BlPrl1L1pS, t' THE FIRST or MOTHER's CATECHISM, CONTAINING COMMON Tf-IINGS NECESSARY TO BE J{NQTVN . AT AN EARLY AGE·. I , By the Rev. DAVIDBLAIR, AUTHOR OF THE SCHOOL DICTIONARY, UNIVERSAL PRECEP'.fOR1 MODELS OF LETTERSt READING EXERCISES, &c. &c. THIRTY-EIGIJTH EDI'TJON. ------=- JLonnon: Printed for WILLIAM' D.ltltTON, 58, Holborn..J1ill; And sold Ly Darton, Han·ey, an1I Co. Gracecl1urch-street; -G. and W. B. Whiuaker, Ave-mari,a-Jane ;-Long man, Hurst, and Co.; Sherwood, Neely, ~d Jones; and Baldwin, Crarlock, and Joy, Paternoster-row·; Simpkin anci Marshall, Srationen,'-court ;-J'huq.Je aod Burch, Jewry-street, Aldgate ;-Jolin Harri~, corner _of St. Paul's Church-yard ;-Wilson· and S011~, York_;-. Henrv Mozley, Derby ;-and all otli'er Booksellers. Printed by J, and C, A CAUTION. As ~everal very inferior Works have been brought out in IMITATION of this sue- . cessful and approved FVork, the Pttbli., {!,re request~d to beware of such 1 MIT A TIONS, and to order BLAIR'S FIRST or l\tloTH:t:rt's CATECHISM. PREF ACE. -- THE Author of this simple performance has always been a zealous admirer of the ex- - cellent · Catechism of the Church of England, and ,of the successive Catechisms of Dr. W .at.ts. As Introductions to the first Princi ples of Religion, they cannot be taught with too much diligence, and he hopes they will uever be aband~ned in every system of Chris ~an Education~ In presenting to Mothers of Families, and ~o Teachers of Children of both Sexes, a new Catechi~m, his object will speak sufficiently f pr itself. He presumes he shall tWt be COi\- ( 4 ) sidered by any one as interfering with works, the sole object of which is religious know ledge, while the obvious utility and impor tance of his own plan, will, he trusts, occasion him to be hailed as a welcome intruder in that epoch of the infantine mind, for which this and other Catechisms are adapted. Every Parent and Instructor of Youth must have had occasion to lament the-want of such a depository of common Facts, about which Children are always curious, but to whicli they have hitherto had no easy means of ac cess. The Author found some difficulty in steering between what might be thought too trifling or too complex; he has, however, sub mitted the whole to the test of the capacity of various children between the age of five and ~even, and he has found that all of them were alive to his topics, an The work has been written of such length .as that it may be committed to memory, ( 5 ) without being ren Those Parents and Tutors who are desir ous to enlarge on many of the Topics con tained in this Catechism will be able to do so by consulting the Author's Reading E..,xer cises for the earliest Classes, (a supplement to Ma,vor's Spelling Book) ; his Class Boek, or 365 Lessons; or his l]m"versal Preceptor; books which he has reason to believe are now in the hands of all' intelligent School masters and Governesses. AJ JUST ·pun~JSHEJJ, iBY W. DARTON, 58, Holborn-hill, In One Volume, 18mo. Price 4s. 6d. A First or Mother's Dictionary· FOR CHILDREN-; Containing upwards of Three Thousand Eight Hu_ndred Words which occur most fre quently in Books and Conversation; simply and familiarly explain'ed, and interspersed throughout with occasional Remarks. By.dNN.d BROT¥J.aVELL MURPHY. This little Volume. intended as a Companion to the FIRST oa MOTHER's CATECHISM, is suited to the capacities o! Younger Pupils, who should, as so'?n as th~ir understandmgs begin to expand, be made acquamted with the meaning of words; 'but who do not, in an early stage Qfinstruction, need a voluminous Dictionary.- In com pilin~ this Work, therefore, it has been the Author's aim to umte simplicity with correctness; while she has omitted all technical terms, and all words the knowledge of Whicl1 would be useless to children, and those whi~h could not ~ell be explained in a manner adap_ted t? the_ rnf~nt_ capa city. Most of the definitions contained in tins Dictionary are., indeed, short enough to be committed to memory, or a page or two may be read over at a time, till the whole are sufficiently impressed on the mind. "The arrangement of this Dictionary is most excellent. The explanations are simple and perspicuous. In short, they are adapted to tile comprehtnsion ef the infant mind, in a way that, we tlz£nk, admits ef no improvement." Vide Critical Review, Aug. 18r4. 'l'HE ·FIRST or MOTHER's CATECHISM. ~esti01z,. LET me hear you count ten? .L'lnswer. One • 1 Five • 5 Nine 9 Two 2 Six • 6 Ten 10 Three 3 Seven 7 Four 4 Eight 8 ~- How many days are there in a week A. Seven. Q. What are their names? A. . Sunday Monday Thursday Tuesday Friday Wednesday Saturday A4 ( 8 ) ~ How many months... are there in a year? A. Twelve. ~- Repeat their names ? A. January May September February June October March July November April August December. ~ How many Seasons are there in the year? A. Four. ~ What are they called? A. