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of Mr. C. It is formed with a slight raising of the lower jaw from its position in forming the third, the tongue being dilated, and brought nearer to the palate, to which, in the long sound, it is as near as is possible without touching.

The fifth (the 7th long of Mr. C.) is formed in the middle of the mouth, the organs little altered from their position in the first, except the tongue being free in the middle of the mouth, and the lips being protruded into a round aperture.

The sixth (corresponding in the long quantity, but the short quantity of which, is the eighth of Mr. C.) is formed by the voice close to the lips, which are more protruded, and form a smaller aperture than in the fifth.

The seventh (always short) corresponds to the short sixth vowel of Mr. C. It has the lips closer than in the sixth; and is a feeble acute effusion of breath.

Now, it is allowed, that each vowel may have different degrees of duration, or quantity if you please. But, at present, I cannot form an intermediate vowel between any two of the above; nor does it at present appear to me possible, for there to be such intermediate vowel. The above statement of the formation of the vowels, in my scheme, will enable any person to try it himself, and thereby establish or controvert my opinions.

The following words (which I think are pronounced by Mr. C. as I pronounce them) will more fully exemplify the

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The fourth, heard in grit, if, live, has its correspondent long sound in greet, eve, lieve, as is evident by referring to the organic formation. If this remark be true, what Mr. C. mentions, that "its long sound is banished from what is considered polite pronunciation," is incorrect.

His exception, great, which he thinks " is an intermediate vowel" between the above 3rd and 4th, (state and street,) appeared at first to have weight; but I tried a number of those of my friends in Manchester who had received a liberal education; and I noticed the pronunciation of several of the peasantry (from the villages round that place) who frequent daily, on business, the shop of an esteemed relative; and I uniformly found it sounded by them with the organs in the position above stated for the 3rd vowel, with a longer duration of sound than in pet, but shorter than in pate. This convinced me (or at least I suspected) that Mr. C. had overlooked the circumstance of its quantity, and I would have tried it with Mr. C. viva voce, but was prevented by urgent domestic business requiring my presence. The name given to e by most of them strengthened my opinion.

Ilis 8th vowel, heard in full, pull, has its correspondent long sound in fool, pool; the organic formation will shew this; and also, that his short 7th vowel is in fact the same as his 8th, only broader, by its articulation with r.

The 7th vowel (the short 6th of Mr. C.) is considered by some writers as pe culiar to our language. It is incapable of prolongation, or forming a long sylla bie. We constantly hear it in both syllables of suffer, lover, muffle, unto, upon; and in the final unemphatic syllables over, havoc, venom, pillar, willow, and nume rous other instances. It is the same as

the Italian o chiuso, (probably same as the ancient qux pov,) and Voltaire thinks it is without sensible difference from the sound given to e in the French words, je, me, te, se, que, le, &c. and also in the fi nal syllables of the words gloire, victoire, &c, in French poetry.

From the vowels given above are formed the following dipthongs and tripthongs, in our language:

1. Heard in joy, alloy, toy, cloy, of the 1 and 4 vowels.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

We are of the same opinion in reference to the three first vowels,

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how, now, thou, of 1 and 6. aye (and Lanc. Dialect), of

2 and 4.

I, mine, high, of 7 and 4.

yawl, yacht, York, of 4

and 1.

yard, yarn, of 4 and 2. yell, year, yea, of 4 and 3.

8. Heard

1814.]

The Voyage of Human Life.

8. Heard in ye, yes, yean, year, 4 short

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and long.

yoke, yore, of 4 and 5. use, muse, you, of 4 and 6. yon, yonder, young, of 4

and 7.

wad, war, wall, of 6 and 1. wag, wax, swagger, of 6 and 2.

way, wed, swear, of 6 & 3.

we, will, wheel, of 6 and 4 woe, woad, swore, of 6 and 5. wool, wood, woman, of

6 and 6.

one, won, word, of 6 and 7. Tripthongs.

why, wine, wild, of 6, 7, and 4.

wow, wound, (did wind) of 6, 1, and 6.

kind, guide, guile, of 4,

7, and 4.

There may be a longer duration in some words, but the component vowels will be found to correspond with the above.

When two succeeding vowels form distinct syllables, as in Joel, without an intervening consonant, they may be considered as articulated or jointed with each other; but a dipthong is free from this articulation, the one component vowel being run into the other, the sound being still wholly vocal, yet different from either, when separate, and from both, when uttered as forming two syllables.

