The Grammar of English Grammars

Chapter XIII General Rule.

The following comprehensive canon for the correction of all sorts of nondescript errors in syntax, and the several critical or general notes under it, seem necessary for the completion of my design; which is, to furnish a thorough exposition of the various faults against which the student of English grammar has occasion to be put upon his guard.

General Rule of Syntax.

In the formation of sentences, the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout.

Critical Notes to the General Rule.

Critical Note I.—Of the Parts of Speech.

Words that may constitute different parts of speech, must not be left doubtful as to their classification, or to what part of speech they belong.

Critical Note Ii.—Of Doubtful Reference.

The reference of words to other words, or their syntactical relation according to the sense, should never be left doubtful, by any one who means to be understood.

Critical Note Iii.—Of Definitions.

A definition, in order to be perfect, must include the whole thing, or class of things, which it pretends to define, and exclude every thing which comes not under the name.

Critical Note Iv.—Of Comparisons.

A comparison is a form of speech which requires some similarity or common property in the things compared; without which, it becomes a solecism.

Critical Note V.—Of Falsities.

Sentences that convey a meaning manifestly false, should be changed, rejected, or contradicted; because they distort language from its chief end, or only worthy use; which is, to state facts, and to tell the truth. CRITICAL NOTE VI.—OF ABSURDITIES.

Absurdities, of every kind, are contrary to grammar, because they are contrary to reason, or good sense, which is the foundation of grammar.

Critical Note Vii.—Of Self-Contradiction.

Every writer or speaker should be careful not to contradict himself; for what is self-contradictory, is both null in argument, and bad in style.

Critical Note Viii.—Of Senseless Jumbling.

To jumble together words without care for the sense, is an unpardonable negligence, and an abuse of the human understanding.

Critical Note Ix.—Of Words Needless.

Words that are entirely needless, and especially such as injure or encumber the expression, ought in general to be omitted.

Critical Note X.—Of Improper Omissions.

Words necessary to the sense, or even to the melody or beauty of a sentence, ought seldom, if ever, to be omitted.

Critical Note Xi.—Of Literary Blunders.

Grave blunders made in the name of learning, are the strongest of all certificates against the books which contain them unreproved.

Critical Note Xii.—Of Perversions.

Proof-texts in grammar, if not in all argument, should be quoted literally; and even that which needs to be corrected, must never be perverted.

Critical Note Xiii.—Of Awkwardness.

Awkwardness, or inelegance of expression, is a reprehensible defect in style, whether it violate any of the common rules of syntax or not.

Critical Note Xiv.—Of Ignorance.

Any use of words that implies ignorance of their meaning, or of their proper orthography, is particularly unscholarlike; and, in proportion to the author's pretensions to learning, disgraceful.

CRITICAL NOTE XV.—OF SILLINESS. Silly remarks and idle truisms are traits of a feeble style, and, when their weakness is positive, or inherent, they ought to be entirely omitted. CRITICAL NOTE XVI.—OF THE INCORRIGIBLE.

Passages too erroneous for correction, may be criticised, orally or otherwise, and then passed over without any attempt to amend them.[445]

General Observations on the Syntax.

OBS. 1.—In the foregoing code of syntax, the author has taken the parts of speech in their order, and comprised all the general principles of relation, agreement, and government, in twenty-four leading Rules. Of these rules, eight—(namely, the 1st, of Articles; the 4th, of Possessives; the 9th, of Adjectives; the 20th, of Participles; the 21st, of Adverbs; the 22d, of Conjunctions; the 23d, of Prepositions; and the 24th, of Interjections—) are used only in parsing. The remaining sixteen, because they embrace principles that are sometimes violated in practice, answer the double purpose of parsing and correcting. The Exceptions, of which there are thirty-two, (all occasionally applicable in parsing,) belong to nine different rules, and refer to all the parts of speech, except nouns and interjections. The Notes, of which there are one hundred and fifty-two, are subordinate rules of syntax, not designed to be used in parsing, but formed for the exposition and correction of so many different forms of false grammar. The Observations, of which there are, in this part of the work, without the present series, four hundred and ninety-seven, are designed not only to defend and confirm the doctrines adopted by the author, but to explain the arrangement of words, and whatever is difficult or peculiar in construction.

OBS. 2.—The rules in a system of syntax may be more or less comprehensive, as well as more or less simple or complex; consequently they may, without deficiency or redundance, be more or less numerous. But either complexity or vagueness, as well as redundance or deficiency, is a fault; and, when all these faults are properly avoided, and the two great ends of methodical syntax, parsing and correcting, are duly answered, perhaps the requisite number of syntactical rules, or grammatical canons, will no longer appear very indeterminate. In the preceding chapters, the essential principles of English syntax are supposed to be pretty fully developed; but there are yet to be exhibited some forms of error, which must be corrected under other heads or maxims, and for the treatment of which the several dogmas of this chapter are added. Completeness in the system, however, does not imply that it must have shown the pupil how to correct every form of language that is amiss: for there may be in composition many errors of such a nature that no rule of grammar can show, either what should be substituted for the faulty expression, or what fashion of amendment may be the most eligible. The inaccuracy may be gross and obvious, but the correction difficult or impossible. Because the sentence may require a change throughout; and a total change is not properly a correction; it is a substitution of something new, for what was, perhaps, in itself incorrigible.

OBS. 3.—The notes which are above denominated Critical or General, are not all of them obviously different in kind from the other notes; but they all are such as could not well have been placed in any of the earlier chapters of the book. The General Rule of Syntax, since it is not a canon to be used in parsing, but one that is to be applied only in the correcting of false syntax, might seem perhaps to belong rather to this order of notes; but I have chosen to treat it with some peculiar distinction, because it is not only more comprehensive than any other rule or note, but is in one respect more important; it is the rule which will be cited for the correction of the greatest number and variety of errors. Being designed to meet every possible form of inaccuracy in the mere construction of sentences,—or, at least, every corrigible solecism by which any principle of syntax can be violated,—it necessarily includes almost all the other rules and notes. It is too broad to convey very definite instruction, and therefore ought not in general to be applied where a more particular rule or note is clearly applicable. A few examples, not properly fitting under any other head, will serve to show its use and application: such examples are given, in great abundance, in the false syntax below. If, in some of the instances selected, this rule is applied to faults that might as well have been corrected by some other, the choice, in such cases, is deemed of little or no importance.

OBS. 4.—The imperfection of ancient writing, especially in regard to division and punctuation, has left the syntactical relation of words, and also the sense of passages, in no few instances, uncertain; and has consequently made, where the text has been thought worthy of it, an abundance of difficult work for translators, critics, and commentators. Rules of grammar, now made and observed, as they ought to be, may free the compositions of this, or a future age, from similar embarrassments; and it is both just and useful, to test our authors by them, criticising or correcting their known blunders according to the present rules of accurate writing. But the readers and expounders of what has come to us from remote time, can be rightly guided only by such principles and facts as have the stamp of creditable antiquity. Hence there are, undoubtedly, in books, some errors and defects which have outlived the time in which, and the authority b which, they might have been corrected. As we have no right to make a man say that which he himself never said or intended to say, so we have in fact none to fix a positive meaning upon his language, without knowing for a certainty what he meant by it. Reason, or good sense, which, as I have suggested, is the foundation of grammar and of all good writing, is indeed a perpetual as well as a universal principle; but, since the exercises of our reason must, from the very nature of the faculty, be limited to what we know and understand, we are not competent to the positive correction, or to the sure translation, of what is obscure and disputable in the standard books of antiquity.

OBS. 5.—Let me cite an example: "For all this I considered in my heart, even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all."— Ecclesiastes, ix, 1. Here is, doubtless, one error which any English scholar may point out or correct. The pronoun "them" should be him, because its intended antecedent appears to be "man," and not "the righteous and the wise," going before. But are there not other faults in the version? The common French Bible, in this place, has the following import: "Surely I have applied my heart to all that, and to unfold all this; to wit, that the righteous and the wise, and their actions, are in the hand of God and love and hatred; and that men know nothing of all that which is before them. All happens equally to all." The Latin Vulgate gives this sense: "All these things have I considered in my heart, that I might understand them accurately: the righteous and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; and yet man doth not know, whether by love or by hatred lie may be worthy: but all things in the future are kept uncertain, so that all may happen alike to the righteous man and to the wicked." In the Greek of the Septuagint, the introductory members of this passage are left at the end of the preceding chapter, and are literally thus: "that all this I received into my heart, and my heart understood all this." The rest, commencing a new chapter, is as follows: "For the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God, and indeed both love and hatred man knoweth not: all things before their face are vanity to all." Now, which of these several readings is the nearest to what Solomon meant by the original text, or which is the farthest from it, and therefore the most faulty, I leave it to men more learned than myself to decide; but, certainly, there is no inspired authority in any of them, but in so far as they convey the sense which he really intended. And if his meaning had not been, by some imperfection in the oldest expression we have of it, obscured and partly lost, there could be neither cause nor excuse for these discrepancies. I say this with no willingness to depreciate the general authority of the Holy Scriptures, which are for the most part clear in their import, and very ably translated into English, as well as into other languages.

Improprieties for Correction.

False Syntax under the General Rule.

Lesson I.—Articles.

(1.) "An article is a part of speech placed before nouns."—Comly's Gram., p. 11.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the article an is here inconsistent with the term "part of speech;" for the text declares one thing of a kind to be the whole kind. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences, the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence may be corrected in two ways, thus: "The article is a part of speech placed before nouns;"—or better, "An article is a word placed before nouns." [446]]

(2.) "An article is a part of speech used to limit nouns."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 19. (3.) "An article is a part of speech set before nouns to fix their vague Signification."—Ash's Gram., p. 18. (4.) "An adjective is a part of speech used to describe a noun."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 19. (5.) "A pronoun is a part of speech used instead of a noun."—Ibid.; and Weld's Gram., pp. 30 and 50; Abridg., pp. 29 and 46. (6.) "A Pronoun is a Part of Speech which is often used instead of a Noun Substantive common, and supplies the Want of a Noun proper."—British Gram., p. 102; Buchanan's Gram., p. 29. (7.) "A verb is a part of speech, which signifies to be, to do, or to be acted upon"—Merchant's School Gram., p. 17. (8.) "A verb is a part of speech, which signifies to be, to act, or to receive an action."—Comly's Gram., p. 11. (9.) "A verb is a part of speech by which any thing is asserted."—Weld's Gram, p. 50; Abridg., 46 and 58. (10.) "A verb is a part of speech which expresses action, or existence, in a direct manner."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20. (11.) "A participle is a part of speech derived from a verb, and expresses action or existence in an indirect manner."—Ibid. (12.) "A Participle is a Part of Speech derived from a Verb, and denotes being, doing, or suffering, and implies Time, as a Verb does."—British Gram., p. 139; Buchanan's, p. 46. "An adverb is a part of speech used to add to the meaning of verbs, adjectives, and participles."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20. (14.) "An adverb is an indeclinable part of speech, added to a verb, adjective, or other adverb, to express some circumstance, quality, or manner of their signification."— Adam's Gram., p. 142; Gould's, 147. (15.) "An Adverb is a part of speech joined to a verb, an Adjective, a Participle, and sometimes to another Adverb, to express the quality or circumstance of it."—Ash's Gram., p. 47, (16.) "An Adverb is a part of speech joined to a Verb, Adjective, Participle, and sometimes to another Adverb, to express some circumstances respecting it."—Beck's Gram., p. 23. (17.) "An Adverb is a Part of Speech which is joined to a Verb, Adjective, Participle, or to another Adverb to express some Modification, or Circumstance, Quality, or Manner of their Signification."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 61. (18.) "An Adverb is a part of speech added to a Verb (whence the name), and sometimes even to another word."—Bucke's Gram., p. 76. (19.) "A conjunction is a part of speech used to connect words and sentences."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20; Weld's, 51. (20.) "A Conjunction is a part of speech that joins words or sentences together."—Ash's Gram., p. 43. (21.) "A Conjunction is that part of speech which connect sentences, or parts of sentences or single words."—Blair's Gram., p. 41. (22.) "A Conjunction is a part of speech, that is used principally to connect sentences, so as, out of two, three, or more, sentences, to make one."—Bucke's Gram., p. 28. (23.) "A Conjunction is a part of speech that is chiefly used to connect sentences, joining two or more simple sentences into one compound sentence: it sometimes connects only words."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 118. (24.) "A Conjunction is a Part of Speech which joins Sentences together, and shews the Manner of their Dependance upon one another."—British Gram., p. 163; Buchanan's, p. 64; E. Devis's. 103. (25.) "A preposition is a part of Speech used to show the relation between other words."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20. (26.) "A Preposition is a part of speech which serves to connect words and show the relation between them."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 42. (27.) "A preposition is a part of speech used to connect words and show their relation."—Weld's Gram., p. 51; Abridg. 47. (28.) "A preposition is that part of speech which shows the position of persons or things, or the relation that one noun or pronoun bears toward another."—Blair's Gram., p. 40. (29.) "A Preposition is a Part of Speech, which being added to any other Parts of Speech serves to shew their State, Relation or Reference to each other."—British Gram., p. 165; Buchanan's, p. 65. (30.) "An interjection is a part of speech used to express sudden passion or emotion."—Gilbert's Gram., p. 20. (31.) "An interjection is a part of speech used in giving utterance to some sudden feeling or emotion."— Weld's Gram., pp. 49 and 51; Abridg., 44 and 47. (32.) "An Interjection is that part of speech which denotes any sudden affection or emotion of the mind."—Blair's Gram., p. 42. (33) "An Interjection is a Part of Speech thrown into discourse, and denotes some sudden Passion or Emotion of the Soul."—British Gram., p. 172; Buchanan's, p. 67.

(34.) "A scene might tempt some peaceful sage
To rear him a lone hermitage."
—Union Poems, p. 89.

(35.) "Not all the storms that shake the pole
Can e'er disturb thy halcyon soul,
And smooth th' unaltered brow."
—Day's Gram., p. 78; E. Reader, 230.

LESSON II.—NOUNS. "The thrones of every monarchy felt the shock."—Frelinghuysen.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the plural noun thrones has not a clear and regular construction, adapted to the author's meaning. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence may be corrected thus: "The throne of every monarchy felt the shock."]

"These principles ought to be deeply impressed upon the minds of every American."—Webster's Essays, p. 44. "The word church and shire are radically the same."—Ib., p. 256. "They may not, in their present form, be readily accommodated to every circumstance belonging to the possessive cases of nouns."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 53. "Will, in the second and third person, only foretels."—Ib., p. 88. "Which seem to form the true distinction between the subjunctive and the indicative moods."—Ib., p. 208. "The very general approbation, which this performance of Walker has received from the public."—Ib., p. 241. "Lest she carry her improvements this way too far."—CAMPBELL: ib., p. 371. "Charles was extravagant, and by this means became poor and despicable."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 189. "We should entertain no prejudices against simple and rustic persons."—Ib., p. 205. "These are indeed the foundations of all solid merit."—Blair's Rhet., p. 175. "And his embellishment, by means of musical cadence, figures, or other parts of speech."—Ib., p. 175. "If he is at no pains to engage us by the employment of figures, musical arrangement, or any other art of writing."—Ib., p. 181. "The most eminent of the sacred poets are, the Author of the book of Job, David and Isaiah."—Ib., p. 418. "Nothing, in any poet, is more beautifully described than the death of old Priam."—Ib., p. 439. "When two vowels meet together, and are sounded at one breath, they are called diphthongs."—Infant School Gram., p. 10. "How many ss would goodness then end with? Three."—Ib., p. 33. "Birds is a noun, the name of a thing or creature."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 53. "Adam gave names to every living creature."—Bicknell's Gram., Part ii, p. 5. "The steps of a stair ought to be accommodated to the human figure."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 337. "Nor ought an emblem more than a simile to be founded on low or familiar objects."—Ib., Vol. ii. p. 357. "Whatever the Latin has not from the Greek, it has from the Goth."—Tooke's Diversions, Vol. ii, p. 450. "The mint and secretary of state's offices are neat buildings."—The Friend, Vol. iv, p. 266. "The scenes of dead and still life are apt to pall upon us."—Blair's Rhet., p. 407. "And Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus, the angelical and the subtle doctors, are the brightest stars in the scholastic constellation."—Literary Hist., p. 244. "The English language has three methods of distinguishing the sex."—Murray's Gram., p. 38; Ingersoll's, 27; Alger's, 16; Bacon's, 13; Fisk's, 58; Greenleaf's, 21. "The English language has three methods of distinguishing sex."—Smith's New Gram., p. 44. "In English there are the three following methods of distinguishing sex."—Jaudon's Gram., p. 26. "There are three ways of distinguishing the sex."—Lennie's Gram., p. 10; Picket's, 26; Bullions's, 10. "There are three ways of distinguishing sex."—Merchant's School Gram., p. 26. "Gender is distinguished in three ways."—Maunder's Gram., p. 2. "Neither discourse in general, nor poetry in particular, can be called altogether imitative arts."—Blair's Rhet., p. 51.

"Do we for this the gods and conscience brave,
That one may rule and make the rest a slave?"
—Rowe's Lucan, B. ii, l. 96.

Lesson Iii.—Adjectives.

"There is a deal of more heads, than either heart or horns."—Barclay's
Works, i, 234.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the adjective more has not a clear and regular construction, adapted to the author's meaning. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences, the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence may be corrected thus: "There is a deal more of heads, than of either heart or horns."]

"For, of all villains, I think he has the wrong name."—Bunyan's P. P., p. 86. "Of all the men that I met in my pilgrimage, he, I think bears the wrong name."—Ib., p. 84. "I am surprized to see so much of the distribution, and technical terms of the Latin grammar, retained in the grammar of our tongue."—Priestley's Gram., Pref., p. vi. "Nor did the Duke of Burgundy bring him the smallest assistance."—HUME: Priestley's Gram., p. 178. "Else he will find it difficult to make one obstinate believe him."—Brightland's Gram., p. 243. "Are there any adjectives which form the degrees of comparison peculiar to themselves?"—Infant School Gram., p. 46. "Yet the verbs are all of the indicative mood."—Lowth's Gram., p. 33. "The word candidate is in the absolute case."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 155. "An Iambus has the first syllable unaccented, and the latter accented."—Russell's Gram., p. 108; Smith's New Gram., 188. "A Dactyl has the first syllable accented, and the two latter unaccented."—L. Murray, p. 253; Bullions's E. Gram., 170; Smith's, 188; Kirkham's, 219; Guy's, 120; Blair's, 118; Merchant's, 167; Russell's, 109. "It is proper to begin with a capital the first word of every book, chapter, letter, note, or any other piece of writing."—L. Murray, p. 284; R. C. Smith's New Gram., 192; Ingersoll's, 295; Comly's, 166; Merchant's, 14; Greenleaf's, 42; D. C. Allen's, 85; Fisk's, 159; Bullions's, 158; Kirkham's, 219; Hiley's, 119; Weld's Abridged, 16; Bullions's Analyt. and Pract., 16; Fowler's E. Gr., 674. "Five and seven make twelve, and one makes thirteen."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 227. "I wish to cultivate a farther acquaintance with you."—Ib., p. 272. "Let us consider the proper means to effect our purpose."—Ib., p. 276. "Yet they are of such a similar nature, as readily to mix and blend."—Blair's Rhet., p. 48. "The Latin is formed on the same model, but more imperfect."—Ib., p. 83. "I know very well how much pains have been taken."—Sir W. Temple. "The management of the breath requires a good deal of care."—Blair's Rhet., p. 331. "Because the mind, during such a momentary stupefaction, is in a good measure, if not totally, insensible."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. i, p. 222. "Motives alone of reason and interest are not sufficient."—Ib., Vol. i, p. 232. "To render the composition distinct in its parts, and striking on the whole,"—Ib., Vol. ii, p. 333. "A and an are named indefinite because they denote some one thing of a kind."—Maunder's Gram., p. 1. "The is named definite, because it points out some particular thing."—Ibid. "So much depends upon the proper construction of sentences, that, in every sort of composition, we cannot be too strict in our attention to it."—Blair's Rhet., p. 103. "All sort of declamation and public speaking, was carried on by them."—Ib., p. 123. "The first has on many occasions, a sublimity to which the latter never attains."—Ib., p. 440. "When the words therefore, consequently, accordingly, and the like are used in connexion with other conjunctions, they are adverbs."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 88. "Rude nations make little or no allusions to the productions of the arts."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 10. "While two of her maids knelt on either side of her."—Mirror, xi, 307. "The third personal pronouns differ from each other in meaning and use, as follows."—Bullions, Lat. Gram., p. 65. "It was happy for the state, that Fabius continued in the command with Minucius: the former's phlegm was a check upon the latter's vivacity."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 57. "If it should be objected that the words must and ought, in the preceding sentences, are all in the present tense."—Ib., p. 108. "But it will be well if you turn to them, every now and then."—Buckets Classical Gram., p. 6. "That every part should have a dependence on, and mutually contribute to support each other."—Rollin's Hist., ii, 115. "The phrase, 'Good, my Lord,' is not common, and low."—Priestley's Gram., p. 110.

"That brother should not war with brother,
And worry and devour each other."—Cowper.

Lesson Iv.—Pronouns.