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Win ter. ~- When does Spring commence? A. Spring succeeds to Winter in March, and continues till June. Q. When does Summer commence? A. Sum mer begins in June, and ends ( 9 ) ii:i September, when the days shorten and the weather becomes cold. ~ When does Autumn begin and end? A. Autumn begins in September, when the corn is ripe, and ends in No- ,· vember. ~ When does Winter begin and end? A. Winter begins in N ovem her and ends in March, when it is followed by Spring and warm weather. ~ When does the year begin, or when is New Year's day? A. The firs~ of January. ~- Which is the last day of the year? · A. The thirty-first day of December. ~ When is the quarter-day called Lady•day? ( 10 ) .A. Lady-day is on the 25th of March. ~ \,V~en is the quarter-day called Midsummer-day? A. On the 24th of June. ~ When is the quarter-day called . Michaelmas-day? A. On the 29th of September. ~ When is the quarter-day and great festival of the birth of Christ, called Christmas-day? A. On the 25th of December. ~. When is the birth-day of his present majesty, · King George the Fourth? A. On the 12th" of August. -~• When is the birth-day of the Duke of York, heir apparent to the crown? A. On the 16th of Au~ust. . ( 11 ) ~- When is the longest day? A. The 21st of June. ~ When is the shortest day? A. The 21st of December. ~ When is Easter Sunday? " A. On the first sunday which follows the first full moon after the 21st of March. ~- When is Whit-Sunday? A. The seventh sunday after Easter~ ft How many days are there in the respective months? A. Thirty days bath September, April, June, and NoYember February hath 28 alone ; And all the rest have 31 . A6 ( 12 } ~ How many days are there in a year? A. Three hundred and sixty-five. I ~ How many hours are there in a day? A. Twenty-four, which are divided by the clock into twice twelve. ~ How are the hours divided? A. Into sixty minutes; also into halves and quarters, thirty minutes being half an hour, and fifteen minutes a quarter of an hour. Q. How do you tell what it is o'clock? , A. By looking first to the short hand of the clock for the hour, and then to the long hand for the quarters and mi nutes. Q. How do you tell the hour ? ( 13 ) A. By the numbers which are paint.. ed on th;e clock, as I. - for one o'clock II. - for two o'clock . III. - for three o'dbck IHI. - for four o'clock V. - for five o'clock VI. - for six o'clock VII. - for seven o'clock VIII. - for eight o'clock IX. - for nine o'clock X. - for ten o'clock xr. - for eleven o'cJock XU. - for twelve o'clock. Q. How do you distinguish the minutes? .A. There are sixty minutes in one hour, and the minute-hand goes c,om pletely round th<;; clock, while the hour 1 hand moves over the small space be .. tween the numbers !,. JI, III, &c. ( 14 ) • j Q. How long then is the minute hand passing between each of those numbers? .A. Five minute3, being the twelfth part o.f si.xty minutes. Q. ,How are the· quarters d istin guished? A. \'Vhen the minute-hand stands at III, jt indicates a quarter of an hour; when at VI, half an hour; and, when at lX,'th_ree quarters of an hour. ~' What are the divisions or parts uf a, dav? I • ✓ : A. Morning, noon, afternoon, eve.p- ~ l,1 g, and night. · , Q What is the morning·? . - A. Tne morning is that portio;~ of the twenty-four hours, between twelv¢ o•cloo~ at night, · ap,d tvvelve o'clock at noon. ( 15 ) ~ What is 1100n? .- , A. Noon is that time of the day when the sun has risen to the highest, and is directly south. At this time it is exactly twelve o'clock. ~- What is afternoon? A. Afternoon is when the sun be -gins to decline, which it does imme diately after twelve o'clock. ~- What is evening? A. Evening is the period a little be fore and after sun-setting. cQ,. What is night? A. Night is that period of darkness occasioned by the absence or setting of the sun. When the sun rises the day begins, and when .it sets the night com mences. A.8 ( 16 ) ~ What i. the name of the place where you live? A. M. or N. ( Here let the child he taught the name of the place in which he lives.) ~ Which are the nearest places to this in which you live? A. M. or N. (Here the names and dis tances in miles, of the 3 or 4 nearest places, should he mentioned.) ~- What country or nation do you belong to? A. To England (or Wales, or St;/. land, or Ireland, as it may be.) . ~ What is England? ( or, as hefore.) A. England is a part of the British empire, and of the Island of Great Bri• tain. ~- What county of England is this jn which you live ? .11.. N . or M. (Here let the child be 1 11 ) . laug-!Jt the name of. the county in 't1Jltich he resides.) _ Q. What is the chief town in this county? A. ( Here let the child be taught the name of his county-town.) > .. ~- What is the name of the largest city or metropolis of the British em pire? A. London-which is also the largest city in the world. ~ How is the -British empire di .. vided? A., The British empire is di_vided ~nto England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. ~- Which is the larg€st city in s~:ot- land ? - . A. Edinburgh. . A9 ( 18 } • Q. Which is the largest ·city in Ire~ land? A. Du.hlin. ft How faris it from the place-where you live to London ? .A. ( Here let the child be taught Jbe distance in miles from tbe place where he iives to London.) _ ~ Are there other countries in the world besides the British empire ? .A. Yes, many; the whole world contains nine hundred millions of inha bitants, and the British empire con tains but fifteen millions. Q.