The third tripthong is difficult to obtain; and the effect of k and g, on all those foreign words which have in them the same articulation, is so universal, that Englishmen with difficulty catch the true sound; for instance, of the Italian word caro, dear, so as to distinguish it from chiaro, clear.

SIMEON SHAW.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

E

SIR,

VERY man who has attained the age of forty-five, must frequently bave had his sensibility wounded by the effects of increasing age, on the genera tion which has immediately preceded him. That generation was in maturity, or in the full activity of enterprize, when his faculties began to take cognizance of character, and to acquire the first impressions of society. His most lively affections are therefore associated with the individuals who composed it, among whom were his parents and their personal friends; he therefore sees the havock made by devouring time, on their energies of body and mind, on their persons, and often on their fortunes, with the tenderest sympathy; and he derives from MONTHLY MAG. No. 252

133

this experience, a variety of interesting impressions, and many affecting topics for reflection and comparison.

age,

Among these effects of old he will be frequently called upon to sympathize with the decaying fortunes and irretrievable difficulties of that generation. He will often meet with individuals, whose elegance and vivacity were, in early life, objects of his admiration; but whose thread-bare cloaths, solemn mien, careworn features, and grey hairs, indicate fallen or falling fortunes. They launched their bark in the voyage of life, within his recollection; and after sailing gaily in the sun-shine of prosperity for many years, have at length suf, fered the wreck of their hopes, from misplaced confidence, or treacherous shoals and quicksands; or probably from over, loading their vessel, it has sprung a leak, and foundered, just as they were ap proaching the end of a prosperous voyage! Others, perhaps, after suffering from various squalls and tempests, without meeting with any fine weather during a luckless voyage, have found themselves worn out and crazy before they reached their destined haven, and have been com pelled to fire continual signals of distress, till every one is weary of lending them assistance.

If in this manner we could fancy that we beheld an ocean of Time, one hundred degrees across, the passage of which constituted the voyage of human life, we should witness the fate of a great fleet of mortal barks, in different parts of the voyage, something like the following: Of every thousand of these human prototypes who set sail together, 500 would prove so frail that we should see them founder ere they had reached the first and second degrees of their voyage; and another 300 would be lost from various accidents, before they reached the middle of the ocean! Of the remaining 200, three-fourths would prove so crazy, that in the next quarter of the voyage they would likewise be swallowed up. The last twenty-five degrees would present, consequently, not above one in twenty of the original fleet; and these in foul condition, water-logged, without pilots, unable to aid each other, and foundering successively from various causes, till, at the eightieth degree, not 30 would be left; at ninety degrees but 3; and only the wreck of 1 would have a chance of reaching the goal at the hundredth de. gree!

It would be evident that many of the vessels which were performing the last part of this arduous voyage, would stand T

greatly

greatly in need of assistance. At the same time, their contemporary voyagers would be daily falling off around them, so that the farther each advances, the services which he might have expected from the sympathy of old friendships are lost to him by the successive extinction of his friends. The latter part of the voyage therefore would be performed in a dismal solitude, unaided and unregard. ed, each vessel finding sufficient employment to sustain its own existence.

Such is the true picture of every thousand human beings who set sail from the same port on the ocean of time! And if we suppose a succession of ports at each degree, from which other thousand ves. sels might sail, each towards corresponding ports, at the distance of a hundred degrees; such a succession of fleets would completely represent the mixture of all the stages of human life, in its contemThose who had poraneous existence. nearly completed their voyage, would encounter new and fresh fleets coming out of port, full of gaiety, joy, and hope; but they would be strangers to each other, and though the experienced voyager might offer his council in regard to the rocks and shoals which had destroyed so many of his own fleet, it is generally disregarded or laughed at by these young voyagers, whose wantonness, or violent passions, occasion them not only to run down cach other, but often to treat the signals of distress of old and worn-out voyagers with insult!

This allegory may have served, by its sensible analogy, to illustrate the subject under discussion; but we should now return to our respective circles in society, look around us, and consider what degree of the ocean of time we and our friends are now passing! We ought seriously to examine the state and condition of our vessel, keep it in good repair, avail ourselves of our experience, take warning from the longer experience of others, and do to them as we should wish others to do to us when we are as far advanced in the common, voyage of life; and when our vessel, like theirs, will stand in need of help from all who are in good condition, and who have materials to spare, with which to render plea. sant the remainder of our voyage.

