icult task from them, but is, in
a great measure, checking their natural exertions. If they are left to
themselves, they will in all probability fall into very wild and
ungraceful action, which, when once formed into habit, can scarcely ever
be corrected: giving them therefore a general out-line of good action,
must be of the utmost consequence to their progress and improvement in
pronunciation.

The great use, therefore, of a system of action like the present, is,
that a boy will never be embarrassed for want of knowing what to do with
his legs and arms; nor will he bestow that attention on his action,
which ought to be directed to his pronunciation: he will always be in a
position which will not disgrace his figure; and when this gesture is
easy to him, it may serve as a ground-work to something more perfect: he
may either, by his own genius or his master's instructions, build some
other action upon it, which may in time give it additional force and
variety.

Thus, what seemed either unworthy the attention, or too difficult for
the execution of others, the author of the present publication hits
ventured to attempt. A conviction of the necessity of leaching some
system of action, and the abundant success of the present system in one
of the most respectable academies near London, has determined him to
publish it, for the use of such seminaries as make English pronunciation
a part of their discipline.

It may not be useless to observe, that boys should be classed in this,
as in every other kind of instruction, according to their abilities.
That a class should not consist of more than ten; that about eight or
ten lines of some speech, should be read first by the teacher, then by
the boy who reads best; and then by the rest in order, all having a book
of the same kind, and all reading the same portion. This portion they
must be ordered to get by heart against the next lesson; and then the
first boy must speak it, standing at some distance from the rest; in the
manner directed in the plates; the second boy must succeed him, and so
on till they have all spoken. After which another portion may be read to
them, which they must read and speak in the same manner as before. When
they have gone through a speech in this manner by portions, the two or
three first boys may be ordered, against the next lesson, to speak the
whole speech; the next lesson two or three more, and so on to the rest.
This will excite emulation, and give t