grows on trees. It was held in great veneration by the Druids. This word is less properly spelled misletoe. MITRE (spelled also miter), a kind of crown worn by bishops on solemn occasions. MOD-FY, to vary; to give a new form or quality to a thing. A prefix modifies the sense of a verb; the letter r may modify the sound of the preceding vowel. AOD'C-LATE. This word is from the Latin modulor, I measure off, I regulate. Applied to sound, it means, to form sound according to a certain key or pitch. MONO-TONE, uniformity of sound. The word is from the Greek monos, single, and tones, sound. Mo-Noro-NY, a dull and formal uniformity of sound. MONTGOMERY, JAMES, a celebrated English poet, chiefly celebrated for his devotional poems; born 1771, died 1854. The Press, by, page 84. The Soul, 256. MOORE, THOMAS, the most celebrated of English song-writers; born in Ireland in 1780, died 1852. On the Puffing System, page 235. MORE, HANNAH, an English authoress; born 1744, died 1833. Quoted page 204. MOULDER (moid'er). This word is spelled without the u by Webster. MO-ZAM-BIQUE (mo-zăm-beek), a strait of the Indian Ocean, separating Madagascar from the main land of E. Africa. MU-NIC'I-PAL (mu-nis'se-pal), pertaining to a city; as, municipal officers. MUSES. Among the Greeks and Romans the Muses were inferior divinities supposed to preside over poetry, literature, science and the arts; whence they were often invoked by poets. Their number, orig inally three, was afterwards increased to nine. Modern poets, in imitation of the ancient, sometimes call upon the Muse, in other words, the poetical faculty, to aid them to write. NATIONAL. Pronounced nash'un-al by Walker, Worcester, Smart, and many others; na-shun-al or nash-un-al, by Webster. NEPHEW. Pronounced nev'vu by Walker and Worcester; nef'u, by Webster. NEPTUNE, one of the fictitious deities of the ancients, supposed to preside over the sea. He is generally represented with a trident, or three-pronged sceptre. NRW-FOUND-LAND' (New-fund-land'), island and British colony in the Atlantic Ocean, not far from the eastern shores of North America. NEW-YEAR'S EVE, 125. an OBERLIN, JEAN FREDERIC, a Protestant cler gyman; born at Strasbourg in 1740, died 1826. He was a distinguished friend of education and human improvement. OB-LIQUE (ob-lēk' — also pronounced ob lik'), not straight; deviating from a right line. OB-TUSE blunt; dull; not pointed; obscure; as, an obtuse sound. OF-FENCE'. Spelled also offense by Web ster. O-LYM'PI-AN, pertaining to Olympus, a mountain in Greece, fabled by the ancients to be the abode of the gods. O-MEGA, the last letter of the Greek alpha. bet. See Alpha. OP'TI-CAL, pertaining to vision, or sight. It is from the Greek op'tomai, to see. ORTHO-E-PIST, one who pronounces words correctly, or is skilled in fixing their right pronunciation. OSBORNE. The following pieces under this The Miser Fitly Punished, 272. Os'CIL-LATE, to swing; to vibrate. OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD, 114. Ov'ID, a celebrated Latin poet, born B. C 43. Being exiled from Rome, he passed much of his time in unmanly lamentations. PA'GAN, a heathen; an idolater. PALEY, WILLIAM, author of "Evidences of Christianity," a celebrated English writer; born 1743, died 1805. Bountiful Design of Creation, 133. PAL'FREY (pawl-fre), a small, gentle horse, fit for ladies. PAR'A-BLE, a short story, illustrating some moral or religious truth. PARA-MOUNT, superior; having ascendency over all others. PA-REN'THE-SIS. See pages 61, 72. PAR LIA-MENT (par'le-ment), the British leg islative assembly of Lords and Commons PAR-ROT, THE, by Campbell, 304. PARTS OF SPEECH, THE, 266. PAUSE. See pages 66, 74. PEC'CANT, guilty of sin. peccans, simning. PE-DANTIC, Vainly affecting or displaying learning; boastful; ostentatious. PED'ANT-RY, the unseasonable ostentation of learning. PELE, money; riches. From the Latir PE LI-ON, & mountain in Thessaly, celebrated in ancient my-thology. (By mythology we understand a people's traditions ir regard to false gods, supernatural events Ar) The giants in their war with the From PENDENT, hanging; overhanging. PETULANT MAN, THE, 