i 
- 
1799-1 Pronouncing Ditt. of Proper Names”... Wanlekhead Library. 44.7 
with all countries, and be every where 
free, and every where enjoy her privileges, 
on which confideration his highne({s is 
permitted, whenever the whim fhall take 
him, to add folly to folly, and guinea to 
guinea, ante fub-anté per-anié, without in-. 
. termiffion, diminution, or interrogation, 
except when his jaw wags; therefore on 
thefe conditions, and in reward of his va- 
lour, we have afligned, and do afficn on 
our fields of Mars, the fpoils which he 
fhall himfeif take from the enemies of 
France, for which no man fhall make 
him accountable: granted and detired on 
behalf of his highne(s. 
At Dijon-’tis done in broad day, not by ftealth, 
The prince being prefent, we drink to his 
health. 
In one thoufand fix hundred, one fix and one 
twenty, 
Where fools it is plain, are affembled in 
plenty. , 
eT 
To the Editor of tke Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, - ; 
SHOULD be glad to know, through 
the medium of your ufetul magazine, 
whether a pronouncing Dictionary of 
names of places on the plan of SHERI- 
DAN’s and WALKER’s has been pub- 
lithed. Such a-work has long appeared 
to me very defirable, and I do not at pre- 
fent fee any fufficient objection to the 
execution of it. 
Would it not be a confiderable re- 
commendation to a Gazetteer, if the 
proper pronunciation of the German, 
French, Italian, &c. names of places 
were given. 
There are many gentlemen in the coun- 
try, who are fond of reading, and parti- 
cularly of Geography, but who from 
their little intercourfe with the commer- 
cial and well-informed part of fociety, 
are almoft afraid to mention the names of 
places, and fometimes feel embarrafled if 
required to read a news-paper in a mixed 
company. A perfon may have a pretty 
good claffical education and yet, being 
ignorant of the-continental languages, be 
entirely at a lofs for the pronunciation 
of many words he may meet with in al- 
moft every page of Geography. 
Should any gentleman, properly quali- 
fied, undertake a work of the above de- 
{cription, I have no doubt of his meeting 
with liberal encouragement from the 
public. ( 
' By fubmitting the above to your li- 
terary correfpondents, you will much 
- pblige your conftant reader, 
May 4, 1799. EvuPHONEUs. 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazjne. 
SIR, 
Li your number of the prefent month, 
L page 295, a correfpondent fuggetts a” 
variety of interelting enquiries, connected 
with the ftate of the poor and the igs 
norant, and which refpect the general in- 
terefts of fociety: that particular one, 
which regards circulating libraries in 
villages, and which has no doubt for its 
object the more extenfive diffufion of ufe- 
ful knowledge, will receive, I hope, as 
for the benefit of fociety it fhould, a 
negative reply-—the eftablifhment of fuch 
libraries wouid require more encourage- 
ment than villages in general afford; but 
if practicable, the date of their opening 
would mark the beginning of that gra- 
dual corruption which muft neceffarily 
follow. If the mental conftitution of a 
large town, with all the advantages of 
education, habit and exercife, can with 
difficulty refitt the baneful effe€:s of that 
poiton which lurks almoft invariably, in- 
every corner of a circulating library, 
what havock would it not make in the 
country ! 
Inftead of a circulating library, under 
the direction of an interefted individual; 
whofe immediate intereft, and the real ad- 
vantage of his readers might be very dif- 
ferent, fomething of a public nature 
ought to be attempted, wherein proper 
- attention would be paid to the choice of 
books—to the total exclufion of fuch as 
might have a tendency to inflame the paf- 
fions or corrupt the heart—and*the admif- 
fion of thofe, that might make us better 
men, better chriftians, and better citizens. 
In a mountainous part of the fouth of 
Scotland, where I was occafionally latt 
December, I difcovered one of the bef 
inftitutions of this kind, that. ever oc- 
curred to me—of great ufefulnefs and ge- 
neral practicability. Wanlockhead, the 
refidence of lead-miners, is excluded from 
the furrounding country, by high and 
fteep hills with which it is encircled: its 
infulated fituation, together with the fpirit 
of inveftigation, for which its inhabitants 
have been long remarkable, taught them 
to feek refources for amufement and in- 
formation within themfelves ; and a pub- 
lic library under proper reculations was 
eftablifhed- A liberal donation of feve- 
ral valuable volumes, by one of the pro- 
prietors of the works, Jaid the founda- 
‘tion of their prefent valuable colletion of 
books in hiftory, philofophy, mathema- 
tics and general literature; a very tri- 
fling contribution from every fub{criber, 
perhaps monthly, or every quarter, has 
by 