"If I can contribute to your and my country's glory."—Goldsmith.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the pronoun your has not a clear and regular construction, adapted to the author's meaning. But, according to the General Rule of Syntax, "In the formation of sentences, the consistency and adaptation of all the words should be carefully observed; and a regular, clear, and correspondent construction should be preserved throughout." The sentence, having a doubtful or double meaning, may be corrected in two ways, thus: "If I can contribute to our country's glory;"—or, "If I can contribute to your glory and that of my country."]

"As likewise of the several subjects, which have in effect each their verb."—Lowth's Gram., p. 120. "He is likewise required to make examples himself."—J. Flint's Gram., p. 3. "If the emphasis be placed wrong, we shall pervert and confound the meaning wholly."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 242. "If the emphasis be placed wrong, we pervert and confound the meaning wholly."—Blair's Rhet., p. 330. "It was this that characterized the great men of antiquity; it is this, which must distinguish moderns who would tread in their steps."—Ib., p. 341. "I am a great enemy to implicit faith, as well the Popish as Presbyterian, who in that are much what alike."—Barclay's Works, iii, 280. "Will he thence dare to say the apostle held another Christ than he that died?"—Ib., iii, 414. "What need you be anxious about this event?"—Collier's Antoninus, p. 188. "If a substantive can be placed after the verb, it is active."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 31 "When we see bad men honoured and prosperous in the world, it is some discouragement to virtue."—L. Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 224. "It is a happiness to young persons, when they are preserved from the snares of the world, as in a garden enclosed."—Ib., p. 171. "The court of Queen Elizabeth, which was but another name for prudence and economy."— Bullions, E. Gram., p. 24. "It is no wonder if such a man did not shine at the court of Queen Elizabeth, who was but another name for prudence and economy. Here which ought to be used, and not who."—Priestley's Gram., p. 99; Fowler's, §488. "Better thus; Whose name was but another word for prudence, &c."—Murray's Gram., p. 157; Fish's, 115; Ingersoll's, 221; Smith's, 133; and others. "A Defective verb is one that wants some of its parts. They are chiefly the Auxiliary and Impersonal verbs."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 31; Old Editions, 32. "Some writers have given our moods a much greater extent than we have assigned to them."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 67. "The Personal Pronouns give information which no other words are capable of conveying."—M'Culloch's Gram., p. 37, "When the article a, an, or the precedes the participle, it also becomes a noun."— Merchant's School Gram., p. 93. "There is a preference to be given to some of these, which custom and judgment must determine."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 107. "Many writers affect to subjoin to any word the preposition with which it is compounded, or the idea of which it implies."—Ib., p. 200; Priestley's Gram., 157.

"Say, dost thou know Tectidius?—Who, the wretch
Whose lands beyond the Sabines largely stretch?"
—Dryden's IV Sat. of Pers.

Lesson V.—Verbs.

"We would naturally expect, that the word depend, would require from after it."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 201. "A dish which they pretend to be made of emerald."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 198. "For the very nature of a sentence implies one proposition to be expressed."—Blair's Rhet., p. 106. "Without a careful attention to the sense, we would be naturally led, by the rules of syntax, to refer it to the rising and setting of the sun."—Ib., p. 105. "For any rules that can be given, on this subject, are very general."—Ib., p. 125. "He is in the right, if eloquence were what he conceives it to be."—Ib., p. 234. "There I would prefer a more free and diffuse manner."—Ib., p. 178. "Yet that they also agreed and resembled one another, in certain qualities."—Ib., p. 73. "But since he must restore her, he insists to have another in her place."—Ib., p. 431. "But these are far from being so frequent or so common as has been supposed."—Ib., p. 445. "We are not misled to assign a wrong place to the pleasant or painful feelings." Kames, El. of Crit., Introd., p. xviii. "Which are of greater importance than is commonly thought."—Vol. ii, p. 92. "Since these qualities are both coarse and common, lets find out the mark of a man of probity."—Collier's Antoninus, p. 40. "Cicero did what no man had ever done before him, draw up a treatise of consolation for himself."—Life of Cicero. "Then there can be no other Doubt remain of the Truth."—Brightland's Gram., p. 245. "I have observed some satirists use the term."—Bullions's Prin. of E. Gram., p. 79. "Such men are ready to despond, or commence enemies."—Webster's Essays, p. 83. "Common nouns express names common to many things."—Infant School Gram., p. 18. "To make ourselves be heard by one to whom we address ourselves."—Blair's Rhet., p. 328. "That, in reading poetry, he may be the better able to judge of its correctness, and relish its beauties."—Murray's Gram., p. 252. "On the stretch to comprehend, and keep pace with the author."— Blair's Rhet., p. 150. "For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor."—Mark, xiv, 5. "He is a beam that is departed, and left no streak of light behind."—OSSIAN: Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 262. "No part of this incident ought to have been represented, but reserved for a narrative."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 294. "The rulers and people debauching themselves, brings ruin on a country."—Ware's Gram., p. 9. "When Doctor, Miss, Master, &c., is prefixed to a name, the last of the two words is commonly made plural; as, the Doctor Nettletons—the two Miss Hudsons."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 106. "Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day."—Matt., xxvii, 8. "To comprehend the situations of other countries, which perhaps may be necessary for him to explore."—Brown's Estimate, ii, 111. "We content ourselves, now, with fewer conjunctive particles than our ancestors did."—Priestley's Gram., p. 139. "And who will be chiefly liable to make mistakes where others have been mistaken before them."—Ib., p. 156. "The voice of nature and revelation unites."—Wayland's Moral Science, 3d Ed., p. 307.

"This adjective you see we can't admit,
But changed to worse, will make it just and fit."
—Tobitt's Gram., p. 63.

Lesson Vi.—Participles.

"Its application is not arbitrary, depending on the caprice of readers."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, Vol. i, p. 246. "This is the more expedient, from the work's being designed for the benefit of private learners."—Ib., Vol. ii, p. 161. "A man, he tells us, ordered by his will, to have erected for him a statue."—Blair's Rhet., p. 106. "From some likeness too remote, and laying too far out of the road of ordinary thought."—Ib., p. 146. "Money is a fluid in the commercial world, rolling from hand to hand."—Webster's Essays, p. 123. "He pays much attention to learning and singing songs."—Ib. p. 246. "I would not be understood to consider singing songs as criminal."—"It is a decided case by the Great Master of writing."—Preface to Waller, p. 5. "Did they ever bear a testimony against writing books?"—Bates's Misc. Repository. "Exclamations are sometimes mistaking for interrogations."—Hist. of Printing, 1770. "Which cannot fail proving of service."—Smith's Printer's Gram. "Hewn into such figures as would make them easily and firmly incorporated."—BEATTIE: Murray's Gram., i, 126. "Following the rule and example are practical inductive questions."—J. Flint's Gram., p. 3. "I think there will be an advantage in my having collected examples from modern writings."—Priestley's Gram., Pref., p. xi. "He was eager of recommending it to his fellow-citizens."—HUME: p. 160. "The good lady was careful of serving me of every thing."—"No revelation would have been given, had the light of nature been sufficient in such a sense, as to render one not wanting and useless."—Butler's Analogy, p. 155. "Description, again is the raising in the mind the conception of an object by means of some arbitrary or instituted symbols."—Blair's Rhet., p. 52. "Disappointing the expectation of the hearers, when they look for our being done."—Ib. p. 326. "There is a distinction which, in the use of them, is deserving of attention."—Maunder's Gram., p. 15. "A model has been contrived, which is not very expensive, and easily managed."—Education Reporter. "The conspiracy was the more easily discovered, from its being known to many."—Murray's Key, ii, 191. "That celebrated work had been nearly ten years published, before its importance was at all understood."—Ib. p. 220. "The sceptre's being ostensibly grasped by a female hand, does not reverse the general order of Government."—West's Letters to a Lady, p. 43. "I have hesitated signing the Declaration of Sentiments."—Liberator, x, 16. "The prolonging of men's lives when the world needed to be peopled, and now shortening them when that necessity hath ceased to exist."—Brown's Divinity, p. 7. "Before the performance commences, we have displayed the insipid formalities of the prelusive scene."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 23. "It forbade the lending of money, or sending goods, or in any way embarking capital in transactions connected with that foreign traffic."—LORD BROUGHAM: B. and F. Anti-Slavery Reporter, Vol. ii, p. 218. "Even abstract ideas have sometimes conferred upon them the same important prerogative."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 171. "Like other terminations, ment changes y into i, when preceded by a consonant."—Walker's Rhyming Dict., p. xiii; Murray's Gram., p. 24: Ingersoll's, 11. "The term proper is from being proper, that is, peculiar to the individual bearing the name. The term common is from being common to every individual comprised in the class."—Fowler's E. Gram., 8vo, 1850, §139.

"Thus oft by mariners are shown (Unless the men of Kent are liars)
Earl Godwin's castles overflown, And palace-roofs, and steeple-spires."
—Swift, p. 313.

Lesson Vii.—Adverbs.

"He spoke to every man and woman there."—Murray's Gram., p. 220; Fisk's, 147. "Thought and language act and react upon each other mutually."—Blair's Rhet., p. 120; Murray's Exercises, 133. "Thought and expression act upon each other mutually."—See Murray's Key, p. 264. "They have neither the leisure nor the means of attaining scarcely any knowledge, except what lies within the contracted circle of their several professions."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 359. "Before they are capable of understanding but little, or indeed any thing of many other branches of education."—Olney's Introd. to Geog., p. 5. "There is not more beauty in one of them than in another."—Murray's Key, ii, 275. "Which appear not constructed according to any certain rule."—Blair's Rhet., p. 47. "The vehement manner of speaking became not so universal."—Ib., p. 61. "All languages, however, do not agree in this mode of expression."—Ib., p. 77. "The great occasion of setting aside this particular day."—ATTERBURY: p. 294. "He is much more promising now than formerly."—Murray's Gram., Vol. ii, p. 4. "They are placed before a participle, independently on the rest of the sentence."—Ib., Vol. ii, p. 21. "This opinion appears to be not well considered."—Ib., Vol. i, p. 153; Ingersoll's, 249. "Precision in language merits a full explication; and the more, because distinct ideas are, perhaps, not commonly formed about it."—Blair's Rhet., p. 94. "In the more sublime parts of poetry, he [Pope] is not so distinguished."—Ib., p. 403. "How far the author was altogether happy in the choice of his subject, may be questioned."—Ib., p. 450. "But here also there is a great error in the common practice."—Webster's Essays, p. 7. "This order is the very order of the human mind, which makes things we are sensible of, a means to come at those that are not so."—Formey's Belles-Lettres, Foreman's Version, p. 113. "Now, Who is not Discouraged, and Fears Want, when he has no money?"—Divine Right of Tythes, p. 23. "Which the Authors of this work, consider of but little or no use."—Wilbur and Livingston's Gram., p. 6. "And here indeed the distinction between these two classes begins not to be clear."—Blair's Rhet., p. 152. "But this is a manner which deserves not to be imitated."—Ib., p. 180. "And in this department a person never effects so little, as when he attempts too much."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 173; Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 367. "The verb that signifies merely being, is neuter."—Dr. Ash's Gram., p. 27. "I hope not much to tire those whom I shall not happen to please."—Rambler, No. 1. "Who were utterly unable to pronounce some letters, and others very indistinctly."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 32. "The learner may point out the active, passive, and neuter verbs in the following examples, and state the reasons why."—C. Adams's Gram., p. 27. "These words are most always conjunctions."—S. Barrett's Revised Gram., p. 73.

"How fluent nonsense trickles from his tongue!
How sweet the periods, neither said, nor sung!"—Dunciad.

Lesson Viii.—Conjunctions.

"Who at least either knew not, nor loved to make, a distinction."—Dr. Murray's Hist. of Europ. Lang., i, 322. "It is childish in the last degree, if this become the ground of estranged affection."—L. Murray's Key, ii, 228. "When the regular or the irregular verb is to be preferred, p. 107."—Murray's Index, Gram., ii, 296. "The books were to have been sold, as this day."—Priestley's E. Gram., p. 138. "Do, an if you will."—Beauties of Shak., p. 195. "If a man had a positive idea of infinite, either duration or space, he could add two infinites together."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 174. "None shall more willingly agree and advance the same nor I."—EARL OF MORTON: Robertson's Scotland, ii, 428. "That it cannot be but hurtful to continue it."—Barclay's Works, i, 192. "A conjunction joins words and sentences."—Beck's Gram., pp. 4 and 25. "The copulative conjunction connects words and sentences together and continues the sense."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 42. "The Conjunction Copulative serves to connect or continue a sentence, by expressing an addition, a supposition, a cause, &c."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, i, 123. "All Construction is either true or apparent; or in other Words just and figurative."—Buchanan's Syntax, p. 130; British Gram., 234. "But the divine character is such that none but a divine hand could draw."—The Friend, Vol. v, p. 72. "Who is so mad, that, on inspecting the heavens, is insensible of a God?"—CICERO:—Dr. Gibbons. "It is now submitted to an enlightened public, with little desire on the part of the Author, than its general utility."—Town's Analysis, 9th Ed., p. 5. "This will sufficiently explain the reason, that so many provincials have grown old in the capital without making any change in their original dialect."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 51. "Of these they had chiefly three in general use, which were denominated accents, and the term used in the plural number."—Ib., p. 56. "And this is one of the chief reasons, that dramatic representations have ever held the first rank amongst the diversions of mankind."—Ib., p. 95. "Which is the chief reason that public reading is in general so disgusting."—Ib., p. 96. "At the same time that they learn to read."—Ib., p. 96. "He is always to pronounce his words exactly with the same accent that he speaks them."—Ib., p. 98. "In order to know what another knows, and in the same manner that he knows it."—Ib., p. 136. "For the same reason that it is in a more limited state assigned to the several tribes of animals."—Ib., p. 145. "Were there masters to teach this, in the same manner as other arts are taught."—Ib., p. 169.

"Whose own example strengthens all his laws;
And is himself that great Sublime he draws."—Pope, on Crit., l. 680.

Lesson Ix.—Prepositions.

"The word so has, sometimes, the same meaning with also, likewise, the same."—Priestley's Gram., p. 137. "The verb use relates not to pleasures of the imagination, but to the terms of fancy and imagination, which he was to employ as synonymous."—Blair's Rhet., p. 197. "It never can view, clearly and distinctly, above one object at a time."—Ib., p. 94. "This figure [Euphemism] is often the same with the Periphrasis."—Adam's Gram., p. 247; Gould's, 238. "All the between time of youth and old age."—Walker's Particles, p. 83. "When one thing is said to act upon, or do something to another."—Lowth's Gram., p. 70. "Such a composition has as much of meaning in it, as a mummy has life."—Journal of Lit. Convention, p. 81. "That young men of from fourteen to eighteen were not the best judges."—Ib., p. 130. "This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy."—2 Kings, xix, 3. "Blank verse has the same pauses and accents with rhyme."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 119. "In prosody, long syllables are distinguished by ([=]), and short ones by what is called breve ([~])."—Bucke's Gram., p. 22. "Sometimes both articles are left out, especially in poetry."—Ib., p. 26. "In the following example, the pronoun and participle are omitted: [He being] 'Conscious of his own weight and importance, the aid of others was not solicited.'"—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 221. "He was an excellent person; a mirror of ancient faith in early youth."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 172. "The carrying on its several parts into execution."—Butler's Analogy, p. 192. "Concord, is the agreement which one word has over another, in gender, number, case, and person."—Folker's Gram., p. 3. "It might perhaps have given me a greater taste of its antiquities."—ADDISON: Priestley's Gram., p. 160. "To call of a person, and to wait of him."—Priestley, ib., p. 161. "The great difficulty they found of fixing just sentiments."—HUME: ib., p. 161. "Developing the difference between the three."—James Brown's first American Gram., p. 12. "When the substantive singular ends in x, ch soft, sh, ss, or s, we add es in the plural."—Murray's Gram., p. 40. "We shall present him with a list or specimen of them."—Ib., p. 132. "It is very common to hear of the evils of pernicious reading, of how it enervates the mind, or how it depraves the principles."—Dymond's Essays, p. 168. "In this example, the verb 'arises' is understood before 'curiosity' and 'knowledge.'"—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 274; Ingersoll's, 286; Comly's, 155; and others. "The connective is frequently omitted between several words."—Wilcox's Gram., p. 81. "He shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight."—Joshua, xxiii, 5. "Who makes his sun shine and his rain to descend upon the just and the unjust."—M'Ilvaine's Lectures, p. 411.

Lesson X.—Mixed Examples.

"This sentence violates the rules of grammar."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, Vol. ii, pp. 19 and 21. "The words thou and shalt are again reduced to short quantities."—Ib., Vol. i, p. 246. "Have the greater men always been the most popular? By no means."—DR. LIEBER: Lit. Conv., p. 64. "St. Paul positively stated that, 'he who loves one another has fulfilled the law.'"—Spurzheim, on Education, p. 248. "More than one organ is concerned in the utterance of almost every consonant."—M'Culloch's Gram., p. 18. "If the reader will pardon my descending so low."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 20. "To adjust them so, as shall consist equally with the perspicuity and the grace of the period."—Blair's Rhet., p. 118: Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 324. "This class exhibits a lamentable want of simplicity and inefficiency."—Gardiner's Music of Nature, p. 481. "Whose style flows always like a limpid stream, where we see to the very bottom."—Blair's Rhet., p. 93. "Whose style flows always like a limpid stream, through which we see to the very bottom."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 293. "We make use of the ellipsis." [447]—Ib., p. 217. "The ellipsis of the article is thus used."—Ib., p. 217. "Sometimes the ellipsis is improperly applied to nouns of different numbers: as, 'A magnificent house and gardens.'"—Ib., p. 218. "In some very emphatic expressions, the ellipsis should not be used."—Ib., 218. "The ellipsis of the adjective is used in the following manner."—Ib., 218. "The following is the ellipsis of the pronoun."—Ib., 218. "The ellipsis of the verb is used in the following instances."—Ib., p. 219. "The ellipsis of the adverb is used in the following manner."—Ib., 219. "The following instances, though short, contain much of the ellipsis."—Ib., 220. "If no emphasis be placed on any words, not only will discourse be rendered heavy and lifeless, but the meaning often ambiguous."—Ib., 242. See Hart's Gram., p. 172. "If no emphasis be placed on any words, not only is discourse, rendered heavy and lifeless, but the meaning left often ambiguous."—Blair's Rhet., p. 330; Murray's Eng. Reader, p. xi. "He regards his word, but thou dost not regard it."—Bullions's E. Gram., p. 129; his Analytical and Practical Gram., p. 196. "He regards his word, but thou dost not: i.e. dost not regard it."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 219; Parker and Fox's, p. 96; Weld's, 192. "I have learned my task, but you have not; i.e. have not learned."—Ib., Mur., 219; &c. "When the omission of words would obscure the sentence, weaken its force, or be attended with an impropriety, they must be expressed."—Ib., p. 217; Weld's Gram. 190. "And therefore the verb is correctly put in the singular number, and refers to the whole separately and individually considered."—Murray's Gram. 8vo, ii, 24 and 190. "I understood him the best of all who spoke on the subject."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 192. "I understood him better than any other who spoke on the subject."—Ibid., "The roughness found on our entrance into the paths of virtue and learning, grow smoother as we advance."—Ib., p. 171. "The roughnesses," &c.—Murray's Key, 12mo, p 8. "Nothing promotes knowledge more than steady application, and a habit of observation."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 265. "Virtue confers supreme dignity on man: and should be his chief desire."—Ib., p. 192; and Merchant's, 192. "The Supreme author of our being has so formed the soul of man, that nothing but himself can be its last, adequate, and proper happiness."—Addison, Spect., No. 413; Blair's Rhet., p. 213. "The inhabitants of China laugh at the plantations of our Europeans; because, they say, any one may place trees in equal rows and uniform figures."—Ad., Spect., No. 414; Blair's Rhet., p. 222. "The divine laws are not reversible by those of men."—Murray's Key, ii, 167. "In both of these examples, the relative and the verb which was, are understood."—Murray's Gram., p. 273; Comly's, 152; Ingersoll's, 285. "The Greek and Latin languages, though, for many reasons, they cannot be called dialects of one another, are nevertheless closely connected."—Dr. Murray's Hist. of European Lang., Vol. ii, p. 51. "To ascertain and settle which, of a white rose or a red rose, breathes the sweetest fragrance."—J. Q. Adams, Orat., 1831. "To which he can afford to devote much less of his time and labour."—Blair's Rhet., p. 254.

"Avoid extremes; and shun the fault of such,
Who still are pleas'd too little or too much."
—Pope, on Crit., 1, 384.

Lesson Xi.—Bad Phrases.

