , and Verb* He loves us. Instrueler* Pupil. What part of speech is he? A pronoun. [noun. Why? - - - Because it is used instead of a What kind ? - - Personal. Why? - - - Because it stands for the name ;of some person or thing What persoa ? - - The third. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 211 Why ? ... Because it is spoken of. ; What number ? - - The singular. Why ? - - * Because it denotes but one object* What gender ? - - The masculine. [males. Why ? - The masculine gender denotes What case ? The nominative. [verb loves. Why ? Because it is the subject of the According to what rule ? Rule iv. (Repeat the rule J What part of speech is loves ? - - A verb. [ing Why ? - - - Because it expresses action or be- What kind ? Active. Why ? - - - An active verb denotes action or energy which terminates on some object. Is it regular or irregular ? Regular. Why ? « Because its imperfect tense and perfect participle end in ed. What mood ? - Indicative. [declares a thing. Why ? - - - Because it simply indicates of What tense ? ^ Present. Why ? Because it denotes present time. What person and number? Third person, singular number. Why? - Because its nominative case is third person singular. What does it agree with for its nominative ? - It agrees with he. According to what rule ? Rule v. (Repeat the rule.) Us is a personal pronoun, first person, plural number, ob- jective case, and governed by the verb loves , according to Rule vi. (Repeat the rule.) RULE IV. • The nominative case governs the verb ; as, u Thou lov- est ; he walks ; the birds sing. 7 RULE V. A verb must agree with its nominative case in number and person ; as, " He writes ; the trees grow." RULE VI. Active verbs govern the objective case ; as, " Cain smote Abel ;» « Truth ennobles her." Fire burns wood. Thou deniest me. ^Children study books. You revile them. 212 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED They forgave hinu Paul preached the'f ospeL I have taught them. We shall recite the lessons. He has comforted me. Foxes kill people's geese. They had convinced us. John whips Peter's dog. We will pursue him. The ladies teach the children. They will convince us. The merchant sells the goods.. Newton studied astronomy. The farmer sells produce. , Generous persons relieve the poor, old men. The man's discourse caused much excitement. The girPs friends abuse the children's parents. ; > William's black horse kicked Stephen^ little dog. PARSING LESSON V. Relative, and Adjective Pronouns. My son who teaches you, pleases your father Solution of my and who. My is a possessive adjective prGnoun, and belongs to son, according to Rule vii. (Re* peat the rule.) Who is a relative pronoun, and agrees witli its antecedent son, in gender and number, according to Rule Viii.. (Repeat the rule.) and is the nominative case to the verb teaches, according to Rule i.v.. (Repeat the rule.) RULE VII. Every adjective pronoun belongs to some noun expressed ot understood ; as, u My house ; every tree; these books ^ any book." RULE VIM. Pronouns must agree with their antecedents, or the nouns they represent, in gender and number ; as,." This is the man whom I love." u That is the vice which I hate." The prisoners who broke jail, have returned. Each pupil who recites his lessons, shall be rewarded. The person whom I teach, loves his friends. The woman whose house they hire, owns many houses. Thee whom thy friends admire, we love. The house which he occupies, our neighbour owns. The books which the little boys read, the old man sells. Thou who makest my shoes, sellest many more. The seeds that he planted, produce beautiful flowers. The conjugation of the verb, in the other moods, is omittea until the explanation of the remaining parts of speech are given. OF PARTICIPLES. A Participle is a word derived from a verb, and partakes of the nature of the verb, adjective, and noun. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 213 There are three kinds of participles ; the present f perfect ^ and compound perfect. The present participle denotes an action continuing, or still going on, and ends in ing ; as ? i6 1 see a man beating a horse." " The child sees the hawk kilting the chickens." The perfect participle denotes past time, and corresponds with the imperfect tense of regular verbs ; as, loved, hated ; u I found him lodged in prison." The compound perfect participle is the union of two or more participles ; as, having loved, having been loved. PARSING LESSON VI. Participles. John sees Peter teaching the little girl. Solution of teaching and girl. Teaching is a present participle, relating to the noun Peter, according to Rule ix, {Repeat the rule**) Girl is a commoir noun, third person, singular number, feminine gender, objective case, and gov*- erned by the participle teaching, according to Rule x. {Re- peat the rule.) RULE IX. Participles generally relate to nouns or pronouns ; as, u Charles loving his parents^ obeyed them ;" " I saw him labouring in the field." i RULEX. - Participles, derived from active verbs, govern the objec- tive case ; as, " Charles loving his parents, obeyed them." Jesus, knowing their thoughts, rebuked them. Knowing he was mv^ superiour, I submitted. I saw the teacher instructing his pupils. ', I saw the pupils studying their lessons. George sees the fox killing the man's geese. The dog, pursuing the track, overtook the game. The sun, having arisen, dispersed the clouds. Charles, having discovered the cheat, pursued the rogue. Having obtained license, he commenced preaching. OF ADVERBS. An Adverb is a word used to qualify the sense of verbs, participles, adjectives, and other adverbs ; as, " He fought bravely ;" u Having lived prudently, he became rich ;" u Extremely fine weather;" " He reads very correctly."* * An Adverb may generally be known by its answering to the ques- tion, How ? how much ? when ? or where ? as, M He reads correctly, " the answer to the question, How does he read? is, coireetly, ^ 214 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Some adverbs admit of comparison ; as, soon, sooner, soon- est ; often, oftener, oftenest. Adverbs ending in ly, are compared by more and most; as, wisely, more wisely, most wisely. Classification of Adverbs. 1. Of Number ; as, Once, twice, thrice, &c. 2* Of Order ; as, First, secondly, thirdly, fourthly, fifthly, lastly, fi- nally, &c. 3. Of Place ; as, Here, there, where, elsewhere, anywhere, some- where, nowhere, herein, whither, thkher, upward, downward, forward, backward, hence, thence, whence, &c. 4. Of Time ; as, Now, to-day, yesterday, to-morrow, before, hereto- fore, already, hitherto, lately, afterwards, instantly, presently, immedi- ately, hereafter, henceforth, by and by, not yet, long since, long ago, oft, often, ofttimes, oftentimes, sometimes, soon, seldom, daily, yearly, always, when, then, again, ever, never, &c. 5.