originated and how they probably escaped the notice of the author, it is time for the pupil to take a whole work into his hand, and select both illustrations and violations of the rule for himself. Suppose he were required to read such a work as Mr Buckingham's "Travels in Canada," &c.,-a production well enough worth reading for the geographical and historical information which it conveys, but sadly disfigured by grammatical errors,―he should, on a careful perusal of the volume, find any number required of appropriate illustrations and," incredibile dictu," about seventy violations of the first rule of syntax.* I shall for once depart from the plan I have laid down to myself, to quote no errors but from firstrate writers, and give by way of specimen the following collection of solecisms which the pupil is requested to correct :

1. The servants too had been trained in a good school, and were all remarkably clean, well dressed, and attentive, without the running and scrambling which is characteristic of American attendants.-P. 6.

2. As each servant has to go there [from the table to the sideboard] for whatever is wanted in a room of 100 feet in length, it is

*This is certainly a large number of errors connected with one rule to meet with in a volume of no great extent; but in writers of the highest eminence, as the reader will soon see, verbal mistakes, of greater or less importance, abound. Hume and Gibbon are on the whole very correct, except where they suffer themselves to be misled by French idioms; I should, however, be inclined to place Robertson not only above them, but above all their contemporaries, as far as grammatical accuracy is concerned. The three authors of our own day to whom I most frequently appeal, are Arnold, Hallam, and Alison. Arnold is remarkably correct-the precision and beauty of his language being typical of the accuracy of thought and manly liberality of spirit that pervade his works. Of Hallam, I would say with the greatest respect what he says of Locke, "In all his writings he is occasionally negligent, and though not vulgar, slovenly in the structure of his sentences." In the "Introduction to the Literature of Europe " alone, I should estimate the grammatical errors at about 500 in number. Alison, amidst equal beauties, has greater and more numerous faults. In his "History of Europe," &c., grammatical propriety is violated about 1500 times. It is unnecessary to say, that I consider these errors as mere spots on the sun; but certainly the authors would confer an additional favour on posterity if they would take the trouble to "wash them away before they cease from their labours. Levia quidem hæc," &c., will be understood by both without any commentary of mine.

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only by running at the swiftest speed that they can get through their labours within the specified time.-P. 7.

3. A little to the westward is a small stream called the Humber, but neither it nor the Don are navigable at any distance from the lake.-P. 11.

4. The organ of the church had been destroyed by fire, and had not since been replaced, so that the music and singing was heard to great disadvantage.-P. 20.

5. To these belong the power of licensing places for the sale of ardent spirits.-P. 25.

6. There is a temperance society here, on the principle of total abstinence from all that can intoxicate; but their numbers are few.-P. 26.

7. The American practice of attaching bar-rooms to the principal hotels, and of large numbers of persons meeting there to drink, as well as the custom of sitting around the outer doors of the hotels, on the steps, and in the balcony or the streets, prevails here.-P. 29. 8. In the United States the respect and deference to the sex is shown in another way.-P. 29.

9. There was a heartiness and cordiality which seemed to indicate, &c.-P. 30.

10. The British residents here appeared to me to be as sensitive to these remarks, as the Americans are to any observations of English travellers which in any way disparages their country or its institutions.-P. 31.

11. The Chippewas are so scattered, that when, during the last year, a general meeting of the chiefs of the tribe were assembled on the Grand River, &c.-P. 49.

12. Shrubs and flowers are cultivated in the gardens appended to many of the better order of dwellings, which gives them a gay and cheerful appearance.-P. 62.

13. The instances are rare in which either [mode of punishment] are resorted to, and with females neither is used.-P. 73.

14. Our reception here [at Kingston] was respectful and kind, though the cordiality and hospitality of Toronto was too fresh in our recollection not to make us sensible of the contrast.-P. 80.

15. The whole proceeding was one of the coldest kind that I had ever witnessed, where congratulation and respect was really intended to be expressed.-P. 81.

16. It rained torrents, and was so dark that it was difficult to see ten yards ahead, so that our removal and transfer of baggage was most uncomfortable.-P. 86.

17. About the whole there was a harmony and keeping which was at once rich without being tawdry, and gay and brilliant without being deficient in sobriety or solemnity.-P. 89.

18. All the pomp and pageantry of the Catholic worship was put forth in its most imposing form.-P. 97.

19. As the dryness of the climate and remoteness from the sea occasions it to preserve its brightness, &c.-P. 108.

20. The loftiness of the arcades at the entrance, which are about fifty feet in height, give it an imposing air.-P. 109.

21. There is a superior and eighty sisters in the whole; but not more than forty are usually resident at the nunnery.-P. 116.

22. In a short time, accommodation, food, and medicine was furnished to upwards of a hundred sick and infirm persons.-P. 118. 23. The sisters here, as well as in the other nunneries, occupy very small bedrooms, and their diet and apparel is all of the plainest kind.-P. 121.

24. The building cost about £1500; and this and the sum required to cover the annual expenditure has been raised by voluntary contributions.-P. 127.

25. The amount of the imports annually have varied between a million and a-half and two millions sterling, according to the customhouse returns.-P. 132.

26. A little spark of ill-will gets fanned by alternate blasts from either side, while new supplies of fuel from both causes the whole to burst out into a flame, which it is more easy to kindle than it is to extinguish.-P. 141.