"He had as good leave his vessel to the direction of the winds."—SOUTH: in Joh. Dict. "Without good nature and gratitude, men had as good live in a wilderness as in society."—L'ESTRANGE: ib. "And for this reason such lines almost never occur together."—Blair's Rhet., p. 385. "His being a great man did not make him a happy man."—Crombie's Treatise, p. 288. "Let that which tends to the making cold your love be judged in all."—S. Crisp. "It is worthy the observing, that there is no passion in the mind of man so weak but it mates and masters the fear of death."—Bacon's Essays, p. 4. "Accent dignifies the syllable on which it is laid, and makes it more distinguished by the ear than the rest."—Sheridan's Lect., p. 80; Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 244. "Before he proceeds to argue either on one side or other."—Blair's Rhet., p. 313. "The change in general of manners throughout all Europe."—Ib., p. 375. "The sweetness and beauty of Virgil's numbers, throughout his whole works."—Ib., p. 440. "The French writers of sermons study neatness and elegance in laying down their heads."—Ib., p. 13. "This almost never fails to prove a refrigerant to passion."—Ib., p. 321. "At least their fathers, brothers, and uncles, cannot, as good relations and good citizens, dispense with their not standing forth to demand vengeance."—Goldsmith's Greece, Vol. i, p. 191. "Alleging, that their crying down the church of Rome, was a joining hand with the Turks."—Barclay's Works, i, 239. "To which is added the Assembly of Divines Catechism."—New-England Primer, p. 1. "This treachery was always present in both their thoughts."—Dr. Robertson. "Thus far both their words agree." ("Convenient adhuo utriusqus verba. Plaut.")—Walker's Particles, p. 125. "Aparithmesis, or Enumeration, is the branching out into several parts of what might be expressed in fewer words."—Gould's Gram, p. 241. "Aparithmesis, or Enumeration, is when what might be expressed in a few words, is branched out into several parts."—Adam's Gram., p. 251. "Which may sit from time to time where you dwell or in the neighbouring vicinity."—Taylor's District School, 1st Ed., p. 281. "Place together a large and a small sized animal of the same species."—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 235. "The weight of the swimming body is equal to that of the weight, of the quantity of fluid displaced by it."—Percival's Tales, ii, 213. "The Subjunctive mood, in all its tenses, is similar to that of the Optative."—Gwilt's Saxon Gram., p. 27. "No other feeling of obligation remains, except that of fidelity."—Wayland's Moral Science, 1st Ed., p. 82. "Who asked him, 'What could be the reason, that whole audiences should be moved to tears, at the representation of some story on the stage.'"—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 175. "Art not thou and you ashamed to affirm, that the best works of the Spirit of Christ in his saints are as filthy rags?"—Barclay's Works, i, 174. "A neuter verb becomes active, when followed by a noun of the same signification with its own."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 127. "But he has judged better, in omitting to repeat the article the."—Blair's Rhet., p. 194. "Many objects please us as highly beautiful, which have almost no variety at all."—Ib., p. 46. "Yet notwithstanding, they sometimes follow them."—Emmons's Gram., p. 21. "For I know of nothing more material in all the whole Subject, than this doctrine of Mood and Tense."—Johnson's Gram. Com., p. 292. "It is by no means impossible for an errour to be got rid of or supprest."— Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 642. "These are things of the highest importance to the growing age."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 250. "He had better have omitted the word many."—Blair's Rhet. p. 205. "Which had better have been separated."—Ib., p. 225. "Figures and metaphors, therefore, should, on no occasion be stuck on too profusely."—Ib., p. 144; Jamieson's Rhet., 150. "Metaphors, as well as other figures, should on no occasion, be stuck on too profusely."—Murray's Gram., p. 338; Russell's, 136. "Something like this has been reproached to Tacitus."—BOLINGBROKE: Priestley's Gram., p. 164.

"O thou, whom all mankind in vain withstand,
Each of whose blood must one day stain thy hand!"
—Sheffield's Temple of Death.

Lesson Xii.—Two Errors.[448]

"Pronouns are sometimes made to precede the things which they represent."—Murray's Gram., p. 160. "Most prepositions originally denote the relation of place."—Lowth's Gram., p. 65. "Which is applied to inferior animals and things without life."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 24; Pract. Lessons, 30. "What noun do they describe or tell the kind?"—Infant School Gram., p. 41. "Iron cannon, as well as brass, is now universally cast solid."—Jamieson's Dict. "We have philosophers, eminent and conspicuous, perhaps, beyond any nation."—Blair's Rhet., p. 251. "This is a question about words alone, and which common sense easily determines."—Ib., p. 320. "The low [pitch of the voice] is, when he approaches to a whisper."—Ib., p. 328. "Which, as to the effect, is just the same with using no such distinctions at all."—Ib., p. 33. "These two systems, therefore, differ in reality very little from one another."—Ib., p. 23. "It were needless to give many instances, as they occur so often."—Ib., p. 109. "There are many occasions when this is neither requisite nor would be proper."—Ib., p. 311. "Dramatic poetry divides itself into the two forms, of comedy or tragedy."—Ib., p. 452. "No man ever rhymed truer and evener than he."—Pref. to Waller, p. 5. "The Doctor did not reap a profit from his poetical labours equal to those of his prose."—Johnson's Life of Goldsmith. "We will follow that which we found our fathers practice."—Sale's Koran, i, 28. "And I would deeply regret having published them."—Infant School Gram., p. vii. "Figures exhibit ideas in a manner more vivid and impressive, than could be done by plain language."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 222. "The allegory is finely drawn, only the heads various."—Spect., No. 540. "I should not have thought it worthy a place here."—Crombie's Treatise, p. 219. "In this style, Tacitus excels all writers, ancient and modern."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 261. "No author, ancient or modern, possesses the art of dialogue equal to Shakspeare."—Ib., ii, 294. "The names of every thing we hear, see, smell, taste, and feel, are nouns."—Infant School Gram., p. 16. "What number are these boys? these pictures? &c."—Ib., p. 23. "This sentence is faulty, somewhat in the same manner with the last."—Blair's Rhet., p. 230. "Besides perspicuity, he pursues propriety, purity, and precision, in his language; which forms one degree, and no inconsiderable one, of beauty."—Ib., p. 181. "Many critical terms have unfortunately been employed in a sense too loose and vague; none more so, than that of the sublime."—Ib., p. 35. "Hence, no word in the language is used in a more vague signification than beauty."—Ib., p. 45. "But, still, he made use only of general terms in speech."—Ib., p. 73. "These give life, body, and colouring to the recital of facts, and enable us to behold them as present, and passing before our eyes."—Ib., p. 360. "Which carried an ideal chivalry to a still more extravagant height than it had risen in fact."—Ib., p. 374. "We write much more supinely, and at our ease, than the ancients."—Ib., p. 351. "This appears indeed to form the characteristical difference between the ancient poets, orators, and historians, compared with the modern."—Ib., p. 350. "To violate this rule, as is too often done by the English, shews great incorrectness."— Ib., p. 463. "It is impossible, by means of any study to avoid their appearing stiff and forced."—Ib., p. 335. "Besides its giving the speaker the disagreeable appearance of one who endeavours to compel assent."—Ib., p. 328. "And, on occasions where a light or ludicrous anecdote is proper to be recorded, it is generally better to throw it into a note, than to hazard becoming too familiar."—Ib., p. 359. "The great business of this life is to prepare, and qualify us, for the enjoyment of a better."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 373. "In some dictionaries, accordingly, it was omitted; and in others stigmatized as a barbarism."— Crombie's Treatise, p. 322. "You cannot see, or think of, a thing, unless it be a noun."—Mack's Gram., p. 65. "The fleet are all arrived and moored in safety."—Murray's Key, ii, 185.

Lesson Xiii.—Two Errors.

"They have each their distinct and exactly-limited relation to gravity."—Hasler's Astronomy, p 219. "But in cases which would give too much of the hissing sound, the omission takes place even in prose."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 175. "After o it [the w] is sometimes not sounded at all; sometimes like a single u."—Lowth's Gram., p. 3. "It is situation chiefly which decides of the fortunes and characters of men."—HUME: Priestley's Gram., p. 159. "It is situation chiefly which decides the fortune (or, concerning the fortune) and characters of men."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 201. "The vice of covetousness is what enters deeper into the soul than any other."—Ib., p. 167; Ingersoll's, 193; Fisk's, 103; Campbell's Rhet., 205. "Covetousness, of all vices, enters the deepest into the soul."—Murray, 167; and others. "Covetousness is what of all vices enters the deepest into the soul."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 205. "The vice of covetousness is what enters deepest into the soul of any other."—Guardian, No. 19. "Would primarily denotes inclination of will; and should, obligation; but they both vary their import, and are often used to express simple event."—Lowth's Gram., p. 43; Murray's, 89; Fisk's, 78; Greenleaf's, 27. "But they both vary their import, and are often used to express simple events."—Comly's Gram., p. 39; Ingersoll's, 137. "But they vary their import, and are often used to express simple event."—Abel Flint's Gram., p 42. "A double conjunctive, in two correspondent clauses of a sentence, is sometimes made use of: as, 'Had he done this, he had escaped.'"—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 213; Ingersoll's, 269. "The pleasures of the understanding are preferable to those of the imagination, or of sense."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 191. "Claudian, in a fragment upon the wars of the giants, has contrived to render this idea of their throwing the mountains, which is in itself so grand, burlesque, and ridiculous."—Blair's Rhet., p. 42. "To which not only no other writings are to be preferred, but even in divers respects not comparable."— Barclay's Works, i, 53. "To distinguish them in the understanding, and treat of their several natures, in the same cool manner as we do with regard to other ideas."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 137. "For it has nothing to do with parsing, or analyzing, language."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 19. Or: "For it has nothing to do with parsing, or analyzing, language."—Ib., Second Edition, p. 16. "Neither was that language [the Latin] ever so vulgar in Britain."—SWIFT: see Blair's Rhet., p. 228. "All that I propose is to give some openings into the pleasures of taste."—Ib., p. 28. "But it would have been better omitted in the following sentences."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 210. "But I think it had better be omitted in the following sentence."—Priestley's Gram., p. 162. "They appear, in this case, like excrescences jutting out from the body, which had better have been wanted."—Blair's Rhet., p. 326. "And therefore, the fable of the Harpies, in the third book of the Æneid, and the allegory of Sin and Death, in the second book of Paradise Lost, had been better omitted in these celebrated poems."—Ib., p. 430. "Ellipsis is an elegant Suppression (or the leaving out) of a Word, or Words in a Sentence."—British Gram., p. 234; Buchanan's, p. 131. "The article a or an had better be omitted in this construction."—Blair's Gram., p. 67. "Now suppose the articles had not been left out in these passages."—Burke's Gram., p. 27. "To give separate names to every one of those trees, would have been an endless and impracticable undertaking."—Blair's Rhet., p. 72. "Ei, in general, sounds the same as long and slender a."—Murray's Gram., p. 12. "When a conjunction is used apparently redundant it is called Polysyndeton."—Adam's Gram., p. 236; Gould's, 229. "Each, every, either, neither, denote the persons or things which make up a number, as taken separately or distributively."— M'Culloch's Gram., p. 31. "The Principal Sentence must be expressed by verbs in the Indicative, Imperative, or Potential Modes."—Clark's Pract. Gram., p. 133. "Hence he is diffuse, where he ought to have been pressing."—Blair's Rhet., p. 246. "All manner of subjects admit of explaining comparisons."—Ib., p. 164; Jamieson's Rhet., 161. "The present or imperfect participle denotes action or being continued, but not perfected."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 78. "What are verbs? Those words which express what the nouns do"—Fowle's True Eng. Gram., p. 29.

"Of all those arts in which the wise excel,
Nature's chief masterpiece is writing well."
—J. Sheffield, Duke of Buck.

"Such was that muse whose rules and practice tell
Nature's chief masterpiece is writing well."
—Pope, on Criticism.

Lesson Xiv.—Three Errors.

"In some words the metaphorical sense has justled out the original sense altogether, so that in respect of it they are become obsolete."— Campbell's Rhet., p. 323. "Sure never any mortal was so overwhelmed with grief as I am at this present."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 138. "All languages differ from each other in their mode of inflexion."—Bullions, E. Gram., Pref., p. v. "Nouns and verbs are the only indispensable parts of speech—the one to express the subject spoken of, and the other the predicate or what is affirmed of it."—M'Culloch's Gram., p. 36. "The words in italics of the three latter examples, perform the office of substantives."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 66. "Such a structure of a sentence is always the mark of careless writing."—Blair's Rhet., p. 231. "Nothing is frequently more hurtful to the grace or vivacity of a period, than superfluous dragging words at the conclusion."—Ib., p. 205. "When its substantive is not joined to it, but referred to, or understood."— Lowth's Gram., p. 24. "Yet they have always some substantive belonging to them, either referred to, or understood."—Ib., 24. "Because they define and limit the extent of the common name, or general term, to which they either refer, or are joined.'"—Ib., 24. "Every new object surprises, terrifies, and makes a strong impression on their mind."—Blair's Rhet., p. 136. "His argument required to have been more fully unfolded, in order to make it be distinctly apprehended, and to give it its due force."—Ib., p. 230. "Participles which are derived from active verbs, will govern the objective case, the same as the verbs from which they are derived"—Emmons's Gram., p. 61. "Where, contrary to the rule, the nominative I precedes, and the objective case whom follows the verb."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 181. "The same conjunction governing both the indicative and the subjunctive moods, in the same sentence, and in the same circumstances, seems to be a great impropriety."—Ib., p. 207; Smith's New Gram., 173: see Lowth's Gram., p. 105; Fisk's, 128; and Ingersoll's, 266. "A nice discernment, and accurate attention to the best usage, are necessary to direct us, on these occasions."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 170. "The Greeks and Romans, the former especially, were, in truth, much more musical nations than we; their genius was more turned to delight in the melody of speech."—Blair's Rhet., p. 123. "When the sense admits it, the sooner a circumstance is introduced, the better, that the more important and significant words may possess the last place, quite disencumbered."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, i, p. 309; Parker and Fox's, Part III, p. 88. "When the sense admits it, the sooner they are despatched, generally speaking, the better; that the more important and significant words may possess the last place, quite disencumbered."—Blair's Rhet., p. 118. See also Jamieson's Rhet., p. 101. "Thus we find it, both in the Greek and Latin tongues."—Blair's Rhet., p. 74. "A train of sentences, constructed in the same manner, and with the same number of members, should never be allowed to succeed one another."—Ib., p. 102; Murray's Gram., 8vo, Vol. i, p. 306; Parker and Fox's Gram., Part III, p. 86. "I proceed to lay down the rules to be observed in the conduct of metaphors, and which are much the same for tropes of every kind."—Blair's Rhet., p. 143. "By a proper choice of words, we may produce a resemblance of other sounds which we mean to describe."—Ib., p. 129; Murray's Gram., 8vo, Vol. i, p. 331. "The disguise can almost never be so perfect, but it is discovered."—Blair's Rhet., p. 259. "The sense admits of no other pause than after the second syllable 'sit,' which therefore must be the only pause made in the reading."—Ib., p. 333. "Not that I believe North America to be peopled so late as the twelfth century, the period of Madoc's migration."—Webster's Essays, p. 212. "Money and commodities will always flow to that country, where they are most wanted and will command the most profit."—Ib., p. 308. "That it contains no visible marks, of articles, which are the most important of all others, to a just delivery."— Sheridan's Elocution, p. 13. "And of virtue, from its beauty, we call it a fair and favourite maid."—Mack's Gram., p. 66. "The definite article may agree with nouns in the singular and plural number."—Infant School Gram., p. 130.

Lesson Xv.—Many Errors.

(1.) "A compound word is included under the head of derivative words."— Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 23. (2.) "An Apostrophe, marked thus ' is used to abbreviate or shorten a word. Its chief use is to show the genitive case of nouns."—Ib., p. 281.[449] (3.) "A Hyphen, marked thus - is employed in connecting compounded words. It is also used when a word is divided."— Ib., p. 282. (4.) "The Acute Accent, marked thus ´: as, 'Fáncy.' The Grave thus ` as, 'Fàvour'"—Ib., p. 282. (5.) "The stress is laid on long and short syllables indiscriminately. In order to distinguish the one from the other, some writers of dictionaries have placed the grave on the former, and the acute on the latter."—Ib., 282. (6.) "A Diæresis, thus marked ¨, consists of two points placed over one of the two vowels that would otherwise make a diphthong, and parts them into syllables."—Ib., 282. (7.) "A Section marked thus §, is the division of a discourse, or chapter, into less parts or portions."—Ib., 282. (8.) "A Paragraph ¶ denotes the beginning of a new subject, or a sentence not connected with the foregoing. This character is chiefly used in the Old and in the New Testaments."—Ib., 282. (9.) "A Quotation " ". Two inverted commas are generally placed at the beginning of a phrase or a passage, which is quoted or transcribed from the speaker or author in his own words; and two commas in their direct position, are placed at the conclusion."—Ib., 282. (10.) "A Brace is used in poetry at the end of a triplet or three lines, which have the same rhyme. Braces are also used to connect a number of words with one common term, and are introduced to prevent a repetition in writing or printing."—Ib., p. 283. (11.) "Two or three asterisks generally denote the omission of some letters in a word, or of some bold or indelicate expression, or some defect in the manuscript."—Ib., 283. (12.) "An Ellipsis —— is also used, when some letters in a word, or some words in a verse, are omitted."—Ib., 283. (13.) "An Obelisk, which is marked thus [dagger], and Parallels thus ||, together with the letters of the Alphabet, and figures, are used as references to the margin, or bottom of the page."—Ib., 283. (14.) "A note of interrogation should not be employed, in cases where it is only said a question has been asked, and where the words are not used as a question. 'The Cyprians asked me why I wept.'"—Ib., p. 279; Comly, 163; Ingersoll, 291; Fisk, 157; Flint, 113. (15.) "A point of interrogation is improper after sentences which are not questions, but only expressions of admiration, or of some other emotion."—Same authors and places. (16.) "The parenthesis incloses in the body of a sentence a member inserted into it, which is neither necessary to the sense, nor at all affects the construction."—Lowth's Gram., p. 124. (17.) "Simple members connected by relatives, and comparatives, are for the most part distinguished by a comma." [450]—Ib., p. 121. (18.) "Simple members of sentences connected by comparatives, are, for the most part, distinguished by a comma."—L. Murray's Gram., p 272; Alden's, 148; Ingersoll's, 284. See the same words without the last two commas, in Comly's Gram., p. 149; Alger's, 79; Merchant's Murray, 143:—and this again, with a different sense, made by a comma before "connected," in Smith's New Gram., 190; Abel Flint's, 103. (19.) "Simple members of sentences connected by comparatives, are for the most part distinguished by the comma."—Russell's Gram., p. 115. (20.) "Simple members of sentences, connected by comparatives, should generally be distinguished by a comma."—Merchant's School Gram., p. 150. (21.) "Simple members of sentences connected by than or so, or that express contrast or comparison, should, generally, be divided by a comma."—Jaudon's Gram., p. 185. (22.) "Simple members of sentences, connected by comparatives, if they be long, are separated by a comma."—Cooper's New Gram., p. 195. See the same without the first comma, in Cooper's Murray, p. 183. (23.) "Simple members of sentences connected by comparatives, and phrases placed in opposition to, or in contrast with, each other, are separated by commas."—Bullions, p. 153; Hiley, 113. (24.) "On which ever word we lay the emphasis, whether on the first, second, third, or fourth, it strikes out a different sense."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 243. (25.) "To inform those who do not understand sea phrases, that, 'We tacked to the larboard, and stood off to sea,' would be expressing ourselves very obscurely."—Ib., p. 296; and Hiley's Gram., p. 151. (26.) "Of dissyllables, which are at once nouns and verbs, the verb has commonly the accent on the latter, and the noun, on the former syllable."—Murray, p. 237. (27.) "And this gives our language a superior advantage to most others, in the poetical and rhetorical style."—Id. ib., p. 38; Ingersoll, 27; Fisk, 57. (28.) "And this gives the English an advantage above most other languages in the poetical and rhetorical style."—Lowth's Gram, p. 19. (29.) "The second and third scholar may read the same sentence; and as many, as it is necessary to learn it perfectly to the whole."—Osborn's Key, p. 4.

(30.) "Bliss is the name in subject as a king,
In who obtain defence, or who defend."
—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 178.

Lesson Xvi.—Many Errors.

