This being done, and being ready at every letter so joined, next learn the great letters or capitals; and be sure to take care to be expert in one thing before you go to another. Learn first the alphabet of letters small, And then proceed to letters capital;

Make all your joinings with a fine hair stroke,
View well your copy, sit straight to your book;
Write not too fast, but make your letters well;
You'll be commended if you do excel.

The several sorts of hands now in use are these that follow, viz. 1. Round hand and Italian, with their texts; which

the common affairs in trade and business.

2. Engrossing and square text, used in law affairs.

manage

3. Old English, Roman and Italic prints, and German texts, are used for ornament.

4. Running-hand, which is the product of every person's fancy, and makes one man's hand-writing differ from another's as well as his face.

1.

In whatever hand you write, observe the following rules : viz. The heads of all letters are of the same height, and the tails of the same depth, t only excepted.

2. The tails and heads of letters must not run into one another therefore let your lines be distant from each other, somewhat more than twice the length of the tails or heads.

3. Writing must have a proper slope, (in round hand, Italian, &c.,) and lean one way.

4. Upright hands are perpendicular, and do not join, except the engrossing.

5. All letters of the same kind must be alike: as, a with a, b with b, &c.

6. All strokes drawn downright must be full, and all strokes carried upwards, or cross, must be fine.

N. B. You may rule double lines, slope lines, &c., or make designs for flourishes, birds, beasts, fishes, &c., with a blacklead pencil, and take them out with a piece of stale bread. I shall here insert some pieces for youth to write at breakings-up, or other occasions.

ON CHRISTMAS.

Rejoice! loud hallelujahs let us sing

To God, our blessed Saviour, Lord, and King ;

Whom mighty love brought down from heaven to earth
On this auspicious morn, which gave him birth.

Text. {

To him your songs repeat,
Who's good as he is great.

ON EASTER.

He is risen from the dead, no more to die,
The Lord of Life now reigns above the sky;
In vain are stones, or seals, or watch design'd;
Omnipotence can never be confin'd.

In Adam each man dies,

Text. { In Christ we all shall rise.

ON WHITSUNTIDE.

This holy season brings into our mind

The great advantage God from heaven design'd, In sending down the Holy Ghost on those Whom he appointed his will to disclose.

Text. {

Praise to the Lord in heav'n
By us, and all, be giv'n.

VERSES ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.

I.

ALL those who would be famous and sublime,
Must at humility begin to climb;

So, such as would renowned writers be,
Must be content to learn by A, B, C.

II.

Go, humble lines, and plead in my defence,
Arm your request with my obedience;
Gain but acceptance, my joy will abound,
To find my writing with your liking crown'd.
III.

These lines I here present unto the sight
Of you, my friends, to show how I can write;
My master unto me has shown his skill,
And here's the product of my hand and quill.

IV.

All you, my friends, who now expect to see
A piece of writing thus perform'd by me;
Cast but a smile on this my mean endeavour,
I'll strive to mend and be obedient ever.

V.

For hopeful youth that would be happy men,
Their lies a precious portion in the pen;
Great places and preferments are attain'd
By those who in its use have knowledge gain'd;
Therefore take care and learn to use this tool,
For he who wants it looks much like a fool.

VI.

We must from uncontaminated springs
Extract some quintessential famous things,
And to create rare novelties, whose view

May charm beholders, we our brains must screw:
For old things now are slighted and rejected,
And only new inventions are respected.

AN INTRODUCTION

TO THE

ART OF NUMBERING.

ARITHMETIC is a science so universally useful, that all advantages in learning are of small account without the knowledge of it. Therefore (at the desire of some well-wishers to this undertaking) I have added what follows:

Number is always expressed by letters or figures. Literal number is before explained, and figurative number we now consider.

Figures are 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, to which we add the cipher 0: and by these ten characters all numbers may be fully expressed.

The reading, writing, valuing, or expressing numbers, we call Numeration; which is learned by the following table.

The common affections of all numbers are, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division; which are called the rules in Arithmetic.

Addition teaches to add or cast up several numbers together into one whole or total sum.

Subtraction teaches to take one number from another, and to know the remainder.

Multiplication shows, at one operation, the product of several sums added together; and is explained by the following Table:

MULTIPLICATION TABLE.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

15304560 75

16 32 48 64

17 34 5168
18 36 54 72

1938 57 76

90105 120 135 150 165 180 80 96112 128 144 160 176 192 85102119 136 153 170 187 204 90 108 126 144 162 180 198216 95114133 152 171 190 209228

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240

Division shows how to separate any number into as many parts as you please.

These four rules are called Fundamental Rules; because no questions in this science can be wrought without them.

Reduction teaches to reduce numbers from one denomination to another, in coin, in weight, or measure.

The Rule of Three is either single, double, direct, or inverse. The Single Rule has three terms given to find a fourth, and the Double Rule has five terms given to find a sixth.

The Direct Rule requires a direct operation, and the Inverse Rule an inverted operation.

All the other rules in arithmetic are more or less dependent on the Rule of Three, which (for its usefulness and excellency) is called the Golden Rule.

Fractions are parts of numbers, and are of various kinds; as, Vulgar, Decimal, Duodecimal, &c.

By fractional numbers most questions may be solved as well as by whole numbers, and many operations more precisely performed.

F 5

All parts of learning have uses and excellences, which the industrious will find out, and apply to good purposes.

The wise man's head is not the heavier for containing knowledge.

TABLES OF ENGLISH COINS, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES.

Coin, or Money.

4 Farthings make 1 Penny; 12 Pence 1 Shilling; 20 ShilPound or Sovereign :

lings