Seven was regarded as a sacred or mystic number by the ancients. In the sixth century before Christ there were seven wise men of Greece, each famous for a noted maxim:

Solon (sō'lon). "Know thyself."

Cleobulus (klē o bū'lus).
Chilo (ki'lō). "Consider the end."

"Avoid extremes."

Bias (bi'as).

"Most men are bad."

Pittacos (pĭt'ta kos). "Know thy opportunity."

Thales (tha'lēs). "Suretyship is the forerunner of ruin. Periander (pěr i ăn'der). "Nothing is impossible to industry."

385

Rule.—c, hard, like k, before a, o, u; c, soft, like s, before e, i, y.

Write the author; his country; one work; poetry or prose.
Ex.: John Bunyan; England; Pilgrim's Progress; prose.

387-Quotations

Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flower.

The green-eyed monster.

Nothing is impossible to industry.
He prayeth best who loveth best.
To err is human; to forgive, divine.
Learn to labor and to wait.

O, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive!

Heaven open'd wide

Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound,
On golden hinges moving.

Write the quotation; the author. Ex.: Never say "Fail."—Bulwer.

Write the character; the book; poetry or prose; the author.
Ex.: Jo; Little Women; prose; Louisa M. Alcott.

PART IV

WHY SOME WORDS ARE DIFFICULT

THE difficulty in spelling and pronouncing English words arises from the use of (1) silent letters; (2) the same letter to represent different sounds; (3) different letters to represent the same sound. Pupils, therefore, should be drilled thoroughly on a few representative words, with the view of training the faculty and forming the habit of closely observing these peculiarities wherever they meet with them. This exercise may be conducted in the following manner. The books being open at the lesson, the pupils, in the order of recitation, pronounce each word, read its spelling from the book, and analyze it thus:

Phlegm (flěm), p-h-l-e-g-m; it is a difficult word because it has six letters and only four sounds; g is silent, and the sound of ƒ is represented by the equivalent ph.

Věr'y, v-e-r-y; the spelling of this word is difficult to remember because most words similar in sound (fer'ry, ber'ry, mer'ry) have two r's; one r in very.

Co quětte', c-o-q-u-e-t-t-e; it is a difficult word because it has eight letters and only five sounds; the last t and one e are silent, the first sound of k is represented by the equivalent c, and the last one by the equivalent qu.

Sep'a rate, s-e-p-a-r-a-t-e; it has eight letters and only seven sounds; e final is generally silent; the spelling of this word is difficult to remember because the sound of a in the second syllable is obscure and that letter becomes confused with the letter e, having an obscure sound in words somewhat similar; two a's in separate.

In applying the diacritical marks to combinations of let