| Of Quantity ; as, Much, little, enough, sufficiently, abundantly^ how much, Ike. 6. Of Manner or Quality ; as, Wisely, foolishly, justly, unjustly, quickly, slowly, badly, ably, admirably, correctly, softly, prudently, imprudently., ignorantly, $£c. 7. Of Doubt ; as, Perhaps, rjeradventure, possibly, perchance, he. 8. Of Affirmation; as, Certainly, truly, undoubtedly, verily, swrely, indeed, really, yea, yes, &c. 9 Of Negation ; as, Nay, no,not,by no means,not at all,in no wise,&c» ;10. Of Interrogation ; as, How, why, wherefore, whether, &c. fit. Of Conjunction ; as, Together, generally, universally, &c. 12. Of Disjunction ; as, Asunder, off, separately, apart, &e. 13* Of Similarity ; as, So, equally, thus, alike, &c. PARSING LESSON YIL Adverbs. The pupil writes very correctly. Solution of very and correctly. Very is an adverb, and qualifies correctly, according to Rule xi. (Repeat the rule.) Correctly is an adverb, and qualifies the verb writes, accor- ding to Rule xi. (Repeat the rule.) RULE XL Adverbs qualify verbs, participles, adjectives, and other adverbs ; as, " He writes elegantly ;» " We heard them se- cretly contriving evil ;" " She is very beautiful $" "He speaks very gracefully." He gave bountifully, they gave sparingly. Very industrious scholars study constantly. Behaving carelessly, boys do mischief. The servant drove the horses very carelessly. First, Peter will speak ; secondly, Stephen. The man went again : he went twice. They have seen him once, perhaps twice. At by over in from under of upon above off into below on with after to within abt>ut for without across up between down THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED* 215 OF PREPOSITIONS. A Preposition is a word which serves to connect words with one another, and to show the relation between them ; as," He went from New- York to Philadelphia;" "She sailed with us to London . " A list of the principal Prepositions. beneath amongst beyond against be tore amidst behind towards beside except besides through betwixt throughout among underneath. PARSING LESSON VIII. Prepositions. I write with a pen. Solution of with and pen. With is a preposition and re- lates to the noun pen. Pen is a common nounj third person, singular number, neuter gender, objective case, and govern- ed by the preposition with } according to Rule xii. (Repeat the rule.) RULE XII. Prepositions govern the objective case ; as, " He went from New- York to Boston ;" " I came into the house with him." The army has encamped on the banks of the river. The pen, with which I write, makes too large a mark. They travelled through France, in haste, towards Italy, On all occasions, she behaved with propriety. FVom virtue to vice, the progress is gradual. Quarrels frequently terminate in blows. Virtue embalms the memory of the good. We in vain look for comfort in wickedness. Some things make for him, others against him. They came from Philadelphia to New-York, by water. ' OF CONJUNCTIONS AND INTERJECTIONS, A Conjunction is a word that is chiefly used to connect sentences; joining two or more simple sentences into one compound one. It sometimes connects only words ; as, u John and William are happy, because they are good.'* Conjunctions are divided into two sorts ; the Copulative and Disjunctive. The copulative conjunction connects words and senten- ces together, and continues the sense ; as. " Ht and his sis- ter study f 9 " I will go if he 'will permit me.- 216 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED The disjunctive conjunction joins words and sentences together, but expresses opposition of meaning in different degrees ; as, " He or his sister studies ;" " Virtue is amia- ble, but vice is odious." A list of the principal Conjunctions, Copulative. And, if, that, then, both, since, for, because, therefore, wherefore. Disjunctive. But, or, nor, as, than, lest, though, unless, either 5 neither, yet, notwithstanding, except. An Interjection is a word used to express passion or emo- tion ; usually that which is sudden or violent ; as, O ! oh ! ah I alas ! lo ! behold ! hark ! hush ! hist ! foh ! fie ! away ! pshaw ! pish ! really ! strange ! here I ho ! welcome ! hail ! PARSING LESSON IX. Conjunctions and Interjections. John or James loves me ; hut alas I Peter and PauMiate me. Solution. John is a proper noun, third person, singular number, masculine gender, and nominative case to the verb loves, according to Rule iv. (Repeat the rule.) Or is a dis- junctive conjunction. James is a proper noun, third person, singular number, masculine' gender, nominative case, con- nected to John by the conjunction or, according to Rule xiii. (Repeat the rule.) Loves is a regular verb active, indica- tive mood, present tense, third person singular, and agrees with its nominative case John or James, according to Rule xiv. (Repeat the rule.) Me is a personal pronoun, first per- son, singular number, objective case, and governed by the verb loves, according to Rule vi. (Repeat the rule.) But is a disjunctive conjunction. Alas is an interjection. Peter is a proper noun, third person, singular number, masculine gender, and with the connection of Paul, forms the nomina- tive case to the verb hate, according to Rule iv. (Repeat the rule.) And is a copulative conjunction. Paul is a proper noun, third person, singular number, masculine gender, nom- inative case, connected to Peter by the conjunction and, ac- cording to Rule xiii. (Repeat the rule.) Hate is a regular verb active, indicative mood, present tense, third person plural, and agrees with its nominative case Peter and Paul % according to Rule xv. (Repeat the rule.) Me is a personal pronoun, first person, singular number, objective case, and governed by the verb hate 9 according to Rule vi. (Repeat the rule.) JHE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 217 RULE XIII. Conjunctions connect nouns and pronouns in the same case, and verbs in the same moods and tenses ; as, " They saw John and Peter ^ 6i I taught him and her $" " They read and spell" RULE XIV. When two or more nouns, or pronouns, in the singular number, are connected by a disjunctive conjunction, the verb which agrees with them must be in the singular num- ber ; as, " He or she writes f* " Daniel, David, or Henry, is at school." RULE XV. When two