A

POETICAL GRAMMAR

OF THE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE,

AND

AN EPITOME

OF THE

ART OF RHETORIC.

BY ROBERT CLARKE.

"THE FIRST THING TAUGHT, THE LAST THAT'S UNDERSTOOD."

'Tis not enough the voice be sound and clear,
"Tis modulation that must charm the ear.
The voice all modes of passion can express.
That marks the proper word with proper stress;
To this one standard make your just appeal,
Here lies the golden secret-learn to feel.

THECA

BIBL

LONDON:

HOULSTON & CO. PATERNOSTER ROW.
A. M. PIGOT, KENNINGTON PARK CORNER.

1955.

30 c. 14.

London: G. Morrish, Printer, Camberwell.

PREFACE

TO THE SECOND EDITION.

THE First Edition of this work appear'd
A few months since, but has not interfer'd
With works in prose, of just, and kindred name,
"Twas not the object of the author's aim.
But Vocal Music led by Hullah's art,

With Sol, La, Si, and well sustain'd each part;
First rais'd the thought,-these animating strains
With useful words-might well reward our pains.
I dwell not here, on harmony of sounds,

Their power's admitted, and how just the grounds;
Each mother finds, the fretful child will yield
To lullaby, when other arts have fail'd.
The wearied soldier sinking on the plain,
Is rous'd to vigour by the martial strain.
And oft I've seen, the cheering notes beguile
The hum and tedium of my school-room toil :
Great Luther says, " 'tis holy discipline

Improves the mind, and gives the gentle mien."
And thousands more, aloud commend the art,
To soften manners, and subdue the heart.
And Verse has much advantage over Prose,
'Tis sooner learnt, as every scholar knows,
Retain❜d with ease, to manhood's latest days,
We all well know that hymn'd a Watts' lays.
In early times, the Bards of Cymry sung
To harp and lute, and taught their lisping young
Their Laws, their Customs, and their Pedigrees,
And mix'd Instruction, with the art to please.
This effort, no apology requires,

To no renown my humble Muse aspires,

But rhym'd these dry and abstract Grammar Rules, For mutual pleasure in our British Schools.

The First Impression, is with care revis'd

With some Additions, which are thus compris'd

The Rules of Syntax, are enlarged upon,

With Sentences to exercise thereon.

And Prosody, has emendations too,
And Punctuation also, has a few.

And, here are Rules the Passions to depict,
And various Figures, known in Rhetoric:
For Composition, we can but rehearse
The thoughts of others,-but it has a Verse:
And Rules for Argument may here be seen,

With their appropriate terms, and what they mean.

The Laws of Verse, of Rhyme, and Blank are here,
Concise their rules and their examples clear.

A Chant's prefix'd, for those who voices have,
Not Handel's this you'll find, nor Haydn's stave;
The Measure's easy to adapt an Air,

If this please not, and it be worth the care:
Apollo's sons will please themselves no doubt
Who sing by notes-while some may sing without.
But here's my Book-I now submit to all,
I'll not anticipate its rise, or fall;

The Subject's one not easy to define,
Much less its principles in verse combine:
I'm not so vain, as to suppose it free

From all defects,-such works we seldom see:
Nor to presume, it will obtain from all
The smile of approbation;-I recall

A sentiment of Johnson's here to mind,

Which Authors, good and bad, a truth will find;
"He that does much, will oft do something wrong,
And for the wrong must suffer-old or young;"
Could he think rightly, and as rightly act,
When numbers judge,-and criticise in fact;
Some will object, for mere objections' sake,
And others, though, entirely through mistake.

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

This THIRD EDITION which I've sent to press,
Requires a passing word-for an address:
My plea for printing-if it needs be told,
Is this that Two Editions have been sold;

Or as the Trade would say, "They're out of print,"
And thus encouraged, felt a kind constraint
To print a THIRD, and trust my friends will see
Though much enlarged-a true EPITOME
Of all that's needed in Rhetoric Art,

To charm the ear, and to improve the heart.
While some may this Compendium condemn,
As much too brief-And too compound for them;
I would observe, 'tis not the works diffuse
Convenient are- —Abridgments most we use.
When Murray's Grammar issued from the press,
He soon curtailed it-made it two-thirds less,
'Twas advertized-with commendation too
As much improved-now this, I shall not do.
But leave its merits, if it worth possess,

To generous minds,-who may their thoughts express.
If by my labour, they should profit gain,

Our time's well spent-and I my end obtain ;

Then take my Book, and read it, great, and small,

Yea old and young, with my respects to all.