meaning of the words he is parsing; and very little from the teacher, if the forms in the grammar have received any tolerable share of attention.  It requires just enough of thought to keep the mind attentive to what the lips are uttering; while it advances by such easy gradations and constant repetitions as leave the pupil utterly without excuse, if he does not know what to say.  Being neither wholly extemporaneous nor wholly rehearsed by rote, it has more dignity than a school-boy’s conversation, and more ease than a formal recitation, or declamation; and is therefore an exercise well calculated to induce a habit of uniting correctness with fluency in ordinary speech—­a species of elocution as valuable as any other.[58]

13.  Thus would I unite the practice with the theory of grammar; endeavouring to express its principles with all possible perspicuity, purity, and propriety of diction; retaining, as necessary parts of the subject, those technicalities which the pupil must needs learn in order to understand the disquisitions of grammarians in general; adopting every important feature of that system of doctrines which appears to have been longest and most generally taught; rejecting the multitudinous errors and inconsistencies with which unskillful hands have disgraced the science and perplexed the schools; remodelling every ancient definition and rule which it is possible to amend, in respect to style, or grammatical correctness; supplying the numerous and great deficiencies with which the most comprehensive treatises published by earlier writers, are chargeable; adapting the code of instruction to the present state of English literature, without giving countenance to any innovation not sanctioned by reputable use; labouring at once to extend and to facilitate the study, without forgetting the proper limits of the science, or debasing its style by puerilities.

14.  These general views, it is hoped, will be found to have been steadily adhered to throughout the following work.  The author has not deviated much from the principles adopted in the most approved grammars already in use; nor has he acted the part of a servile copyist.  It was not his design to introduce novelties, but to form a practical digest of established rules.  He has not laboured to subvert the general system of grammar, received from time immemorial; but to improve upon it, in its present application to our tongue.  That which is excellent, may not be perfect; and amendment may be desirable, where subversion would be ruinous.  Believing that no theory can better explain the principles of our language, and no contrivance afford greater facilities to the student, the writer has in general adopted those doctrines which are already best known; and has contented himself with attempting little more than to supply the deficiencies of the system, and to free it from the reproach of being itself ungrammatical.  This indeed was task enough; for, to him, all the performances of his predecessors seemed meagre and greatly deficient, compared with what he thought needful to be done.  The scope of his labours has been, to define, dispose, and exemplify those doctrines anew; and, with a scrupulous regard to the best usage, to offer, on that authority, some further contributions to the stock of grammatical knowledge.