~ How is the world di-\·ided? A. Into four parts, called quarters: Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Q. In what part of the world is the British .empire? 3 ( 19 ) A. The British empire consists of an assemblage of Islands in Europe. ~- How many points of the compass are there? A. Four: North, South., East, and West. ~ . Which is the North? .A. The North is that part of the heavens and earth which is opposite to the sun at twelve o'clock. Q. What is the South? A The South is the part in which t-he sun is seen at twelve o'clock. TheI north and south are opposit~. ~ What is the-East? A. The East is the part in which the sun rises. The sun is always.. eastward .during the morning. ~- What is the West? AI ( 20 ) .A.. The West is the part of the hea vens where the sun sets. The sun is always going ·westward after twelve o~clock. ~ You have. counted ten, let me hear you count from ten to twenty. A. Eleven . I 1 Sixteen . 16 Twe Ive • 12 Seventeen 1 7 Thirteen 13 Eighteen I 8 Fourteen 14 Nineteen 19 Fifteen . 1 s Twenty . 20 ~- Now let me hear you count from twenty to forty. A. Twenty~one t 21 Twenty-two . 22 Twenty-three 23 Twenty• four 24 Twenty-five . 25 •rwenty-six l 26 Twenty~ seven ~7 \ 4''_, } Tvventy-eight 28 Twenty-nine 29 Thirty. . . 30 Thirty-one . 31 Thirty-two . 32 Thirty-three • 33 -1.I'hirty-four . 34 Thirty-five . 35 Thirty-six .. 36 Thirty-seven . 37 Thirty-ei,ght .. 38 T_hirty~nine .. 39 Forty. 40 Q. How .do you count from forty.to sixty? A, Forty-one • 4'1 Forty-two . 42 Forty-three . 43 Forty-four • 44 Forty-five • 4S A I I ( ~~ ) Forty-six • 46 Forty-seven • 47 Forty-eight • 48 Forty-nine •· 49 Fifty . • 50 Fifty-one . 51 Fifty-two • 52 Fifty-three . 53 ~""'ifty-four • StJ. J.i""'ifty-five .. S5 :Fifty-six • 56 Fifty-seven . 57 Fifty-eight . 58 Fifty-nine . . 59 Sixty . 60 .!t- How do you count from sixty to eighty? .A. Sixty-one . 61 Six t.v., -two • 62 Sixty-three . 63 Sixtv-four • 64 ( 23 ) Sixty-five • 65 Sixty-six . 66 Sixty-seven •. 67 Sixty-eight • 68 Sixty-nine • 69 Seventy -. . 70 Seventy-one . 7 I Seventy-two • 7 2 Seventy-three 7 3 Seventy-four. 7 4 Seventy-five • 75 Seventy-six • 76 Seventy-seven 77 Seventy-eight 78 Seventy-nine 79 Eighty • • 80 Q. How do you count from eighty to one hundred? · A. Eighty-one • 8 r Eighty-two • 82 A 12 ( 24 ) Eighty-three. 83 Eighty-four • 84 Eighty-five • 85 Eighty-six • 86 Eighty-seven 87 Eighty-eight. 88 Eighty-nine. 89 Ninety . • 90 Ninety-one • 9 I Ninety-two . 92 Ninety-three 9 3 Ninety-four • 94 Ninety-five • 9 5 Ninety-seven 9 7 Ninety-eight 98 Ninety-nine. 99 One hundred r oo Q. How do you count from one hundred to two hundred? A. One hundred and on_e, 1 o 1 .. ( 25 ) One hundred and two, 102. One hundred and three, 1OS, &c • .( Here the child should be made to re peat from one hundred to two hundred by the tutor.) ,. Q. What is a thousand? A. A thousand is ten hundred, 1,000. Q. What is a million? A. A million is ten hundred thou sands, or a thousand thousands, 1,000,000. A. Can you multiply by two? A. Y es,-Twice 2, is 4 Twice 3 is 6 Twice 4 is 8 Twice 5 is ·10 Twice 6 is 12 Twice 7 is 14 Twice 8 is 16 A 13 ( 26 ) Twice 9 is 18 Twice Io is 20 I Twice 11 is 22, Twice 12 is 24. Q. Can you multiply by three? A. Yes,-3 times _2 is 6 3 times 3 is 9 3 times 4 is 12, 3 times Sis 15 3 times 6 is 18 3 times 7 is 21 3 times 8 is 24 3 times 9 is 27 3 times 10 is 30 3 times 1 I is 33 3 times I 2. is 36 Q. Let me hear you multiply by four? ,tl. 4 times 2 is 8 4 times 3 i~ 12 . ( 21 ) 4 times 4 is 16 · '4 times 5 is ~o . 4 times 6 is 24 4 times 7 is 28 4 times 8 is 32 4 times 9 is 36 4 times 1 o is 40· 4 times. I 1 is 44 4 times 1 2 is 48. Q. Let me hear you multiply B five? A. 5 times 2 is IO 5 times 3 is 15 5 times 4 is '.LO 5 times 5 is 25 5 times 6 is 30 5 times 7.is 35 5 times 8 is 40 5 times 9 is 45 5 times 10 is 50 •,.. A 14 { 28 ) 5times11is55 5 times r 2 is 60 fl. Let me hear you multiply by stx? A. 6 times 2 is 12 6 times 3 is 1 8 6 times 4 is 24 6 times 5 is 30 6 times 6 is 3-6 6 times 7 is 42 6 times 8 is 48 6 times 9 is 54 6 times ro is 60 6 times 11 is 66 6 times r2 is 72 ~ Let me hear you multiply by seven? ;1. 7 times _2 is 14 7 times 3 is 21 7 times 4 is 28 7 times S is 35 7 tirnes 6 is 42 7 times 7 is 49 7 times 8 is 56 ) tim~s 9 is 63 7 times 10 is 70 7 times 11 is 7 7 7 times 1 2 is 84 Q. Let me hear you multiply hy eight? A. 8 times 2 is 16 8 times 3 is 24 8 times 4 is 32 8 times 5 is 40 8 times 6 is 48 8 times 7 is 56 8 times 8 is 61. 