To afcertain vocal founds by the dead letter, was always justly deemed a bold undertaking; and Mr. Sheridan muft be allowed to have been the moft fuccessful of those who have made the attempt; because his principles are reduced to an easy, concife fyftem. On this account we are more disposed to admire his accuracy on the whole, than to object, even where we cannot altogether agree with him.

To our former extracts from the first edition, we cannot, perhaps, add what may be more extenfively agreeable, or better exhibit Mr. Sheridan's knowlege of vocal powers, than by giving his remarks on provincial modes of pronunciation.

Rules to be obferved by the Natives of IRELAND in order to attain a juft Pronunciation of English.

The chief mistakes made by the Irish in pronouncing English, Jie for the most part in the founds of the two first vowels a and e; the former being generally founded å by the Irish, as in the word bår, in most words where it is pronounced å, as in day, by the EngFiih. Thus the Irish fay, påtron, måtron, the vowel &, having the fame found as in the word father; while the English pronounce them as if written, paytron, maytren. The following rule, strictly at tended to, will rectify this mistake through the whole language.

When the vowel a finishes a fyllable, and has the accent on it, it is invariably pronounced å [day] by the English. To this rule there are but three exceptions in the whole language, to be found in the words father, papà, mama. The Irish may think alfo the word rather an exception, as well as father; and fo it would appear to be in their manner of pronouncing it, rå her, laying the accent on the vowel a; but in the English pronunciation, the confonant b is taken into the first fyllable; as thus, rath ́-er, which makes the difference.

• Whenever a confonant follows the vowel a in the fame fyllable, and the accent is on the confonant, the vowel a has always its first found, as hát, mán'; as alfo the fame found lengthened when it precedes the letter r, as fa'r, bar, though the accent be on the vowel ; as likewife when it precedes lm, as balm, pfalm. The Irish, ignorant of this latter exception, pronounce all words of that structure as if they were written bawm, pfawm, quawm, cawm, &c. In the third found of a, marked by different combinations of vowels, or confonants, fuch as au, in Paul; aw, in law; all, in call; ald, in bald; alk, in talk, &c. the Irish make no mistake, except in that of Im, as before mentioned.

The fecond vowel e is, for the most part, founded ee by the Englih, when the accent is upon it; whilft the Irish in moft words give it the found of fecond à, as in hate. This found of è [ee] is marked by different combinations of vowels, fuch as ea, ei, e final mute, ee, and ie. In the two laft combinations of ee and ie, the Irish never miftake; fuch as meet, feem, field, believe, &c.; but in all the others, they almost univerfally change the found of ê, into . Thus in the combination ea, they pronounce the words tea, fea, please, as' if they were fpelt tay, fay, plays; inftead of tee, fee, pleefe. The English constantly give this found to ea, whenever the accent is on.

the

the vowel e, except in the following words, great, a pear, a bear, to bear, to forbear, to fwear, to tear, to wear. In all which the e has its fecond found. For want of knowing thefe exceptions, the gentlemen of Ireland, after fome time of refidence in London, are apt to fall into the general rule, and pronounce these words as if fpelt greet, beer, fweer, &c.

E is alfo founded ee by the English, and as å by the Irish; thus the words deceit, receive, are pronounced by them as if written defate, refave. Ei is always founded ee, except when a g follows it, as in the words reign, feign, deign, &c as alfo in the words, rein (of a bridle), rein deer, vein, drein, veil, heir, which are pronounced like rain, vain, drain, vail, air.

The final mute e makes the preceding e in the fame fyllable, when accented, have the found of ee, as in the words fuprême, fincére, replète. This rule is almost univerfally broken through by the Irish, who pronounce all fuch words as if written fupråme, finsåre, replåte, &c. There are but two exceptions to this rule in the Englith pronunciation, which are the words there, where.

In the way of marking this sound, by a double e, as thus, ee, as the Irish never make any mistakes, the best method for all who want to acquire the right pronunciation of these feveral combinations, is to fuppofe that ea, ei, and e attended by a final mute e, are all spelt with a double e, or ee.

Ey is always founded like å by the English, when the accent is upon it; as in the words prey, convey, pronounced pray, convay. To this there are but two exceptions, in the words key and ley, founded kee, lee. The Irish, in attempting to pronounce like the English, often give the fame found to ey, as ufually belongs to ei; thus for prey, convey, they fay pree, convee.