"The Japanese, the Tonquinese, and the Corceans, speak different languages from one another, and from the inhabitants of China, but use, with these last people, the same written characters; a proof that the Chinese characters are like hieroglyphics, independent of language."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 18. "The Japanese, the Tonquinese, and the Corceans, who speak different languages from one another, and from the inhabitants of China, use, however, the same written characters with them; and by this means correspond intelligibly with each other in writing, though ignorant of the language spoken in their several countries; a plain proof," &c.—Blair's Rhet., p. 67. "The curved line is made square instead of round, for the reason beforementioned."—Knight, on the Greek Alphabet, p. 6. "Every one should content himself with the use of those tones only that he is habituated to in speech, and to give none other to emphasis, but what he would do to the same words in discourse. Thus whatever he utters will be done with ease, and appear natural."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 103. "Stops, or pauses, are a total cessation of sound during a perceptible, and in numerous compositions, a measurable space of time."—Ib., p. 104. "Pauses or rests, in speaking and reading, are a total cessation of the voice during a perceptible, and, in many cases, a measurable space of time."—Murray's Gram., p. 248; English Reader, p. 13; Goldsbury's Gr., 76; Kirkham's, 208; Felton's, 133; et al. "Nouns which express a small one of the kind are called Diminutive Nouns; as, lambkin, hillock, satchel, gosling, from lamb, hill, sack, goose."—Bullions, E. Gram., 1837, p. 9. "What is the cause that nonsense so often escapes being detected, both by the writer and by the reader?"—Campbell's Rhet., p. xi, and 280. "An Interjection is a word used to express sudden emotion. They are so called, because they are generally thrown in between the parts of a sentence without reference to the structure of the other parts of it."—M'Culloch's Gram., p. 36. "Ought (in duty bound) oughtest, oughtedst, are it's only inflections."—Mackintosh's Gram., p. 165. "But the arrangment, government, agreement, and dependence of one word upon another, are referred to our reason."—Osborn's Key, Pref., p. 3. "Me is a personal pronoun, first person singular, and the accusative case."—Guy's Gram., p. 20. "The substantive self is added to a pronoun; as, herself, himself, &c.; and when thus united, is called a reciprocal pronoun."—Ib., p. 18. "One cannot avoid thinking that our author had done better to have begun the first of these three sentences, with saying, it is novelty which bestows charms on a monster, &c."—Blair's Rhet., p. 207. "The idea which they present to us of nature's resembling art, of art's being considered as an original, and nature as a copy,[451] seems not very distinct nor well brought out, nor indeed very material to our author's purpose."—Ib., p. 220. "The present construction of the sentence, has plainly been owing to hasty and careless writing."—Ib., p. 220. "Adverbs serve to modify, or to denote some circumstance of an action, or of a quality, relative to its time, place, order, degree, and the other properties of it, which we have occasion to specify."—Ib., p. 84. "The more that any nation is improved by science, and the more perfect their language becomes, we may naturally expect that it will abound more with connective particles."—Ib., p. 85. "Mr. Greenleaf's book is by far the best adapted for learners of any that has yet appeared on the subject."—DR. FELTUS and BP. ONDERDONK: Greenleaf's Gram., p. 2. "Punctuation is the art of marking in writing the several pauses, or rests, between sentences, and the parts of sentences, according to their proper quantity or proportion, as they are expressed in a just and accurate pronunciation."—Lowth's Gram., p. 114. "A compound sentence must be resolved into simple ones, and separated by commas."—Greenleaf's Gram., p. 41; Allen Fisk's, 155.[452] "Simple sentences should be separated from each other by commas, unless such sentences are connected by a conjunction: as, 'Youth is passing away, age is approaching and death is near.'"—Hall's Gram., p. 36. "V has the sound of flat f, and bears the same relation to it, as b does to p, d to t, hard g to k, and z to s. It has one uniform sound."—Murray's Gram., p. 17; Fisk's, 42. "V is flat f, and bears the same relation to it as b does to p, d to t, hard g to k, and z to s. It is never irregular."—Walker's Dict., p. 52. "V has the sound of flat f; and bears the same relation to it as z does to s. It has one uniform sound."—Greenleaf's Gram., p. 20. "The author is explaining the distinction, between the powers of sense and imagination in the human mind."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, Vol. i, p. 343. [The author is endeavouring] "to explain a very abstract point, the distinction between the powers of sense and imagination in the human mind."—Blair's Rhet., p. 164. "HE (Anglo-Saxon he) is a Personal pronoun, of the Third Person, Masculine Gender (Decline he), of the singular number, in the nominative case."—Fowler's E. Gram., 8vo, 1850, §589.

False Syntax under the Critical Notes.

Under Critical Note I.—Of the Parts of Speech.

"The passive voice denotes a being acted upon."—Maunders Gram., p. 6.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the term "being acted upon" as here used, suggests a doubt concerning its classification in parsing. But, according to Critical Note 1st, "Words that may constitute different parts of speech, must not be left doubtful as to their classification, or to what part of speech they belong." Therefore, the phraseology should be altered; thus, "The passive voice denotes an action received." Or; "The passive voice denotes the receiving of an action."]

"Milton, in some of his prose works, has very finely turned periods."—Blair's Rhet., p. 127; Jamieson's, 129. "These will be found to be all, or chiefly, of that class."—Blair's Rhet., p. 32. "All appearances of an author's affecting harmony, are disagreeable."—Ib., p. 127; Jamieson, 128. "Some nouns have a double increase, that is, increase by more syllables than one; as, iter, itin~eris."—Adam's Gram., p. 255; Gould's, 241. "The powers of man are enlarged by advancing cultivation."—Gurney's Essays, p. 62. "It is always important to begin well; to make a favourable impression at first setting out."—Blair's Rhet., p. 307. "For if one take a wrong method at first setting out, it will lead him astray in all that follows."—Ib., 313. "His mind is full of his subject, and his words are all expressive."—Ib., 179. "How exquisitely is this all performed in Greek!"—Harris's Hermes, p. 422. "How little is all this to satisfy the ambition of an immortal soul!"— Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 253. "So as to exhibit the object in its full and most striking point of view."—Blair's Rhet., p. 41. "And that the author know how to descend with propriety to the plain, as well as how to rise to the bold and figured style."—Ib., p. 401. "The heart can only answer to the heart."—Ib., p. 259. "Upon its first being perceived."—Harris's Hermes, p. 229. "Call for Samson, that he may make us sport."—Judges, xvi, 25. "And he made them sport."—Ibid. "The term suffer in this definition is used in a technical sense, and means simply the receiving of an action, or the being acted upon."—Bullions, p. 29. "The Text is what is only meant to be taught in Schools."—Brightland, Pref., p. ix. "The perfect participle denotes action or being perfected or finished."— Kirkham's Gram., p. 78. "From the intricacy and confusion which are produced by their being blended together."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 66. "This very circumstance of a word's being employed antithetically, renders it important in the sentence."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 121. "It [the pronoun that] is applied to both persons and things."—Murray's Gram., p. 53. "Concerning us, as being every where evil spoken of."—Barclay's Works, Vol. ii, p. vi. "Every thing beside was buried in a profound silence."—Steele. "They raise more full conviction than any reasonings produce."—Blair's Rhet., p. 367. "It appears to me no more than a fanciful refinement."—Ib., p. 436. "The regular resolution throughout of a complete passage."—Churchill's Gram., p. vii. "The infinitive is known by its being immediately preceded by the word to."—Maunders Gram., p. 6. "It will not be gaining much ground to urge that the basket, or vase, is understood to be the capital."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 356. "The disgust one has to drink ink in reality, is not to the purpose where the subject is drinking ink figuratively."—Ib., ii, 231. "That we run not into the extreme of pruning so very close."—Blair's Rhet., p. 111. "Being obliged to rest for a little on the preposition by itself."—Ib., p. 112; Jamieson's Rhet., 93. "Being obliged to rest a little on the preposition by itself."—Murray's Gram., p. 319. "Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding."—1 Chron., xxix, 15. "There maybe a more particular expression attempted, of certain objects, by means of resembling sounds."—Blair's Rhet., p. 129; Jamieson's, 130; Murray's Gram., 331. "The right disposition of the shade, makes the light and colouring strike the more."—Blair's Rhet., 144. "I observed that a diffuse style inclines most to long periods."—Ib., p. 178. "Their poor Arguments, which they only Pickt up and down the Highway "—Divine Right of Tythes, p. iii. "Which must be little, but a transcribing out of their writings."—Barclay's Works, iii, 353. "That single impulse is a forcing out of almost all the breath."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 254. "Picini compares modulation to the turning off from a road."—Gardiner's Music of Nature, p. 405. "So much has been written, on and off, of almost every subject."—The Friend, ii, 117. "By reading books written by the best authors, his mind became highly improved."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 201. "For I never made the being richly provided a token of a spiritual ministry."—Barclay's Works, iii, 470.

Under Critical Note Ii.—Of Doubtful Reference.

"However disagreeable, we must resolutely perform our duty."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 171.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the adjective disagreeable appears to relate to the pronoun we, though such a relation was probably not intended by the author. But, according to Critical Note 2d, "The reference of words to other words, or their syntactical relation according to the sense, should never be left doubtful, by any one who means to be understood." The sentence may be amended thus: "However disagreeable the task, we must resolutely perform our duty."]

"The formation of verbs in English, both regular and irregular, is derived from the Saxon."—Lowth's Gram., p. 47. "Time and chance have an influence on all things human, and on nothing more remarkably than on language."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 180. "Time and chance have an influence on all things human, and on nothing more remarkable than on language."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 47. "Archytases being a virtuous man, who happened to perish once upon a time, is with him a sufficient ground," &c.—Philological Museum, i, 466. "He will be the better qualified to understand, with accuracy, the meaning of a numerous class of words, in which they form a material part."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 120. "We should continually have the goal in view, which would direct us in the race."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 172. "But [Addison's figures] seem to rise of their own accord from the subject, and constantly embellish it."—Blair's Rhet., p. 150; Jamieson's, 157. "As far as persons and other animals and things that we can see go, it is very easy to distinguish Nouns."—Cobbett's Gram., ¶14. "Dissyllables ending in y, e mute, or accented on the last syllable, may be sometimes compared like monosyllables."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 12. "Admitting the above objection, it will not overrule the design."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 140. "These philosophical innovators forget, that objects are like men, known only by their actions."—Dr. Murray's Hist. of Lang., i, 326. "The connexion between words and ideas is arbitrary and conventional, owing to the agreement of men among themselves."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 1. "The connexion between words and ideas may, in general, be considered as arbitrary and conventional, owing to the agreement of men among themselves."—Blair's Rhet., p. 53. "A man whose inclinations led him to be corrupt, and had great abilities to manage and multiply and defend his corruptions."—Swift. "They have no more control over him than any other men."—Wayland's Moral Science, 1st Ed., p. 372. "His old words are all true English, and numbers exquisite."—Spectator, No. 540. "It has been said, that not only Jesuits can equivocate."—Murray's Exercises, 8vo, p. 121. "It has been said, that Jesuits can not only equivocate."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 253. "The nominative of the first and second person in Latin is seldom expressed."—Adam's Gram., p. 154; Gould's, 157. "Some words are the same in both numbers."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 40; Ingersoll's, 18; Fisk's, 59; Kirkham's, 39; W. Allen's, 42; et al. "Some nouns are the same in both numbers."—Merchant's Gram., p. 29; Smith's, 45; et al. "Others are the same in both numbers; as, deer, swine, &c."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 8. "The following list denotes the sounds of the consonants, being in number twenty-two."—Murray's Gram., p. 6; Fisk's, 36. "And is the ignorance of these peasants a reason for others to remain ignorant; or to render the subject a less becoming inquiry?"—Harris's Hermes, p. 293; Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 288. "He is one of the most correct, and perhaps the best, of our prose writers."—Lowth's Gram., Pref., p. iv., "The motions of a vortex and a whirlwind are perfectly similar."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 131. "What I have been saying throws light upon one important verse in the Bible, which I should like to have read."—Abbott's Teacher, p. 182. "When there are any circumstances of time, place, or other limitations, which the principal object of our sentence requires to have connected with it."—Blair's Rhet., p. 115; Jamieson's Rhet., 98; Murray's Gram., i, 322. "Interjections are words used to express emotion, affection, or passion, and imply suddenness."—Bucke's Gram., p. 77. "But the genitive is only used to express the measure of things in the plural number."—Adam's Gram., p. 200; Gould's, 198. "The buildings of the institution have been enlarged; the expense of which, added to the increased price of provisions, renders it necessary to advance the terms of admission."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 183. "These sentences are far less difficult than complex."—S. S. Greene's Analysis, or Grammar, 1st Ed., p. 179.

"Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray."—Gray's Elegy.

Under Critical Note Iii.—Of Definitions.

(1.) "Definition is such a description of things as exactly describes the thing and that thing only."—Blair's Gram., p. 135.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because this definition of a definition is not accurately adapted to the thing. But, according to Critical Note 3d, "A definition, in order to be perfect, must include the whole thing, or class of things, which it pretends to define, and exclude every thing which comes not under the name." [453] The example may be amended thus: "A definition is a short and lucid description of a thing, or species, according to its nature and properties."]

(2.) "Language, in general, signifies the expression of our ideas by certain articulate sounds, which are used as the signs of those ideas."—Blair's Rhet., p. 53. (3.) "A WORD is an articulate sound used by common consent as the sign of an idea,"—Bullions, Analyt. and Pract. Gr., p. 17. (4.) "A word is a sound, or combination of sounds, which is used in the expression of thought"—Hazen's Gram., p. 12. (5.) "Words are articulate sounds, used as signs to convey our ideas."—Hiley's Gram., p. 5. (6.) "A word is a number of letters used together to represent some idea."—Hart's E. Gram., p. 28. (7.) "A Word is a combination of letters, used as the sign of an idea."—S. W. Clark's Practical Gram., p. 9. (8.) "A word is a letter or a combination of letters, used as the sign of an idea."—Wells's School Gram., p. 41. (9.) "Words are articulate sounds, by which ideas are communicated."—Wright's Gram., p. 28. (10.) "Words are certain articulate sounds used by common consent as signs of our ideas."—Bullions, Principles of E. Gram., p. 6; Lat. Gram., 6; see Lowth, Murray, Smith, et al. (11.) "Words are sounds used as signs of our ideas."—W. Allen's Gram., p. 30. (12.) "Orthography means word-making or spelling.'"—Kirkham's Gram., p. 19; Smith's New Gram., p. 41. (13.) "A vowel is a letter, the name of which constitutes a full, open sound."—Hazen's Gram., p. 10; Lennie's, 5; Brace's, 7. (14.) "Spelling is the art of reading by naming the letters singly, and rightly dividing words into their syllables. Or, in writing, it is the expressing of a word by its proper letters."—Lowth's Gram., p. 5; Churchill's, 20. (15.) "Spelling is the art of rightly dividing words into their syllables, or of expressing a word by its proper letters."—Murray's Gram., p. 21; Ingersoll's, 6; Merchant's, 10; Alger's, 12; Greenleaf's, 20; and others. (16) "Spelling is the art of expressing words by their proper letters; or of rightly dividing words into syllables."—Comly's Gram., p. 8. (17.) "Spelling is the art of expressing a word by its proper letters, and rightly dividing it into syllables."—Bullions's Princ. of E. Gram., p. 2. (18.) "Spelling is the art of expressing a word by its proper letters."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 23; Sanborn's, p. 259. (19.) "A syllable is a sound either simple or compounded, pronounced by a single impulse of the voice, and constituting a word or part of a word."—Lowth, p. 5; Murray, 21; Ingersoll, 6; Fisk, 11; Greenleaf, 20: Merchant, 9; Alger, 12; Bucke, 15; Smith, 118; et al. (20.) "A Syllable is a complete Sound uttered in one Breath."—British Gram., p. 32; Buchanan's, 5. (21.) "A syllable is a distinct sound, uttered by a single impulse of the voice."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 20. (22.) "A Syllable is a distinct sound forming the whole of a word, or so much of it as can be sounded at once."—Bullions, E. Gr., p. 2. (23.) "A syllable is a word, or part of a word, or as much as can be sounded at once."—Picket's Gram., p. 10. (24.) "A diphthong is the union of two Vowels, both of which are pronounced as one: as in bear and beat."—Bucke's Gram., p. 15. (25.) "A diphthong consists of two vowels, forming one syllable; as, ea, in beat."—Guy's Gram., p. 2. (26.) "A triphthong consists of three vowels forming one syllable; as, eau in beauty."—Ib. (27.) "But the Triphthong is the union of three Vowels, pronounced as one."—Bucke's Gram., p. 15. (28.) "What is a Noun Substantive? A Noun Substantive is the thing itself; as, a Man, a Boy."—British Gram., p. 85; Buchanan's, 26. (29.) "An adjective is a word added to nouns to describe them."—Maunder's Gram., p. 1. (30.) "An adjective is a word joined to a noun, to describe or define it."—Smith's New Gram., p. 51. (31.) "An adjective is a word used to describe or define a noun."—Wilcox's Gram., p. 2. (32.) "The adjective is added to the noun, to express the quality of it"—Murray's Gram., 12mo, 2d Ed., p. 27; Lowth, p. 6. (33.) "An adjective expresses the quality of the noun to which it is applied; and may generally be known by its making sense in connection with it; as, 'A good man,' 'A genteel woman.'"—Wright's Gram., p. 34. (34.) "An adverb is a word used to modify the sense of other words."—Wilcox's Gram., p. 2. (35.) "An adverb is a word joined to a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, to modify or denote some circumstance respecting it."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 66; Lat. Gram., 185. (36.) "A Substantive or Noun is a name given to every object which the senses can perceive; the understanding comprehend; or the imagination entertain."—Wright's Gram., p. 34. (37.) "GENDER means the distinction of nouns with regard to sex."—Bullions, Prin. of E. Gram., 2d Ed., p. 9. (38.) "Gender is a distinction of nouns with regard to sex."—Frost's Gram., p. 7. (39.) "Gender is a distinction of nouns in regard to sex."—Perley's Gram., p. 10. (40.) "Gender is the distinction of nouns, in regard to sex."—Cooper's Murray, 24; Practical Gram., 21. (41.) "Gender is the distinction of nouns with regard to sex."—Murray's Gram., p. 37; Alger's, 16; Bacon's, 12; R. G. Greene's, 16; Bullions, Prin., 5th Ed., 9; his New Gr., 22; Fisk's, 19; Hull's, 9; Ingersoll's, 15. (42.) "Gender is the distinction of sex."—Alden's Gram., p. 9; Comly's, 20; Dalton's, 11; Davenport's, 15; J. Flint's, 28; A. Flint's, 11; Greenleaf's, 21; Guy's, 4; Hart's, 36; Hiley's, 12; Kirkham's, 34; Lennie's, 11; Picket's, 25; Smith's, 43; Sanborn's, 25; Wilcox's, 8. (43.) "Gender is the distinction of Sex, or the Difference betwixt Male and Female."—British Gram., p. 94; Buchanan's, 18. (44.) "Why are nouns divided into genders? To distinguish their sexes."—Fowle's True Eng. Gram., p. 10. (45.) "What is meant by Gender? The different sexes."—Burn's Gram., p. 34. (46) "Gender, in grammar, is a difference of termination, to express distinction of sex."—Webster's Philos. Gram., p 30; Improved Gram., 22. (47.) "Gender signifies a distinction of nouns, according to the different sexes of things they denote."—Coar's Gram., p. 2. (48.) "Gender is the distinction occasioned by sex. Though there are but two sexes, still nouns necessarily admit of four distinctions[454] of gender."—Hall's Gram., p. 6. (49.) "Gender is a term which is employed for the distinction of nouns with regard to sex and species."—Wright's Gram., p. 41. (50.) "Gender is a Distinction of Sex."—Fisher's Gram., p. 53. (51.) "GENDER marks the distinction of Sex."—W. Allen's Gram., p. 37. (52.) "Gender means the kind, or sex. There are four genders."—Parker and Fox's, Part I, p. 7. (53.) "Gender is a property of the noun which distinguishes sex."—Weld's Gram., 2d Ed., p. 57. (54.) "Gender is a property of the noun or pronoun by which it distinguishes sex."—Weld's Grammar Abridged, p. 49. (55.) "Case is the state or condition of a noun with respect to the other words in a sentence."—Bullion's, E. Gram., p. 16; his Analyt. and Pract. Gram., p. 31. (56.) "Case means the different state or situation of nouns with regard to other words."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 55. (57.) "The cases of substantives signify their different terminations, which serve to express the relation of one thing to another."—L. Murray's Gram., 12mo, 2d Ed., p. 35. (58.) "Government is the power which one part of speech has over another, when it causes it or requires it to be of some particular person, number, gender, case, style, or mode."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 126; see Murray's Gram., 142; Smith's, 119; Pond's, 88; et al. (59.) "A simple sentence is a sentence which contains only one nominative case and one verb to agree with it."—Sanborn, ib.; see Murray's Gram., et al. (60.) "Declension means putting a noun through the different cases."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 58. (61.) "Zeugma is when two or more substantives have a verb in common, which is applicable only to one of them."—B. F. Fisk's Greek Gram., p. 185. (62.) "An Irregular Verb is that which has its passed tense and perfect participle terminating differently; as, smite, smote, smitten."—Wright's Gram., p. 92. (63.) "Personal pronouns are employed as substitutes for nouns that denote persons."—Hiley's Gram., p. 23.

Under Critical Note Iv.—Of Comparisons.

"We abound more in vowel and diphthong sounds, than most languages."—Blair's Rhet., p. 89.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the terms we and languages, which are here used to form a comparison, express things which are totally unlike. But, according to Critical Note 4th, "A comparison is a form of speech which requires some similarity or common property in the things compared; without which, it becomes a solecism." Therefore, the expression ought to be changed; thus, "Our language abounds more in vowel and diphthong sounds, than most other tongues." Or: "We abound more in vowel and diphthongal sounds, than most nations."]

