Chapter X: 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 and a physician; for while in Latin substantives 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 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 “Guinness’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 American phrase, “I’ll lick you _elegant_.”

By the by, it seems to us, that when the Americans revolted from the authority of England, they determined also to revolutionise their language.

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.

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! _mothers’_!

And whom, when master, fierce and fell,
Dusts truant varlets’ jackets well,
Whom do they, roaring, run and tell?
Their _mothers_!