A ftrict observation of these few rules, with a due attention to the very few exceptions enumerated above, will enable the welleducated natives of Ireland to pronounce their words exactly in the fame way as the more polifhed part of the inhabitants of England do, fo far as the vowels are concerned.'

With regard to the natives of SCOTLAND as their dialect differs more, and in a greater number of points, from the English, than that of any others who fpeak that language, it will require a greater number of rules, and more pains to correct it. The nott material difference in point of pronunciation, and which pervades their whole fpeech, is that of always laying the accent on the vowel, in words where it ought to be on the confonant. This has been already taken notice of in the Grammar, and the method of curing that habit pointed out. In this article therefore they fhould chiefly exercise themfelves, till they attain a facility in accenting the confonants, and giving their true founds to the preceding vowels, according to the rule there laid down; for it is in this that the chief difference between the Scotch and English pronunciation corts With regard to intonation indeed, or what is commonly called the 5. otch accent, they totally differ from the Engh; or which I he tested at large in my Lectures on the Art of Kading But is, written rules can be of little ufe, except when affigies living voice; and therefore the aid of matters, who fho pola example to precept, is

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here required. If the fame ardour continues for obtaining a juft and polished delivery, which I found prevail among the young gentlemen of Scotland, when I delivered my Course of Lectures at Edinburgh, they will now have it in their power to compass the point upon certain grounds, chiefly by their own labour, and application. Nor will they long be without due affiftance, where that is requifite, upon proper encouragement; for as there could be no hopes of having fkilful makers to teach this art, without having firft a proper method of inftruction; fo that method being now laid open, will no doubt induce numbers to apply themselves to the maftery of it, in order to become preceptors in that moft useful and ornamental of all arts.

Nor are there wanting examples to ftimulate those who are in purfuit of this object, and to enfure fuccefs to their endeavours. There is at this day a gentleman of that country, now in London, in a high office of the law, who did not leave Scotland till after he had been fome years advanced in manhood; and yet, after having received inftruction for a few months only, according to the method laid down in this work, his fpeech was not to be diftinguifhed from that of the most polifhed natives of England, both in point of pronunciation and intonation, and he is perhaps at this day the best pattern to be followed with regard to both, whether in the House of Commons, or at the bar.

And yet there was ftill a more extraordinary inftance which I met with at Edinburgh, in a Lord of Seffion, who, though he had never been out of Scotland, yet merely by his own pains, without rule or method, only converfing much with fuch Englishmen as happened to be there, and reading regularly with fome of the principal actors, arrived even at an accuracy of pronunciation, and had not the leaft tincture of the Scottish intonation.

I fhall now fay a few words to the inhabitants of WALES; in order to fhew how eafily they might get rid of their provincial dialect.

The peculiarity of the Welsh pronunciation arifes chiefly from their conftantly fubftituting the three pure mutes, in the room of the three impure; and the three afpirated femivowels, in the place of the three vocal. Thus inftead of b, they use p; for g, they use k, or hard ; and for d, they employ t. For blood, they fay, plut; for God, Cot; and for dear, tear. In like manner, in the ufe of the femivowels, they fubftitute fin the place of ;s in the place of x; eth in the room of eth; and efb in that of exh. Thus inftead of virtue and vice, they fay, firtue and fice; instead of zeal and praise, they fay, feal and praiffe; inftead of these and those, theffe and thoffe; instead of azure, ofier, they fay, afhur, ofher. Thus there are no less than seven of our confonants which the Welsh never pronounce at all. Now if the difference in the manner of formation between these feven confonants and their feven correfpondent ones, were pointed out to them, in the way described in the Grammar, they might in a fhort time be taught the perfect ufe of them.

The people of Somersetshire pronounce the femivowels in a way directly oppofite to that of the Welfh. For whereas the Welsk change the vocal into the afpirate, they of Somerfetfhire change the afpirate into the vocal. For father, they fay, vather; for Somerset

* Lord Aylmoor.

fhire, Zomerzetzhire; for thin, thin. So that their method of cure, is to take the direct oppofite course to that of the Welsh.'