"A line thus accented, has a more spirited air, than when the accent is placed on any other syllable."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 86. "Homer introduceth his deities with no greater ceremony than as mortals; and Virgil has still less moderation."—Ib., Vol. ii, p. 287. "Which the more refined taste of later writers, who had far inferior genius to them, would have taught them to avoid."—Blair's Rhet., p. 28. "The poetry, however, of the Book of Job, is not only equal to that of any other of the sacred writings, but is superior to them all, except those of Isaiah alone."—Ib., p. 419. "On the whole, Paradise Lost is a poem that abounds with beauties of every kind, and that justly entitles its author to a degree of fame not inferior to any poet."—Ib., p. 452. "Most of the French writers compose in short sentences; though their style in general, is not concise; commonly less so than the bulk of English writers, whose sentences are much longer."—Ib., p. 178. "The principles of the Reformation were deeper in the prince's mind than to be easily eradicated."—HUME: Cobbett's E. Gram., ¶217. "Whether they do not create jealousy and animosity more hurtful than the benefit derived from them."—DR. J. LEO WOLF: Lit. Conv., p. 250. "The Scotch have preserved the ancient character of their music more entire than any other country."—Music of Nature, p. 461. "When the time or quantity of one syllable exceeds the rest, that syllable readily receives the accent."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 277. "What then can be more obviously true than that it should be made as just as we can?"—Dymond's Essays, p. 198. "It was not likely that they would criminate themselves more than they could avoid."—Clarkson's Hist., Abridged, p. 76. "Their understandings were the most acute of any people who have ever lived."—Knapp's Lectures, p32. "The patentees have printed it with neat types, and upon better paper than was done formerly."—Lily's Gram., Pref., p. xiii. "In reality, its relative use is not exactly like any other word."—Felch's Comprehensive Gram., p. 62. "Thus, instead of two books, which are required, (the grammar and the exercises,) the learner finds both in one, for a price at least not greater than the others."—Bullions's E. Gram., Recom., p. iii; New Ed., Recom., p. 6. "They are not improperly regarded as pronouns, though in a sense less strict than the others"—Ib., p. 199. "We have had the opportunity, as will readily be believed, of becoming conversant with the case much more particularly, than the generality of our readers can be supposed to have had."—The British Friend, 11mo, 29th, 1845.

Under Critical Note V.—Of Falsities.

"The long sound of i is compounded of the sound of a, as heard in ball, and that of e, as heard in be."—Churchill's Gram., p. 3.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the sentence falsely teaches, that the long sound of i is that of the diphthong heard in oil or boy. But, according to Critical Note 5th, "Sentences that convey a meaning manifestly false, should be changed, rejected, or contradicted; because they distort language from its chief end, or only worthy use; which is, to state facts, and to tell the truth." The error may be corrected thus: "The long sound of i is like a very quick union of the sound of a, as heard in bar, and that of e, as heard in be."]

"The omission of a word necessary to grammatical propriety, is called ELLIPSIS."—Priestley's Gram., p. 45. "Every substantive is of the third person."—Alexander Murray's Gram., p. 91. "A noun, when the subject is spoken to, is in the second person; and when spoken of, it is in the third person; but never in the first."—Nutting's Gram., p. 17. "With us, no substantive nouns have gender, or are masculine and feminine, except the proper names of male and female creatures."—Blair's Rhet., p. 156. "Apostrophe is a little mark signifying that something is shortened; as, for William his hat, we say, William's hat."—Infant School Gram., p. 30. "When a word beginning with a vowel is coupled with one beginning with a consonant, the indefinite article must be repeated; thus, 'Sir Matthew Hale was a noble and an impartial judge;' 'Pope was an elegant and a nervous writer.'"—Maunder's Gram., p. 11. "W and y are consonants, when they begin a word or syllable; but in every other situation they are vowels."—Murray's Gram., p. 7: Bacon, Comly, Cooper, Fish, Ingersoll, Kirkham, Smith, et al. "The is used before all adjectives and substantives, let them begin as they will."—Bucke's Gram., p. 26. "Prepositions are also prefixed to words in such manner, as to coalesce with them, and to become a part of them."—Lowth's Gram., p. 66. "But h is entirely silent at the beginning of syllables not accented, as historian."—Blair's Gram., p. 5. "Any word that will make sense with to before it, is a verb."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 44. "Verbs do not, in reality, express actions; but they are intrinsically the mere names of actions."—Ib., p. 37. "The nominative is the actor or subject, and the active verb is the action performed by the nominative."—Ib., p. 45. "If, therefore, only one creature or thing acts, only one action, at the same instant, can be done; as, the girl writes."—Ib., 45. "The verb writes denotes but one action, which the girl performs; therefore the verb writes is of the singular number."—Ib., 45. "And when I say, Two men walk, is it not equally apparent, that walk is plural, because it expresses two actions?"—Ib., p. 47. "The subjunctive mood is formed by adding a conjunction to the indicative mood."—Beck's Gram., p. 16. "The possessive case should always be distinguished by the apostrophe."— Frost's El. of Gram., Rule 44th, p. 49. "'At these proceedings of the commons,'—Here of is the sign of the genitive or possessive case, and commons is of that case, governed of proceedings."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 95. "Here let it be observed again that, strictly speaking, no verbs have numbers nor persons, neither have nouns nor pronouns persons, when they refer to irrational creatures and inanimate things."—S. Barrett's Gram., p. 136. "The noun or pronoun denoting the person or thing addressed or spoken to, is in the nominative case independent."—Frost's El. of Gram., Rule 8th, p. 44. "Every noun, when addressed, becomes of the second person, and is in the nominative case absolute; as—'Paul, thou art beside thyself.'"—Jaudon's Gram., Rule 19th, p. 108. "Does the Conjunction join Words together? No; only Sentences."—British Gram., p. 103. "No; the Conjunction only joins sentences together."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 64. "Every Genitive has a Noun to govern it, expressed or understood; as, St. James's, Palace is understood; therefore one Genitive cannot govern another."—Ib., p. 111. "Every adjective, and every adjective pronoun, belongs to a substantive, expressed or understood."— Murray's Gram., p. 161; Bacon's, 48; Alger's, 57; et al. "Every adjective qualifies a substantive expressed or understood."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 97. "Every adjective belongs to some noun expressed or understood."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 36. "Adjectives belong to the nouns which they describe."—Smith's New Gram., p. 137. "Adjectives must agree with the nouns, which they qualify."—Fisk's Murray, p. 101. "The Adjective must agree with its Substantive in Number."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 94. "Every adjective and participle belongs to some noun or pronoun expressed or understood."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 44. "Every Verb of the Infinitive Mood, supposes a verb before it expressed or understood."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 94. "Every Adverb has its Verb expressed or understood."—Ib., p. 94. "Conjunctions which connect Sentence to Sentence, are always placed betwixt the two Propositions or Sentences which they unite."—Ib., p. 88. "The words for all that, seem to be too low."—Murray's Gram., p. 213. "For all that seems to be too low and vulgar."—Priestley's Gram., p. 139. "The reader, or hearer, then, understands from and, that he is to add something."—J. Brown's E. Syntax, p. 124. "But and never, never connects one thing with another thing, nor one word with another word."—Ib., p. 122. "'Six, and six are twelve.' Here it is affirmed that, six is twelve!"—Ib., p. 120. "'John, and his wife have six children.' This is an instance of gross catachresis. It is here affirmed that John has six children, and that his wife has six children."—Ib., p. 122. "Nothing which is not right can be great."—Murray's Exercises, 8vo, p. 146: see Rambler, No. 185. "Nothing can be great which is not right."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 277. "The highest degree of reverence should be paid to youth."—Ib., p. 278. "There is, in many minds, neither knowledge nor understanding."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 151; Russell's, 84; Alger's, 54; Bacon's, 47; et al. "Formerly, what we call the objective cases of our pronouns, were employed in the same manner as our present nominatives are."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 164. "As it respects a choice of words and expressions, no rules of grammar can materially aid the learner."—S. S. Greene's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 202. "Whatever exists, or is conceived to exist, is a Noun."—Fowler's E. Gram., 8vo, 1850, §137. "As all men are not brave, brave is itself comparative."—Ib., §190.

Under Critical Note Vi.—Of Absurdities.

(1.) "And sometimes two unaccented syllables follow each other."—Blair's Rhet., p. 384.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the phrase, "follow each other," is here an absurdity; it being impossible for two things to "follow each other," except they alternate, or whirl round. But, according to Critical Note 6th, "Absurdities, of every kind, are contrary to grammar; because they are contrary to reason, or good sense, which is the foundation of grammar." Therefore, a different expression should here be chosen; thus: "And sometimes two unaccented syllables come together." Or: "And sometimes one unaccented syllable follows an other."]

(2.) "What nouns frequently succeed each other?"—Sanborn's Gram., p. 65. (3.) "Words are derived from one another in various ways."—Ib., p. 288; Merchant's Gram., 78; Weld's, 2d Edition, 222. (4.) "Prepositions are derived from the two Latin words præ and pono, which signify before and place."—Mack's Gram., p. 86. (5.) "He was sadly laughed at for such conduct."—Bullion's E. Gram., p. 79. (6.) "Every adjective pronoun belongs to some noun or pronoun expressed or understood."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 212. (7.) "If he [Addison] fails in anything, it is in want of strength and precision, which renders his manner not altogether a proper model."—Blair's Rhet., p. 187. (8.) "Indeed, if Horace be deficient in any thing, it is in this, of not being sufficiently attentive to juncture and connexion of parts."—Ib., p. 401. (9.) "The pupil is now supposed to be acquainted with the nine sorts of speech, and their most usual modifications."—Taylor's District School, p. 204. (10.) "I could see, hear, taste, and smell the rose."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 156. (11.) "The triphthong iou is sometimes pronounced distinctly in two syllables; as in bilious, various, abstemious."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 13; Walker's Dict., Prin. 292, p. 37. (12.) "The diphthong aa generally sounds like a short in proper names; as in Balaam, Canaan, Isaac; but not in Baal, Gaal."—Murray's Gram., p. 10. (13.) "Participles are sometimes governed by the article; for the present participle, with the definite article the before it, becomes a substantive."—Ib., p. 192. (14.) "Words ending with y, preceded by a consonant, form the plurals of nouns, the persons of verbs, verbal nouns, past participles, comparatives and superlatives, by changing y into i."—Walker's Rhyming Dict., p. viii; Murray's Gram., 23; Merchant's Murray, 13; Fisk's, 44; Kirkham's, 23; Greenleaf's, 20; Wright's Gram., 28; et al. (15.) "But y preceded by a vowel, in such instances as the above, is not changed; as boy, boys."—Murray's Gram., p. 24; Merchant's, Fisk's, Kirkham's, Greenleaf's, et al. (16.) "But when y is preceded by a vowel, it is very rarely[455] changed in the additional syllable: as coy, coyly."—Murray's Gram. again, p. 24; Merchant's, 14; Fisk's, 45; Greenleaf's, 20; Wright's, 29; et al. (17.) "But when y is preceded by a vowel, in such instances, it is very rarely changed into i; as coy, COYLESS."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 24. (18.) "Sentences are of a twofold nature: Simple and Compound."—Wright's Gram., p. 123. (19.) "The neuter pronoun it is applied to all nouns and pronouns: as, It is he; it is she; it is they; it is the land."—Bucke's Gram., p. 92. (20.) "It is and it was, are often used in a plural construction; as, 'It was the heretics who first began to rail.'"—Merchant's Gram., p. 87. (21.) "It is and it was, are often, after the manner of the French, used in a plural construction, and by some of our best writers: as, 'It was the heretics that first began to rail.' Smollett."—Priestley's Gram., p. 190; Murray's, 158; Smith's, 134; Ingersoll's, 210; Fisk's, 115; et al. (22.) "w and y, as consonants, have one sound."—Town's Spelling-Book, p. 9. (23.) "The conjunction as is frequently used as a relative."—Bucke's Gram., p. 93. (24.) "When several clauses succeed each other, the conjunction may be omitted with propriety."—Merchant's Gram., p. 97. (25.) "If, however, the members succeeding each other, are very closely connected, the comma is unnecessary: as, 'Revelation tells us how we may attain happiness.'"—Murray's Gram., p. 273; Merchant's, 151; Russell's, 115; Comly's, 152; Alger's, 80; Smith's, 190; et al. (26.) "The mind has difficulty in passing readily through so many different views given it, in quick succession, of the same object."—Blair's Rhet., p. 149. (27.) "The mind has difficulty in passing readily through many different views of the same object, presented in quick succession."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 341. (28.) "Adjective pronouns are a kind of adjectives which point out nouns by some distinct specification."—Kirkham's Gram., the Compend, or Table. (29.) "A noun of multitude conveying plurality of idea[456], must have a verb or pronoun agreeing with it in the plural."—Ib., pp. 59 and 181: see also Lowth's Gram., p. 74; L. Murray's, 152; Comly's, 80; Lennie's, 87; Alger's, 54; Jaudon's, 96; Alden's, 81; Parker and Fox's, I, 76; II, 26; and others. (30.) "A noun or pronoun signifying possession, is governed by the noun it possesses."—Greenleaf's Gram., p. 35. (31.) "A noun signifying possession, is governed by the noun which it possesses."—Wilbur and Livingston's Gram., p. 24. (32.) "A noun or pronoun in the possessive case is governed by the noun it possesses."—Goldsbury's Gram., p. 68. (33.) "The possessive case is governed by the person or thing possessed; as, 'this is his book.'"—P. E. Day's Gram., p. 81. (34.) "A noun or pronoun in the possessive case, is governed by the noun which it possesses."—Kirkham's Gram., Rule 12th, pp. 52 and 181; Frazer's Gram., 1844, p. 25; F. H. Miller's, 21. (35.) "Here the boy is represented as acting. He is, therefore, in the nominative case."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 41. (36.) "Some of the auxiliaries are themselves principal verbs, as: have, do, will, and am, or be."—Cooper's Grammars, both, p. 50. (37.) "Nouns of the male kind are masculine. Those of the female kind are feminine."—Beck's Gram., p. 6. (38.) "'To-day's lesson is longer than yesterday's:' here to-day and yesterday are substantives."—Murray's Gram., p. 114; Ingersoll's, 50; et al. (39.) "In this example, to-day and yesterday are nouns in the possessive case."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 88. (40.) "An Indian in Britain would be much surprised to stumble upon an elephant feeding at large in the open fields."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. i, p. 219. (41.) "If we were to contrive a new language, we might make any articulate sound the sign of any idea: there would be no impropriety in calling oxen men, or rational beings by the name of oxen."—Murray's Gram., p. 139. (42.) "All the parts of a sentence should correspond to each other."—Ib., p. 222; Kirkham's, 193; Ingersoll's, 275; Goldsbury's, 74; Hiley's, 110; Weld's, 193; Alger's, 71; Fisk's, 148; S. Putnam's, 95; Merchant's, 101; Merchant's Murray, 95.

(43.) "Full through his neck the weighty falchion sped,
Along the pavement roll'd the mutt'ring head."
—Odyssey, xxii, 365.

Under Critical Note Vii.—Of Self-Contradiction.

(1.) "Though the construction will not admit of a plural verb, the sentence would certainly stand better thus: 'The king, the lords, and the commons, form an excellent constitution.'"—Murray's Gram., p. 151; Ingersoll's, 239.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the first clause here quoted is contradicted by the last. But, according to Critical Note 7th, "Every writer or speaker should be careful not to contradict himself; for what is self-contradictory, is both null in argument, and bad in style." The following change may remove the discrepance: "Though 'The king with the lords and commons,' must have a singular rather than a plural verb, the sentence would certainly stand better thus: 'The king, the lords, and the commons, form an excellent constitution.'"]

(2.) "L has always a soft liquid sound; as in love, billow, quarrel. It is sometimes mute: as in half, talk, psalm."—Murray's Gram., p. 14; Fisk's, 40. (3.) "L has always a soft liquid sound; as in love, billow. It is often silent; as in half, talk, almond."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 22. (4.) "The words means and amends, though formerly used in the singular, as well as in the plural number, are now, by polite writers, restricted to the latter. Our most distinguished modern authors say, 'by this means,' as well as, by these means.'"—Wright's Gram., p. 150. (5.) "'A friend exaggerates a man's virtues: an enemy inflames his crimes.' Better thus: 'A friend exaggerates a man's virtues: an enemy his crimes.'"—Murray's Gram., Vol. i, p. 325. "A friend exaggerates a man's virtues, an enemy inflames his crimes"—Key, Vol. ii, p. 173. (6.) "The auxiliary have, in the perfect tense of the subjunctive mood, should be avoided."—Merchant's Gram., p. 97. "Subjunctive Mood, Perfect Tense. If I have loved, If thou hast loved," &c.—p. 51. (7.) "There is also an impropriety in governing both the indicative and subjunctive moods, with the same conjunction; as, 'If a man have a hundred sheep, and if one of them be gone astray,' &c. It should be, and one of them is gone astray, &c."—Ib., p. 97. (8.) "The rising series of contrasts convey inexpressible dignity and energy to the conclusion."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 79. (9.) "A groan or a shriek is instantly understood, as a language extorted by distress, a language which no art can counterfeit, and which conveys a meaning that words are utterly inadequate to express."—Porter's Analysis, p. 127. "A groan or shriek speaks to the ear, as the language of distress, with far more thrilling effect than words. Yet these may be counterfeited by art."—Ib., p. 147. (10.) "These words [book and pen] cannot be put together in such a way as will constitute plurality."—James Brown's English Syntax, p. 125. (11.) "Nor can the real pen, and the real book be expressed in two words in such a manner as will constitute plurality in grammar."—Ibid. (12.) "Our is an adjective pronoun of the possessive kind. Decline it."—Murray's Gram., p. 227. (13.) "This and that, and likewise their Plurals, are always opposed to each other in a Sentence."—Buchanan's Syntax, p. 103. "When this or that is used alone, i.e. not opposed to each other, this is written or spoken of Persons or Things immediately present, and as it were before our Eyes, or nearest with relation to Place or Time. That is spoken or written of Persons or Things passed, absent and distant in relation to Time and Place."—Ibid. (14.) "Active and neuter verbs may be conjugated by adding their present participle to the auxiliary verb to be, through all its variations."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 159. "Be is an auxiliary whenever it is placed before the perfect participle of another verb, but in every other situation, it is a principal verb."—Ib., p. 155. (15.) "A verb in the imperative mood, is always of the second person."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 136. "The verbs, according to an idiom of our language, or the poet's license, are used in the imperative, agreeing with a nominative of the first or third person."—Ib., p. 164. (16.) "Personal Pronouns are distinguished from the relative, by their denoting the person of the nouns for which they stand."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 97. "Pronouns of the first person, do not agree in person with the nouns they represent."—Ib., p. 98. (17.) "Nouns have three cases, nominative, possessive, and objective."—Beck's Gram., p. 6. "Personal pronouns have, like nouns, two cases, nominative and objective."—Ib., p. 10. (18.). "In some instances the preposition suffers no change, but becomes an adverb merely by its application: as, 'He was near falling.'"—Murray's Gram., p. 116. (19.) "Some nouns are used only in the plural; as, ashes, literati, minutiæ, SHEEP, DEER."—Blair's Gram., p. 43. "Some nouns are the same in both numbers, as, alms, couple, DEER, series, species, pair, SHEEP."—Ibid. "Among the inferior parts of speech there are some pairs or couples"—Ib., p. 94. (20.) "Concerning the pronominal adjectives, that can and can not, may and may not, represents its noun."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 336. (21.) "The article a is in a few instances employed in the sense of a preposition; as, Simon Peter said I go a [to] fishing."—Weld's Gram., 2d Ed., p. 177; Abridg., 128. "'To go a fishing;' i.e. to go on a fishing voyage or business."—Weld's Gram., p. 192. (22.) "So also verbs, really transitive, are used intransitively, when they have no object."—Bullions's Analyt. and Pract. Gram., p. 60.

(23.) "When first young Maro, in his boundless mind,
A work t' outlast immortal Rome design'd."
—Pope, on Crit., l. 130.

Under Critical Note Viii.—Of Senseless Jumbling.

"Number distinguishes them [viz., nouns], as one, or many, of the same kind, called the singular and plural."—Dr. Blair's Lectures on Rhetoric, p. 74.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the words of this text appear to be so carelessly put together, as to make nothing but jargon, or a sort of scholastic balderdash. But, according to Critical Note 8th, "To jumble together words without care for the sense, is an unpardonable negligence, and an abuse of the human understanding." I think the learned author should rather have said: "There are two numbers called the singular and the plural, which distinguish nouns as signifying either one thing, or many of the same kind."]