8 times 9 is,72 8 times 10 is 80 8 times 11 is 88 8 times 12 is 96 A 15 ( so ) Q. Let me hear you multiply by nine? .A, 9 times 2 is 18 9 times 3 is 27 9 times 4 is 36 9 times 5 is 45 9 times 6 is 54 9 times 7 is 63 9 times 8 is 72 9 times 9 is 81 9 times 10 is 90 9 times 11 is 99 9 times 12 is 108 ~ Let me hear you multiply by ten? .A. 10 times 2 is 2.0 10 times 3 is 30 10 times 4 is 40 10 times 5 is so 10 time s 6 is 60 ( 3 l } 10 times 1 i-s 70 1 o times 8 i s So 10 times 9 is 90 . . 10 nmes IO 1s 100 IO times II is !IO 10 times 12 is 120 Q. Let me hear you multiply by eleven? A~ I 1 times 2 is 2.2 1 I times 3 is 33 11 times 4 is 44 11 times 5 is 55 11 times 6 is 66 I r times 7 is 7 7 11 times 8 is 88 11 ti mes 9 is 99 IT times IO is I IO 11 times 11 is 121 11 ·times 121s 131. ( . 32 ) Q. Let me · hear .y,ou multiply by I twelve? .A 12 times 2 is 24 12 times 3 is 36 1~ tjmes 4 is 48 12 times 5 is 60 12 times 6 is •72 1-2 ~imes 7 is 84 12 times 8 is 96 12 times 9 is 108 ' 12 times IO is I 20 12 times II is 132 . . . , _ I2 times I 2 IS 144 • Q. What are the names and value of copper monies? A. Farthings, half-pence, and pen nies; two farthings are equal to a half penny, and four farthings are equal to a penny. • ( 33 ) Q. What are the names of silver money? A. Sixpences, shillings, half-crowns, and crowns. Q. What is the v,r''ue of silver money? A~ There are two sixpences, or twelve pence in a shilling; five shillings in a crown; and two ~billings and six pence in half a crown. Q. What are the na es and values of g~ld coin ? A. S,eveti shilling pieces ; half.sove reigns, worth ten shillings; sovereigns, worth , twenty shillings ; half-gujneas., . worth ten shillings and sixpence; and guineas, worth twenty-one shillings. . Q. What are B_ank notes? ,/A. Bank notes are representations of money, containing engagements to pay in gold or silv.er. A 17 ( 34 Q. What is 'the val lle of a ba1nk note? the sum A.. Various, accordincrb to written upon it; some Bank. notes are for .®ne Wounn; others for llthlo i!)ourttJ~, some · for lII:tn !Bount,11, and there are some as high as a lll:tou~antJ ~-ounn~. Q. What is a pound? ./1. A pound is equal to twenty shil lings, or one shilling less than a 'guinea. Q. vVhat is bread made of? ' A~ Flour. Q. What is flour? A. Flour is made fro·m wheat, which is ground into powder by the miller. Q. What is butter? A. Butter is made from cream by churning .. Q. vVhat is cheese? A. Cheese is made from the curd of milk. ( $ ) Q. What is sugar? .A. Sugar is prepared from the sugar cane, ·a plant that flourishes in the West Indies. Q. What is tea? A. The dried· leaves of a shrub which grows in China. Q, Whatiscoffee? A. 1'he berry of a shrub which flou rishes in Arabia and the West In. dies. Q. What is wine? A. The fermented juice of grapes. Q. What is beer? .A.. The fermented extract of barley. Q. I-low many di ff erent kin .ls of metals are there ? · A. Ten. Q. What are their names? A IS ( 36 ) A. Gold, platina, sil ver, mercury1 copper, iron, tin., lead, nickel., and zinc. Q. Where are metal~ procured? A. They are dug out of the earth, mixed with other substances, and in that state are called ores. Q. What is pewter ? A. A mixture of t in and lead . ~ What is steel? A. Iron prepared by fir e. Q. vVhat is brass ? A. A mixture 0f copper and z inc. Qe What are stones? .L'l. Stones are dug out of the eart b in p1 aces called g uarries . Q. H ow is fire co mmonly p_rodu ... ced ? ~1. 13y striking a pi ece of iron a-gaj ns t (- 37 ) a flint, a [Jicce of the flint is heated red hot, and this, falling off among tinder, sets fire to it. Q. How is this made u_se of? .A. A s1 ip of wood, the end of which has been dipped in sulphur, and which is called a match, is then ap plied to the tihder, and the sulphur, catching fire, sets fire to the slip of wood. Q, What are candles made of? A. O.f a cotton wick surrounded by taliow, which is the prepared fat of animals. Q. What are coals ? A. A , mineral substance dug out of the earth, and used for fires:- being verv combustible. ,/ Q. What are house~ built of? I ( 38 ) A. Sometimes of ",.ood ; sometimes of brick, mortar, and wood; and some times of stone, mortar, and wood. ~ \Vhat do houses consist of? A. Of walls built chiefly of brick or stone, and of floors, stai_rcases, doors, and window frames, built of wood. ~- What is the wood chiefly used in building houses? .A. Deal, which is sawed or cut from fir trees, chiefly in Norwax. Q. What are bricks? .A. They are made of mixed clay and ashes, which are afterwards burnt in a iln. ~- What is mortar? A. Mortar is the cement which binds the bricks or stones together, and is made of lime, hair, an A. Glass is made of flint and soda meited together in a furnace, and form ed into various shapes while liquid. Q. What is paint for? .A. To preserve wood and to orna ment the interior of houses. ~ What is it made of? .A.. Chiefly of coloured earths mixed with oit Q. What is oil? .A. Oil