or more nouns, or pronouns, in the singular number, are connected by a copulative conjunction, the verb which agrees with them, must be in the plural number ; as, " He and she are dutiful •," " Daniel, David, and Henry, art at school." Meekness and modesty adorn the female youth. There is in many minds neither knowledge nor taste. Oh ! I have alienated my friend ; alas ! I fear for life. We in vain look for a path between virtue and vice. By diligence and frugality we arrive at competency. His father, mother and brother, reside at New- York. Guilt often casts a damp over our sprightliest hours. He has equal knowledge, but inferiour judgement. Prudence and perseverance overcome all obstacles. Whom ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. You employ all your time in study and exercise. Study strengthens the mind, and exercise the body. I often see good people bestowing alms en the poor. Idleness and ignorance produce many vices. The wisest and best men sometimes commit errours. The boy will have completed his task before you see hinu The coach and horses will have arrived to-morrow. Mary studies better than Caroline or Elizabeth. Those who labour with diligence, succeed in business. The sun rules the day, and illumines the earth. The moon rules the night, and cheers the wanderer. She resides in the city ; but he in the country. Joseph forgave his brethren, because he was merciful. He went with his brother, but without his sister. When the mail returns, we shall hear from our friends. The man who keeps his temper, will not be rash. The man who lies, deceives or cheats, loses his reputation 218 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. Conjugation of the verb to love. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. The Subjunctive Mood expresses action or being in a doubtful or conditional manner, and is preceded by a con- junction, expressed or understood; as, " If thou learn, thou shalt be rewarded f " Were he learned, he would be wise." Present Tense denotes present time. Imperfect Tense denotes past time, how- ever distant. Singular number. 1. If Hove, 2. If thou love, 3. If he love. Singular number, 1. If I loved, 2. If thou lovedst, 3. If he loved. Perfect Tense Singular number. denotes past time, but 1. If 1 have loved, Ik-s reference also to 2. If thou hast loved, the present. 3. If he has loved. Pluperfect Tense Singular number. denotes past time, but as 1. If I had loved, prior to some omer past 2. If thou hadst loved, time specified. 3. If he had loved. Plural number. If we love, % If ye or you love, If they love. Plural number* If we loved, If ye or you loved, If they loved. Plural number. If we have loved, If ye or you have loved. If they have loved. Plural number. If we had loved, If ye or you had loved, If they had loved. r First future Tense denotes future time. Singular number. Plural number. 1. If I shall or will love, If we shall or will love, 2. If thou shalt or wilt If ye or you shall or will love, love, 3. If he shall or will love. If they shall or will love Second future Tense Singular number. Plural number. denotes future time, 1. If I shall have loved, If we shall have loved, but as prior to some 2. If thou shalt or wilt If ye or you shall or will other future time speci- have loved, [loved. have loved, [loved, fied. . 3. If he shall or will have If they shall or will have Although the conjunction if is used in conjugating the verb in the sub- junctive mood, yet any other conjunction, expressing condition, doubt, &c. may be used with equal propriety j as, though, whether, unless, &c. PARSING LESSON X. Ezerciscs in the Subjunctive Mood. If Jane persist in whispering, I shall correct her. Unless she desist from talking, I shall admonish her. Except she refrain from trifling, I shall punish her. Though Charles neglect me, yet I respect him. If they love me, they will keep my commandments. If he acquire riches, he will make a good use of them THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. 219 POTENTIAL MOOD. Hie Potential Mood implies possibility, liberty, power, will, or obligation, of action or being ; as, u It may rain ; he may go, or stay ; I can ridej he would walk ; they should learn." The potential mood has only four tenses, viz. the Present, the Imperfect, the Perfect, and Pluperfect. PRESENT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I may, can, or must love, "VVe may, can, or must love, ~ 2. Thou inayst, canst, or must love, Ye or you may, can, or must-iove, 3. He may, can, or must love. ' They may, can, or must love. IMPERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number, 1. I might, could, would, or should We might, could, would, or should love, love, 2. Thou mightst, couldst, wouldst, Ye or you might, could, would, or or shouldst love, should love, 3. He might, could, would, or should They might, could,would,or should love. "love. PERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number.^ 1. I may, can, or must have loved, We may, can, or must have loved/ 2. Thou mayst, canst, or must Ye or you may, can, or must have have loved, loved, • 3. He may, can, or must have loved. They may, can, or must have loved, PLUPERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I might, could, would, or should We might, could, would, or should haye loved, have loved, 2. Thou mightst, couldst, wouldst, Ye or you might, could, would, or or shouldst have loved, should have loved, 3. He might, could, would, or should They might, could, would, or have loved. - should have loved. The Potential mood becomes the Subjunctive, by means of the con- junctions if, though, unless, &c. being prefixed to its tenses, without any variations from the potential inflections ; as, u If I could deceive him, I should abhor it." PARSING LESSON XI. Exercises in the Potential Mood. We must be temperate, if we would enjoy health. He may rise early, for he must travel many miles. We would not serve him then, but we will hereafter/ He would improve, if he applied himself to study. I told him that he might go, but he would not. He might have acquired wealth, if he had desired it. The man should have returned when he found them. He can acquire no virtue, unless he make some sacrifices* Thou shouldst not have boasted in his presence. They could have performed the business,but they would np*^ 220 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTOR. INFINITIVE MOOD. The Infinitive Mood expresses action or being in a gener- al and unlimited manner ; having no nominative case, con- sequently, neither number nor person ; as, " To act, to speak, to run y to be loved."