most celebrated actor of these times, in the following manner

West of the town-a mile among the rocks Two hours ere noon to-morrow I expect thee Thy fingle arm to mine.

It is a challenge given by Lothario to Horatio, to meet him at a place a mile's dif tance from the town, on the weft fide, well known by the name of The rocks. And this would have been evident, had there been a comma after the word mile-as

Weft of the town a mile, among the rocks, &c.

Whereas by making the pause after the word town, and joining mile to the latter part,

Weft of the town-a mile among the rocks

the ridiculous idea is conveyed, that they had a mile's length of rocks to scramble over; which made Quin farcaflically ob ferve, that they fhould run great rifque of breaking

&

breaking their fhins, before they reached the appointed place of combat.

The best way of getting over the faulty habit of reading, contracted by following fuch erroneous guides, as the ftops usually are, would be, in those of an age fufficiently mature, to copy fuch paffages from authors, as they mean to serve for their daily exercife in reading aloud, without marking any ftops at all. In this way, the fense alone must guide them, in the right ufe of the pauses; nor will they have any thing to mislead them. When they have had fufficient practice in this manner, to be able to make out the fentences with ease, let them return to the printed books, in which they are to pursue the fame rule, by giving their whole attention to the meaning of the words, and being as utterly regardless of the ftops, as if they were not there. Though at first they may be puzzled at the fight

of

of the ftops, and from their former long habit, may be apt frequently to relaple into their old method, yet by perfevering in their attention to the words only, they will in time pay as little regard to the ftops, as if they had been wholly obliterated,

As to children, the fureft way to prevent the ill confequences arifing from the use, or rather abuse of ftops, will be to teach them to read without points, according to the practice of the ancients, who never used any, and continue them in this way till they become expert in it. This will neceffarily keep their attention to the meaning of what they read, perpetually awake; otherwise it will be impoffible for them to make any fenfe of the paffages, as they will not on any other terms be able to divide them into their proper fentences, or the fentences into their several members. Whereas in the other way of being taught to read by the

aid of ftops, they are little attentive to the fense or context; and think they have done all that is neceffary, when they have pronounced the words, and observed the stops, in the manner they were inftructed to do.

It was before observed, that they are ge nerally taught to read in books, whofe full meaning they cannot comprehend; and therefore it is impoffible they fhould give any attention to the fenfe. This habit early contracted, is afterwards transferred to books, whose meaning they might fully comprehend, if they did but pay due attention to it; but their accustomed negligence in that article, ftill continues in its full force; and they either mifs the sense by their own falfe reading, or if they even perceive it themselves they do not deliver it in a way, proper to point it out to others. It is inconceivable to those, who have not well confidered the fubject, how much the progrefs

grefs of knowlege, and true taste, is retarded on this account; for in this flovenly, inaccurate manner of reading, there are only a fet of confused ideas floating in the mind, without their due order and precifion; the fense of the author is often mistaken or perverted; the fpirit evaporates, and all the grace, and delicacy of fentiment, are loft. The famous Bishop of Cloyne, seems to have been fully convinced of this, when among his other queries, he put the following one: Q. Whether half the learn ing of these kingdoms be not loft, for want of having a proper delivery taught in our fchools and colleges?

LEC