used for painting is extract ed from whales and other fjsh, linseed and other seeds ; and sweet or salad oil is extracted from -olives and other fruit. , ft What is beef? A. The flesh of dead oxen or co\"1~. Q. What is mutton i A. The fl esh of dead 5heep. \ 40 ) Q. What is veal ? A.. The flesh of dead calves • .ft. What is pork? A.. The flesh of dead pigs. Q. What is ham? A.. The legs of large hogs or boars. Q. What is bacon? A.. The salted and dried flesh of pigs. Q. What is venison? A. The flesh of deer. Q_. What is vinegar? A. Sour. beer, sugar and water, or sour wme. Q. What is pepper? ,d. A seed which grows in the West Indies ground int.o powder. Q. What is mustard? .A. A seed ground into powder and then mixed with water. ( 41 ) Q. What are I ables and chairs made ~ . 0 f • A. Sometimes of deal and sometimes of oak, but more commonly of maho gany. ~ Where does mahogany _ come from? A. Chiefly from Jamaica. 0. Wbat is the cloth of men's coats made of? .A. Of the wool which grows on sheep, which is spun and wove into cloth, and then dyed of various co lours. Q. What is linen n1ade of? .A. Of flax, a plant which is cultiva ted in the fields, and afterwards dressed, spun, and wove into clnth cal]ed linen. ( 42 ) Q. What are ladies gowns made of? J.1. From the wool of the cotton tree, on "vhich it grows in pods. It is pre pared, spun., and vvove into mu:flins and other articles of dress. Q. What are silks? A. Silks are made from the web of the silk worm, a kind of caterpillar which flouriilies in mulberry trees in warm climates. Q. vVhat are hats made of r A. Sometimes of tbie down of bea ver's skins, and someti~es of baked straw, which is plaited with the hand. Q. vVhat are £hoes made of? A. Leather? Q. What is leather? A. The tanned and prepared skins of various animals. q'\ What is p~per? ( 43 ) A. Paper is made of rags. pounded in water into a fine pulp, which is strained through a sieve of the shape and fize of the sheet of paper. Q. How much is a mile? A. One thousand seven hundred and sixty yards. Q. How much is a yard? . A. Three feet, or 36 inches. Q. What is a toot? / A. Twelve inches. Q. What is an inch? .A. Three barlev., corns • Q. How many miles is it round the wor.ld? J./.. It_is twenty'-five thousand miles round the world. Q. How many miles is it from the earth to the moon ? ( 44 } A. From the earth to the moon is (240,000 miles) two hundred and forty thousand miles. · Q. How many miles is it from the earth to the sun ? A. Nearly one hundred millions of miles. See the Universal Preceptor. Q. What is a million? A. Ten hundred thousand. Seepag-e2 5. Q. How far is it fr~m England to America? A. About three thousand miles. Q. How far is it from England to the West Indies? A. About five thousand miles ? Q. How far is it from England to the East Indies? .A. About ten thousand miles. Q. How far is it from London~ the metropolis of England, to Paris the me tropolis of France? ( 45 ) A. About two hundred and fifty miles. Q. .How far is it from London to .Jerusalem ? A. About two thousand miles. Q. How tall are most n1en and wo- · men? A. From five feet to six feet. Q. At what age ha ye we done grow- ing? ' ' A. Between 18 and 2 I. Q. What is the middle age of m~m's 1 1· ce ? ' i • A. Between 30 and 50. Q. When does o1d age commence? A. At different periods> 2ccordingly 3S we 1iYe tempcra_tely or intemperate ly. Drunkards ;;md gfoss, eaters be come old at 50, while persons of sober and temperate habits do not become Qld till ~o. ( 46 J - Q. What is the greatest age of man? A. Only one in a thousand attains the age of 93 1 only one_in ten thousand attains to 100; and only a few in dividuals in many ages have lived to be one hundred and fifty. Q. How long is it since this world was created? A. Nearly six thousand years. Q. How long is it since the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ? A. We date our years from his birth, so that it is as many years as the date of the present year, 1822 ( or as itmaybe.) Q. Who was King of Great Bri tain, before his present most excellent Majesty George the Fourth? A. His father, George the Third ; "·ho died in the Year 1820. Q. Who preceded George the Third ? ( 47 ) A. His grandfather, George the Se• cond; who died in the year 1760 . . Q. Who was king of Great Britain, before George the Second ? .A. His father, George the First, w~? was the first king of the House of Brunswick. Q. Who ·was sovereign before George the First ? A. Queen Anne, who was the · A. Charles the Second, who was re stored after the usurpation of Crom... we 11, on the 29th of May, 1660- Q. Who was king before the usur ,patio_n of Crom well ? A. Charles the First, who, after a bloody civil war, was beheaded at Whitehall, on the 29th of January, 1649• Q. Who was king before Charles the First? .A. His father James the First, (son of Mary Queen of Scots,) who first united the I{ingdoms of England and Scotland, in 1603. Q. When was the Poµish Religion abolished, and the Reformed