194. FHARAOH (fa'ro), a name signifying, in the PIN'DUS, the ancient name of a lofty range PIQUE (peek), literally a puncture as from PLOUGH (plou), spelled also plow in the PRAIRIE (pra're), an extensive tract of land, PREP-O-SITION prep-o-zish'un), in grammar PRE-ROGA-TIVE, a peculiar or exclusive PRE-SURIF TION, custom continue till t has the force of law; also, a medical rea PRESENCE OF MIND, ON, 87. PUFF, as used by Moore, page 235, a tumid QUANTI-TA-TIVE, estimable according to QUEEN ISABELLA'S RESOLVE, 145. RAB'BI (răb'bi), a title assumed by the Jew- RA-VINE (ra-veen'), a long, deep hollow worn RE-DUNDANT, superfluous; exceeding what RE-FINE MENT. As used page 268, this cal. RHYTHM (rithm), the effect of the cadences The Butterfly's Ball, 121. ROU-EN (roo-ang-the a as in father,, an ancient city of France, on the river Seine. ROUSSEAU (roos-so'), JEAN JAQUES, a French writer of celebrity; born at Geneva, Switzerland, in 1712, died 1778. There is much that is good and much that is bad in his writings. Our Obligation to Live, 264. RUMI-NATE, to chew the cud; whence, to meditate over and over. RUSSIA (ru'she-a-the u as in rude; or, rash'e-a). The Russian empire extends over the north-eastern part of Europe, over the whole of northern Asia, and the northWestern coast of North America. FA-BRE (sa'bur), a short sword, a little curved towards the point. Spelled saber by Webster. SAC'RI-FICE. According to both Webster and Walker the last syllable of this word should in all cases be pronounced fize. According to Smart the verb should have this sound, but the c in the last syllable of the word, when used as a noun, should have the thirty-first elementary sound (see page 18). BALT-LICKS, places where buffaloes and other beasts lick for salt near salt-springs. SAR-CAS TIC, satirical; taunting; scornful. The Greek word şarkazo, from which this word is derived, means "I tear flesh." EA TRAP, in Persia the governor of a province. Pronounced sa trap by Webster, Smart, Worcester; by some authorities, sắt rap. It is SCEPTRE (sep'ter), the staff borne in the hand by kings as the ensign of authority. Spelled also scepter by Webster. SCHILLER (shiller), a celebrated German poet; born 1759, died 1805. He wrote a play on the story of William Tell. more consistent with history and with the true character of Tell than Knowles's play of the same name. See Extract page 281. SCHOOL. This word, being derived from the Greek schol- (leisure, vacation from business), falls under the rule, T 67, page 26, relative to the sound of ch. ECOTT, SIR WALTER, an eminent Scottish author; born in Edinburgh 1771, died 1832. Anecdote of, page 172. Quoted page 306. Love of Country, 137. SEVENTH PLAGUE OF EGYPT, 173. SHAKSPEARE, WILLIAM, the greatest of Eng lish poets; born at Stratford on the Avo in 1564, died 1616. Quoted pages 73, 138, 139, 218. His name is spelled sometimes Shakespeare and Shakspere. SHAM BLES, a flesh-market; a place where butcher's meat is sold. SHARON, a district of Palestine, celebrated for its extraordinary beauty and fertility. SHONE. Pronounced shone by Webster. Enfield and others; shon, by Walker. SHORT POETICAL EXTRACTS, 137, 202, 255. SHROUDS, the ropes extending from the masts to the sides of a ship, to protect the masts from the action of the wind. 158, page 58. See SI-LO AM, a fountain under the walls of Je rusalem, on the east, between the city and the brook Kidron. The waters of this fountain ebb and flow. The fact has not been accounted for; but testimony is borne to it by as recent a traveller as Dr. Rob inson. SILVAN, relating to woods; shady. SMACK, a small vessel, commonly rigged as a sloop, employed mostly in the coasting trade. SMITH, HORACE, an English poet and essayist; born 1779, died 1849. Good Advice, 209. SMITH, SYDNEY, an English clergyman and a celebrated wit; born 1768, died 1845. On Objections to Reform, 262. SMOULDER, burning and smoking without vent. Spelled also smolder by Webster. SOC'RA-TES. See pages 111, 230. SONNET, properly a poem of fourteen lines only, divided into four stanzas, with only four changes of rhyme, varied in general thus: 1221; 1221; 