After thefe, follow Directions to Foreigners,' with respect to the ufual difficulties which they find in acquiring the due pronunciation of our language. Thefe may prove useful to the young, who can, and who will, take pains to accommodate their vocal organs to new habits of utterance; but the more advanced in life, who are confirmed in the founds of another language, will probably content themselves with being understood, without labouring at elegance, or even propriety.

As few, befide those to whom the character-marking accentuation is familiar, are likely to pay proper attention to its fignification (the great use of a Dictionary being to inform the ignorant); nothing, we imagine, would give fo much affiftance in pronunciation to those who moft need a dictionary, as an illustration, exhibiting every polyfyllable in a line of verfe; or if it be too technical to be found in poetic use, to throw it into measure for the occafion. Had Dr. Johnfon perceived this advantage, we are perfuaded that his illuftrations would have been more generally drawn from our poets, of whom we have a fufficient num

In measure, the place of a word enforces due pronunciation, without previous rules, or arbitrary marks; it is dovetailed in, and no perfon can alter the form given to it: for inftance, who that is able to read the following line from Milton can mifplace the accents in the words marked by Italics?

Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers: Or in that couplet from Butler, treating of Hudibras's beard? "Twas bound to fuffer perfecution,

And martyrdom, with refolution.

The due pronunciation of eight words, is thus fixed in three lines!

The head of Mr. Sheridan, prefixed to this edition, deferves particular notice, as a ftriking likeness, very well executed.

ART. XIII. Travels through the interior Parts of America. In a Series of Letters. By an Officer. 2 Vols. 8vo. About 500 Pages in each Vol. 14s. Boards. Lane. 1789.

many volumes have been published relative to America, and its different nations, that any thing really new, on the fubject, is hardly to be expected. Not but that there yet are, in that part of the globe, feveral tracts of country much unknown, or which might be far more thoroughly inveftigated by perfons. who have leifure and ability for the employment. It is neceffity alone, however, that will prompt men to fuch undertakings. The prefent work treats of the interior parts of America, by which the reader is to underftand no more than these parts of

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the country which were traverfed by General Burgoyne's army. It is doubtful whether one view, in this publication, is not to vindicate the General's conduct in that unfortunate campaign: and what is here offered appears fufficient for the purpose, confidering the difficult fituation to which he and his brave troops were reduced. Yet, fuch was the wretched ftate of our affairs, that the exculpation of one party cannot be attained without throwing confiderable blame on another. It is remarkable that a fubject fo interefting fhould fo foon, as it were by general confent, have almoft funk into oblivion. Moft defirable, perhaps, on many accounts, it is, that this fhould be the cafe: future times may allow a cooler and more impartial retrospect : Great Britain revives and flourishes notwithstanding her ac cumulated burthens! and the diffevered provinces, though ftruggling, for a time, with the great difficulties of a rifing ftate, will, we hope, for the fake of humanity, gradually lift up their heads, and appear confiderable among the nations of the earth.

Mr. Anburey, for fuch is the name of this officer, is bonoured by a very hand fome fubfcription: at the head of the lift, appear four of the Royal Family, followed by a number of the nobility and gentry, who have in this manner teftified their regard for the author, and their good opinion of his work. The letters have the appearance of having been written on the fpot, according to the times and places of their dates. The ftyle is, in general, eafy, correct, and fuitable to the fubject, feldom affording much room for critical animadverfion; if there are fome few exceptionable paffages, they are the more rea dily pardoned, as they do not frequently occur. It cannot but intereft the English reader to attend the progrefs of his countrymen from Quebec and Montreal to Crown Point, and Ticonderoga ; with their farther encampments at Skenefborough, Fort Edward, &c. to Still-water, and the fatal Saratoga; and, afterward, to accompany them in their disheartening march to Cambridge in the Maffachulet's Province, thence acrofs a part of Connecticut, New Jerfey, Pennfilvania, and Maryland, till their arrival at Charlotte's ville in Virginia, where the greater part of the time of their captivity was paffed, till their difmiffion to New-York in September 1781, on an exchange of all the officers; for as to the poor common foldiers, who were left behind, we are not here informed in what manner they were difpofed of; many of them appear, from this account, to have deferted on their march, and joined the Americans and it is not improbable but that many of the remainder might follow their example. In the former part of their progrefs, they were alert, and cheerful, and entertained pleafant profpects of fuccefs; the enemy quitted their posts as our army advanced, and in the engagements which took place, the

English