28.  The pretty promises with which these “Familiar Lectures” abound, are also worthy to be noticed here, as being among the peculiar attractions of the performance.  The following may serve as a specimen: 

“If you proceed according to my instructions, you will be sure to acquire a practical knowledge of Grammar in a short time.”—­Kirkham’s Gram., p. 49.  “If you have sufficient resolution to do this, you will, in a short time, perfectly understand the nature and office of the different parts of speech, their various properties and relations, and the rules of syntax that apply to them; and, in a few weeks, be able to speak and write accurately.”—­Ib., p. 62.  “You will please to turn back and read over again the whole five lectures.  You must exercise a little patience.”—­Ib., p. 82.  “By studying these lectures with attention, you will acquire more grammatical knowledge in three months, than is commonly obtained in two years.”—­Ib., p. 82.  “I will conduct you so smoothly through the moods and tenses, and the conjugation of verbs, that, instead of finding yourself involved in obscurities and deep intricacies, you will scarcely find an obstruction to impede your progress.”—­Ib., p. 133.  “The supposed Herculean task of learning to conjugate verbs, will be transformed into a few hours of pleasant pastime.”—­Ib., p. 142. “By examining carefully the conjugation of the verb through this mood, you will find it very easy.”—­Ib., p. 147.  “By pursuing the following direction, you can, in a very short time, learn to conjugate any verb.”—­Ib., p. 147.  “Although this mode of procedure may, at first, appear to be laborious, yet, as it is necessary, I trust you will not hesitate to adopt it. My confidence in your perseverance, induces me to recommend any course which I know will tend to facilitate your progress.”—­Ib., p. 148.

29.  The grand boast of this author is, that he has succeeded in “pleasing himself and the public.”  He trusts to have “gained the latter point,” to so great an extent, and with such security of tenure, that henceforth no man can safely question the merit of his performance.  Happy mortal! to whom that success which is the ground of his pride, is also the glittering aegis of his sure defence!  To this he points with exultation and self-applause, as if the prosperity of the wicked, or the popularity of an imposture, had never yet been heard of in this clever world![12] Upon what merit this success has been founded, my readers may judge, when I shall have finished this slight review of his work.  Probably no other grammar was ever so industriously spread.  Such was the author’s perseverance in his measures to increase the demand for his book, that even the attainment of such accuracy as he was capable of, was less a subject of concern.  For in an article designed “to ward off some of the arrows of criticism,”—­an advertisement which, from the eleventh to the “one hundred and fifth edition,” has been promising “to the publick another and a better edition,”—­he plainly offers this urgent engagement, as “an apology for its defects:”