Chapter XIII: General Rule (3)

(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._,