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THE EXERCISES

ADAPTED TO

MURRAY'S ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

CALCULATED

TO ENABLE PRIVATE LEARNERS TO BECOME THEIR
OWN INSTRUCTERS,

IN GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION.

BY LINDLEY MURRAY.

STEREOTYPED FROM THE LAST ENGLISH EDITION,
BY B. AND J. COLLINS, NEW-YORK.

NEW-YORK:

PRINTED AND SOLD BY COLLINS AND CO.
No. 189, PEARL STREET.

CAUTION,

BY THE AMERICAN PUBLISHERS.

AS the correspondents of LINDLEY MURRAY, and publishers of his various works, COLLINS & Co. think it necessary to apprise the public, that several editions of the Grammar have been printed in different parts of the United States, with alterations of the origi nal text, for which copy-rights have been claimed by the parties concerned, to secure to themselves an emolument arising from an exclusive sale. One edition of the Abridged Grammar, has been published by a teacher, at Boston, shortened, because it was conceived by him to have been before too long. Another has been published by a teacher at Philiadelphia, somewhat enlarged, because he considered it before too short. A third has been published at Worcester, by a teacher, who, thinking it to be neither too short nor too long long, has introduced "New System of Punctuation" only. A fourth has been published at Hartford, also enlarged, but with totally different motives from the edition of Philadelphia. It also dissents from that printed at Worcester, even specifying in its title page, that it contains "Murray's Treatise on Punctuation at large." Although altered with such 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 Philadelphia) announces, that "the manifest superiority of his, over every other American edition of Murray's Abridgment, must ensure to it a decided preference wherever it can be obtained."!!

It will amuse many to be made acquainted with the ingenious expedients used by some 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, addresses the public thus:

"The very rapid sale of the former edition of this book, and its extensive circulation throughout the continent, now induce me to publish a second."

This "former edition," it is necessary to remark, consisted of one thousand copies, which, aided by a series of newspaper advertisements, were pushed off in eighteen months, that period having elapsed between the appearance of the first and the second edition. Of the REAL Murray's Abridgment, or that made by LINDLEY MURRAY himself, there have been sold, during the same period, in the cities of New-York and Philadelphia alone, not less than twenty thousand. The present advertisers have themselves publised 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 seem that the production of the singular Grammarian of Philadelphia has had an "extensive circulation."!!

The same editor, with singular acuteness, urges his superiority over LINDLEY MURRAY, because, forsooth! he (the editor) is an "experienced teacher." Murray, he avers, cannot be so

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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 occasion to see, totally differ from him, have altered the work for reasons directly opposite, have all had perhaps quite as much of the support and "recommendations" of particu lar friends, and have all, no doubt, thought themselves entitled to receive as large a pecuniary compensation for their "improvements." !!!

Ille sinistrorsum, hic dextrorsum, unus utrique
ERROR, sed variis illudit partibus omnes. HOR.

In justice, however, to some of the friends of the editor of the Philadelphia edition, who gave him written recommendations of it for the newspapers, it should be mentioned, that they have since honourably laid that book aside, and adopted the genuine grammar of Murray.

In consequence of the merit 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 sold annually. The former, in the short period of eleven years, has passed 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 coun tries, as the STANDARD. Every English Critic and Reviewer, who has mentioned it, has represented it as the best extant. The celebrated Dr. BLAIR, and WALKER, the Lexicographer, (a very "experienced teacher") are among those who have the most warmly recommended it.-Is it a light matter for American teachers to allér such a work?

Indeed the fact should not, in this place, be withheld from the public, that the whole of the above mutilated editions have been seen and examined by LINDLEY MURRAY himself, and that they have met with his decided disapprobation. Every rational mind will agree with him, that "the rights of living authors, and the interest of Science and Literature, demand the abolition of this ungenerous practice;" for surely it is not a small evil that an elementary work which has met with universal approbation, passed through twenty-eight editions, been adopted as the standard in our Colleges, which has cost the author years of reflec tion to bring into system and order, and to make correct and har monious in all parts, should be deranged, mutilated and distorted by the crude and hasty variations and additions of an interested editor.

As some of the editors above alluded to, have endeavoured to justify themselves by asserting that even LINDLEY MURRAY ap proved of their different alterations, and have heaped on the ad vertisers much abuse for exposing their contradictions, &c. there shall 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.