* The infinitive mood has only two tenses, the Present, and Perfect. PRESENT TENSE. PERFECT TENSE. To love. To have loved. IMPERATIVE MOOD. The Imperative Mood is used for commanding, exhorting, entreating, or permitting ; as, " Depart thou ; mind ye ; Jet us stay ; go in peace." The imperative mood has only one tense, the Present. ^PRESENT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 2. Love, Love thou, or do thou 2. Love, Love ye or you, or do ye love. • or you love. PARTICIPLES. PRESENT, loving. PERFECT, loved. compound perfect, having* loved.. PARSING LESSON XII. Exercises in the Infinitive and Imperative Moods, Strive to learn. Solution. Strive is an irregular verb neuter, imperative mood, present tense, seccmd person singular, and agrees with its nominative thou, understood, according to Rule v? (Re* peat the rule.) To learn is a regular verb active, infinitive mood, present tense, and governed by the verb strive, accor- ding to Rule xvi. (Repeat the rule.) RULE XVI. A verb in the infinitive mood, may be governed by a verb, noun, adjective, or participle ; as, a He loves to learn his book ;" " They have a desire to improve ;" " He is eager to learn ;" " Endeavouring to persuade." • The verbs which follow bid, dare, feel, hear, let, make, need, see^Sfe. are used in the infinitive mood without having the sign to prefixed to them ; as, " He bids me come ; 1 dare not speak; we feel the earth tremble ; we hear her sing ; let me set the man ; I make him study ; he need not be afraid ; I see him run." In these examples, it would b« inelegant to express the to, and say, I heard her to sing, 19* 222 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED SECOND FUTURE TENSE. Second future Tense Singular number. Plural number. denotes future time, 1. I shall have been, We shall have been, but as prior to some 2. Thou shalt or wilt Ye or you shall or will other future time spe- have been, have been, cified. 3. He shall or will have They shall or lyill have been. been. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. PRESENT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. If I be, „ If we be, 2. If thou be, If ye or you be, 3. If he be. If they be. Or thus . Singular number. Plural number. 1. If I am, If we are. 2. If thou art, If ye or you are, 3. If he is. If they are. IMPERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1 . If I were, If we were, 2. If thou wert, • If ye or you were, 3. If he were. If they were. Or thus : Singular number. Plural number. 1 ."If I was, If we were, 2. If thou wast, If ye or you were, 3. If he was. If they were. The remaining tenses of this mood, are similar to the correspondent tenses of the Indicative Mood. POTENTIAL MOOD. PRESENT TENSE. Singular number. , Plural number. 1. 1 may, can, or must be, We may, can, or must be, 2. Thou mayst, c. or m. be, Ye or you may, c. or m. be, 3. He may, c. or m. be. They may, c. or m. be. IMPERFECT TENSE. Singular number. [be, Plural number. [be, 1. I might, could, would, or should We might, could, would, or should 2. Thou mightst, c. w. or s. be, Ye or you might, c. w. or s. be, 3. He might, c.w. or should be. They might c. w. or s. be. PERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I may, can, or must have been, We may, can, or must have been, 2. Thou mayst, c. or m. have been, Ye or you m. c. or m. have been, 3. He may, c. or m. have been. ] They m. c. or must have been. THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 223 PLUPERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I might, could, would, or should We might, could, would, 'or should have been, nav e been, 2. Thou mightst,c.w. or shave been Ye or you m. c. w. or s. have been, 3. He might, c. w. or s. have been. They ra. c. w. or s. have been. INFINITIVE MOOD. PRESENT TENSE. PERFECT TENSE. To be. To have been. IMPERATIVE MOOD. PRESENT TENSE * Singular number.? Plural number, __.' 2. Be, be thou, or do/ 2. Be, be ye or you, or do y« thou be./ or you be. PARTICIPLES. Present, Being. Perfect, Been. Compound perfect, Having been. PARSING LESSON XIII. The verb to be. Charity is the first law of humanity. Solution of law, Lmv is a common noun, third person^ singular number, neuter gender, and nominative case after the verb is, according to Rule xvii. (Repeat the rule.) s RULE XVII. The verb to be 7 through all its variations, and passive verbs which signify naming, have the same case after, as before them ; as, " It is J, be not afraid ;" u Whom do you fancy him to be ;" " The child was named Thomas ;" " Homer is styled the prince of poets." Idleness is the mother of many vices. Hope is the last thing that dies in man. He is not the person who it seemed he was. • It might have been he, but there is no proof of it. Food, clothing, and credit, are the rewards of industry The path of virtue, is the path of peace. Our duty to benefactors, is love and gratitude. Meekness and modesty are ornaments of youth. Peace and happiness are the rewards of virtue. Regret and shame are the attendants of vice. I perceive that it is folly to grieve ^at trifles. Youth is the season for improvement in knowledge 224 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED Conjugation of the Passive Verb to be loved. A passive verb is formed by adding a perfect participle to the verb be, through all its variations, in the following manner. INDICATIVE MOOD. PRESENT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1 . I am loved, We are loved, 2. Thou art loved, Ye or you are loved, 3. He is loved. They are loved. IMPERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I was loved, We were loved, 2. Thou wast loved, Ye or you were loved, 3. He was loved. They were loved. PERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I have been loved, We have been loved, 2. Thou hast been loved, Ye or you have been loved,. 3. He has been loved. They have been loved. PLUPERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I had been loved, We had been loved, 2. Thou hadst been loved, Ye or you had been loved, 3. He had been loved. They had been loved. . FIRST FUTURE TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I shall or will be loved, We shall or will be loved, 2. Thou shalt or wilt be loved, Ye or you shall or will be loved, 3. He shall or will be loved. They shall or will be loved. SECOND FUTURE TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. I shall have been loved, [loved, We shall have been loved, [loved, 2 » Thou shalt or wilt have been Ye or you shall or will have been 3. He shall or will have been loved. They shall or will have been loved. