Malan IRISH AND ENGLISH 1852. SPELLING-BOOK. FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS, AND PERSONS IN THE IRISH PARTS Un té djvltas múnaỏ tarcujsnížið sé a anam féjn— He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul-The fear of the NINETEENTH EDITION. DUBLIN: GOODWIN, SON AND NETHERCOTT, (TEN THOUSAND.) 1848. PREFACE. THIS little book being intended for the simplest of all purposes, one plain truth shall be insisted on in its preface;-the necessity of learning to read. No man would assimilate his form to that of the brutes of the field; yet, that man, whether he is old or young, who refuses to learn to read, gives up a much greater mark of distinction between him and the brutes, than that which arises from bodily shape,-I mean the most valuable pre-eminence of mind. For to what purpose has his Creator bestowed on him faculties so superior to those of brutes, if he allows those faculties to lie dormant and will not use them? Our Creator has, by the inouth of his servant Solomon, pronounced the most awful denunciations against those, who prefer darkness and ignorance to light and knowledge. "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: they would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices."* The invitations to improve the mind, and to store the heart with divine knowledge, are many and sweet. My son, if thou wilt receive ny words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures: then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding; for the merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her."+ The necessity, therefore, of learning to read, as a first approach to those blessings, is self-evident. * Proverbs i. Proverbs ii. & iii. The learner will bear in mind, that words marked thus', are pronounced long; as baŋ, (bán) white. la fuar, a cold day cat breac, a speckled cat cor deas, a nice foot fear geal, a white man an fear mór, the big man fevr glas, green grass tort mór, great thirst in, úr, fresh butter brat gorm, a blue cloak glún tin, a sore knee 1arg món, a large fish ca mé, I am τά τί, you are ta fad, they are ta sé fvar, it is cold deun ro, do this ní mé, not I ma ré, if it be ró úr, too fresh mo rorg, my eye Ir mó, it is more an fear kn, that man ir mé é, I am he na deun olc, do no ill go dé mar tá tú? how are tá mé tiñ, I am sick you? ca sé, he is tajm go lag, I am weak ma cá mé, if I am. |