"Here the noun James Munroe is addressed, he is spoken to, it is here a noun of the second person."—Mack's Gram., p. 66. "The number and case of a verb can never be ascertained until its nominative is known."—Emmons's Gram., p. 36. "A noun of multitude, or signifying many, may have the verb and pronoun agreeing with it either in the singular or plural number; yet not without regard to the import of the word, as conveying unity or plurality of idea."—Lowth's Gram., p. 75; Murray's, 152; Alger's, 54; Russell's, 55; Ingersoll's, 248; et al. "To express the present and past imperfect of the active and neuter verb, the auxiliary do is sometimes used: I do (now) love; I did (then) love."—Lowth's Gram., p. 40. "If these are perfectly committed, they will be able to take twenty lines for a lesson on the second day; and may be increased each day."—Osborn's Key, p. 4. "When c is joined with h (ch), they are generally sounded in the same manner: as in Charles, church, cheerfulness, and cheese. But foreign words (except in those derived from the French, as chagrin, chicanery, and chaise, in which ch are sounded like sh) are pronounced like k; as in Chaos, character, chorus, and chimera."—Bucke's Classical Gram., p. 10. "Some substantives, naturally neuter, are, by a figure of speech, converted into the masculine or feminine gender."—Murray's Gram., p. 37; Comly's, 20; Bacon's, 13; A Teacher's, 8; Alger's, 16; Lennie's, 11; Fisk's, 56; Merchant's, 27; Kirkham's, 35; et al. "Words in the English language may be classified under ten general heads, the names of which classes are usually termed the ten parts of speech."—Nutting's Gram., p. 14. "'Mercy is the true badge of nobility.' Nobility is a noun of multitude, mas. and fem. gender, third person, sing. and in the obj. case, and governed by 'of:' RULE 31."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 161. "gh, are either silent, or have the sound of f, as in laugh."—Town's Spelling-Book, p. 10. "As many people as were destroyed, were as many languages or dialects lost and blotted out from the general catalogue."—Chazotte's Essay, p. 25. "The grammars of some languages contain a greater number of the moods, than others, and exhibit them in different forms."—Murray's Gram., 8vo. Vol. i, p. 95. "A COMPARISON OR SIMILE, is, when the resemblance between two objects is expressed in form, and generally pursued more fully than the nature of a metaphor admits."—Ib., p. 343. "In some dialects, the word what is improperly used for that, and sometimes we find it in this sense in writing."—Ib., p. 156; Priestley's Gram., 93; Smith's, 132; Merchant's, 87; Fisk's, 114; Ingersoll's, 220; et al. "Brown makes great ado concerning the adname principles of preceding works, in relation to the gender of pronouns."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 323. "The nominative precedes and performs the action of the verb."—Beck's Gram., p. 8. "The Primitive are those which cannot receive more simple forms than those which they already possess."—Wright's Gram., p. 28. "The long sound [of i] is always marked by the e final in monosyllables; as, thin, thine; except give, live."—Murray's Gram., p. 13; Fisk's, 39; et al. "But the third person or thing spoken of being absent, and in many respects unknown, it is necessary that it should be marked by a distinction of gender."—Lowth's Gram., p. 21; L. Murray's, 51; et al. "Each of the diphthongal letters was doubtless, originally heard in pronouncing the words which contain them. Though this is not the case at present, with respect to many of them, these combinations still retain the name of diphthongs; but, to distinguish them, they are marked by the term improper."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 9; Fisk's, 37; et al. "A Mode is the form of, or manner of using a verb, by which the being, action, or passion is expressed "—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 32. "The word that is a demonstrative pronoun when it is followed immediately by a substantive, to which it is either joined, or refers, and which it limits or qualifies."—Lindley Murray's Gram., p. 54.

"The guiltless woe of being past,
Is future glory's deathless heir."—Sumner L. Fairfield.

Under Critical Note Ix.—Of Words Needless.

"A knowledge of grammar enables us to express ourselves better in conversation and in writing composition."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 7.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the word composition is here needless. But, according to Critical Note 9th, "Words that are entirely needless, and especially such as injure or encumber the expression, ought in general to be omitted." The sentence would be better without this word, thus: "A knowledge of grammar enables us to express ourselves better in conversation and in writing."]

"And hence we infer, that there is no other dictator here but use."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 42. "Whence little else is gained, except correct spelling and pronunciation."—Town's Spelling-Book, p. 5. "The man who is faithfully attached to religion, may be relied on, with humble confidence."—Merchants School Gram., p. 76. "Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?"—2 Sam., vii, 5. "The house was deemed polluted which was entered into by so abandoned a woman."—Blair's Rhet., p. 279. "The farther that he searches, the firmer will be his belief."—Keith's Evidences, p. 4. "I deny not, but that religion consists in these things."—Barclays Works, i, 321. "Except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name."—Esther, ii, 14. "The proper method of reading these lines, is to read them according as the sense dictates."—Blair's Rhet., p. 386. "When any words become obsolete, or at least are never used, except as constituting part of particular phrases, it is better to dispense with their service entirely, and give up the phrases."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 185; Murray's Gram., p. 370. "Those savage people seemed to have no element but that of war."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 211. "Man is a common noun, of the third person, singular number, masculine gender, and in the nominative case."—J. Flint's Gram., p. 33. "The orator, according as circumstances require, will employ them all."—Blair's Rhet., p. 247. "By deferring our repentance, we accumulate our sorrows."—Murray's Key, ii, p. 166. "There is no doubt but that public speaking became early an engine of government."—Blair's Rhet., p. 245. "The different meaning of these two first words may not at first occur."—Ib., p. 225. "The sentiment is well expressed by Plato, but much better by Solomon than him."—Murray's Gram., p. 214; Ingersoll's, 251; Smith's, 179; et al. "They have had a greater privilege than we have had."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 211. "Every thing should be so arranged, as that what goes before may give light and force to what follows."—Blair's Rhet., p. 311. "So as that his doctrines were embraced by great numbers."—UNIV. HIST.: Priestley's Gram., p. 139. "They have taken another and a shorter cut."—SOUTH: Joh. Dict. "The Imperfect Tense of a regular verb is formed from the present by adding d or ed to the present; as, 'I loved.'"—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 32. "The pronoun their does not agree in gender or number with the noun 'man,' for which it stands."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 182. "This mark denotes any thing of wonder, surprise, joy, grief, or sudden emotion."—Bucke's Gram., p. 19. "We are all accountable creatures, each for himself."—Murray's Key, p. 204; Merchant's, 195. "If he has commanded it, then I must obey."—Smith's New Gram., pp. 110 and 112. "I now present him with a form of the diatonic scale."—Dr. John Barber's Elocution, p. xi. "One after another of their favourite rivers have been reluctantly abandoned."—Hodgson's Tour. "Particular and peculiar are words of different import from each other."—Blair's Rhet., p. 196. "Some adverbs admit rules of comparison: as Soon, sooner, soonest."—Bucke's Gram., p. 76. "From having exposed himself too freely in different climates, he entirely lost his health."—Murray's Key. p. 200. "The Verb must agree with its Nominative before it in Number and Person."—Buchanan's Syntax, p. 93. "Write twenty short sentences containing only adjectives."—Abbot's Teacher, p. 102. "This general inclination and tendency of the language seems to have given occasion to the introducing of a very great corruption."—Lowth's Gram., p. 60. "The second requisite of a perfect sentence, is its Unity."—Murray's Gram., p. 311. "It is scarcely necessary to apologize for omitting to insert their names."—Ib., p. vii. "The letters of the English Language, called the English Alphabet, are twenty-six in number."—Ib., p. 2; T. Smith's, 5; Fisk's, 10; Alger's, 9; et al. "A writer who employs antiquated or novel phraseology, must do it with design: he cannot err from inadvertence as he may do it with respect to provincial or vulgar expressions."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 56. "The Vocative case, in some Grammars, is wholly omitted; why, if we must have cases, I could never understand the propriety of."—Bucke's Classical Gram., p. 45. "Active verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary verb I have; passive verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary verb I am."—Ib., p. 57. "What word, then, may and be called? A Conjunction."—Smith's New Gram., p. 37. "Have they ascertained the person who gave the information?"—Bullions's E. Gram., p. 81.

Under Critical Note X.—Of Improper Omissions.

"All qualities of things are called adnouns, or adjectives."—Blair's
Gram., p. 10.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because this expression lacks two or three words which are necessary to the sense intended. But according to Critical Note 10th, "Words necessary to the sense, or even to the melody or beauty of a sentence, ought seldom, if ever, to be omitted." The sentence may be amended thus: "All words signifying concrete qualities of things, are called adnouns, or adjectives."]

"The—signifies the long or accented syllable, and the breve indicates a short or unaccented syllable."—Blair's Gram., p. 118. "Whose duty is to help young ministers."—N. E. Discipline, p. 78. "The passage is closely connected with what precedes and follows."—Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 255 "The work is not completed, but soon will be."—Smith's Productive Gram., p. 113. "Of whom hast thou been afraid or feared?"—Isaiah, lvii, 11. "There is a God who made and governs the world."—Butler's Analogy, p. 263. "It was this made them so haughty."—Goldsmith's Greece, Vol. ii, p. 102. "How far the whole charge affected him is not easy to determine."— Ib., i, p. 189. "They saw, and worshipped the God, that made them."— Bucke's Gram., p. 157. "The errors frequent in the use of hyperboles, arise either from overstraining, or introducing them on unsuitable occasions."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 256. "The preposition in is set before countries, cities, and large towns; as, 'He lives in France, in London, or in Birmingham.' But before villages, single houses, and cities which are in distant countries, at is used; as, 'He lives at Hackney.'"—Ib., p. 204; Dr. Ash's Gram., 60; Ingersoll's, 232; Smith's, 170; Fisk's, 143; et al. "And, in such recollection, the thing is not figured as in our view, nor any image formed."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. i, p. 86. "Intrinsic and relative beauty must be handled separately."—Ib., Vol. ii, p. 336. "He should be on his guard not to do them injustice, by disguising, or placing them in a false light."—Blair's Rhet., p. 272. "In that work, we are frequently interrupted by unnatural thoughts."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 275. "To this point have tended all the rules I have given."—Blair's Rhet., p. 120. "To these points have tended all the rules which have been given."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 356. "Language, as written, or oral, is addressed to the eye, or to the ear."—Lit. Conv., p. 181. "He will learn, Sir, that to accuse and prove are very different."—Walpole. "They crowded around the door so as to prevent others going out."—Abbott's Teacher, p. 17. "One person or thing is singular number; more than one person or thing is plural number."—John Flint's Gram., p. 27. "According to the sense or relation in which nouns are used, they are in the NOMINATIVE or POSSESSIVE CASE, thus, nom. man; poss. man's."—Blair's Gram., p. 11. "Nouns or pronouns in the possessive case are placed before the nouns which govern them, to which they belong."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 130. "A teacher is explaining the difference between a noun and verb."—Abbott's Teacher, p. 72. "And therefore the two ends, or extremities, must directly answer to the north and south pole."—HARRIS: Joh. Dict., w. Gnomon. "Walks or walketh, rides or rideth, stands or standeth, are of the third person singular."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 47. "I grew immediately roguish and pleasant to a degree, in the same strain."—SWIFT: Tattler, 31. "An Anapæst has the first syllables unaccented, and the last accented."— Blair's Gram., p. 119. "An Anapæst has the first two syllables unaccented, and the last accented."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 219; Bullions's Principles, 170. "An Anapæst has the two first syllables unaccented, and the last accented."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 254; Jamieson's Rhet., 305; Smith's New Gram., 188; Guy's Gram., 120; Merchant's, 167; Russell's, 109; Picket's, 226. "But hearing and vision differ not more than words spoken and written."—Wilson's Essay on Gram., p. 21. "They are considered by some prepositions."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 102. "When those powers have been deluded and gone astray."—Philological Museum, i, 642. "They will soon understand this, and like it."—Abbott's Teacher, p. 92. "They have been expelled their native country Romagna."—Leigh Hunt, on Byron, p. 18. "Future time is expressed two different ways."—Adam's Gram., p. 80; Gould's, 78. "Such as the borrowing from history some noted event."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 280. "Every Verb must agree with its Nominative in Number and Person."—Burke's Gram., p. 94. "We are struck, we know not how, with the symmetry of any thing we see."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 268. "Under this head, I shall consider every thing necessary to a good delivery."— Sheridan's Lect., p. 26. "A good ear is the gift of nature; it may be much improved, but not acquired by art."—Murray's Gram., p. 298. "'Truth,' A noun, neuter, singular, the nominative."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 73. "'Possess,' A verb transitive, present, indicative active,—third person plural."—Ibid., 73. "Fear is a noun, neuter, singular, and is the nominative to (or subject of) is."—Id., ib., p. 133. "Is is a verb, intrans., irregular—am, was, been; it is in the present, indicative, third person singular, and agrees with its nominative fear. Rule 1. 'A verb agrees,' &c."—Ibid., 133. "Ae in Gælic, has the sound of long a."—Wells's School Gram., 1st Ed., p. 29.

Under Critical Note Xi.—Of Literary Blunders.

"Repeat some [adverbs] that are composed of the article a and nouns."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 89.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the grammatist here mistakes for the article a, the prefix or preposition a; as in "aside, ashore, afoot, astray," &c. But, according to Critical Note 11th, "Grave blunders made in the name of learning, are the strongest of all certificates against the books which contain them unreproved." The error should be corrected thus: "Repeat some adverbs that are composed of the prefix a, or preposition a, and nouns."]

"Participles are so called, because derived from the Latin word participium, which signifies to partake."—Merchant's School Gram., p. 18. "The possessive follows another noun, and is known by the sign of 's or of."—Beck's Gram., p. 8. "Reciprocal pronouns are formed by adding self or selves to the possessive; as, myself, yourselves."— Ib., p. 10. "The word self, and its plural selves, must be considered nouns, as they occupy the places of nouns, and stand for the names of them."—Wright's Gram., p. 61. "The Dactyl, rolls round, expresses beautifully the majesty of the sun in his course."—Webster's Philos. Gram., p. 231; Webster's Imp. Gram., p. 165; Frazee's Imp. Gram., p. 192. "Prepositions govern the objective case; as, John learned his lesson."—Frazee's Gram., p. 153. "Prosody primarily signified punctuation; and as the name implies, related to stopping by the way."—Hendrick's Gram., p. 103. "On such a principle of forming modes, there would be as many modes as verbs; and instead of four modes, we should have forty-three thousand, which is the number of verbs in the English language, according to Lowth."—Hallock's Gram., p. 76. "The following phrases are elliptical: 'To let out blood.' 'To go a hunting:' that is,' To go on a hunting excursion.'"—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 129. "In Rhyme, the last syllable of every two lines has the same sound."—Id., Practical Lessons, p. 129. "The possessive case plural, ending in es, has the apostrophe, but omits the s; as, Eagles' wings."—Weld's Gram., p. 62; Abridg., p. 54. "Horses (plural) -mane, [should be written] horses' mane."—Weld', ib., pp. 62 and 54. "W takes its written form from the union of two v's, this being the form of the Roman capital letter which we call V."—Fowler's E. Gram., 1850, p. 157. "In the sentence, 'I saw the lady who sings,' what word do I say sings?"—J. Flint's Gram., p. 12. "In the sentence, 'this is the pen which John made,' what word do I say John made?"—Ibid. "'That we fall into no sin:' no, an adverb used idiomatically, instead of we do not fall into any sin."—Blair's Gram., p. 54. "'That all our doings may be ordered by thy governance:' all, a pronoun used for the whole."—Ibid. "'Let him be made to study.' What causes the sign to to be expressed before study? Its being used in the passive voice after be made."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 145. "The following Verbs have neither Preter-Tense nor Passive-participle, viz. Cast, cut, cost, shut, let, bid, shed, hurt, hit, put, &c."— Buchanan's Gram., p. 60. "The agreement, which every word has with the others in person, gender, and case, is called CONCORD; and that power which one person of speech has over another, in respect to ruling its case, mood, or tense, is called GOVERNMENT."—Bucke's Classical Gram., p. 83. "The word ticks tells what the noun watch does."— Sanborn's Gram., p. 15. "Breve ([~]) marks a short vowel or syllable, and the dash (—) a long."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 157; Lennie, 137. "Charles, you, by your diligence, make easy work of the task given you by your preceptor.' The first you is used in the nom. poss. and obj. case."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 103. "Ouy in bouy is a proper tripthong. Eau in flambeau is an improper tripthong."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 255. "'While I of things to come, As past rehearsing, sing.' POLLOK. That is, 'While I sing of things which are to come, as one sings of things which are past rehearsing.'"—Kirkham's Gram., p. 169. "A simple sentence has in it but one nominative, and one neuter verb."—Folker's Gram., p. 14. "An Irregular Verb is that which has its passed tense and perfect participle terminating differently; as, smite, smote, smitten."—Wright's Gram., p. 92. "But when the antecedent is used in a general sense, a comma is properly inserted before the relative; as, 'There is no charm in the female sex, which can supply the place of virtue.'"—Kirkham's Gram., p. 213. "Two capitals in this way denote the plural number; L. D. Legis Doctor; LL. D. Legum Doctor."—Gould's Lat. Gram., p. 274. "Was any person besides the mercer present? Yes, both he and his clerk."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 188. "Adnoun, or Adjective, comes from the Latin, ad and jicio, to add to."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 69. "Another figure of speech, proper only to animated and warm composition, is what some critical writers call vision; when, in place of relating some thing that is past, we use the present tense, and describe it as actually passing before our eyes. Thus Cicero, in his fourth oration against Cataline: 'I seem to myself to behold this city, the ornament of the earth, and the capital of all nations, suddenly involved in one conflagration. I see before me the slaughtered heaps of citizens lying unburied in the midst of their ruined country. The furious countenance of Cethegus rises to my view, while with a savage joy he is triumphing in your miseries.'"—Blair's Rhet., p. 171. "Vision is another figure of speech, which is proper only in animated and warm composition. It is produced when, instead of relating something that is past, we use the present tense," &c.— Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 352. "When several verbs follow one another, having the same nominative, the auxiliary is frequently omitted after the first through an ellipsis, and understood to the rest; as, 'He has gone and left me;' that is, 'He has gone, and has left me.' "—Comly's Gram., p. 94. "When I use the word pillar as supporting an edifice, I employ it literally."—Hiley's Gram., 3d Ed., p. 133. "The conjunction nor is often used for neither; as,

'Simois nor Xanthus shall be wanting there.'"—Ib., p. 129.

Under Critical Note Xii.—Of Perversions.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."—Murray's
Gram., 8vo, Vol. i, p. 330; Hallock's Gram., p. 179; Melmoth, on
Scripture, p. 16.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because this reading is false in relation to the word "heavens;" nor is it usual to put a comma after the word "beginning." But, according to Critical Note 12th, "Proof-tests in grammar, if not in all argument, should be quoted literally; and even that which needs to be corrected, must never be perverted." The authorized text is this: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."—Gen., i, 1.]

"Canst thou, by searching, find out the Lord?"—Murray's Gram., p. 335. "Great is the Lord, just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints."—Priestley's Gram., p. 171; L. Murray's, 168; Merchant's, 90; R. C. Smith's, 145; Ingersoll's, 194; Ensell's, 330; Fisk's, 104; et al. "Every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 137. "Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 211; Bullions's, 111 and 113; Everest's, 230; Smith's, 177; et al. "Whose foundation was overflown with a flood."—FRIENDS' BIBLE: Job, xxii, 16. "Take my yoke upon ye, for my yoke is easy."—The Friend, Vol. iv, p. 150. "I will to prepare a place for you."—Weld's E. Gram., 2d Ed., p. 67. "Ye who are dead hath he quickened."—lb., p. 189; Imp. Ed., 195. "Go, flee thee away into the land of Judea."—Hart's Gram., p. 115. "Hitherto shalt thou come, and no farther."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 222. "Thine is the day and night."—Brown's Concordance, p. 82. "Faith worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 282. "Soon shall the dust return to dust, and the soul, to God who gave it. BIBLE."—Ib., p. 166. "For, in the end, it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. It will lead thee into destruction, and cause thee to utter perverse things. Thou wilt be like him who lieth down in the midst of the sea. BIBLE."—Ib., p. 167. "The memory of the just shall be honored: but the name of the wicked shall rot. BIBLE."—Ib., p. 168. "He that is slow in anger, is better than the mighty. He that ruleth his spirit, is better than he that taketh a city. BIBLE."—Ib., p. 72. "The Lord loveth whomsoever he correcteth; as the father correcteth the son in whom he delighteth. BIBLE."—Ib., p. 72. "The first future tense represents what is to take place hereafter. G. B."—Ib., p. 366. "Teach me to feel another's wo; [and] To hide what faults I see."—Ib., p. 197. "Thy speech bewrayeth thee; for thou art a Gallilean."—Murray's Ex., ii, p. 118. "Thy speech betrays thee; for thou art a Gallilean."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 250. "Strait is the gate, and narrow the way, that leads to life eternal."—Ib., Key, p. 172. "Straight is the gate," &c.—Ib., Ex., p. 36. "'Thou buildest the wall, that thou mayst be their king.' Neh., vi, 6."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 210. "'There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared.' Psalms, cxxx, 4."—Ib., p. 210. "But yesterday, the word, Cesar, might Have stood against the world."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 316. "The northeast spends its rage. THOMSON."—Joh. Dict., w. Effusive. "Tells how the drudging goblet swet. MILTON."—Churchill's Gram., p. 263. "And to his faithful servant hath in place Bore witness gloriously. SAM. AGON."—Ib., p. 266. "Then, if thou fallest, O Cromwell, Thou fallest a blessed martyr."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 190. "I see the dagger-crest of Mar, I see the Morays' silver star, Waves o'er the cloud of Saxon war, That up the lake came winding far!—SCOTT."—Merchant's School Gram., p. 143. "Each bird, and each insect, is happy in its kind."—Ib., p. 85. "They who are learning to compose and arrange their sentences with accuracy and order, are learning, at the same time, to think with accuracy and order. BLAIR."—Ib., p. 176; L. Murray's Gram., Title-page, 8vo and 12mo. "We, then, as workers together with you, beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."—James Brown's Eng. Syntax, p. 129. "And on the bounty of thy goodness calls."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 246. "Knowledge dwells In heads replete with thoughts of other men; Wisdom, in minds retentive to their own. COWPER."—Merchant's School Gram., p. 172. "Oh! let me listen to the word of life. THOMSON."—Ib., p. 155. "Save that from yonder ivy-mantled bower, &c. GRAY'S ELEGY."—Tooke's Div. of Purley, Vol. i, p. 116. "Weigh the mens wits against the ladies hairs. POPE."—Dr. Johnson's Gram., p. 6. "Weigh the men's wits against the women's hairs. POPE."—Churchill's Gram., p. 214. "Prior to the publication of Lowth's excellent little grammar, the grammatical study of our own language, formed no part of the ordinary method of instruction. HILEY'S PREFACE."—Dr. Bullions's E. Gram., 1843, p. 189. "Let there be no strife betwixt me and thee."—Weld's Gram., p. 143.

