Chapter IX: Section IV: Of Case

There is nearly as much difference between Latin and English substantives, with respect to the number of cases pertaining to each, as there is between a quack-doctor {036}and a physician; for while in Latin sub-stantives have six cases, in English they have but three. But the analogy should not be strained too far; for the fools in the world (who furnish the quack with his cases) more than double the number of the wise.

The cases of substantives are these: the Nominative, the Possessive or Genitive, and the Objective or Accusative.

The Nominative Case merely expresses the name of a thing, or the subject of the verb: as, "The doctors differ;"--"The patient dies!"

Possession, which is nine points of the law, is what is signified by the Possessive Case. This case is distinguished by an apostrophe, with the letter _s_ subjoined to it: as, My soul's idol!"--"A pudding's end."

But {037}when the plural ends in _s_, the apostrophe only is retained, and the other _s_ is omitted: as, "The Ministers' Step;"--"The Rogues' March;"--"Crocodiles' tears--"Butchers' mourning."

When the singular terminates in _ss_, the letter _s_ is sometimes, in like manner, dispensed with: as, "For goodness' sake!"--"For righteousness' sake!" Nevertheless, we have no objection to "Burgess's" Stout.

The Objective Case follows a verb active, and expresses the object of an action, or of a relation: as "Spring beat Bill;" that is, Bill or "William Neate." Hence, perhaps, the phrase, "I'll lick you _elegant_." The Objective Case is also used with a preposition: as, "You are in a mess."

English substantives may be declined in the following manner:

SINGULAR.

What is the nominative case
Of her who used to wash your face,
Your hair to comb, your boots to lace?
_A mother!_

What the possessive?
Whose the slap
That taught you not to spill your pap,
Or to avoid a like mishap!
_A mother's!_

And shall I the objective show?
What do I hear where'er I go?
How is your?--whom they mean I know,
_My mother!_

PLURAL.{038}

Who are the anxious watchers o'er
The slumbers of a little bore,
That screams whene'er it doesn't snore?
_Why, mothers!_ Whose pity wipes its piping eyes,
And stills maturer childhood's cries,
Stopping its mouth with cakes and pies?
_Oh! mother's!_

And whom, when master, fierce and fell,
Dusts truant varlets' jackets well,
Whom do they, roaring, run and tell?
_Their mothers!_