If all the individuals which compose a generation, had started in their career of existence at the same moment, similar motives and similar experience would actuate the conduct of mankind; but few or none have started in life together. Hence it is that all the passions of our

nature, and all the feelings peculiar to every period of life, are constantly in action. Their mixture produces the harmonious whole; but the individuals who make up the aggregate, are necessarily, in the collision of interests, subject to be unequally acted upon, and to suf fer in undue proportions. In this conflict, however, those who are passing the period of mature and vigorous life, are able to contend for themselves with the means which nature, education, and fortune have provided them. But it is otherwise with the extremes of life, or with INFANCY and OLD AGE. These are periods of helplessness, and they demand respectively the fostering care of the generation which goes before them, and of that which follows after them.

Happily one of these periods, that of CHILDHOOD, is provided for by a sense of its own kind, created by the occasion which calls for its exertion, essential to the continuity of animated nature, and well known to those who have acquired the relation of PARENT. Such is the provision made by nature for the protection of its offspring. The power of parental affection, is a sufficient security for this extremity of life; but the influ ence of FILIAL DUTY is not sufficient for the protection of the other. It is true, that among civilized nations, the duty of children to provide for their decrepid parents is taught as a principle of religion and morality; but that it is not a paramount affection of nature is evident, from the practice of many barbarous tribes in exposing their aged parents to perish, instead of succouring and preserv ing them; and from the habits of all animals, whose young never recognise their parents after they have ceased to be necessary to them. Again, all the aged have not children on whom to depend, or children competent to support them; and many survive their offspring.

It seems therefore to be an obligation of society at large to make some adequate and convenient provision for the wants of OLD AGE; and this duty appears to be the more imperative and reasonable, because every one desires to arrive at that state; and the service rendered is likely to be felt by every one in his

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turn.

The effective part of society consists of persons between sixteen aud sixty. In this period of life, every man and woman perform for society the part which is measured by their powers; and it signifies little what the nature of that performance has been, provided they

1814.T

Claims and Rights of Old Age.

have done their best in their stations. Persons of sixty have little more to hope for; new exertions are not then to be expected, and if made are generally unavailing. Employment is sought by them in vain! The world at large looks cool upon them; and charity, if met with, is soon wearied or exhausted! Besides, as the persons above that age compose but one-tenth of the whole generation, and have smoothened the path of life for the enjoyment of others, it seems reasonable that they should either be provided for by the labour or means of the community in possession; or that some provision should be engrafted in the very constitutions of society, which should render them independant of extreme labour, and secure them from the consequences of chronic disease and increasing decrepitude.

Do the active generation, for the time being, enjoy abundance in the fruits and produce of the earth, to whom are they indebted, but to the previous generation for their labours of planting, improving, and cultivating?

Do youth enjoy the advantages of extended knowledge, of improvements in arts and sciences, and of public schools, to whom are they indebted for so many advantages, but to the parents of their own generation?

Do men enjoy the benefits of good laws, of trial by jury, and of a representative government securing the blessings of civil liberty, to what are they indebted but to the sacrifices and blood of their forefathers for those establishments, and to the virtue and courage of their immediate predecessors for the transmission to them?

In a word, if the active genera tion of men enjoy any comforts or blessings superior to what are afforded by a state of nature, are they not indebted for their existence or preservation to the exertions, skill, and sacrifices, of the immediately preceding generation? which generation is represented by all its surviving individuals of a certain age; and these consequently ought to be, in regard to each succeeding age, the objects of public succour and gratitude.

Nor is it a valid objection, to the force of this obligation, that many survivors of each past age have not been benefactors of the human race. Some of them, like the grasshopper in the fable, may have trifled away the harvest-season of lifeothers may have lost their opportunity of providing for their old age by a life of vice and debauchery and others, instead of

135

supporting the rights and liberties of their country, may have aided corrupt administrations in undermining them-yet these, from the known effect of moral causes on physical effects, cannot form a large part of the aged; while it would even be better that nine vicious should receive public support, than that one virtuous old man, who had contributed by his labour or ingenuity to improve or maintain the condition of society, should perish through want! Besides, the gratitude of each succeeding to each preceding age is not due to mere unity, but to the aggregation; for it is the aggregate labour and virtue of each age, in which every individual has contributed his mite of assistance, that gives effect to the services of the most renowned public benefactors.

All the active population of every country contribute, more or less, in producing the features of their own age; some by contriving, others by labouring, others by auxiliary inventions; some in raising subsistence, and others in teaching good me rals, healing the sick, or performing acts of humanity. The obligations of each succeeding age to the preceding age is not therefore confined to individuals whose merits can be specified; but it is

an OBLIGATION OF A UNIVERSAL CHA

RACTER, arising from benefits TRANSMITTED, not by any definite number of persons, but by the common exertions of the entire community.