Religion introduced? A. By I-Ienry the Eighth. in I 534· Q. vVhen did the union of the royal I ( 49 ) famiHes of York and Lancaster take place? .A. After the battle of Bosworth Fie1d in 148 5, when Richard the Third was killed, and Henry the Seventh as cended the throne. Q. When did the English conquer France? A. In 1420, under Henry the Fifth. Q. When was Wales conquered by the English? .A. By Ed ward the First, in 1·2 8 3. Q. When was Ireland first conquer ed by the English? A. By Henry the Second, in 117 2 .. Q. When was England conquered by the Normans? A. In 1066, by vVilliarn the First, or Conqueror. , Q. When was England conquered by the Danes ? .LI.. In 1013, when Canute becamtt king of England and Denmark. Q. When did the great Alfred. begin bis government? .A. In 878. Q. Who first united England under one king? .A. Egbert, in 8 2 8. Q. What was the state of England before Egbert? .A. It was divided in seven different kingdoms, called the Saxon Heptarchy, which lasted nearly four hundred years. · Q. When was England conquered by the Saxons ? .A. About 4 75, after the evacuation of England by the Romans. Q. How long were the Romans in possession of England ? A. Nearly four hundred year". ( 51 ) invade Q. When did the Romans England? 55 years A. Under Julius Cresar, Saviour. before the birth of our England, Q. What was the state of by the Romans? before it was invaded called Bri A. The inhabitants were almost na.. tons, and lived like savages, 1 and wretched ked, in woods, : caves, huts. Q. Who were the Romans? Italy, who A. They were people of nations, conquered all the neighbouring empire ever and established the largest of the world. known in the history have Q. What other great empires there been? under A. Several-the Assyrian, under Cyrus, Semiramis, the Per~ian under Alexander and the l\.1acedonian the Great. ( 52 ) ·Q. Are the dominions of the king of _ Great Britain very extensive? · A. The British Islands are of incon- siderable extent, but the British fleets govern the feas, and the colonies of England are confequently great and po\verful in every part of the world. Q. What are the names of the Nor thern counties in England, and their chief towns? Counties. Chief Towns .. A. Northumberland Newcastle Durham • Durham Cumberland . Carlis le W estrnoreland . Appleby Yorkshire - York Lancashire r Lancaster Cheshire Chester Q. \Vhat are the names of the l\tlid land counties? ( 53 ) Counties. Chi'ef 'Iowns. A. Shropshire . . Shrewsbury Derbyshire . Derby I~ottinghamshire Nottingham Rutland . Oakham Leicestershire . Leicester Staffordshire Stafford Warwickshire . Warwick Worcestershire Worcester Herefordshire . I-Iereford- Monmouthshire Monmouth Gloucestershire Gloucester Ox°fordshire . Oxford Buckingham sh he Ay Jesbury Northamptonshire Northampton Bedfordshire . Bedford Huntingdonshire ~nntingdon Cambridgeshire Ca.m hriclge Q., What are the names of the eJst ern counties? \ ( 54 ) . Counties • Chief 'Iow~u. A. Lincolnshire • Lincoln Norfolk . • Norwich Suffolk • . Bury Essex . Chelmsford Hertfordshire . Hertford What ' Q. are the names of the South- ern and Western Counties. A. l\,liddlesex . . London Kent • Canterbury Surry Guildford Sussex • Chichester Berkshire . . Abingdon Hampshire . . Winchester Wiltshire . • Salisbury Dorsetshire . Dorchester Somersetshire . vVells Devonshire • Exeter Cornwall . Launceston ( 55 ) Q. I-Jow is Scotland situated? A. To the' north of England. Q. How is it divided ? A. Into thirty counties.· Q. What are the chief towns ? A. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, and Aberdeen. Q. How is Ireland divided? A. Ireland is divided into four pro vinces; Leinster, Ulster, Connaught, and Munster, and these provinces are sub-divided into thirty-two counties. Q. How is Wales situated? A. To the west of England. Q. Hovv is it di ided? A. Into twelve c6unties. Q. What are its ch.ief towns? A. Swansea, Carmarthen, Haver ford-west, and Carnarvon. Q. What are the principal towns in Ireland? ( 56 . ) , A. Dublin, Cork, Belfast, London derry, and Waterford. Q, How is the quarter of the world called EunuPE divided? A. It is divicled into several power ful kingdoms and states, of which Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia, are the principal. Q. What are the names and capital cities of those in the north ? Countries. Capitals . .A. Norway • Bergen Denmark • Copenhagen Sweden . • Stockholm Russia • • Petersburg Prussia . • Berlin. Q. What are the names and capital cities of the other countries in Eu rope l ( 57 ) . C'o-untries. Capitals. Austria • • Vienna Bavaria • • Munich Wirtem berg Stutgard Saxony • • Dresden England • London Holland • • Amsterdam F ran<;e ~ • Paris Spain • . • Madrid Portugal • Lisbon Switzerland • Bern Italy • • l\{ilan Etliuria · • Florence Roµfe • • Rome Naples • • Naples Turkey ; . Constantinople ~ What are the chief countries. in that quarter of the world ca~led AsrA? A. China • • Pekin Persia • • Ispahan ( 58 ) Arabia • • Mecca India • • Calcutta Jo1pan ; • Jeddo. Q. What are the names of the prin cipal nations of AFRICA, and their capi- . tal cities ? · Morocco • • Fez Egypt • Cairo , Guinea . • , • Benin Abyssinia • . Gondar. Q. What are the divisions and coun tries of AMERICA? A. The great natural division of the continent of America is into North and South, and the only independant coun try is that which forms the United States; the rest consists of English, Spanish, and Portuguese, colonies. ~ - What is the Sun? ( 59 ) of A. The sun is an immense globe we fire, as much larger than 'the world an live in as a house · is larger than could orange. Without the sun there be neither light, heat, nor life. · Q. What is the world in which we live? an immense ball r A. The world is or globe of 1~:md and water, constantly moving round the sun, and turning round like a bowl on a bowling green. se_. Is the earth round? and A. It is round like an orange.,- orange the r.oughness of the rind of an hills and vallies on the is similar· to the I surface of the earth. ~ How large is the earth? dil A. It is eight thou~Rnd mile,s in n1iles ·meter, and twenty.five thousand · in circumference. • · ( 60 ) ~ What is the moon? A. The moon is a globe like the earth, and is two thousand niiles in diameter. ~ What is the use of it? A. It is probably peopled like the earth, but it was designed by the all wise Creator to enllghten our earth when the sun is set. Q_ What are the stars? . A. A few of the stars are vast globes like our earth, but -the chief part of them are suns, which give light and heat to other distant worlds. Q. What is the distance of the stars ? A. The nearest is at least thirty mil lions of millions of miles distant. Q. What are the clouds? .A.. The clouds are fogs or va pouts which float in the air from a quarter of a mile to three miles high. When ( 61 ) the clouds fall to the ground they cause rain, sometimes snow, and sometimes hail. Q. What is thunder? A. The report., and the echoes of the report, of a flream of the electric fire. Q. What is lightning? A. The flash of li~ht occasioned by the same stream of electric fluid. Q. What is a rainbow? A.--The reflection of the sun's rays in , drops of rain. . Q. What is a fog? .A. A fog -is a cloud which floats on the surface of the earth. Q. \\That is snow and hail? .A. Frozen clouds or rain. Q. What is an eclipse of the moon? .A. The shadow of the earth on the moon. ( 62 ) Q. What is an eclipse of the-sun·? A. The shadow of the moon on the earth. Q. What occasions the tides? A. The attraction of the mooR and sun. ---- OBSERVATIONS TO THE TUTOR. - Questions of this kind might he mul tiplied to an indefinite ex~ent, and others will arise to the mind ef every child, as soon as these have excited his curiosity. Pa rents will be able to answer them, all, hy consulting such Books as GREGORY's NEW CYcLoP.l:EDIA, W ATKINs's PoR T ABLE CYcLOPJEDIA, or my own V NI VERSAL PRECEPTOR, and a habit of in quiry will lead Children themselves to consult such Books, as soon as they observe their uses, and the gratification they afford. ln GEOGRAPHY, tht Questions in C 63 J Goldsmith's Grammar afford an inexhatnl ible variety; in H1sTOR y, those-in Ro BINSON's GRAMMAR; on all useful sub jects, those attached to my UNIVERSAL PRECEPTOR; and in PHILOSOPHY, those in my own Grammar 'lvill be found to be ust:fu! and imjzortant exercises through the entire course of Education. For every age above that of childhood (for· which the preceding Catechis~ is adapted,) Questions should be unprovided with Answers, or the object of teaching by Questions will be defeated: yet there are Books on that erroneous plan. The following short Poems ar( the pro. duction of an ingenious Friend of the Au-- · thor's, and he thinks them so well adapted to implant amiable sentiments in the minds of children, that he could not refrain from giving them a place, on_ the principle that goodness is superior t~ wisdom, though the former is generally a result of the latter. D. B. ( 64 ) MY FATHER. WHO call'd me first his little boy, His source of hope and future joy, And bade me not those hopes destroy ? My Father. Who laugh'd to see me skip and play, And brought me presents every day, And taught me pretty things to say? My Father. Who taught me when a poor man came To ask for something, in God's name, To give with all my heart the same? My Father. And oh! when I could read my book, Who gave me such a tender look, ,And such a heart-felt pleasure took ? My Father. And when our friends would come to dine, If I was good, who gave me wine, And span-new clothes that look'd so fine? My Father. And yet who was it, that would say, If I should prove too fond of play, He'd take my pretty things away ? My F21thcr. ( -65 ) nd I do thank thee for the same, ~ or it would be a dreadful shame To have a dunce's odious name, My Father. And so I'll labour to excel, And strive to read and write so well, That all my friends, with pride, may tell My Father~ I'll guard my words in ev'ry place, And pray to God to grant me grace, That I may bless, and not disgrace, My Father. And, should my God indulgent spare My life, thy joys or griefs to share, I will protect thy sil v'nng hair, My Father. 