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD; PRESENT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. 1. If I be loved, If we be loved, 2. If thou be lovea, If ye or you be loved, 3. If he be loved. '.-,., If they be loved. Or thus : Singular number. Plural number. 1 . If I am loved, If we are loved, 2. If thou art loved, If ye or you are lovet , 3. If he is loved. ' If they are loved. t ~ THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTEPt 225 IMPERFECT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number, 1. If* I were loved, If we were loved, % If thou wert loved, If ye or you were loved 3. If he were loved. ' If they were loved. Or thus : «* Singular number. Plural number, 1. If I was loved, If we were loved, 2. If thou wast loved, . If ye or you were lovei 3. If he was loved. _. If they were loved. The remaining tenses of this mood ? are similar to the cor- respondent tenses of the Indicative Mood. POTENTIAL MOOD. •PRESENT TENSE. Singular number, Plu?*al number, 1-1, may, can, or must be loved, We may, c. or m. be loved, 2. Thou may st, c. or m. be loved, Ye or you m. c. or m. be l©ve 3. He may, c. or m. be loved. They m. c. or m. be loved. IMPERFECT TENSE. ^singular number. Plural number. 1. 1 might, could, would, or should We might, could,' would, or snould be loved, be }oved, 2. Thou mightst, c. w. or s. be loved, Ye or you m. c. w. or s. be loved, 3. He might, c w. or s. be loved. They m. c. w. or s. be loved. PERFECT TENSE. Singular number. [loved, Plural number, 1. I may, can, or must have been We may, c. or m. have been loved, 2. Thou mayst, c. or m. have been Ye or you may, c. or m. have been loved, loved, 3. He may,c. or m. have been loved. They may, c. or m. have been loved. PLUPERFECT TENSE. mgu»ar number. Plural number. 1. 1 might, could, would, or should We might, could, would, or should have been loved, have been loved, 2. Thou mightst, c w. or s. have Ye or you m. c. w. or s. have been been loved, [loved. loved, 3. He might, c. w. or s. have been They m. c. w. or s. have been loved. INFINITIVE MOOD. PRESENT TENSE. PERFECT TENSE. To be loved. To have been loved. IMPERATIVE MOOD. PRESENT TENSE. Singular number. Plural number. -.. Be /oved. be thou loved, or do Be loved, be ye or you loved, or da thou be loved. ye or you be loved. PARTICIPLES., resekt, Being loved. perfect, j Loved. compound perfect, [Having been lovei 226 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED PARSING LESSON XIV. Passive Verbs. The master teaches the neighbour's little children. • The neighbour's little children are taught by the master. The carpenter built those elegant houses. Those elegant houses were built by the carpenter. The industrious farmer cultivates his farm well. The farm is well cultivated by the industrious farmer. He should have been carried, had I known his situation. Being ridiculed and despised, he became melancholy. Having been ridiculed, he left the company. Ridiculed, despised, and insulted, he became discouraged. If he has been seen, he has not been caught. If I were beaten as badly as he, I should complain. You are esteemed because you are honest. [formed. Mentally and bodily, we are curiously and wonderfully The person will have been executed when the pardon arrives. He is esteemed, both by his parents and brothers. A plain understanding, is often joined with great worth. A CATALOGUE OF IRREGULAR VERBS. following list, the verbs which are conjugated reg- well as irregularty, are marked with an it. Imperfect. Perfect part. In the ularly as ; Present tense. Abide Am Arise Awake Bear Beat Begin Bend Bereave Beseech Bid Bind Bite Bleed Blow Break Breed Bring Build Burst Buy Imperfect tense. abode was arose awoke n bore beat- began bent bereft r. besought bid, or bade [ bpund bit I bled blew broke bred brought built burst bought Perfect participle. abode been arisen awaked borne beat, or \ beaten 3 begun bent bereft R. besought bid, or ) bidden ) bound bitten, bit bled blown broken bred brought built burst bought Present* Cast Catch Chide Choose Cleave, to split Cling Clothe Come Cost Crow Creep Cut Dare* Deal Dig Do Draw Drive Drink Dwell Eat Fall cast caught r. chid chose clove, or cleft, clung clothed cam cost crew b. crept cut durst dealt r. dug R. did drew drove drank dwelt r. eat, or ate fell cast caught r. chid, or chidden chosen cleft, or> cloven > clung clad r. come cost crowed crept cut dared dealt r. dug r. done drawn driven drunk dwelt eaten fallen * Dare, to venture. Dare, to challenge, R THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTER. Imperfect^. ^ r f- I' arL \ Forsake Freeze Get Gild Gird Give Go Grave Grind Grow Have Hang Hear Hew Hide Hit Hold Hurt Keep Knit Know Lade Lay Lead Leave Lend Let Lie*. Load Lose Make Meet Mow Pay. Put • Read Hend' Rid Ring Bise Rive Run Saw Say See »eek Sell Send get *JLu, fed felt fought found fied flung flew forgot forsook froze got gilt r. girtR. gave went graved ground grew had hung R. heard hewed hid ' hit held hurt kept knitR.- knew laded laid led left lent let lay loaded lost made met mowed paid put\ read rent rid fed felt fought found fled flung flown forgotten ) forgot J forsaken frozen got gilt r. girt r. given gone graven r ground grown had hung R. heard hewn r. hidden, hid hit held hurt kept knit r. known laden laid led left lent let lain laden R. lost made met mown R put read rent rid- rung> rang rung rose rived ran sawed said saw sought sold sent set to lie down risen riven' run sawna. said seen, sought sold sent set Present, Shake Shape Shave Shear Shed Shine Show Shoe Shoot Shrink I Shred Shut Sing Sink Sit Slay Sleep Slide Sling Slink Slit I Smite Sow Speak Speed Spend Spill Spin Spit Split Spread Spring Stand Steal Stick Sting Stink Stride Strike String Strive Swear Sweat Swell Swim Swing Take Teach Tear Tell Think Thrive Throw I Thrust Tread Wax Imperfect shook shaped shaved sheared shed shone R. showed shod shot shrunk shred mii shut sung, sunk sat slew slept slid slung slunk slit R. smote sowed spoke sped spent spilt K. spun spit split spread sprung } sprang £ stood » stole stuck stung stunk strid, or - strode struck strung strove swore sweat R. swelled swum swam swung took taught tore told thought throve R threw thrust trod waxed 227 Perf part. shaken shapen R. shaven r. shorn R. shpd shone R. shown shod shot shrunk shred shut sang sung sank sunk sat slain slept slidden slung slunk slit R. smitten sown r spoken sped spent spilt R,^ spun spit split spread sprung stood stolen stuck stung stur. » strid, or > stridden * struck strung striven sworn sweat r* swollen R* swung taken taught torn told thought thriven thrown thrust trodden vaxta fc. 228 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTOR. Present. Wear Weave Weep Win Imperfect, PerJ.'p Present, wore worn Wind Wove wovei Work wept wept Wring won won Write Imperfect Per/ parH y wound wound wrought b. wrought r. wrung wrung wrote written ? Defective verbs are those which are used only in some of -he moods and tenses, and have no participles. The principal of them are the following. Present, Imperfect. Perfect part, wanting* May, might. — Can, could. Will, would. Shall, should. ■ Must, must. _ Ought, ought. « — quoth. All these are used as auxiliaries except ought 'and quoth : these two are never used as such. Ought is the same in both tenses. Its tense may be determined by the following infinitive. When the following in- finitive is in the present tense, ought is in the present tense ; as, " He ought to go ;" and when followed by the infinitive perfect, ought is in the imperfect tense ; as, " He ought to have gone." Quoth is now obso- lete, except in poetry and burlesque. PARSING LESSON XV. Nouns in apposition, and in the nominative case independent* George, James Monroe the president, is a wise man. Solution cf George, James Monroe, and president, George is a proper noun, second person, singular number, mascu- line gender, and in the nominative case independent, ac- cording to Rule xviii. (Repeat the rule,) James Monroe is a proper noun, third person, singular number, masculine gender, and nominative case to the verb is, according to Rule iv. (Repeat the rule,) President is a common noun, third person, singular number, masculine gender, nomina- tive case, and put in apposition* with the noun James Mon* roe ; according to Rule xix. (Repeat the rule,) RULE XVIII. When a direct address is made, the noun or pronoun is in the nominative case independent ;f as, " O king, live for- ever ;" " O house of Israel ;" " Children^ obey your pa- rents }•■** " O thou man of God." * By apposition is understood, the addition of another word or name for the same person or thing, in order more fully to define and explain the meaning or sense of it. t What is meant by its being independent, is, that it is independent of any verb. It is independent only,^vhen it has novt-Tb to agree with it THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED 229 RULE XIX. Two or more nouns signifying the same thing, are put, by apposition, in the same case ; as, u Paul the Apostle ;" " Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel." Girls, you understand this rule very well. Boys, I love you for your good conduct. Newton the philosopher, was a wise man. Washington the general, commanded the army. Christ the Saviour, was crucified on Calvary. Father^ forgive them, they know not what they do. It must be so, Plato, thou reasonest well. [rents. Parents, instruct your children : Children, obey your pa- Richard the instructer, teaches his neighbour's children. Clinton the governour of the state of New- York, is at Albany. James Monroe, president of the United States, is at Wash- ington. , The nominative case is sometimes composed of the infinU live mood or part of a sentence. ^ PARSING LESSON XVI. To see is desirable. To see the sun is pleasant. Solution of to see, and to see the sun. To see is a verb in the infinitive mood, and the nominative case to the verb is 3 according to Rule xx. (Repeat the rule.) To see the sun is part of a sentence, which is the nominative case to the verb is, according to Rule xx. (Repeat the ride.) RULE XX. The infinitive mood, or part of asentence, is sometimes put as the nominative case to the verb; as, " To swear is wicked ;" " That any thing can exist, without existing in space, is to my mind incomprehensible.^ To err is human : to forgive divine. To swear is wicked : to steal criminal. To live is desirable : to die dreadful. To excel others in learning, is commendable. To die is the inevitable lot of man. To live a life of virtue, is commendable. To sleep the sleep of death, is the lot of man* To love our Maker, is our reasonable duty. That virtue will be rewarded, and vice pmw hod, is a doc- trine plainly taught in the bible. 20 230 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED PARSING LESSON XVII. Nominative case absolute. The general being slain, the army was routed. Solution. The general being slain, being independent of Jie rest of the sentence, is the nominative case absolute, ac- cording to Rule xxi. (Repeat the rule.) RULE XXI. A noun or pronoun, joined with a participle, independent of a verb, forms the nominative case absolute ;' as, " The lecture being finished , the assembly withdrew ;? a Shame being lost, all virtue is lost." The rain having ceased, the men pursued their journey. The sun being risen, the weather became fine. She having arrived, we retired to the country. They having departed, we proceeded towards the city. v Me being dismissed, they returned to the village. The assembly being composed, he resumed his oration. They being friendly, we accomplished our object. The parliament having justified the king's conduct, the mob dispersed. PROMISCUOUS EXERCISES IN PARSING. PARSING LESSON XVIII. Hope, the balm of life, sooths the soul. Beware of one who has been your enemy. He cannot go wrong whom virtue guides. We should be generous but not profligate. We should prefer our duty to our pleasure. Keep yourself from passion and peevishness. They who seek wisdom, will certainly find her. Yielding to immoral pleasure, corrupts the heart. We should not practice what we blame in others. If our desires be moderate, our wants will be few. Indolence frustrates every design of our existence. To have good and kind parents, is a great blessing. Guilt often casts a damp over our sprightliest hours. Bad as the world is, respect is always paid to virtue. Young people should reverence their parents at home, strangers when abroad, and themselves when alone. Learning is die delight of youth, the comfort of old age, and the only sure guide to honour and preferment. Those are the best instructers, that teach in their lives, and prove their words by their actions. THE AMERICAN IN STRICTER/ 231 They that speak without care, often remember their own words with sorrow. Anger may glance into the breast of a wise man, but it rests only in the bosom of fools. Interest speaks all sorts of languages, and acts all manner of parts ; virtues are lost in interest, as rivers in seas. Wisdom leads us to speak and act what is most