If it be objected that to make a liberal provision for old age would be to lessen the stimulus of youth, and to diminish, in regard to that period, the anxiety which is the foundation of much industry; I admit that the position would have force if it were in the power of man to command fortune, to foresee the consequences of every action, and to become rich simply because wealth is merited. But as no such powers belong to man; and as old age includes perhaps more virtuous poverty than vicious poverty, so the obligation to support all the aged is in no degree diminished. The objection too is unjust, unless the constitutions of society afforded industrious labour a reward sufficient, with which at once to live and lay up a store; but such is the situation of no country, and notoriously not the condi tion of mere labourers in our own. sides it is questionable whether the stimu lus to industry is not present enjoyinent proximately, and a reserve for old age but very remotely. If we scrutinize the motives which actuate men from time to time, it will be found that to become more powerful and wealthy than their neighbours

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£6,320,000 which, with the expences of management, would be 64 millions per annum.

neighbours, and to secure themselves in their actual state against the caprice of førtune and the encroachments of others, are the genuine stimuli of industry; and not the remote contingencies of old age, which they may never live to enjoy, and the provisions for which, if it ever arrive, are included as subordinate objects in their present, calculations. It would also be a revolution in the passions of man to suppose that any one would miss a favour able opportunity of aggrandizing himself, or that he would seek with greater caution the indulgencies of opulence, and the means of enriching his family, be cause a benevolent provision existed for the animal wants of his old age.

Justice and Humanity are consequent ly in this case in no degree at variance with the rigid principles of sound policy, though the affected wisdom of statesmen often treats society as a mere machine, and its sensitive parts as so many wheels, cogs, and pinions, devoid of the feelings of humanity, and subject only to the ge neral laws of mechanism and gravitation! Relative to the propriety and justice of making a comfortable provision for the aged, I should therefore hope no reasonable doubt can exist; but it may be supposed that greater difference will arise in regard to the amount and the mode of making and securing the provision. Some may think the parish work house sufficient, and that as poverty is the greatest of crimes, or the sign of all crimes, it merits an ignominious exit in the comInon workhouse. I trust, however, that I have placed the claims of age on higher grounds than is implied in any of the existing provisions for it. The best use that could be made of the existing funds, would be in the immediate appropriation of part of them to aid a more liberal system. Thus if of the 12 millions per annum now collected in England and Wales for the poor, FIVE MILLIONS be considered as expended in the present relief of the aged, I would appropriate this FIVE MILLIONS per annum as the first step towards the foundation of a better and permanent establishment.

By the London Bills of Mortality it appears that of the 10 millions of people in England and Wales, there are,

510,000 between 60 and 70. $86,000 between 70 and 80. 170,000 between 80 and 100. If then, in order to make the most of this limited fund, we suppose that two-thirds of the aged have means of providing for themselves, or have children able to maintain them; the cost of annuities in

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To raise this sum loans must in the first instance be borrowed on the credit of the 5 millions of poor-rates applicable to this object; and such system of loans, aided by the annual income, would maintain the whole for 60 years, or nearly, and afterwards redeem itself like the public debt. My NEW SYSTEM here sugof this desirable object would then begested for the perpetual accomplishment gin to be operative.

I propose that a PERPETUAL TONTIN r TONTINES shall be legalized, and engrafted as a feature of society, for the pur pose of providing for OLD AGE; and that to these Tontines there shall be paid at the birth of every child, by the parents or the parish, a certain small sum, and if the parents can afford it as many times that sum as they please, for proportional advantages to their children in old age.

Every single pound paid at birth, would, at compound interest, amount at sixty years of age to 18/. 12s.; and as but one in ten would survive, so the share of each would be 186l., with which to purchase an annuity at 11 per cent., making upwards of 20%. per annum to all survivors, at sixty, for 17. paid at birth!

If, then, none were to receive but those who had not a means of living equal to the proposed annuity, it may be concluded, that not half the aged would have occasion to receive from the public stock; consequently the 207. would become 40%.; or allowing for the proposed augmentation at seventy and eighty, and for incidental expences, it would leave a net 30l. per annum for all needy survivors at 60.

Thus it appears that ONE POUND,* paid to a common stock at the birth of all children, would yield to one half, or the needy portion of the survivors, annuities

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*This proceeds on a supposition of 5 per cent. interest, which doubles the principal every 14 years. By planting at 74 per cent the same results would take place in 40 Also at 4 per cent. in 74 years, or by making years; and at 10 per cent. in 50 years. 36s. the original deposit instead of 20s. But none of these particular calculations affect the general principle of the plan proposed

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