KEY

ΤΟ

THE EXERCISES

ADAPTED TO

MURRAY'S

ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

CALCULATED TO ENABLE PRIVATE LEARNERS

TO BECOME THEIR OWN INSTRUCTERS,

IN GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION.

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE EXERCISES.

FROM THE TWELFTH LONDON EDITION.

NEW-YORK:

PRINTED AND SOLD BY COLLINS AND CO.

No. 189, PEARL-STREET.

......

758.15.581.

CAUTION, BY THE AMERICAN PUBLISHERS.

AS the correfpondents of LINDLEY MURRAY, and publishers of his various works, COLLINS & Co. think it neceffary to apprife the public, that feveral editions of the Grammar have been printed in different parts of the United States, with alterations of the original text, for which copy-rights have been claimed by the parties concerned, to fecure to themselves an emolument arifing from an exclufive fale. One edition of the Abridged Grammar, has been published by a teacher, at Bofton, fortened, because it was conceived by him to have been before too long. Another has been published by a teacher at Philadelphia, fomewhat enlarged, becaufe be confidered it before too foort. A third has been publifhed at Worcester, by a teacher, who, thinking it to be neither too short nor too long, has introduced a "New Syftem of Punctuation" only. A fourth has been publifhed at Hartford, alfo enlarged, but with totally different motives from the edition of Philadelphia. It alfo diffents from that printed at Worcester, even specifying in its title page, that it contains " Murray's Treatife on Punctuation at large. Although altered with fuch contradictory views, each claims a preference, each claims a copy-right, and each claims a profit. The publisher of one of the altered editions (that at Philadel phia) announces, that "the manifeft fuperiority of his, over every ather American edition of Murray's Abridgment, muft enfure to it a decided preference wherever it can be obtained."!!

It will amufe many to be made acquainted with the ingenious expedients ufed by fome of the authors of these mutilated editions to give them importance. The editor of the Philadelphia edition, though perhaps the least valuable of the whole, in recommendation of his performance, addreffes the public thus:

"The very rapid fale of the former edition of this book, and its extenfive circulation throughout the continent, now induce me to publith a fecond."

This "former edition," it is neceffary to remark, confifted of ere thousand copies, which, aided by a series of newspaper adver sifements, were pufhed off in eighteen months, that period having elapfed between the appearance of the first and the fecond edition. Of the REAL Murray's Abridgment, or that made by LINDLEY MURRAY himself, there have been fold, during the fame period, in the cities of New-York and Philadelphia alone, not lefs than twenty thoufand. The prefent advertisers have themselves published ten thousand, and it is not pretended that their editions have been circulated "THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT." Not a copy has probably ever reached Cape Horn, Baffin's Bay, nor Nootka Sound, "throughout" all which places, it would feem that the production of the fingular Grammarian of Philadelphia has had an "extenfive circulation."!!

an

The fame editor, with fingular acuteness, urges his fuperiority ever LINDLEY MURRAY, because, forfooth! he (the editor) is "experienced teacher." Murray, he avers, "cannot be fo well acquainted," &c. &c. It does not appear to have occurred to him that three equally, or perhaps more experienced teachers," -as we have had occafion to fee, totally differ from him, have altered the work for reafons directly oppofite, have all had perhaps quite as much of the support and "recommendations" of particular friends, and have all, no doubt, thought themselves entitled to receive as large a pecuniary compenfation for their “improvements." !!!

Ille finiftrorfum, hic dextrorfum, unus utrique

ERROR, fed variis illudit partibus omnes. HOR.

In juftice, however, to fome of the friends of the editor of the Philadelphia edition, who gave him written recommendations of it for the newspapers, it fhould be mentioned, that they have fince honourably laid that book afide, and adopted the genuine grammar of Murray.

In confequence of the merits of the Grammar, as it came, in purity, from the pen of the author, about fifty thousand copies of the Abridgment, and thirty-five thousand of the Large Grammar, are fold aunually. The former, in the fhort period of eleven years, has paffed through twenty-one editions in England, and perhaps twice that number in America. The latter, twenty editions in England, and about thirty in America. Murray's Grammar is adopted in nearly all the Colleges and other Seminaries of education, in both countries, as the STANDARD. Every English Critic and Reviewer, who has mentioned it, has reprefented it as the beft extant. The celebrated Dr. BLAIR, and WALKER, the Lexicographer, (a very perienced teacher") are among those who have the most warmly recommended it.Is it a light matter for American teachers to alter fuch a work?

26 ex

Indeed the fact fhould not, in this place, be withheld from the public, that the whole of the above mutilated editions have been feen and examined by LINDLEY MURRAY himself, and that they have met with his decided difapprobation. Every ra tional mind will agree with him, that "the rights of living authors, and the interefts of Science and Literature, demand the abolition of this ungenerous practice;" for furely it is not a fmall evil that an elementary work which has met with univerfal approbation, paffed through twenty-eight editions, been adopted as the ftandard in our Colleges, which has coft the author years of reflection to bring into fyftem and order, and to make correct and harmonious in all its parts, fhould be deranged, mutilated and distorted by the crude and hafty variations and additions of an intereffed editor.

As fome of the editors above alluded to, have endeavoured to justify themselves by afferting that even LINDLEY MURRAY approved of their different alterations, and have heaped on the advertisers much abuse for expofing their contradictions, &c. there fhall be adduced at this time an extract of a letter from Lindley Murray, which will perhaps induce them to be more cautious in charging C. & Co. with "vindictive calumny" in future,