proper : prudence prevents our speaking or acting improperly. Virtue, corrupted with vain glory, turns to pride ; pride poisoned with malice, becomes envy. Join, therefore, humility with your virtue, and pride shall have no footing, nor envy find an entrance. A good word is an easy obligation, but not to speak ill, requires only our silence, which costs us nothing. A good conscience seats the mind on a rich throne of lasting quietness ; but horrour waits upon a guilty soul. Passion is a sort of fever in the mind, which always leave* us weaker than it found us. The expectation of future happiness, is the best relief of anxious thoughts, the most perfect cure of melancholy, the guide of life, and a comfort in death. Diligence is a fair fortune, and industry a good estate : idle- ness wastes a man as insensibly, as industry improves him. Diligence, the handmaid of providence, is parent of inteU ligence, and the noble dispenser of excellence ; all arts and sciences are at her command, she crowns her sons and 1 */- ers with riches and honour. The violation of truth, is so infamous a crime, that it oug&t to be avoided by every one. Lying is one of the most scandalous sins that can be com- mitted between man and man ; a crime of a deep die, and of an extensive nature, leading into innumerable sins ; for lying is practised to deceive, injure, betray, rob, and destroy. The luxurious live to eat and drink ; but the wise and temperate eat and drink to live. Wisdom is better without an inheritance, than an inheri- tance without wisdom. A great fortune in the hands of a fool, is a great misfor- tune. The more riches he has, the greater fool he is. True friendship is like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it is lost. None are so fond of secrets, as those who do not mean to keep them ; such persons covet secrets, as a spendthrift covets money, for the purpose of circulation. 232 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED PARSING LESSON XIX. A fern examples in which the same word differently situa* ted or applied, constitutes several of the parts of speech. Damp air is injurious to health. Guilt sheds a damp upon our sprightliest hours. Let no disappointment damp your enterprise. Every being loves its like. The gospel makes like promises to all. I like to see every human being happy. You should acquit yourselves like men. Those that would excel, must be attentive. I wish that that idea might be forcibly impressed. I wish that he would lend me that book that you sold him, I will submit,. /br submission brings peace. It is for our health to be temperate. We all hope for happiness hereafter. Hope is the last thing that dies in man. After a calm, we may expect a storm. It is easier to prevent passion than to calm it. A calm evening often succeeds a stormy day. Still waters are commonly the deepest. We should endeavour to still the angry passions. They are still afraid, though out of all danger. He provided money for his journey. I will go, provided he will accompany me. It is much more blessed to give, than to receive. Much money has been expended to little purpose. Where much is given, much will be required. The fair was numerously attended. His character is fair and honourable. The hail was very destructive. We hail you as friends and brothers. He has served them with his utmost ability. When we do our utmost, no more is required. Little things appear great to little minds. Little do the gay think of the misery around them. The scholars are employed in a very useful study. The industrious scholars study grammar. To-morrow may be better weather than to-day* 1 read to-day, but I shall write to-morrow. Mind what is dictated by infinite wisdom. Cultivate your mind, it will render old age happy. RECAPITULATION OF THE SIUX&SS OF BYWTA&. Exercises in false Grammar annexed, adapted to the dif- ferent rules of Syntax; to be corrected and parsed by the learner, RULE I * Articles belong to nouns which they limit or define ; as, '"JL. book ; an apple ; the house ; the stars." JIULE II, A noun or pronoun in the possessive case, is governed by Ihe noun it possesses ; as, " John's book ;" " Perry's victo- ry ;" " Every tree is known by its fruit." Exercises in false syntax. Moses rod was turned into a serpent. If ye suffer for righteousness's sake, happy are ye. Nevertheless, Asa his heart was perfect with the Lord. Thy fathers offence will not condemn thee. The girls books were kept in better order than the boys. Wisdoms precepts are the good boys greatest delight. A mans manner's frequently influsnce his fortune. RULE III, Adjectives belong to the nouns or pronouns which they qualify ; as, " A wise man ; a great liouse ; he is good RULE IV. The nominative case governs the verb ; as, " Thou lov- est ; he walks ; birds sing." . Exercises in false syntax. He that thinks twice before he speak once, will speak twice the better /or it. Is thou well ? Has thou been to town to-day She that art virtuous deserves esteem. The girls was here yesterday, but are absent to-day. There is many occasions in life, in which silence is a mark of true wisdom, * There are no corrections o be made under the I. III. VII. IX. XVI and XVIII. Rules. 234 THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTOR. RULE Vf A verb must agree with its nominative case in numbw and person ; as, " He writes ; the trees grow." Exercises in false syntax. Thou should be more diligent in attending to thy studies Fifty pounds of wheat contains forty pounds of flour. Disappointments sinks the heart of man ; but the renew- al of hope give consolation. The mechanism of clocks and watches were totally un- known a few centuries ago. What avails tbe best sentiments, if people do not live suitably to them ? RULE VI. Active verbs govern the objective case ; as, " Cain smote Abel ;" " Truth ennobles herP Exercises in false syntax. He that is idle and mischievous reprove sharply. The master loves thou, because thou art diligent. The man who he raised from obscurity, is dead. Whatever others do, let thou and I perform our duty. They who opulence has made proud, and who luxury has corrupted, cannot relish the simple pleasures of nature. Who have I reason to love so much as this friend of my youth. RULE VII. Every adjective pronoun belongs to some noun expressed or understood ; as^ u My house ; every tree ; these books ; any book." RULE VIII. Pronouns must agree with their antecedents, or the nouns they represent, in gender and number ; as, " This is the man whom I love." " That is the vice which I hate." Exercises in false syntax. They