The Grammar of English Grammars · Part 48

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."]