DIRECTIONS.

Respecting the use of Capital letters.

It was formerly the custom to begin every moun with a capital: but as this practice was troublesome, and gave the writing or printing a crowded and confused appearance, it has been discontinued. It is, however, very proper to begin with a capital,

1. The first word of every book, chapter, let ter, note, or any other piece of writing.

2. The first word after a period; and, if the two sentences be totally independent, after a note of interrogation or exclamation.

But if a number of interrogative or exclamatory sentences are thrown into one general group; or if the construction of the latter sentences depends on the former, all of them except the first, may begin with a small letter: as," How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning? and fools hate knowledge?" "Alas! how different! yet how like the same!"

3. The appellations of the deity: as, "God, Jehovah, the Almighty, the Supreme Being, the Lord, Providence, the Messiah, the Holy Spirit."

4. Proper names of persons, places, cities, streets, mountains, rivers, ships: as "George, York, the Andes, the Delaware, the Sea-horse."

5. Adjectives derived from the proper names

of places: as, "Grecian, Roman, English, French, Italian."

6. Words of particular importance. as, "The Reformation; the Restoration; the Revolution."

7. The first word of a quotation, introduced after a colon, or when it is in a direct form: as, Always remember this ancient maxim: "Know thyself!" Our great Lawgiver says, "Take up thy cross daily, and follow me. But when a quotation is brought in obliquely after a comma, a capital is unnecessary: as, Solomon observes, "that pride goes before destruction."

The first word of an example may also very properly begin with a capital: as, "Temptation proves our virtue."

8. Every noun and principal word in the titles of books: as, "Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language;"« Thomson's Seasons;" "Rollin's Ancient History."

9. The first word of every line in poetry. 10. The pronoun I, and the interjection O! are written in capitals: as, "I write;" "Hear, O earth!"

Other words, besides the preceding, may begin with capitals, when they are remarkably emphatical, or the principal subject of the composition.

PROSODY.

Prosody teaches the true pronunciation of words, and comprises accent, quantity, emphasis, pause, and tone.

ACCENT.

Accent is the laying of a particular stress of the voice, on a certain letter or syllable in a word, that it may be better heard than the rest, or distinguished from them; as, table, delight.

QUANTITY.

The quantity of a syllable is the time which is occupied in pronouncing it; and is considered as either long or short.

A vowel or syllable is long, when the accent is on the vowel; which occasions it to be slowly joined in pronunciation with the following letters: as, "Fall, bāle, hōuse."

A syllable is short, when the accent is on the consonant; which occasions the vowel to be quickly joined to the succeeding letter or letters: as, "ărt, hönnět.”

A long syllable requires double the time of a short one in pronouncing it: as, "Mate, mat; nōte, not."

EMPHASIS.

By emphasis is meant a stronger and fuller sound of voice, by which we distinguish some word or words on which we design to lay a particular stress, and to show how they affect

the rest of the sentence: as, "His subjects fear him, but they do not love him.”

PAUSES.

Pauses or rests, in speaking and reading, are a total cessation of the voice, during a perceptible, and, in many cases, a measurable space of time.

TONES.

Tones consist in the modulation of the voice, the notes or variations of sound which we employ in the expression of our sentiments.

CHARACTERS.

The following characters are frequently used in composition.

An Apostrophe, marked thus is used when a word or syllable is contracted: as tho' for though: lov'd for loved.

Λ

A Caret, marked thus A shows where a word or words should be placed, that have been

strive

omitted; as, "Thou shouldst to improve."

A

A Hyphen, which is thus marked - is used to join syllables, or compound words together; as, eon-strain, to-morrow, ink-pot.

The Acute accent marked thus' denotes a short syllable; as, fáncy.

The Grave accent thus denotes a long syllable; as, labour.

The proper mark to distinguish a long syllable is this; as, rosy; and a short one,

this; as, folly. This last mark is called a Breve.

A Diæresis thus marked

shows that two

vowels form separate syllables; as, Creätor.

A Section is thus marked §.

A Paragraph, thus T.

A Quotation has two inverted commas at the beginning, and two direct ones at the end of a phrase or passage; as,

"The proper study of mankind is man.”

Crotchets or Brackets serve to enclose a particular word or sentence. They are marked thus []

An Index or Hand (points out a remarkable passage.

A Brace unites three poetical lines; or con

nects a number of words, in prose, with one

common term.

An Asterisk or little star* directs the reader to some note in the margin.

An Ellipsis is thus marked "Kg," for King.

: as,

An Obelisk, which is marked thus †, and Parallels thus, together with the letters of the alphabet, and figures, are used as references to the margin.

For further information on the subject of Prosody, and the laws of Versification; with the various figures of speech, the reader is referred to Lindley Murray's English Grammar, Hutchins' Grammar, and Sheridan's Art of Reading.