343;434: but English writers seldom keep to the strict law. Milton and Wordsworth have written some of the best sonnets in our lan guage. See page 255. SooTH'SAYER (the th aspirate as in thin), a predicter; a fortune-teller. SOPHIST-RY, fallacious reasoning. A sephist is one who teaches or practises the arts of subtle but fallacious reasoning. SOUTHEY, ROBERT, a celebrated English poet born 1774, died 1843. The Old Man's Comforts, 115. SoUTHEY, MRS., an English poetess, wife c Robert Southey. She died 1854. Her maiden name was Caroline Bowles. The Christian Mariner, 302. SPENCER, WILLIAM ROBERT, an Engish poet; born 1770, died 1824. Llewellyn, by, 167. SPLEEN, a part of the bowels of animala Its use is not well understood; it is the supposed seat of melancholy, anger, or vexation; whence, in the time of Pope and Addison, it was the fashionable name for what was also called vapors, and is now, by various phrases, attributed to the nerves. SQUIRREL. Pronounced skwir rel, skwer rel or skwürrel; Webster says skwer rel of skwür'rel; Walker and Smart, skwer rel STRASBOURG (stras'boorg), an ancient and strongly-fortided city of France, on its east frontier. It has a celebrated cathe'dral, founded A. D. 504. STRESS, force; violence; strain. SUB'LU-NA-RY, terrestrial; earthly. From the Latin sub, under, and luna, the moon. SUB-TER-RA'NE-AN, being or lying under the surface of the earth. From the Latin sub, under, and terra, the earth. SUBTLE (sut't), sly; artful; cunning. 65, page 26. See SUITE (Sweet), retinue; company; series. SU-PER-FICIAL (su-per-fish'al), being on the surface; not penetrating the substance of a thing. SU PER-NU'MER-A-RY, a person or thing beyond what is necessary. From the Latin super, beyond, and numerus, number. SUR NAME, an additional name; the family name as being additional to the first name. From the Latin super, above, and nomen, name. SUS-PI-RA'TION, the act of sighing, or fetching a long and deep breath. From the Latin suspiro, I sigh. SWORD. Pronounced sōrd by Sheridan, Walker, Smart, Worcester; sword or sord, by Webster. SYC'O-PHANT (sik'o-fant), a mean flatterer; a tale-bearer. SYL-LAB-I-CA'TION, the act or method of dividing words into syllables. TA'GUS, a river which flows partly in Spain and partly in Portugal. Its length, from its source to its mouth, in the Atlantic Ocean, a little west of Lisbon, is about 650 miles. TS DEUM, a hymn of thanksgiving, named from the first words (te de-um lau-da'mus, we praise thee, O God). TELL, WILLIAM, a native of the village of Burglen, near Altorf, in Switzerland, who lived towards the end of the thirteenth and during the first half of the fourteenth century. Gesler, one of the bailiffs of Albert I., of Austria, whose object it was to suppress the spirit of liberty in Switzerland, among other vexatious acts is said to have caused the ducal hat of Austria to be raised on a pole in the market-place of Altorf, and to have commanded that every one who passed the pole should un cover his head. This Tell refused to do; whereupon he was arrested and con demned to shoot an apple from his son's head, which he accomplished. But he was retained a prisoner for some time, till, while being conveyed across the lake to Gesler's castle, he succeeded in making his escape. He then lay in wait for Gesler, who was proceeding to Kussnacht - met him in a narrow defile, and shot him through the heart. This happened towards the end of the year 1307. Two plays have been founded on these incidents; one by Knowles, the Irish dramatist, and one by the celebrated German poet, Schiller See Extracts, pages 239, 281. TEMPLE, SIR WILLIAM, an English writer, born 1628, died 1699. Quoted page 274. TER-MI-NA'TION-AL, pertaining to or ferming the end or concluding syllable. THE O-RY, a doctrine or scheme of things, without reference to practice; speculation. THERE FORE. Pronounced ther'for (the e as in her) by Sheridan, Walker, Smart: Webster and Worcester. THOMSON, JAMES, a favorite poet; born in Scotland in 1700, died 1748. Quoted 140 161. TI-A'RA, an ornament for the head; a dia dem. TIME AND BEAUTY, 276. TINY. Pronounced ti'ne by