27. All kinds of cordage is now made here in perfection. The hemp used is entirely Russian, though the soil and climate of Canada is well adapted to this article.-P. 143.

28. There is a Bible Society, and a Young Men's Tract Society, for the circulation of religious books.-P. 147.

29. Among the public buildings in the Lower Town [of Quebec] there is a Customhouse, a Mercantile Exchange, and a Public News-room, neither of which, however, present any remarkable features.-P. 200.

30. In 1635, the foundation of the Jesuits' College were laid in Quebec.-P. 205.

31. It is thought that the uniform kindness, gentleness, and good will which they manifest toward the sick, has as great a share in effecting their recovery as the medicine they administer.-P. 209.

32. The space laid out for the building, gardens, and grounds, cover upwards of six acres.-P. 222.

33. The cruelty inflicted on these poor brutes, by the heavy loads they were compelled to draw, and the severe use of the whip to urge them on, was most painful to witness.-P. 230.

34. So far as these opportunities enabled me to form an accurate opinion, I was led to think that the style and tone of society here was higher than, &c.-P. 244.

35. The zeal and devotion manifested by many of the first Catholic missionaries is above all praise.-P. 251.

36. All the beautiful plain between these objects in the distance, and the hill on which we stood, were studded with villages.-P. 285. 37. The astonishment and terror of the natives at the sight of these powerful and warlike animals was great in both cases.-P. 295. 38. The abundance of rivers and lakes, large and small, in every portion of this territory, give him the greatest facilities for bringing his produce to the market.-P. 303.

39. The advantages it [the heat in Canada] affords, in bringing rapidly the harvests and fruits to a state of ripeness and perfection, counterbalances every other consideration, and evinces the wisdom, &c.-P. 305.

40. Among the productions of Canada, animal and vegetable, there is abundance and variety.-P. 305.

41. The greater part of these [ships] goes to the ports of the Mediterranean, where the Catholic population form the great body of the consumers.-P. 313.

42. At four P. M., the group called the Magdalen Islands were in sight.-P. 314.

43. The whole area of Prince Edward Island exceeds 1,000,000 of acres, and as there are no very lofty mountains, while there is an abundance of wood and many little lakes and streams, it is fertile and inhabitable (?) throughout. The health and longevity of

its inhabitants is remarkable.-P. 315.

44. There is a small lighthouse-one of the few with which all the coasts and islands within the Gulf of St Lawrence is too scantily supplied.-P. 315.

45. The summit of the hill, at the height of about 200 feet, is crowned by a citadel, with fortifications and signal posts, which produces an imposing effect.-P. 320.

46. The ordnance establishment is also very extensive; and in both this and the dockyard are to be found at all times a supply of every thing necessary for the reparation or equipment of a naval fleet, for any operations likely to be required in this quarter.-P. 335.

47. In their voices, the ladies of Halifax are entirely English, having that rich fulness of tone, and distinctness and decision of utterance, which is so superior to the thin voices and drawling twang of the Americans.-There is a pleasing frankness and agreeable vivacity in their manners which is peculiarly charming.

Fortunately for the people of Halifax, the love of show, and the display of ostentation in their houses, equipages, and dress, has not spread among them as it has done among their neighbours of the United States.-P. 343.

48. Since this, which is of comparatively recent date, a life and spirit has been infused into the public feeling which is likely to be productive of the best effects.-P. 352.

49. Though some parts of the country has only a scanty soil, in others it is rich and deep.-P. 354.

50. Enough is known [of Newfoundland] to render it certain that there is abundant room and sufficient soil there to support a large population.-P. 376.

51. The conviction of these defects is said to be now pretty general, and some recent efforts to improve the town, and introduce a higher style of building, seems to promise better things for the future. -P. 377.

52. Of land-birds and water-fowls, there are a great variety. P. 378.-There are abundance of whales, grampuses, &c.

On the whole, the general shipping and commerce of Newfoundland is on the increase. The whole number of vessels employed

in the trade with Newfoundland are at least 1500, &c. The quantity of cod-fish taken and cured amounts in general to 1,000,000 of quintals per annum, and 12,000 tons (?) of seal-oil alone has been exported in one year.-P. 382.

53. At the town itself there is a breakwater and pier-harbour for ships.-P. 394.

54. There is an American air of equality in the conditions and manners of all classes here, with the eager bustle and earnest pursuit of business which is so characteristic of American towns.-P. 410.

55. An ardent attachment to England, and a strong desire to maintain the connexion with her unimpaired, is constantly manifested in all their writings.-P. 411.

56. These [lands] are always overflowed in the great freshets of spring, when the melting of the ice and snows swell the river above its bounds.-P. 414.

57. In the building there is a chapel, two lecture-rooms, twentyone rooms for students, &c.-P. 417.

58. Not less than a million's worth of property, in timber, dwellings, ships, and goods, were destroyed.-P. 432.

*

59. We could not but regret, that while each of the contending nations had more than they could people for a century perhaps to come, &c. * As it is plain that neither party are in a condition to show that their claims are free from all objections.-P. 469. 60. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt, though the entire scattering of the baggage in the road, and the time and labour required to replace all, and raise the coach, before we could resume our journey, was a disagreeable interruption.-P. 473.

61. Robberies and murders were events of almost everyday occurrence; and neither life nor property were respected.-P. 480.