Our hearts are fasten'd to this world,
By strong and endless ties;
But every sorrow cuts a string,
And urges us to rise.

Oft pining cares in rich brocades are drest,
And diamonds glitter on an anxious breast.

Teach me to feel another's wo,

To hide the fault I see; That mercy I to others show,

That mercy show to me.

This day be bread, and peace, my lot;
All else beneath the sun,

Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not,
And let thy will be done.

Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen:
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.
If nothing more than purpose in thy power,
Thy purpose firm, is equal to the deed
Who does the best his circumstance allows
Does well, acts nobly; angels could no more.
In faith and hope the world will disagree;
But all mankind's concern is charity.

To be resign'd when ills betide,
Patient when favours are denied,

And pleas'd with favours given;
Most surely this is Wisdom's part,
This is that incense of the heart,

Whose fragrance smells to Heaven.

All fame is foreign, but of true desert;
Plays round the head, but comes not to the heart; `
One self-approving hour whole years outweighs

Of stupid starers, and of loud huzzas;

And more true joy Marcellus exil'd feels,
Than Cæsar with a senate at his heels.

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;

Along the cool sequester'd vale of life,

They kept the noiseless tenor of their way. What nothing earthly gives, or can destroy, The soul's calm sunshine, and the heartfelt joy, Is virtue's prize.

Pity the sorrows of a poor old man,

Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door,
Whose days are dwindled to the shortest span :
Oh! give relief, and Heav'n will bless your store;

Who lives to nature, rarely can be poor.
Who lives to fancy, never can be rich.
When young, life's journey I began,
The glitt'ring prospect charm'd my eye;
I saw, along th' extended plain,
Joy after joy successive rise.

But soon I found 'twas all a dream;

And learn'd the fond pursuit to shun Where few can reach the purpos'd aim, And thousands daily are undone.

'Tis greatly wise to talk with our past hours;
And ask them, what report they bore to Heav'n.

All nature is but art unknown to thee;
All chance, direction which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony not understood;

All partial evil, universal good.

Heav'n's choice is safer than our own:
Of ages past inquire,
What the most formidable fate;

66 To have our own desire."

If ceaseless, thus, the fowls of Heav'n he feeds,
If o'er the fields such lucid robes he spreads;
Will he not care for you, ye faithless, say?
Is he unwise? or, are ye less than they?

The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,

38

And spangled heav'ns, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim:
Th' unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display,
And publishes to ev'ry land,
The work of an Almighty hand.

Soon as the ev❜ning shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And, nightly, to the list'ning earth,
Repeats the story of her birth:

Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.

What tho', in solemn silence, all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball!
What tho', nor real voice nor sound,
Amid their radiant orbs be found!
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
For ever singing as they shine,
The hand that made us is Divine."

CHAP. I.

Containing instances of false Orthography, arranged under the respective Rules.

Grammar, p. 35. Key, p. 1.

RULE I.

Monosyllables ending with f, I, or s, preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant; as, staff, mill, pass, &c. The only exceptions are, of, if, as, is, has, was, yes, his, this, us, and thus.

It is no great merit to spel properly; but a great de

Jacob worshiped his Creator, leaning on the top of his staf.

We may place too little, as well as too much stres upon dreams.

Our manners should be neither gros, nor excessively refined.

RULE II.

Monosyllables ending with any consonant but f, 1, or s, and preceded by a single vowel, never double the final consonant; excepting only, add, ebb, butt egg, odd, err, inn, bunn, purr, and buzz.

Grammar, p. 35. Key, p. 2.

A carr signifies a chariot of war, or a small carriage of burden.

In the names of druggs and plants, the mistake in a word may endanger life.

Nor undelightful is the ceaseless humm

To him who muses through the woods at noon. The finn of a fish is the limb, by which he balances his body, and moves in the water.

Many a trapp is laid to insnare the feet of youth. Many thousand families are supported by the simple business of making matts.

RULE III.

Words ending with y, preceded by a consonant, form the plurals of nouns, the persons of verbs, verbal nouns, past participles, comparatives, and superlatives, by changing y into i; as spy, spies; I carry, thou carriest; he carrieth or carries; carrier, carried; happy, happier, happiest.

The present participle ing, retains the y, that i may not be doubled; as, carry, carrying; bury, burying,

&c.

But y, preceded by a vowel, in such instances as the above, is not changed; as, boy, boys; I cloy, he cloys, cloyed, &c.; except in lay, pay, and say; from which

are formed, laid, paid, and said; and their compounds, unlaid, unpaid, unsaid, &c.

Grammar, p. 35. Key, p 2.

We should subject our fancys to the government of

reason.

If thou art seeking for the living amongst the dead, thou wearyest thyself in vain.

If we have denyed ourselves sinful pleasures, we shall be great gainers in the end.

We shall not be the happyer for possessing talents and affluence, unless we make a right use of them. The truly good mind is not dismaied by poverty, affliction or death.

RULE IV.

Words ending with y, preceded by a consonant, upon assuming an additional syllable beginning with a consonant, commonly change y into i; as, happy, happily, happiness. But when y is preceded by a vowel, it is very rarely changed in the additional syllable ; as, coy, coyly; boy, boyish, boyhood; annoy, annoyed, annoyance; joy, joyless, joyful, &c.

Grammar, p. 35. Key, p. 2.

It is a great blessing to have a sound mind, uninfluenced by fanciful humours.

Common calamities, and common blessings, fall heavyly upon the envyous.

The comelyness of youth are modesty and frankness; of age, condescension and dignity.

When we act against conscience, we become the destroiers of our own peace.

We may be plaiful, and yet innocent; grave, and yet corrupt. It is only from general conduct, that our true character can be portraied.

RULE V.

Monosyllables, and words accented on the last syllable, ending with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double that consonant, when they take