"I am much indebted to Collins & Co. for the neat and correct. manner in which they reprint my publications; and for their care and exertions to exhibit the books AS THEY WERE PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, and espicially with His latest improvements, I shall

iy.

CAUTION BY THE AMERICAN PUBLISHERS,

make it a point to communicate to them from time to time, and as early as possible, copies of all the new and improved editions of the books. It affords me a peculiar gratification to perceive that my publications are so extensively diffused over my native country."

COLLINS & Co. think it due to the author of this very valuable Grammar, as well as to the cause of literature in general, to make known that, although they are at all times enabled to supply the latest American editions of the real Murray's Grammar, yet they are indisposed to monopolize the profits arising from the sale of a book, whose author would himself never receive any; and that they will therefore, with readiness, as they have done heretofore, furnish the latest London editions, which they regularly receive from the author, to any respectable printers, residing in other parts of the United States, who will only engage to print them handsomely and correctly.

The following is a list of COLLINS & Co's. editions of Murray's works, with their prices at retail, and by the dozen.

1. First Book for Children,

Wholesale.

Retail. per Doz.
Cents. Dols. Cts.

2. An English Spelling-Bock, Stereotype Edition, 20
3. An English Gram. together with the Exercises
and Key, 2 vols. 8vo.

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1 50

4.00

75

50

00

4. An English Grammar, Stereotype Edition,
5. English Exercises to the Grammar, Stereo. Edit. 62)

20

6. A Key to the English Exercises, Stereo. Edition, 62, 7. An Abridgment of the Gram. Stereo. Edition, 8. Introduction to the Eng. Reader, Stereo. Edition, 37 9. The English Reader, Stereotype Edition, 10 Sequel to the English Reader, Stereo. Edition. 75 Introduction au Lecteur François,

12. Lecteur François,

13. The Power of Religion on the Mind,

75

87

7662377

90

75

3888888888

50

50

9

00

1 25 12

1.00 10 00

**The Proprietors of Lindley Murray's works, think it is no small recommendation of them, that the whole of these valuable publications, from "The First Book for Children," to " The Power of Religion on the Mind," may be properly considered, as forming a little code of important elementary instruction. They are strictly subservient to one another, and most intimately connected. Their peculiar and acknowledged excellence is, that in every part of them, the purest principles of piety and virtue, are happily blended with the elements of literature. They may, therefore, with the greatest confidence, be put into the hands of young persons, as books which (to use the language of a Reviewer respecting them) "will eminently conduce to pure religion and morality, and to the acquisition of a correct and elegant style."

TO THE TENTH EDITION.

THE author of this work, and of the books connected with it, thinks it is incumbent upon him to make some apology, for the variations which are to be found in the different editions. The infirm state of his health; his numerous occupations; and the quick succession of new editions of his English Grammar, English Exercises, and Key to the Exercises, prevented him from giving these books, at an early period of their publication, all the improvements which he had contemplated, or which had been occasionally suggested to him. The successive additions and improvements which these works have received, and which sometimes occasioned a want of correspondence amongst them, must certainly have been productive of inconvenience or expense, to many persons who had purchased the earlier editions. This, though the author regretted the circumstance, was, for the reasons alleged, unavoidable. He must either have suppressed the improvements entirely, or have inserted them gradually as the new editions appeared: but as he conceived them to be of considerable importance, he could not think it warrantable to omit them; and the approbation of the public has confirmed him in the propriety of this decision.

It is with particular satisfaction that the author can now state, that the additions and alterations which he had in view, are completed, and are contained in the Sixteenth edition of the Grammar, the twelfth of the Exercises, and the tenth of the Key; that these editions of the books correspond exactly to one another; and that it is his intention that, in every future edition of each of them, this correspondence shall be faithfully preserved.

It is indeed possible, that some illustrations or justification of particular rules and positions contained in the Grammar, may yet be necessary. But if, contrary to expectation, this should be the case, the practical parts of the system will not be affected by such additions. The connexion, as it now subsists, between the Grammar, the Exercises, and the Key, will remain invariably the same; unless some error, at present unobserved, should hereafter be discovered. As the types composing the Grammar have, for a considerable time, been kept standing; and as the book could not be enlarged without advancing its price; many of the subsequent improvements have been necassarily inserted in appropriate parts of the Exercises, or the Key. References have, however, been made in the Grammar, under the correspondent rules, to the additional notes and illustrations. To this mode of supplying improvements, the reader will have the less objection, when he considers that the

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