which seek wisdom will certainly find her. The prisoners which broke jail, have returned. The exercise of reason appears as little in the sportsmen, as in the beasts whom they sometimes hunt, and by whom they are sometimes hunted. RULE IX. Participles generally relate to nouns or pronouns ; as, u Charles loving his parent^ obeyed them ;" "I saw him labouring in the field," THE AMERICAN INSTRUCTED king of IsraeL" Exercises in false syntax. I gave my book to James, he who was here yesterday. The estate was left to Simon and John, the two eldest sons, they that had been to Europe. Art thou acquainted with Clarissa the milliner, she whom we met in our walks this morning. Augustus the Roman emperor ; him who succeeded Julius Cesar, is variously described. This house belongs to William, the carpenter, he who built it. The money was left to David and Daniel, the two young- est sons, they that had been to England. RULE XX. The infinitive mood, or part of a sentence, is sometimes put a^ the nominative case to the verb ; as, " To swear is wicked ; ?? " That any thing can exist, without existing in space, is to my mind incomprehensible." Exercises in false syntax. To do unto all men, as we would that they, in similar cir- cumstances, should do unto us^ constitute the great principle of virtue. From a fear of the workPs censure^ to be ashamed of the practice of precepts which the heart approves and embraces, mark a feeble and imperfect character. RULE XXI. A noun or pronoun, joined with a participle, independent of a verb, forms the nominative case absolute ; as, " The lecture being finished, the assembly withdrew ;" u Shame being lost, all virtue is lost." Exercises in false syntax. Him having ended his discourse, the assembly dispersed Them being willing to improve, the study was rendered agreeable. They were all more or less censurable, her only excepted, who was very circumspect in her conduct. CONTENTS. Section. Page. 1. Observations on rash judgment. - - - - - - 15 2. Monosyllables. - - - - . - > - - - -17 3. The diligent Scholar. - 23 4. Reflections on Sun-set. --------24 5. Select Sentences. -- - 25 ' 6. Monosyllables continued. --------26 7. Monition to Children. 30 8. The Village Green. - - - - 32 9. To a Child five years old. , - 33 10. Monosyllables continued. --. 3.3 11. On Reading. - - - - - 39 12. Mankind are dependent on each other. - - - - - 41 13. Address from a Teacher to his Pupils, on the usefulness ef learning. ----41 14. Monosyllables continued. -.------ 44 15. The danger of keeping Bad Company. - - - - - 4-8 16. True Pleasure. ,'. - - - - 50 17. Life is a flower. -51 18. Monosyllables continued. -52 19. Mortality: - 1 - 55 20. Immortality. 56 21. Health. - - 57 22. Words of two syllables, accented on the first. - - - - 58 23. Descriptio'n_of the Sloth. .62 24. The Sluggard. - - - 64 25. On Early Rising. --------- 64 26. Words of two syllables, accented on the first 5 Continued. - 65 27. An Address to Parents/ - - 69 28. Rich and Poor. 70 29. Select Sentences. - - 71 30. Words of two syllables, accented on the first j Continued. - 73 31. The Close of Life. - - 77 32. The Funeral. , 79 33. The Rose. ---_.- 80 34. Words of two syllables, accented on the first; Continued. - 80 35. An Address to Youth. ------- - 85 36. A view of the Starry Heavens. 87 37. Words of two syllables, accented on the first ; Continued. - 88 38. Cleanliness. ----------93 39. Honour. - 94 40. Words of two syllables, accented on the first 3 Continued. - 96 41. On bridling the tongue. - - 100 42. An Indian king's advice to his Son. - - - - 102 43. Words of two syllables, accented on the second. - - - 103 44. The Pupil's address to his School Companions. - 108 45. The fall of the Leaf. - 109 46. The Cuckoo. 110 47. Heavenly Wisdom. - - 110 48. Words of two syllables, accented on the second 3 Continued. Ill 49. Drunkenness. - - r - - - - - -117 CONTENTS. 59. 60. 61. 62. Beciion. 60. Ravages of Dissipation. 51. Description of a Battle. 52. Words of three syllables, accented on the first. \+' *> - 53. Filial Affection and Intrepidity. Story of Volney Beckner, who was devoured by a Shark, at the age of twelve years. 54. Divine Providence. - 55. Words of three syllables, accented on the first ; Continued. 56. Modesty. ----- 57. The pleasures resulting from a proper use of our faculties. 58 Words of three syllables, accented on the first ; Continued. Select Sentences. ----- Winter. — A Season for remembering the Poor. Friendship. ------ Words of three syllables, accented on the second. 63. On the Animal World, and the Scale of Beings. 64. On Profane Cursing and Swearing. - 65. Words of three syllables accented on the second ; Continued 66. On Procrastination. - 67. Woman. - - - - - - 68. Words of three syllables, accented on the third. 69. Words of four syllables, accented on the first. 70. Agriculture. - - 71. Extract from a Poem, entitled, "Agriculture, or Happy American Farmer." - 72. Words of Tour syllables, accented on the second. 73. The Wisdom of Providence displayed in the Seasons. 74. Advice to Youth on decent Behaviour. - 75. Words of four syllables, accented on the third. 76. Writing. - - - - - - - 77. On saying too much. - - - A 78. Words of five syllables, accented on the second. 79. Words of five syllables, accented on the third. 80. What is time ?-----. 81. Youth. ------ - 82. Night. - > - - - - . • . - 83. Words of five syllables, accented on the fourth. 84. Words of six, seven, and eight syllables. - r . - 85. The Fourth of July. - - « . - 86. Ode for the Fourtte of July. - . - An Abridgment of English Grammar. - - Of Articles. - - - - - ' . . Of Nouns. - - - - - - ' - Of Adjectives. . - - - Of Pronouns. - - Of Verbs. * - - - -_- Of Participles. - - - f - Of Adverbs. - - - ■- 4 \ - Of Prepositions. - - - .*'&*• Of Conjunctions and Interjections Exercises in false Grammar. . 7 * * *\3 'Pagt. 118 119 121 126 129 131 136 137 338 143 145 146 147 151 153 154 160 162 163 165 168 170 171 178 179 182 185 186 188 190 192 193 194 195 196 198 200 201 201 202 205 207 208 212 213 216 215 233 H 22 88 .? ^ ^ / % - \^ t *^^W|\^# ^r. Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process o 0^5§^y*& * *V Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide * J^^_^fe • 1 Treatment Date: Oct. 2006 0^ ^ *&u^ % * jF PreservationTechnologies * * * 1 * ^ A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVAT * "* * ° « , *\? k \» % * 1 1 1 "Thomson Park Drive * <5 5) • ^ ,a *• ^ Cranberry Township, PA " *J$3K/}h ° ^ V O^JSl (724)779-2111 (724) 779-21 1 PRESERVATION 16066 a 9*. sP^v > u ^ V **0« W r ^CT «* ^^