LETTER-WRITER. CONTAINING FAMILIAR LETTERS ON The most common Occafions in Life, ALSO A Variety of elegant LETTERS for the Direction and Embellishment of Style, Directions for writing LETTERS, and the proper Forms of Addrefs." To which is added, Forms of MESSAGE CARDS. EDINBURGH: Printed by and for W. DARLING, Advocates Glofe. M, DCC, LXXVIIL D. PREFAC E. AS a great part of the intercourse of mankind of ind by letter, it is a jutt reflection upon any man, especially in this more refined age, not to be able to acquit himself handfomely in this refpect. The occafions to do this are so very numerous, and the flame of doing it ill fo great in low as well as in high life, that every endeavour to render them more perfect in this accomplishment, is, at leaft, entitled to a candid reception. There have been many attempts towards a work of this fort; and though it were unkind to detract from the merit of fuch labours, yet we must obferve, that those which have hitherto reached our notice fall very fhort of the end propofed. It would be a difagreeable task to fingle out the imperfections in other performances of this kind; therefore we fhall only obferve, that most of these are here fupplied. There is prefixed an Introduction, containing directions for inditing proper letters on moft occafions, and the fentiments of feveral eminent authors on epiftolary writing. The chief branch of this defign, and which in. deed compofes the main body of this Work, is a proper collection of letters, by eminent authors, upon fubjects very various in their nature, and therefore not eafily thrown under regular claffes. Bufinefs, duty, amufement, affection, courtship, friendship, and a multiplicity of other affairs that may require a letter, are here made the fubject of ours; fo that, on most occafions, no perfon can be at a lofs for a pattern to direct him. [iv] And it is from this great variety of examples for ftyle and manner, and other neceffary directions, that we prefume to call this performance by the name of The Complete Letter-Writer; fuch a number of letters being inferted as to answer the purpofe almost of every individual, from the boy at fchool to the fecretary of ftate. Nor let it offend the delicacy of any reader, that he will here meet with many epiftles of the lower clafs. Thefe could not be omitted without deviating from the grand point in view, namely, General Utility. In the end are given a variety of Meffage Cards, defigned for perfons of every flation. RULES for READING, and particularly of the EMPHASIS belonging to fome fpecial word, or words, in a sentence. IN N order to read well, obferve the following directions. 1. Take pains to acquire a perfect knowledge of the founds of the letters in general. 2. Do not guess at a word at first fight, if you are not well acquainted with it, left you get a habit of reading falfely. 3. Pronounce every word clear and diftinctly. 4. Let the tone of your voice in reading be the fame as in fpeaking. 5. Do not read in a hurry, for fear of learning to flammer. 6. Read fo loud as to be heard by thofe about you, but not louder. 7. Obferve your paufes well, and never make any where the fenfe will admit 8. Humour your voice a little according to the fubject. 9. Attend to thofe who read well, and endeavour to imitate their pronounciation. 10. Read often before good judges, and be thankful when they correct you. II. Confider well the place of the Emphasis in a fentence, and pronounce it accordingly. By Emphafis, we mean the ftrefs or force of voice that is laid on fome particular word, or words, in a fentence, whereby the meaning and beauty of the whole may beft appear: this, with refpect to fentences, is the fame as Accent, with regard to fyllables. of none. The emphafis is generally placed upon the accented fyllable of a word; but if there be a particular oppofition between two words in a fentence, whereby one differs from the other but in part, the accent is fometimes removed from its common place, as in the following inftance: The fun fhines upon the juft and upon the unjuft. Here the ftrefs |