"What! canst thou not bear with me half an hour?—SHARP."
—Ib., p. 185.

"Till then who knew the force of those dire dreams.—MILTON."
—Ib., p. 186.

"In words, as fashions, the rule will hold,
Alike fantastic, if too new or old:"
—Murray's Gram., p. 136.

"Be not the first, by whom the new is tried,
Nor yet the last, to lay the old aside."
—Bucke's Gram., p. 104.

Under Critical Note Xiii.—Of Awkwardness.

"They slew Varus, who was he that I mentioned before."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 194.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the phrase, "who was he that," is here prolix and awkward. But, according to Critical Note 13th, "Awkwardness, or inelegance of expression, is a reprehensible defect in style, whether it violate any of the common rules of syntax or not." This example may be improved thus: "They slew Varus, whom I mentioned before."]

"Maria rejected Valerius, who was he that she had rejected before."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 174. "The English in its substantives has but two different terminations for cases."—Lowth's Gram., p. 18. "Socrates and Plato were wise; they were the most eminent philosophers of Greece."—Ib., p. 175; Murray's Gram., 149; et al. "Whether one person or more than one, were concerned in the business, does not yet appear."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 184. "And that, consequently, the verb and pronoun agreeing with it, cannot with propriety, be ever used in the plural number."—Murray's Gram., p. 153; Ingersoll's, 249; et al. "A second help may be the conversing frequently and freely with those of your own sex who are like minded."—John Wesley. "Four of the semi-vowels, namely, l, m, n, r, are also distinguished by the name of liquids, from their readily uniting with other consonants, and flowing as it were into their sounds."—Murray's Gram., p. 8; Churchill's, 5; Alger's, 11; et al. "Some conjunctions have their correspondent conjunctions belonging to them: so that, in the subsequent member of the sentence the latter answers to the former."—Lowth's Gram., p. 109: Adam's, 209; Gould's, 205; L. Murray's, 211; Ingersoll's, 268; Fisk's, 137; Churchill's, 153; Fowler's, 562; et al. "The mutes are those consonants, whose sounds cannot be protracted. The semi-vowels, such whose sounds can be continued at pleasure, partaking of the nature of vowels, from which they derive their name."—Murray's Gram., p 9; et al. "The pronoun of the third person, of the masculine and feminine gender, is sometimes used as a noun, and regularly declined: as, 'The hes in birds.' BACON. 'The shes of Italy.' SHAK."—Churchill's Gram., p. 73. "The following examples also of separation of a preposition from the word which it governs, is improper in common writings."—C. Adams's Gram., p. 103. "The word whose begins likewise to be restricted to persons, but it is not done so generally but that good writers, and even in prose, use it when speaking of things."—Priestley's Gram., p. 99; L. Murray's, 157; Fisk's, 115; et al. "There are new and surpassing wonders present themselves to our views."—Sherlock. "Inaccuracies are often found in the way wherein the degrees of comparison are applied and construed."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 202. "Inaccuracies are often found in the way in which the degrees of comparison are applied and construed."—Murray's Gram., p. 167; Smith's, 144; Ingersoll's, 193; et al. "The connecting circumstance is placed too remotely, to be either perspicuous or agreeable."—Murray's Gram., p. 177. "Those tenses are called simple tenses, which are formed of the principal without an auxiliary verb."—Ib., p. 91. "The nearer that men approach to each other, the more numerous are their points of contact and the greater will be their pleasures or their pains."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 275. "This is the machine that he is the inventor of."—Nixon's Parser, p. 124. "To give this sentence the interrogative form, it should be expressed thus."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 279. "Never employ those words which may be susceptible of a sense different from the sense you intend to be conveyed."—Hiley's Gram., p. 152. "Sixty pages are occupied in explaining what would not require more than ten or twelve to be explained according to the ordinary method."—Ib., Pref., p. ix. "The present participle in -ing always expresses an action, or the suffering of an action, or the being, state, or condition of a thing as continuing and progressive."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 57. "The Present participle of all active verbs[457] has an active signification; as, James is building the house. In many of these, however, it has also a passive signification; as, the house was building when the wall fell."—Id., ib., 2d or 4th Ed., p. 57. "Previous to parsing this sentence, it may be analyzed to the young pupil by such questions as the following, viz."—Id., ib., p. 73. "Subsequent to that period, however, attention has been paid to this important subject."—Ib., New Ed., p. 189; Hiley's Preface, p. vi. "A definition of a word is an explanation in what sense the word is used, or what idea or object we mean by it, and which may be expressed by any one or more of the properties, effects, or circumstances of that object, so as sufficiently to distinguish it from other objects."—Hiley's Gram., p. 245.

Under Critical Note Xiv.—Of Ignorance.

"What is an Asserter? It is the part of speech which asserts."—O. B.
Peirce's Gram., p. 20.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the term "Asserter" which is here put for Verb, is both ignorantly misspelled, and whimsically misapplied. But, according to Critical Note 14th, "Any use of words that implies ignorance of their meaning, or of their proper orthography, is particularly unscholarlike; and, in proportion to the author's pretensions to learning, disgraceful." The errors here committed might have been avoided thus: "What is a verb? It is a word which signifies to be, to act, or to be acted upon." Or thus: "What is an assertor? Ans. 'One who affirms positively; an affirmer, supporter, or vindicator.'—Webster's Dict."]

"Virgil wrote the Ænead."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 56. "Which, to a supercilious or inconsiderate Japaner, would seem very idle and impertinent."—Locke, on Ed., p. 225. "Will not a look of disdain cast upon you, throw you into a foment?"—Life of Th. Say, p. 146. "It may be of use to the scholar, to remark in this place, that though only the conjunction if is affixed to the verb, any other conjunction proper for the subjunctive mood, may, with equal propriety, be occasionally annexed."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 93. "When proper names have an article annexed to them, they are used as common names."—Ib., p. 36; Ingersoll's, 25; et al. "When a proper noun has an article annexed to it, it is used as a common noun."—Merchant's Gram., p. 25. "Seeming to disenthral the death-field of its terrors."—Ib., p. 109. "For the same reason, we might, without any disparagement to the language, dispense with the terminations of our verbs in the singular."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 50. "It diminishes all possibility of being misunderstood."—Abbott's Teacher, p. 175. "Approximation to excellence is all that we can expect."—Ib., p. 42. "I have often joined in singing with musicianists at Norwich."—Music of Nature, p. 274. "When not standing in regular prosic order."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 281. "Disregardless of the dogmas and edicts of the philosophical umpire."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 75. "Others begin to talk before their mouths are open, affixing the mouth-closing M to most of their words—as M-yes for Yes."—Music of Nature, p. 28. "That noted close of his, esse videatur, exposed him to censure among his cotemporaries."—Blair's Rhet., p. 127. "OWN. Formerly, a man's own was what he worked for, own being a past participle of a verb signifying to work."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 71. "As [requires] so: expressing a comparison of quality: as, 'As the one dieth, so dieth the other.'"—Murray's Gram., p. 212; R. C. Smith's, 177; and many others. "To obey our parents is a solemn duty."—Parker and Fox's Gram., Part I, p. 67. "Most all the political papers of the kingdom have touched upon these things."—H. C. WRIGHT: Liberator, Vol. xiv, p. 22. "I shall take leave to make a few observations upon the subject."—Hiley's Gram., p. iii. "His loss I have endeavoured to supply, as far as additional vigilance and industry would allow."—Ib., p. xi. "That they should make vegetation so exhuberant as to anticipate every want."—Frazee's Gram., p. 43. "The quotors " " which denote that one or more words are extracted from another author."—Day's District School Gram., p. 112. "Ninevah and Assyria were two of the most noted cities of ancient history."—Ib., p. 32 and p. 88. "Ninevah, the capital of Assyria, is a celebrated ancient city."—Ib., p. 88. "It may, however, be rendered definite by introducing some definition of time; as, yesterday, last week, &c."—Bullions's E. Gram., p. 40. "The last is called heroic measure, and is the same that is used by Milton, Young, Thompson, Pollock, &c."—Id., Practical Lessons, p. 129. "Perrenial ones must be sought in the delightful regions above."—Hallock's Gram., p. 194. "Intransitive verbs are those which are inseperable from the effect produced."—Cutler's Gram., p. 31. "Femenine gender, belongs to women, and animals of the female kind."—Ib., p. 15. "Woe! unto you scribes and pharasees."—Day's Gram., p. 74. "A pyrrick, which has both its syllables short."—Ib., p. 114. "What kind of Jesamine? a Jesamine in flower, or a flowery Jesamine."—Barrett's Gram., 10th Ed., p. 53. "Language, derived from 'linguæ,' the tongue, is the faculty of communicating our thoughts to each other, by proper words, used by common consent, as signs of our ideas."—Ib., p. 9. "Say none, not nara"—Staniford's Gram., p. 81. "ARY ONE, for either."—Pond's Larger Gram., p. 194. (See Obs. 24th, on the Syntax of Adverbs, and the Note at the bottom of the page.)

"Earth loses thy patron for ever and aye;
O sailor boy! sailor boy! peace to thy soul."
—S. Barrett's Gram., 1837, p. 116.

"His brow was sad, his eye beneath,
Flashed like a halcyon from its sheath."
—Liberator, Vol. 12, p. 24.

Under Critical Note Xv.—Of Silliness and Truisms.

"Such is the state of man, that he is never at rest."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 57.

[FORMULE.—This is a remark of no wisdom or force, because it would be nearer the truth, to say, "Such is the state of man, that he must often rest," But, according to Critical Note 15th, "Silly remarks and idle truisms are traits of a feeble style, and when their weakness is positive, or inherent, they ought to be entirely omitted." It is useless to attempt a correction of this example, for it is not susceptible of any form worth preserving.]

"Participles belong to the nouns or pronouns to which they relate."—Wells's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 153. "Though the measure is mysterious, it is worthy of attention."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 221. "Though the measure is mysterious, it is not unworthy your attention."—Kirkham's Gram., pp. 197 and 227. "The inquietude of his mind made his station and wealth far from being enviable."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 250. "By rules so general and comprehensive as these are [,] the clearest ideas are conveyed."—Ib., p. 273. "The mind of man cannot be long without some food to nourish the activity of its thoughts."—Ib., p. 185. "Not having known, or not having considered, the measures proposed, he failed of success."—Ib., p. 202. "Not having known or considered the subject, he made a crude decision."—Ib., p. 275. "Not to exasperate him, I spoke only a very few words."—Ib., p. 257. "These are points too trivial, to be noticed. They are objects with which I am totally unacquainted."—Ib., p. 275. "Before we close this section, it may afford instruction to the learners, to be informed, more particularly than they have been."—Murray's Gram., p. 110. "The articles are often properly omitted: when used, they should be justly applied, according to their distinct nature."—Ib., p. 170; Alger's, 60. "Any thing, which is done now, is supposed to be done at the present time."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 34. "Any thing which was done yesterday is supposed to be done in past time."—Ib., 34. "Any thing which may be done hereafter, is supposed to be done in future time."—Ib., 34. "When the mind compares two things in reference to each other, it performs the operation of comparing."—Ib., p. 244. "The persons, with whom you dispute, are not of your opinion."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 124. "But the preposition at is always used when it follows the neuter Verb in the same Case: as, 'I have been at London.'"—Dr. Ash's Gram., p. 60. "But the preposition at is generally used after the neuter verb to be: as, 'I have been at London.'"—L. Murray's Gram., p. 203; Ingersoll's, 231; Fisk's, 143; et al. "The article the has sometimes a different effect, in distinguishing a person by an epithet."—Murray's Gram., p. 172. "The article the has, sometimes, a fine effect, in distinguishing a person by an epithet."—Priestley's Gram., p. 151. "Some nouns have plurals belonging only to themselves."—Infant School Gram., p. 26. "Sentences are either simple or compound."—Lowth's Gram., p. 68. "All sentences are either simple or compound."—Gould's Adam's Gram., p. 155. "The definite article the belongs to nouns in the singular or plural number."—Kirkham's Gram., Rule 2d, p. 156. "Where a riddle is not intended, it is always a fault in allegory to be too dark."—Blair's Rhet., p. 151; Murray's Gram., 343. "There may be an excess in too many short sentences also; by which the sense is split and broken."—Blair's Rhet., p. 101. "Are there any nouns you cannot see, hear, or feel, but only think of? Name such a noun."—Infant School Gram., p. 17. "Flock is of the singular number, it denotes but one flock—and in the nominative case, it is the active agent of the verb."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 58. "The article THE agrees with nouns of the singular or plural number."—Parker and Fox's Gram., p. 8. "The admiral bombarded Algiers, which has been continued."—Nixon's Parser, p. 128. "The world demanded freedom, which might have been expected."—Ibid. "The past tense represents an action as past and finished, either with or without respect to the time when."—Felton's Gram., p. 22. "That boy rode the wicked horse."—Butler's Practical Gram., p. 42. "The snake swallowed itself."—Ib., p. 57. "Do is sometimes used when shall or should is omitted; as, 'if thou do repent.'"—Ib., p. 85. "SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. This mood has the tenses of the indicative."—Ib., p. 87. "As nouns never speak, they are never in the first person."—Davis's Practical Gram., p. 148. "Nearly all parts of speech are used more or less in an elliptical sense."—Day's District School Gram., p. 80. "RULE. No word in a period can have any greater extension than the other words or sections in the same sentence will give it."—Barrett's Revised Gram., p. 38 and p. 43. "Words used exclusively as Adverbs, should not be used as adjectives."—Clark's Practical Gram., p. 166. "Adjectives used in Predication, should not take the Adverbial form."—Ib., pp. 167 and 173.

Under Critical Note Xvi.—Of the Incorrigible.

"And this state of things belonging to the painter governs it in the possessive case."—Murray's Gram., p. 195; Ingersoll's, 201; et al.

[FORMULE.—This composition is incorrigibly bad. The participle "belonging" which seems to relate to "things," is improperly meant to qualify "state." And the "state of things," (which state really belongs only to the things,) is absurdly supposed to belong to a person—i. e., "to the painter." Then this man, to whom the "state of things" is said to belong, is forthwith called "it," and nonsensically declared to be "in the possessive case." But, according to Critical Note 16th, "Passages too erroneous for correction, may be criticised, orally or otherwise, and then passed over without any attempt to amend them." Therefore, no correction is attempted here.]

"Nouns or pronouns, following the verb to be; or the words than, but, as; or that answer the question who? have the same case after as preceded them."—Beck's Gram., p. 29. "The common gender is when the noun may be either masculine or feminine."—Frost's Gram., p. 8. "The possessive is generally pronounced the same as if the s were added."—Alden's Gram., p. 11. "For, assuredly, as soon as men had got beyond simple interjections, and began to communicate themselves by discourse, they would be under a necessity of assigning names to the objects they saw around them, which in grammatical language, is called the invention of substantive nouns."—Blair's Rhet., p. 72. "Young children will learn to form letters as soon, if not readier, than they will when older."—Taylor's District School, p. 159. "This comparing words with one another, constitutes what is called the degrees of comparison."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 29. "Whenever a noun is immediately annexed to a preceding neuter verb, it expresses either the same notion with the verb, or denotes only the circumstance of the action."—Lowth's Gram., p. 73. "Two or more nouns or pronouns joined singular together by the conjunction and, must have verbs agreeing with them in the plural number."—Infant School Gram., p. 129. "Possessive and demonstrative pronouns agree with their nouns in number and case; as, 'my brother,' 'this slate, 'these slates.'"—Ib., p. 130. "Participles which have no relation to time are used either as adjectives or as substantives."—Maunder's Gram., p. 1. "They are in use only in some of their times and modes; and in some of them are a composition of times of several defective verbs, having the same signification."—Lowth's Gram., p. 59. "When words of the possessive case that are in apposition, follow one another in quick succession, the possessive sign should be annexed to the last only, and understood to the rest; as, 'For David, my servant's sake.'"—Comly's Gram., p. 92. "By this order, the first nine rules accord with those which respect the rules of concord; and the remainder include, though they extend beyond the rules of government."—Murray's Gram., p. 143. "Own and self, in the plural selves, are joined to the possessives, my, our, thy, your, his, her, their; as, my own hand, myself, yourselves; both of them expressing emphasis or opposition, as, 'I did it my own self,' that is, and no one else; the latter also forming the reciprocal pronoun, as, 'he hurt himself.'"—Lowth's Gram., p. 25. "A flowing copious style, therefore, is required in all public speakers; guarding, at the same time, against such a degree of diffusion, as renders them languid and tiresome; which will always prove the case, when they inculcate too much, and present the same thought under too many different views."—Blair's Rhet., p. 177. "As sentences should be cleared of redundant words, so also of redundant members. As every word ought to present a new idea, so every member ought to contain a new thought. Opposed to this, stands the fault we sometimes meet with, of the last member of a period being no other than the echo of the former, or the repetition of it in somewhat a different form." [458]—Ib., p. 111. "Which always refers grammatically to the substantive immediately preceding: [as,] 'It is folly to pretend, by heaping up treasures, to arm ourselves against the accidents of life, which nothing can protect us against, but the good providence of our heavenly Father.'"—Murray's Gram., p. 311; Maunder's, p. 18; Blair's Rhet., p. 105. "The English adjectives, having but a very limited syntax, is classed with its kindred article, the adjective pronoun, under the eighth rule."—L. Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 143. "When a substantive is put absolutely, and does not agree with the following verb, it remains independent on the participle, and is called the case absolute, or the nominative absolute."—Ib., p. 195. "It will, doubtless, sometimes happen, that, on this occasion, as well as on many other occasions, a strict adherence to grammatical rules, would render the language stiff and formal: but when cases of this sort occur, it is better to give the expression a different turn, than to violate grammar for the sake of ease, or even of elegance."—Ib., p. 208. "Number, which distinguishes objects as singly or collectively, must have been coeval with the very infancy of language"—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 25. "The article a or an agrees with nouns in the singular number only, individually or collectively."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 170; and others. "No language is perfect because it is a human invention."—Parker and Fox's Grammar, Part III, p. 112. "The participles, or as they may properly be termed, forms of the verb in the second infinitive, usually precedes another verb, and states some fact, or event, from which an inference is drawn by that verb; as, 'the sun having arisen, they departed.'"—Day's Grammar, 2nd Ed., p. 36. "They must describe what has happened as having done so in the past or the present time, or as likely to occur in the future."—The Well-Wishers' Grammar, Introd., p. 5. "Nouns are either male, female, or neither."—Fowle's Common School Grammar, Part Second, p. 12. "Possessive Adjectives express possession, and distinguish nouns from each other by showing to what they belong; as, my hat, John's hat."—Ib., p. 31.

Promiscuous Examples of False Syntax.

Lesson I.—Various Rules.

"What is the reason that our language is less refined than that of Italy, Spain, or France?"—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 185. "What is the reason that our language is less refined than that of France?"—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 152. "'I believe your Lordship will agree with me, in the reason why our language is less refined than those of Italy, Spain, or France.' DEAN SWIFT. Even in this short sentence, we may discern an inaccuracy—'why our language is less refined than those of Italy, Spain, or France;' putting the pronoun those in the plural, when the antecedent substantive to which it refers is in the singular, our language."—Blair's Rhet., p. 228. "The sentence might have been made to run much better in this way; 'why our language is less refined than the Italian, Spanish, or French.'"—Ibid. "But when arranged in an entire sentence, which they must be to make a complete sense, they show it still more evidently."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 65. "This is a more artificial and refined construction than that, in which the common connective is simply made use of."—Ib., p. 127. "We shall present the reader with a list of Prepositions, which are derived from the Latin and Greek languages."—Ib., p. 120. "Relatives comprehend the meaning of a pronoun and conjunction copulative."—Ib., p. 126. "Personal pronouns being used to supply the place of the noun, are not employed in the same part of the sentence as the noun which they represent."—Ib., p. 155; R. C. Smith's Gram., 131. "There is very seldom any occasion for a substitute in the same part where the principal word is present."—Murray's Gram., p. 155. "We hardly consider little children as persons, because that term gives us the idea of reason and reflection."—Priestley's Gram., p. 98; Murray's, 157; Smith's, 133; and others. "The occasion of exerting each of these qualities is different."—Blair's Rhet., p. 95; Murray's Gram., 302; Jamieson's Rhet., 66. "I'll tell you who time ambles withal, who time trots withal, who time gallops withal and who he stands still withal. I pray thee, who doth he trot withal?"—Shakspeare. "By greatness, I do not only mean the bulk of any single object, but the largeness of a whole view."—Addison. "The question may then be put, What does he more than mean?"—Blair's Rhet., p. 103. "The question might be put, what more does he than only mean?"—Ib., p. 204. "He is surprised to find himself got to so great a distance, from the object with which he at first set out."—Ib., p. 108. "He is surprised to find himself at so great a distance from the object with which he sets out."—Murray's Gram., p. 313. "Few precise rules can be given, which will hold without exception in all cases."—Ib., p. 267; Lowth's Gram., p. 115. "Versification is the arrangement of a certain number of syllables according to certain laws."—Dr. Johnson's Gram., p. 13. "Versification is the arrangement of a certain number and variety of syllables, according to certain laws."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 252; R. C. Smith's, 187; and others. "Charlotte, the friend of Amelia, to whom no one imputed blame, was too prompt in her own vindication."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 273. "Mr. Pitt, joining the war party in 1793, the most striking and the most fatal instance of this offence, is the one which at once presents itself."—Brougham's Sketches, Vol. i, p. 57. "To the framing such a sound constitution of mind."—The American Lady, p. 132. "'I beseech you,' said St. Paul to his Ephesian converts, 'that ye walk worthy the vocation wherewith ye are called.'"—Ib., p. 208. "So as to prevent its being equal to that."—Booth's Introd., p. 88. "When speaking of an action's being performed."—Ib., p. 89. "And, in all questions of an action's being so performed, est is added to the second person."—Ib., p. 72. "No account can be given of this, than that custom has blinded their eyes."—Dymond's Essays, p. 269.

