Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1811-02-11
Communications.

SINCE ihe publication Of I7eb6fyI AszryisSs
ssSMse Baol, more than twenty ysArI ago,
many Books of like kind have been comqi-
I'd 1nd offered 20 the public, as candidates
Scr reception, may of them With ample re-
Communications Some for one particular ez-
xsilence, and fome for snsiher. Ike compi.
sers and their bookGslleTs have grest intfrelt
70 extending the circulation Of their books
an in,eren however in degree incompatible
with that Of the public; who prefer unItor-
xaify and liability 10 change HoIwiihisan-
ding al The efforts that have been made 20
pull1 other books into ufe, Weblters ipelEng
5oqS r0aintains its ground, and az am well
safofcied is now generally uled in alnOf eve.
nv fare IN the Union. This book muit there.
Gore pof1ei, tome excellence of which other
Emllar book, are deltitute. IN what does tha
-tzceIIenc@ conhlf ? Having had much expert
-e0ce 10 teaching fcho0ls and examined AL ths
elementary books Of sny reputation, ! will
aass vsha, I fuppole to be the merits of this
BOOK Which gave il gsnsrai preference.
1t i, to be obferved that the EngIifh lam
.gssge is competed of TWO clsfies of words
o.e Of regufar orthOgrsphy, in which the let
seEs themisives lead to correet pronunciation
--ghe other cla6 are OF irregular orthogrS-
phy Ae let;ers being no guide or very i'm
Perfea one 20 Alright pronunciation In re-
gsri TO the rsgHlay words there is 40 great
difterence ia The merits Of twenty lpelling
books wiIhin my knowledge Any man may
complle good oook for teaching ealy regu-
Tar word: Du1 thisis rot the man Object
tae greas difficulty of learning Oar language
lies N the words of irregular orthogrzphy,
he raj pg ala
eOnkas il obvisting this difficulty and ens-
bling the pupil 20 become matter OF the word,
b. which the letters do not guide N to the
true pronunciation. In,his field M Eeblter
Ezs laSored with unuiual lucceis. Meas Of
Yur,uiug The common NE :hod of fetting down
sfew Of ;heie irregusr words promicuouHy
with regular words when they perpleK 10
mater aed pupil, he has examined the whole
language, Elected all the irregular words Of
cOnMoE uie, AID clalled them il different ia
bes, wiin A lmpe key 10 direl how they are
90 be pronounced BY this excellent arrange
TRe0ts be has prefented 10 The initru6tor aud
60 he pupil, the principal difficulties which
are 10 be iurmounted, in hnge view aud
a. the fpeling and pronunciation of luch
words can be tearut only by repeated gehear-
izs, the pupil may be made 70 dwell upon
tneie :ables, until lie is fully matter Of them.
There appears 10 be no otker way by which
the irregular words can be learnt, but II is all
inpertaaE.,har this talk fhouId be accomplish
Cd tor notmngis more disgracefui than bad
ipeihng--aud II Is theie Irregularities which
conitHuie the main difficulty. In this re!peGt,
Sebiieri fpellingbook ia unrivalIed-indeed
MS tables are 70 complete, that they canno,
In my opinion be improved
henoe 4 happens that the later compiIers,
hndirg that they can make thefe table, no
Better and unwilling TO erpole themielves 10
SAe law by copying them entire, have omit
TED them altogether, and difpered foms part
OF thsie if guar words among Others Of diff
f2Ieh' el2iles--where they perpleK the pupil
titus neg'ecting the moft excellent arrange
ment OF difficult words thar ha, ever bean
found Thee books may be good "a far a.
they go-but they are all incompJete-they
do nor reach the main poiut they hello the
pnpii very well little dinance on h,s way
hut they leave him 1iort ot his intended
PoAi, they leave him isperfeGtiy acquainted
VIVA iPeihag, tiIe very Objea for winch iuch
D'1A' are intended - such books are not IN
.saoe1 primarily 10 teach reading although
- 'nis's'Peei they may be aud are valuable.
caf ~ ths real character OF fpeliiugbook
a. 'e - believe no BOOK ex,ant which il 70
so'np'e'e and winch brings 60 many sdvanta.
sss iH'o t'nAiI Compass IS WehAers.
MS book IA equally valuable for the I'm
P'eNy oi the pan. For teaching prouuncia.
1oi' the KEY beng the moR e4iy thar can
~sh nsaeYiiec. Ia aaoiher particular Web.
hS.' e.isihngoook Is equally vau2ble-thi. Is,
Il ptt'sai'tg - cur youth hii OF proper
h'4i1Ss 'I.sd - Re UnitsI States. The uan.es