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purfued, by faithful endeavours to cultivate the understandings of youth, and by a steady attention to difcipline, it is hoped, that you will have the fatisfaction to obferve the fame effects produced, and that the scene will be realized, which OUR POETESS has fo beau-tifully defcribed:

When this, this little group their country calls
From academic fhades and learned halls,
To fix her laws, her fpirit to fuftain,

And light up glory thro' her wide domain;
Their various taftes in different arts difplay'd;
Like temper'd harmony of light and shade,
With friendly union in one mafs shall blend,
And this adorn the ftate, and that defend.

I am,

With fincere Respect and Gratitude,

DEAR SIR,

Your much obliged,

and moft obedient Servant,

WILLIAM ENFIELD.

Warrington Academy, October 1, 1774.

ION.

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Spectator 17 14. Sir Balaam

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Ib. 31 22. The Faithful Friend Ib.
Ib. 33 23. Pairing Time anticipated 16. 60

Merrick 38 24. The Needlefs Alarm Ib. 62

25. The modern Rake's Pro-

Pope 99
Ib. 102

Ib. 104

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ESSAY

ON:

ELOCUTION.

Id affert ratio, docent literæ, confirmat confuetudo legendi

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MUCH

UCH declamation has been employed to convince the world of a very plain truth, that to be able to speak well is an ornamental and useful accomplishment. Without the laboured panegyrics of ancient or modern orators, the importance of a good elocution is fufficiently obvious. Every one will acknowledge it to be of fome confequence, that what a man has hourly occafion to do, should be done well. Every private company, and almoft every public affembly, affords opportunities of remarking the difference between a just and graceful, and a faulty and unnatural elocution; and there are few perfons who do not daily experience the advantages of the former, and the inconveniences of the latter. The great difficulty is, not to prove that it is a defirable thing to be able to read and fpeak with propriety, but to point out a practicable and eafy method, by which this accomplishment may be acquired.

FOLLOW NATURE, is certainly the fundamental law of Oratory, without a regard to which, all other rules will only produce affected declamation, not juft elocution. And fome accurate obfervers, judging, perhaps, from a few unlucky fpecimens of modern eloquence, have concluded that this is the only law which ought to be pre

fcribed:

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