"Design, or chance, make other wive;
But nature did this match contrive."—Waller, p. 24.

Lesson Ii.—Various Rules.

"I suppose each of you think it is your own nail."—Abbott's Teacher, p. 58. "They are useless, from their being apparently based upon this supposition."—Ib., p. 71. "The form and manner, in which this plan may be adopted, is various."—Ib., p. 83. "Making intellectual effort, and acquiring knowledge, are always pleasant to the human mind."—Ib., p. 85. "This will do more than the best lecture which ever was delivered."—Ib., p. 90. "Doing easy things is generally dull work."—Ib., p. 92. "Such is the tone and manner of some teachers."—Ib., p. 118. "Well, the fault is, being disorderly at prayer time."—Ib., p. 153. "Do you remember speaking on this subject in school?"—Ib., p. 154. "The course above recommended, is not trying lax and inefficient measures."—Ib., p. 156. "Our community is agreed that there is a God."—Ib., p. 163. "It prevents their being interested in what is said."—Ib., p. 175. "We will also suppose that I call another boy to me, who I have reason to believe to be a sincere Christian."—Ib., p. 180. "Five minutes notice is given by the bell."—Ib., p. 211. "The Annals of Education gives notice of it."—Ib., p. 240. "Teacher's meetings will be interesting and useful."—Ib., p. 243. "She thought an half hour's study would conquer all the difficulties."—Ib., p. 257. "The difference between an honest and an hypocritical confession."—Ib., p. 263. "There is no point of attainment where we must stop."—Ib., p. 267. "Now six hours is as much as is expected of teachers."—Ib., p. 268. "How much is seven times nine?"—Ib., p. 292. "Then the reckoning proceeds till it come to ten hundred."—Frost's Practical Gram., p. 170. "Your success will depend on your own exertions; see, then, that you are diligent."—Ib., p. 142. "Subjunctive Mood, Present Tense: If I am known, If thou art known. If he is known: etc."—Ib., p. 91. "If I be loved, If thou be loved, If he be loved;" &c.—Ib., p. 85. "An Interjection is a word used to express sudden emotion. They are so called, because they are generally thrown in between the parts of a sentence without any reference to the structure of the other parts of it."—Ib., p. 35. "The Cardinals are those which simplify or denote number; as one, two, three."—Ib., p. 31. "More than one organ is concerned in the utterance of almost every consonant."—Ib., p. 21. "To extract from them all the Terms we make use in our Divisions and Subdivisions of the Art."—Holmes's Rhetoric, Pref. "And there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe."—Ezekiel, ii, 10. "If I were to be judged as to my behaviour, compared with that of John's."—Josephus, Vol. 5, p. 172. "When the preposition to signifies in order to, it used to be preceded by for, which is now almost obsolete; What went ye out for to see."—Priestley's Gram., p. 132. "This makes the proper perfect tense, which, in English, is always expressed by the help of the auxiliary verb, 'I have written.'"—Blair's Rhet., p. 82. "Indeed, in the formation of character, personal exertion is the first, the second, and the third virtues."—Sanders, Spelling-Book, p. 93. "The reducing them to the condition of the beasts that perish."—Dymond's Essays, p. 67. "Yet this affords no reason to deny that the nature of the gift is not the same, or that both are not divine."—Ib., p. 68. "If God have made known his will."—Ib., p. 98. "If Christ have prohibited them, [i.e., oaths,] nothing else can prove them right."—Ib., p. 150 "That the taking them is wrong, every man who simply consults his own heart, will know."—Ib., p. 163. "These evils would be spared the world, if one did not write."—Ib., p. 168. "It is in a great degree our own faults."—Ib., p. 200. "It is worthy observation that lesson-learning is nearly excluded."—Ib., p. 212. "Who spares the aggressor's life even to the endangering his own."—Ib., p. 227. "Who advocates the taking the life of an aggressor."—Ib., p. 229. "And thence up to the intentionally and voluntary fraudulent."—Ib., p. 318. "'And the contention was so great among them, that they departed asunder, one from _an_other.'—Acts, xv. 39."—Rev. Matt. Harrison's English Lang., p. 235. "Here the man is John, and John is the man; so the words are the imagination and the fancy, and the imagination and the fancy are the words."—Harrison's E. Lang., p. 227. "The article, which is here so emphatic in the Greek, is lost sight of in our translation."—Ib., p. 223. "We have no less than thirty pronouns."—Ib., p. 166. "It will admit of a pronoun being joined to it."—Ib., p. 137. "From intercourse and from conquest, all the languages of Europe participate with each other."—Ib., p. 104. "It is not always necessity, therefore, that has been the cause of our introducing terms derived from the classical languages."—Ib., p. 100. "The man of genius stamps upon it any impression that he pleases."—Ib., p. 90. "The proportion of names ending in son preponderate greatly among the Dano-Saxon population of the North."—Ib., p. 43. "As a proof of the strong similarity between the English and the Danish languages."—Ib., p. 37. "A century from the time that Hengist and Horsa landed on the Isle of Thanet."—Ib., p. 27.

"I saw the colours waving in the wind,
And they within, to mischief how combin'd."—Bunyan.

Lesson Iii.—Various Rules.

"A ship expected: of whom we say, she sails well."—Ben Jonson's Gram., Chap. 10. "Honesty is reckoned little worth."—Paul's Accidence, p. 58. "Learn to esteem life as it ought."—Economy of Human Life, p. 118. "As the soundest health is less perceived than the lightest malady, so the highest joy toucheth us less deep than the smallest sorrow."—Ib., p. 152. "Being young is no apology for being frivolous."—Whiting's Elementary Reader, p. 117. "The porch was the same width with the temple."—Milman's Jews, Vol. i. p. 208. "The other tribes neither contributed to his rise or downfall."—Ib., Vol. i. p. 165. "His whole laws and religion would have been shaken to its foundation."—Ib., Vol. i. p. 109. "The English has most commonly been neglected, and children taught only the Latin syntax."—Lily's Gram., Pref., p. xi. "They are not taken notice of in the notes."—Ib., p. x. "He walks in righteousness, doing what he would be done to."—S. Fisher's Works, p. 14. "They stand independently on the rest of the sentence."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 151. "My uncle, with his son, were in town yesterday."—Lennie's Gram., p. 142. "She with her sisters are well."—Ib., p. 143. "His purse, with its contents, were abstracted from his pocket."—Ib., p. 143. "The great constitutional feature of this institution being, that directly the acrimony of the last election is over, the acrimony of the next begins."—Dickens's Notes, p. 27. "His disregarding his parents' advice has brought him into disgrace."—Farnum's Pract. Gram., 2d Ed., p. 19. "Error: Can you tell me the reason of his father making that remark?—Ib., p. 93. Cor.: Can you tell me the reason of his father's making that remark?"—See Farnum's Gram., Rule 12th. p. 76. "Error: What is the reason of our teacher detaining us so long?—Ib., p. 76. Cor.: What is the reason of our teacher's detaining us so long?"—See Ib. "Error: I am certain of the boy having said so. Correction: I am certain of the boy's having said so."—Exercises in Farnum's Gram., p. 76. "Which means any thing or things before-named; and that may represent any person or persons, thing or things, which have been speaking, spoken to or spoken of."—Dr. Perley's Gram., p. 9. "A certain number of syllables connected, form a foot. They are called feet, because it is by their aid that the voice, as it were, steps along."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 252; C. Adams's, 121. "Asking questions with a principal verb—as, Teach I? Burns he, &c. are barbarisms, and carefully to be avoided."—Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 122. "Tell whether the 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22d, or 23d Rules are to be used, and repeat the Rule."—Parker and Fox's Gram., Part I, p. 4. "The resolution was adopted without much deliberation, which caused great dissatisfaction."—Ib., p. 71. "The man is now taken much notice of by the people thereabouts."—Edward's First Lessons in Gram., p. 42. "The sand prevents their sticking to one another."—Ib., p. 84. "Defective Verbs are those which are used only in some of their moods and tenses."—Murray's Gram., p. 108; Guy's, 42; Russell's, 46; Bacon's, 42; Frost's, 40; Alger's, 47; S. Putnam's, 47; Goldsbury's, 54; Felton's, 59; and others. "Defective verbs are those which want some of their moods and tenses."—Lennie's Gram., p. 47; Bullions, E. Gram., 65; Practical Lessons, 75. "Defective Verbs want some of their parts."—Bullions, Lat. Gram., p. 78. "A Defective verb is one that wants some of its parts."—Bullions, Analyt. and Pract. Gram., 1849, p. 101. "To the irregular verbs are to be added the defective; which are not only for the most part irregular, but also wanting in some of their parts."—Lowth's Gram., p. 59. "To the irregular verbs are to be added the defective; which are not only wanting in some of their parts, but are, when inflected, irregular."—Churchill's Gram., p. 112. "When two or more nouns succeed each other in the possessive case."—Farnum's Gram., 2d Ed., pp. 20 and 63. "When several short sentences succeed each other."—Ib., p. 113. "Words are divided into ten Classes, and are called PARTS OF SPEECH."—Ainsworth's Gram., p. 8. "A Passive Verb has its agent or doer always in the objective case, and is governed by a preposition."—Ib., p. 40. "I am surprised at your negligent attention." Ib., p. 43. "SINGULAR: Thou lovest or you love. You has always a plural verb."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 43. "How do you know that love is the first person? Ans. Because we is the first personal pronoun."—Id., ib., p. 47; Lennie's Gram., p. 26. "The lowing herd wind slowly round the lea."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 96. "Iambic verses have every second, fourth, and other even syllables accented."—Ib., p. 170. "Contractions are often made in poetry, which are not allowable in prose."—Ib., p. 179. "Yet to their general's voice they all obeyed."—Ib., p. 179. "It never presents to his mind but one new subject at the same time."—Felton's Gram., 1st edition, p. 6. "When the name of a quality is abstracted, that is separated from its substance, it is called an abstract noun."—Ib., p. 9. "Nouns are in the first person when speaking."—Ib., p. 9. "Which of the two brothers are graduates?"—Hallock's Gram., p. 59. "I am a linen draper bold, as you and all the world doth know."—Ib., p. 60. "O the bliss, the pain of dying!"—Ib., p. 127. "This do; take you censers, Korah, and all his company."—Numbers, xvi, 6. "There are two participles,—the present and perfect; as, reading, having read. Transitive verbs have an active and passive participle. Examples: ACTIVE, Present, Loving; Perfect, Having loved: PASSIVE, Present, Loved or being loved; Perfect, Having been loved."—S. S. Greene's Analysis, 1st Ed., p. 225.

"O heav'n, in my connubial hour decree
This man my spouse, or such a spouse as he."—Pope.

Lesson Iv.—Various Rules.

"The Past Tenses represent a conditional past fact or event, and of which the speaker is uncertain."—Hiley's Gram., p. 89. "Care also should be taken that they are not introduced too abundantly."—Ib., p. 134. "Till they are become familiar to the mind."—Ib., Pref., p. v. "When once a particular arrangement and phraseology are become familiar to the mind."—Ib., p. vii. "I have furnished the student with the plainest and most practical directions which I could devise."—Ib., p. xiv. "When you are become conversant with the Rules of Grammar, you will then be qualified to commence the study of Style."—Ib., p. xxii. "C has a soft sound like s before e, i, and y, generally."—Murray's Gram., p. 10. "G before e, i, and y, is soft; as in genius, ginger, Egypt."—Ib., p. 12. "C before e, i, and y, generally sounds soft like s."—Hiley's Gram., p. 4. "G is soft before e, i, and y, as in genius, ginger, Egypt."—Ib., p. 4. "As a perfect Alphabet must always contain as many letters as there are elementary sounds in the language, the English Alphabet is therefore both defective and redundant."—Hiley's Gram., p. 5. "Common Nouns are the names given to a whole class or species, and are applicable to every individual of that class."—Ib., p. 11. "Thus an adjective has always a noun either expressed or understood."—Ib., p. 20. "First, let us consider emphasis; by this, is meant a stronger and fuller sound of voice, by which we distinguish the accented syllable of some word, on which we design to lay particular stress, and to shew how it effects the rest of the sentence."—Blair's Rhet., p. 330. "By emphasis is meant a stronger and fuller sound of voice, by which we distinguish some word or words on which we design to lay particular stress, and to show how they affect the rest of the sentence."—Murray's Gram., p. 242. "Such a simple question as this: 'Do you ride to town to-day,' is capable of no fewer than four different acceptations, according as the emphasis is differently placed on the words."—Blair's Rhet., p. 330; Murray's Gram., p. 242. "Thus, bravely, or 'in a brave manner,' is derived from brave-like."—Hiley's Gram., p. 51. "In the same manner, the different parts of speech are formed from each other generally by means of some affix."—Ib., p. 60. "Words derived from each other, are always, more or less, allied in signification."—Ib., p. 60. "When a noun of multitude conveys unity of idea the verb and pronoun should be singular. But when it conveys plurality of idea, the verb and pronoun must be plural."—Hiley's Gram., p. 71. "They have spent their whole time to make the sacred chronology agree with that of the profane."—Ib., p. 87. "'I have studied my lesson, but you have not;' that is, 'but you have not studied it.'"—Ib., p. 109. "When words follow each other in pairs, there is a comma between each pair."—Ib., p. 112; Bullions, 152; Lennie, 132. "When words follow each other in pairs, the pairs should be marked by the comma."—Farnum's Gram., p. 111. "His 'Studies of Nature,' is deservedly a popular work."—Univ. Biog. Dict., n. St. Pierre. "'Here lies his head, a youth to fortune and to fame unknown.' 'Youth,' here is in the possessive (the sign being omitted), and is in apposition with his.' The meaning is, 'the head of him, a youth.' &c."—Hart's E. Gram., p. 124. "The pronoun I, and the interjection O, should be written with a capital."—Weld's E. Gram., 2d Ed., p. 16. "The pronoun I always should be written with a capital letter."—Ib., p. 68. "He went from England to York."—Ib., p. 41. "An adverb is a part of speech joined to verbs, adjectives and other adverbs, to modify their meaning."—Ib., p. 51; "Abridged Ed.," 46. "Singular, signifies 'one person or thing.' Plural, (Latin plus,) signifies 'more than one.'"—Weld's Gram., p. 55. "When the present ends in e, d only is added to form the Imperfect and Perfect participle."—Ib., p. 82. "SYNÆRESIS is the contraction of two syllables into one; as, Seest for see-est, drowned for drown-ed"—Ib., p. 213. "Words ending in ee drop the final e on receiving an additional syllable beginning with e; as, see, seest, agree, agreed."—Ib., p, 227. "Monosyllables in f, l, or s, preceded by a single vowel are doubled; as, staff, grass, mill."—Ib., p. 226. "Words ending ie drop the e and take y; as die, dying."—Ib., p. 226. "One number may be used for another; as, we for I, you for thou."—S. S. Greene's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 198. "STR~OB´ILE, n. A pericarp made up of scales that lie over each other. SMART."—Worcester's Univ. and Crit. Dict.

"Yet ever from the clearest source have ran
Some gross allay, some tincture of the man."—Dr. Lowth.

Lesson V.—Various Rules.

"The possessive case is always followed by the noun which is the name of the thing possessed, expressed or understood."—Felton's Gram., p. 61; Revised Edition, pp. 64 and 86. "Hadmer of Aggstein was as pious, devout, and praying a Christian, as were Nelson, Washington, or Jefferson; or as are Wellington, Tyler, Clay, or Polk."—H. C. WRIGHT: Liberator, Vol. xv, p. 21. "A word in the possessive case is not an independent noun, and cannot stand by its self."—Wright's Gram., p. 130. "Mary is not handsome, but she is good-natured, which is better than beauty."—St. Quentin's Gram., p. 9. "After the practice of joining words together had ceased, notes of distinction were placed at the end of every word."—Murray's Gram., p. 267; Hallock's, 224. "Neither Henry nor Charles dissipate his time."—Hallock's Gram., p. 166. "'He had taken from the Christians' abode thirty small castles.'—Knowles."—Ib., p. 61. "In whatever character Butler was admitted, is unknown."—Ib., p. 62. "How is the agent of a passive, and the object of an active verb often left?"—Ib., p. 88. "By subject is meant the word of which something is declared of its object."—Chandler's Gram., 1821, p. 103. "Care should also be taken that an intransitive verb is not used instead of a transitive: as, I lay, (the bricks) for, I lie down; I raise the house, for I rise; I sit down, for, I set the chair down, &c."—Ib., p. 114. "On them depend the duration of our Constitution and our country."—J. C. Calhoun at Memphis. "In the present sentence neither the sense nor the measure require what."—Chandler's Gram., 1821, p. 164. "The Irish thought themselves oppress'd by the Law that forbid them to draw with their Horses Tails."—Brightland's Gram., Pref., p. iii. "So willingly are adverbs, qualifying deceives."—Cutler's Gram., p. 90. "Epicurus for experiment sake confined himself to a narrower diet than that of the severest prisons."—Ib., p. 116. "Derivative words are such as are compounded of other words, as common-wealth, good-ness, false-hood."—Ib., p. 12. "The distinction here insisted on is as old as Aristotle, and should not be lost sight of."—Hart's Gram., p. 61. "The Tenses of the Subjunctive and the Potential Moods."—Ib., p. 80. "A triphthong is a union of three vowels uttered in like manner: as, uoy in buoy."—P. Davis's Practical Gram., p. xvi. "Common nouns are the names of a species or kind."—Ib., p. 8. "The superlative degree is a comparison between three or more."—Ib., p. 14. "An adverb is a word or phrase serving to give an additional idea of a verb, and adjective, article, or another adverb."—Ib., p. 36. "When several nouns in the possessive case succeed each other, each showing possession of the same noun, it is only necessary to add the sign of the possessive to the last: as, He sells men, women, and children's shoes. Dog. cat, and tiger's feet are digitated."—Ib., p. 72. "A rail-road is making should be A rail-road is being made. A school-house is building, should be A school-house is being built."—Ib., p. 113. "Auxiliaries are not of themselves verbs; they resemble in their character and use those terminational or other inflections in other languages, which we are obliged to use in ours to express the action in the mode, tense, &c., desired."—Ib., p. 158. "Please hold my horse while I speak to my friend."—Ib., p. 159. "If I say, 'Give me the book,' I ask for some particular book."—Butler's Practical Gram., p. 39. "There are five men here."—Ib., p. 134. "In the active the object may be omitted; in the passive the name of the agent may be omitted."—Ib., p. 63. "The Progressive and the Emphatic forms give in each case a different shade of meaning to the verb."—Hart's Gram., p. 80. "That is a Kind of a Redditive Conjunction, when it answers to so and such."—W. Ward's Gram., p. 152. "He attributes to negligence your failing to succeed in that business."—Smart's Accidence, p. 36. "Does will and go express but our action?"—S. Barrett's Revised Gram., p. 58. "Language is the principle vehicle of thought. G. BROWN."—James Brown's English Syntax, p. 3. "Much is applied to things weighed or measured; many, to those that are numbered. Elder and eldest, to persons only; older and oldest, either to persons or things."—Bullions, E. Gram., p. 20; Pract. Les., 25. "If there are any old maids still extant, while mysogonists are so rare, the fault must be attributable to themselves."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 286. "The second method used by the Greeks, has never been the practice of any part of Europe."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 64. "Neither consonant, nor vowel, are to be dwelt upon beyond their common quantity, when they close a sentence."—Sheridan's Rhetorical Gram., p. 54. "IRONY is a mode of speech expressing a sense contrary to that which the speaker or writer intends to convey."—Wells's School Gram., 1st Ed., p. 196; 113th Ed., p. 212. "IRONY is the intentional use of words in a sense contrary to that which the writer or speaker intends to convey."—Weld's Gram., 2d Ed., p. 215; Imp. Ed., 216. "The persons speaking, or spoken to, are supposed to be present."—Wells, p. 68. "The persons speaking and spoken to are supposed to be present."—Murray's Gram., p. 51. "A Noun is a word used to express the name of an object."—Wells's School Gram., pp. 46 and 47. "A syllable is a word, or such a part of a word as is uttered by one articulation."—Weld's English Gram., p. 15; "Abridged Ed.," p. 16.

"Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then!
Unspeakable, who sits above these heavens."
—Cutler's Gram., p. 131.

"And feel thy sovereign vital lamp; but thou
Revisitest not these eyes, that roll in vain."
—Felton's Gram., p. 133.

"Before all temples the upright and pure."
—Butler's Gram., p. 195.

"In forest wild, in thicket, break or den."
—Cutler's Gram., p. 130.

"The rogue and fool by fits is fair and wise;
And e'en the best, by fits, what they despise."
—Pope's Ess., iii, 233.