to-day a manual expressing the rules and principles of good style in such a way, that a scholar fifteen or sixteen years of age can easily appreciate their application to his own work.

The old-style text-books of rhetoric are fast being replaced by books written with these aims more distinctly in view; but in many cases the multiplication of rules, their illogical classification, or the addition of erroneous or irrelevant matter, has impaired the usefulness of these books; and not infrequently time is wasted on examples not worthy of the attention of intelligent scholars. The work now presented provides what the author believes to be a logical classification of the best directions for avoiding errors and securing a good style. Under each rule are explained the ways in which it is most frequently violated; one or two examples are given and corrected; and other examples are added, to be corrected by the pupil. Many of these examples have been taken from the work of school or college pupils, or from the pages of magazines and newspapers.

The advantage of this method of classifying errors can be seen through the following illustration: Solecisms may be differentiated until they number many hundreds; but they may also be grouped under significant heads, so that twenty rules, if observed, will correct the common errors of inexperienced writers; while, if a specialization of errors is thought desirable,

this can be found in the explanations of the ways in which the rules are violated.

A common method employed by English teachers in correcting essays is to place a number or symbol over a faulty word or passage, showing that a certain rule in the text-book has been violated. If the rules indicated are general in their bearing, the specific application being left to the ingenuity of the pupil, the impression is deeper and more lasting, as in some measure the fault has been detected by himself. As the number of symbols is multiplied, this system becomes unmanageable.

To reduce the number of rules has been one of the principal aims in this work; but the chief effort of the author has been to state the rules and all other matter in such a way that the scholar will feel the usefulness of his lessons. The technical terms of rhetoric, often so bewildering to young minds, have been avoided as far as possible, and never used without an explanation of their meaning. At the beginning of each subject, its bearing on the main object in view is explained.

Examples of faulty sentences have been introduced in order to cultivate the power of criticism; but these should not be dwelt on to the exclusion of examples of good English. Selections from authors remarkable for their good style have been included in Chapters IV. and V. in order that the teacher may be able to read

with the class, without referring to another volume, passages of special merit as regards the points discussed in these chapters.

In connection with the study of rhetoric, it will be of great advantage for the pupil to know something of the structure and history of the English language, especially those facts that will explain to him the way in which English words have come into use, and the changes in their form and meaning. Accordingly, in the opening chapter, there are included a few pages on English etymology; and in the Appendix will be found a brief history of the English language.

Part I. assumes that the pupil is constantly engaged in composition work. Part II. provides practical suggestions for his written exercises, and should be studied concurrently with Part I.

YONKERS, N. Y., July, 1894.

G. P. B.