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3. His particular choice of subjects,—the arrangement and division adopted in his discourses-structure of sentences. 4. His sentiments, whether evangelical or otherwise.

5. His power of reasoning,—his mode of illustration, whether by the use of figurative language, historical illusions, or pertinent proofs from Scripture.

6. The effects produced on his audience.

LESSON 175.-Original.

471. Record your Reminiscences of some Political Speaker on the following points:

472.-1. State his general appearance, and mode of securing the attention of the audience.

2. His style of delivery, accent, and gestures.

3. The nature of the Topics on which he more generally dwells, whether Tory, Whig, or Radical,-local or general,— commercial or agricultural, religious or indifferent.

4. His mode of reasoning,clear or confused, cogent, or irregular. Adduce instances.

5. Power of illustration,-striking or feeble,-refined or vulgar. Adduce instances.

6. The effects on his hearers-proofs of this.

LESSON 176.-Original.

473. Adduce your Reminiscences of an eminent Lecturer on Astronomy or Mechanical Philosophy, on the following points:

474.-1. Notice his introductory address, recommendatory of his subject.

2. Describe his diagrams, apparatus, &c.

3. Notice the order in which he introduced the various parts of his subject.

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4. Adduce the leading arguments and illustrations confirmatory of his particular views.

5. State the effect produced on your own mind.

LESSON 177.-Original.

475. Adduce your Reminiscences of Town-Life. 476.-1. State the general habits of Men of business.

2. Mention some traits which you admire-others which you condemn.

3. Describe the different kinds of innocent amusements to be found.

4. Mention an anecdote illustrative of evening parties.
5. Your opinion of town-life.

LESSON 178.-Original.

477. Adduce your Reminiscences of Rural Life.

478.-1. Describe the condition and cottages of the labour. ing classes.

2. Describe the out-door employments, as sheep-shearing, hay-making, harvesting, &c.

3. Describe the Farmers and neighbouring Gentry, as Landlords or Masters, -as men of intelligence, morality, philanthropical exertions, &c.

4. Describe the in-door employments of the labouring classes.

5. Describe the winter-evening pastimes or enjoyments.
6. Anecdotes illustrative of country life.

SECTION III. - HUMOROUS DESCRIPTIONS.

LESSON 179.

479. A Description of this kind is not intended to deprecate any vice, but, by delineating the foibles,

innocent prejudices, or singularities of gait, dress, manners, expressions, or habits of some individual, party, or community, to afford pleasure and amuse

ment.

480. RULE.-1. Select for development the most ludicrous and eccentric traits or foibles in the character of the individual. Never transgress, however, the bounds of truth.

2. Avoid introducing any thing gross or indeli

cate.

3. Sometimes a contrast may be advantageously instituted between the different parts of the cha

racter.

MODE OF EXERCISE.

481. Mode of Exercise. 1. Enumerate the leading traits to be delineated.

2. Reproduce the Example from recollection.

3. Institute a Comparison between your own and the original.

482. MODEL.-THE PEDANT OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY,

1. Pedantry in the common sense of the word, means an absurd ostentation of learning, and stiffness of phraseology, proceeding from a misguided knowledge of books, and a total ignorance of men. But the signification of the word might be extended much farther, and applied to that failing which disposes a person to obtrude upon others, subjects of conversation relating to his own business, studies, or amusements. In this sense of the phrase, we should find pedants in every character and condition in life. Instead of a black coat and ain shirt, we should often see pedantry appear in an emidered suit and Brussels lace; instead of being bedaubed

with snuff, we should find it breathing perfumes; and, in place of a book-worm, crawling through the gloomy cloisters of a university, we should mark it in the state of a gilded butterfly, buzzing through the gay region of the drawing-room.

2. Robert Daisy, Esq., is a pedant of this last kind. When he tells you that his ruffles cost twenty guineas a pair; that his buttons were the first of the kind, made by one of the most eminent artists in Birmingham; that his buckles were procured by means of a friend at Paris, and are the exact pattern of those worn by the Count d'Artois; that the loop of his hat was of his own contrivance, and has set the fashion to half a dozen of the finest fellows in town; when he descants on all these particulars, with that smile of self-complacency which sits for ever on his cheek, he is as much a pedant as his quondam tutor, who recites verses from Pindar, tells stories out of Herodotus, and talks for an hour on the energy of the Greek particles.

3. But Mr. Daisy is struck dumb by the approach of his brother, Sir Thomas, whose pedantry goes a pitch higher, and pours out all the intelligence of France and Italy, whence the young baronet has just returned, after a tour of fifteen months over all the kingdoms of the Continent. Talk of music, he cuts you short with the history of the first singer of Naples; of painting, he runs you down with the description of the gallery at Florence; of architecture, he overwhelms you with the dimensions of St. Peter's, or the great church at Antwerp; or, if you leave the province of art altogether, and introduce the name of a river or hill, he instantly deluges you with the Rhine, or makes you dizzy with the height of Ætna or Mount Blanc.

4. In short, pedantry in conversation tends to destroy that equality which is necessary to the perfect ease and good humour of the company. Every one would be struck with the unpoliteness of that person's behaviour who should help himself to a whole plate of pease or strawberries, which some friend had sent him for a rarity, in the beginning of the sea

son. Now, conversation is one of those good things of which our guests or companions are equally entitled to a share, as of any other constituent part of the entertainment: and it is as essential a want of politeness to engross the one, as to monopolize the other.

LESSON 180.

483. Mode of Exercise.

1. Enumerate the

leading traits in each of the following characters. 2. Reproduce the whole from recollection. 3. Institute a Comparison between the two.

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1. In one of my visits to the village with Master Simon, he proposed that we should stop at the inn, which he wished to show me, as a specimen of a real country inn, the headquarters of village gossip. I had remarked it before, in my perambulations about the place. It has a deep old-fashioned porch, leading into a large hall, which serves for tap-room and travellers' room; having a wide fire-place, with highbacked settles on each side, where the wise men of the village gossip over their ale, and hold their sessions during the long winter evenings. The landlord is an easy indolent fellow, shaped a little like one of his own beer barrels, and is apt to stand gossiping at his door, with his wig on one side, and his hands in his pockets, whilst his wife and daughter attend to customers. His wife, however, is fully competent to manage the establishment; and, indeed, from long habitude, rules over all the frequenters of the tap-room as completely as if they were her dependants instead of her patrons. Not a veteran ale-bibber but pays homage to her, having, no doubt been often in her arrears.

2. As we approached the inn, we heard some one talking with great volubility, and distinguished the ominous words

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