0 ! it would be my bosom's pride, · For all thy comforts to provide, And see thee in my house preside, My Fathar.· For then I could reflect with joy, That, since I was thy little boy, I never did thy hopes destroy, My Father. f c6) , MY. MOTHER. . . WHEN: first my eyes beheld the light, Who said those little eyes were bright, And that I was her soul's delight r My Mother. When felrdisease her empire spread, And ·sick:ness droop'd my infant head, Who then the tear of sorrow shed ? My Mother. Who watch'd-my cradle ev'ry hour, · A'nd importun'd Almighty pow'r, Upon her babe his gifts ta ·show'r ? My Mother. At length, when pain had fled away, And rosy health resum'd her sway, Who prais'd her God for that blest day? My Mother. When first my lisping accents came, And call'd mamma's beloved name, Who felt a transpmt thrill her frame? . My Mother . And, when I crept from chair to chair, Who watch'd my steps with atixious ·care, Lest I should fall and hurt a hair? My Mother. And oh ·!· who would my food 1prbvide, And little errors gently chide, And dress me with maternal pride? My Mother. Who would my young ideas hoard, A tale of rapture to afford, When guests assembl'd at the hoatd? My Mother. Who taught my bosom to rejoice, 1n God alone, who hears my voice, A_nd make his ways my pleasant choice? My Mother. Affection's tear would gem her eye, And who for me would heave the sigh, Or wi11g a secret wish on high ? My Mother. { -68 ) And should I live to see thee old, 0 ! may'st thou then in me behold, Whate'er thy fondest hopes foretold. My Mother. And may that pow'r which rules above, ~ -he wish recorcl, the pray'r app-rove, · · That you may share my filial love. _My Motheri • y , ( 69 ) MY BROTI-IER. HO shar'd with me our parent's love, nd, when my tender limbs could move, ould all my infant ways approver My Brother. ho strove to give my heart delight, ould blow for me balloons so bright, nd fly his flutt'ring paper kiter My Brother. For he was never rude or rough, And who would make me laugh enough, r When he was playing blindman's buff My Brother. And, if perchance he heard me cry, 0 ! who would to my succour fly, And gently wipe my streaming eye? My Brother. And who would tell me pleasing tales, How vice the wrath of heav'n assails, And virtue ev'ry where prevails ? My Brother. He made me love my books indeed: And who delighted heard me read, ? Those tale..s he could recite with speed My Brother. . ( 70 . ) And when a present he.had got, 0 ! who was it that ne'er forgot, To share with me his happ'y lot ? .My ,Brother. Then, I do love thee very well, Yes, more than any words can tell; T ·hy name shall in my bosom dwell, _ My Brother. For well I know thee void of guile; When others frown'd, thy soothing smile Would many a _little woe beguile, My Brother. For thou·.wert always 1good and kin(4 And I could speak to thee my mind, Sweet solace from ,thy Lips to find, My Brother. 0 ! may I .live to see thee rise To man's estate, revcr'd and wise, T? glad your friends' delighted eyes, My Brother. May virtue be thy constant guest, - And sweet contentment,chann thy bre~st, , , An.d ev'ry gen'rous wish be blest, 11 y Brot•her. ( 71 ) ' MY SISTER~ WHO was it when we both were young, First prais'd me with her artless tongue, And on my neck delighted h_µng? My Sister. For we would run about all day, · And when at hide and seek we'd play, Who came to find me where I lay? My Sister. When I would read of Robin Hood, Or little Children in the Wood, Who -was it call'd me kind and good? , My Sister. And when one day ('twas wrong I know) I tr-od on grandpapa's sore toe, \Vho strove to shelter me from woe ? My Sister. For she would cry if I was beat; And, if she got a dainty treat, Who gave me half ·of it to eat ? My Sister. And when to school I went to stay, For boys must learn, as well .as play, Vv ho sol>b'd to see me go away J My Sister. ( 72 ) For it was ever our delight, To love each other·day and night, Nor-would I do a thing to spite My Sister. For naughty boys and girls, 'tis true, Would pinch each other black and blue; But they were not like me or you; . My Sister. For thou wert al ways kind to me, And it will my ambition be, To prove a faithful friend to thee, My Sister. To guard from hurt thy tender frame, To ~hield thy lov'd and spotless name, And be the champion of thy fame, My Sister. For we11 I know thou wouldst disdain, To be or haughty, pert, or vain, And good and modest wilt remain, My Sister. 0 ! may it be thy precious choice, Our aged parents to rejoice, l\.nd soothe them with thy tender voice, IVl y Sister. And may that Sacred Pow'r above, Still fill thy heart with filial love, And all thy virtuous ways approve, My Sistcr9 'f HE END.
Catechism. Pref Ace
