ENGLISH GRAMMAR, ,

STYLE, RHETORIC, AND POETRY;

TO WHICH ARE ADDED,

PREPARATORY LOGIC,

AND

ADVICE TO THE STUDENT, ON THE IMPROVEMENT

OF THE UNDERSTANDING.

BY RICHARD HILEY,

AUTHOR OF "THE ELEMENTS OF LATIN GRAMMAR," ETC.

"A competent grammatical knowledge of our own language, is the true foundation upon
which all Literature, properly so called, ought to be raised."-Bishop Lowth.

"It continues, notwithstanding some recent improvements, to be a reproach on British educa-
tion, that, while the ancient languages are taught in the most minute parts, and occupy a great
portion of the time allotted for study, both at school and college, the language in which we our-
selves speak and write receives comparatively little attention."-Professor Jardine.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR

LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

M DCCC XLVI.

LEEDS:

PRINTED BY ANTHONY FICKARD.

PREFACE.

By arranging the various Rules and Principles of a Language into a systematic form, permanency and precision are given to what would, otherwise, either be subject to fluctuation or involved in obscurity; the relative importance and connection of the different Rules become clearly ascertained, by which the whole can be more easily acquired and retained, and applied with facility and correctness. Nor can any one, who considers our language as derived from a great variety of sources, and, consequently, possessing many peculiarities, fail to be convinced that the shortest, as well as the safest mode of acquiring a knowledge of its structure and properties, must be the study of a system in which they are explained and illustrated.

Notwithstanding the obvious propriety of these remarks, some individuals contend, that a knowledge of Latin and Greek precludes the necessity of the direct study of English Grammar. That a correct knowledge of one language necessarily induces a correct knowledge of another, is an opinion too absurd for any intelligent man seriously to entertain. But, say these objectors, by associating with persons accustomed to speak tolerably well, by translating from one language into another, and by having themes occasionally prescribed to be written in English, the pupil will, by these means alone, acquire readiness and precision of expression. As these are the reasons usually assigned for excluding English Grammar from forming a part of instruction in Clas