A

HANDBOOK

OF

ENGLISH DICTATION.

COMPILED

FOR THE USE OF CANDIDATES IN ALL CIVIL AND MILITARY EXAMINATIONS.

PREFACE.

THIS Collection of passages is intended for the use of candidates for all preliminary, test, or qualifying examinations, and is especially designed with a view to final preparation and practice during the month or six weeks immediately preceding the examination. It is well known that defective spelling is the most prolific source of failure, whether a candidate's object be to enter the Military or Civil Services, or to be permitted to begin special professional studies in Law or Medicine, or merely to obtain the Oxford and Cambridge Local" certificate. Spelling-book knowledge will not guarantee its possessor against disaster, unless it has been tested by practice in dictation under precisely the same conditions as those observed in the examination-room.

This little book contains many of the passages that have already been given in the examinations conducted by the Civil Service Commissioners, together with others of various degrees of difficulty, so as to meet the requirements of most candidates. The teacher is recommended in using it to adhere to the plan which is followed by the Civil Service Examiners. The passage should first be read over at an ordinary pace, so that the pupils may gather its general purport. It is well to ask a question or two after having so read it, in order to ensure that attention has been paid to the reading. Then the teacher should dictate the passage, not too slowly, breaking it up into groups of three or four words, and repeating each group three times. Lastly, the whole should be once more read over, with special attention

to the punctuation. After this, the exercises should be at once collected, no time for alteration being allowed. The whole process should be limited to half an hour, even for the longest passages contained in this book. It is highly important that this last condition should be strictly observed, for a pupil who has been allowed to dawdle over dictation will, even if a fair speller, be certain to fail when hurried along at a pace to which he is unaccustomed.

In preparing candidates for the military examinations, in order to reproduce the exact circumstances under which the pupil will be tested, a considerable amount of noise, disorder, clapping of hands, and cheering may be encouraged in the class-room.

As soon as the exercises are done, the mistakes should be underlined in red, and the corrections should be written out by the pupil at least a dozen times. It is useful to cause the old exercises to be preserved, so as to note the besetting errors of each individual, and correct them by special practice.

A few specimens have been inserted of those grotesque productions called Orthographical Exercises." They will suffice as patterns, should any teacher be desirous of constructing such monstrosities for private use.

It only remains for the compiler to tender his thanks to Messrs. Longmans and Co., for kindly permitting him to make use of extracts from the works of Macaulay and Froude ; to Messrs. A. and C. Black, for a similar favour with regard to passages from Macaulay's Biographies in the 'Encyclopædia Britannica'; and to Dr. Bucknill, who has allowed him to reprint certain portions of the 'Mad Folk of Shakespeare.'

HANDBOOK

OF

ENGLISH DICTATION.

I.

IN the early periods of history a broad line of distinction was drawn between the nobility and common freemen. Those of the higher order were distinguished by their noble birth, which they traced to a divine origin, and by their superior wealth, which enabled them to undertake numerous adventures, and increase their fame and riches by the booty which rewarded a successful expedition. They were distinguished also by a robust frame, a majestic bearing, skill in warlike exercise, and superior personal powers.

II.

I never wake without finding life a more insignificant thing than it was the day before, which is one great advantage I get by living in this country, where there is nothing I shall be sorry to lose. But my greatest misery is recollecting the scene of twenty years past, and then all on a sudden dropping into the present. I remember, when I was a little boy, I felt a great fish at the end of my line, which I drew up almost on the ground, but it dropt in, and the disappointment vexes me to this very day; and I believe it was the type of all my future disappointments. I should be ashamed to say this to you if you had not a spirit fitter to bear your own misfortunes than I have to think of them. Is there patience left to reflect by what qualities wealth and greatness are got and by what qualities they are lost?

B