Sheridan, Walker, Smart, Worcester; tiny, by Webster. TOURIST (toor'ist), one who makes a tour, or makes a journey in a circuit. TOURN'A-MENT, a tilt; a mock fight or mil itary sport. Pronounced toor'na-ment by Walker, Smart, Worcester, Sheridan, Perry; tur'na-ment, by Webster. TRA'JAN, a Roman emperor; born A. D. 52, died 117. He was surnamed Optimus (the best). TRAVEL-LER. This is one of a class of TROUGH. Pronounced trauf. TULLY. See Cicero. TYRANT OF SWITZERLAND, THE 239. UNBEIJER EFFECT OF, 306. FANT, to brag; to display. According to Webster the au of this word should have the first elementary sound (see page 34); according to Walker and others, the fourth (see page 35). Webster's pronunciation of the word is that generally preferred in the United States. From VEER, to turn; as, the wind veers. VENAL, mercenary; purchasable. the Latin reneo. to be sold. VERACITY A MORAL LAW, 309. VERB (m the Latin verbum, a word), a part of speech that expresses action, motion, being, suffering, or a request or command to do or refrain from doing. VER-BOSE', abounding in words; prolix. VERSE, in poetry properly a single line; but the word is sometimes used to designate a stanza. From the Latin verto, I turn. VIC'AR (vik-ar), one who acts in place of another. From the Latin vicis, change, alternation. VICT'TALS (vit'tls). From the Latin victus, sustenance, food. state. VINET, MADAME. Original translations from the French of, pages 77, 145, 148. VIVI-A PER-PET U-A, page 116. VIZIER, a Turkish or Persian minister of Pronounced viz-yer (the accent on the second syllable), by Hunt, page 183; more generally pronounced with the accent on the first syllable. VO'CAL, having a voice; pertaining to the voice. A vocal consonant is distinguished from an aspirate by being more purely enunciated by the voice, and with a less decided effort and sound of the breath. VOLNEY BEKNER, page 156. VOLUME (from the Latin volvo, I roll). By volume of voice or sound, we simply mean its extent of tone or power. TOWELS. See page 20 For Exercises on the Elementary Vowel Sounds, see p. 34. WAN (won), pale; languid. WAND (wond), a staff of authority; a divining rod. This word is pronounced wand by Enfield; and sometimes so in poetry. WASHINGTON, GEORGE, born Feb. 22d, 1732, near the banks of the Potomac, in the county of Westmoreland, Virginia; died 1799. Eulogized by Brougham, 228. From Washington's Writings, 180. WAYLAND, REV. FRANCIS, President of Brown University. Quoted page 309. WEAR. In navigation, to wear (originally veer) is to put the ship on another tach. by turning her round, stern toward the wind. WEBSTER, DANIEL, born in Salisbury, New Hampshire, January 18, 1782; died at Marshfield, Mass., Oct. 24th, 1852. Duties of the American Citizen, 232. The Future of America, 236. Importance of Self-Discipline, 284. WEDGWOOD, JOSIAH, born in England 1730, died 1795. He made great improvements in the art of pottery, and a specics of stone-ware is still called by his name. WELCOME TO THE RHINE, 279. WERE, the imperfect tense plural of be. Pronounced wer, rhyming with her. WHERE FORE. Pronounced hwar for by Walker, Webster and Worcester; hwĕr'för by Sheridan. WIG/WAM (wig'wawm), an Indian cabin or hut. attentive; full of WILLIAMS, REV. C. It is Impossible, 311. WIND, a current of air. The i in this word is sometimes pronounced long in poetry, rhyming with mind. WISTFUL, earnest ; thought. WITH-HOLD'. The th in this word has its Vocal sound. See Exercises under the twenty-sixth elementary sound, page 40. WOODHULL, 198. WOUND. Pronounced woond by Worcester, Sheridan, Smart; wound (rhyming with sound), by Enfield and Webster. Walker allows both modes, but gives his prefer ence to the first. YEA. Pronounced ya or yẻ; yà by Worcester, Enfield, Smart, Reid; y by Sheridan, Walker, Perry, Webster. ZIMMERMAN, JOHN GEORGE, a German writer, born 1728, died 1795. He wrote a popular treatise on Solitude. Quoted page 307. ZION, or SIGN, the name of one of the mountains on which Jerusalem was tailt. I was sometimes called "the city of Da vid; 'also, "the holy bill;" whence it was poetically used to signify the home of the blessed in heaven. |