The Grammar of English Grammars Part 37

"Wors.h.i.+p is an homage due from man to his Creator."--_Annual Monitor for_ 1836. "Then, an eulogium on the deceased was p.r.o.nounced."--_Grimshaw's U.

S._, p. 92. "But for Adam there was not found an help meet for him."--_Gen._, ii, 20. "My days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth."--_Psalms_, cii, 3. "A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof"--_Exod._, xii, 45. "The hill of G.o.d is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill, as the hill of Bashan."--_Psalms_, lxviii, 15.

"But I do declare it to have been an holy offering, and such an one too as was to be once for all."--_Wm. Penn_. "An hope that does not make ashamed those that have it."--_Barclay's Works_, Vol. i, p. 15. "Where there is not an unity, we may exercise true charity."--_Ib._, i, 96. "Tell me, if in any of these such an union can be found?"--_Brown's Estimate_, ii, 16.

"Such holy drops her tresses steeped, Though 'twas an hero's eye that weeped."--_Sir W. Scott_.

LESSON II.--INSERT ARTICLES.

"This veil of flesh parts the visible and invisible world."--_Sherlock_.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the article _the_ is omitted before _invisible_, where the sense requires it. But, according to a suggestion on page 225th, "Articles should be inserted as often as the sense requires them." Therefore, _the_ should be here supplied; thus, "This veil of flesh parts the visible and the invisible world."]

"The copulative and disjunctive conjunctions operate differently on the verb."--_Murray's Gram._, Vol. ii, p. 286. "Every combination of a preposition and article with the noun."--_Ib._, i, 44. "_Either_ signifies, 'the one or the other;' _neither_ imports _not either_, that is, 'not one nor the other.'"--_Ib._, i, 56. "A noun of mult.i.tude may have a p.r.o.noun, or verb, agreeing with it, either of the singular or plural number."--_Bucke's Gram._, p. 90. "Copulative conjunctions are, princ.i.p.ally, and, as, both, because, for, if, that, then, since, &c."--See _ib._, 28. "The two real genders are the masculine and feminine."--_Ib._, 34. "In which a mute and liquid are represented by the same character, _th_."--_Music of Nature_, p.

481. "They said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee."--_Luke_, vii, 20.

"They indeed remember the names of abundance of places."--_Spect._, No.

474. "Which created a great dispute between the young and old men."--_Goldsmith's Greece_, Vol. ii, p. 127. "Then shall be read the Apostles' or Nicene Creed."--_Com. Prayer_, p. 119. "The rules concerning the perfect tenses and supines of verbs are Lily's."--_King Henry's Gram._, p. iv. "It was read by the high and the low, the learned and illiterate."--_Johnson's Life of Swift_. "Most commonly, both the p.r.o.noun and verb are understood."--_Buchanan's Gram._, p. viii. "To signify the thick and slender enunciation of tone."--_Knight, on the Greek Alph._, p.

9. "The difference between a palatial and guttural aspirate is very small."--_Ib._, p. 12. "Leaving it to waver between the figurative and literal sense."--_Jamieson's Rhet._, p. 154. "Whatever verb will not admit of both an active and pa.s.sive signification."--_Alex. Murray's Gram._, p.

31. "_The_ is often set before adverbs in the comparative or superlative degree."--_Ib._, p. 15; _Kirkham's Gram._, 66. "Lest any should fear the effect of such a change upon the present or succeeding age of writers."--_Fowle's Common School Gram._, p. 5. "In all these measures, the accents are to be placed on even syllables; and every line is, in general, more melodious, as this rule is more strictly observed."--_L. Murray's Octavo Gram_, p. 256; _Jamieson's Rhet._, 307. "How many numbers do nouns appear to have? Two, the singular and plural."--_Smith's New Gram._, p. 8.

"How many persons? Three persons--the first, second, and third."--_Ib._, p.

10. "How many cases? Three--the nominative, possessive and objective."--_Ib._, p. 12.

"Ah! what avails it me, the flocks to keep, Who lost my heart while I preserv'd sheep."

POPE'S WORKS: _British Poets_, Vol. vi, p. 309: Lond., 1800.

LESSON III.--OMIT ARTICLES.

"The negroes are all the descendants of Africans."--_Morse's Geog_.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the article _the_ before _descendants_, is useless to the construction, and injurious to the sense. But, according to a principle on page 225th, "Needless articles should be omitted; they seldom fail to pervert the sense." Therefore, _the_ should be here omitted; thus, "The negroes are all _descendants_ of Africans."]

"A Sybarite was applied as a term of reproach to a man of dissolute manners."--_Morse's Ancient Geog._, p. 4. "The original signification of knave was a boy."--_Webster's El. Spell._, p. 136. "The meaning of these will be explained, for the greater clearness and precision."--_Bucke's Gram._, p. 58. "What Sort of a Noun is Man? A Noun Substantive common."--_Buchanan's Gram._, p. 166. "Is _what_ ever used as three kinds of a p.r.o.noun?"--_Kirkham's Gram._, p. 117. "They delighted in the having done it, as well as in the doing of it."--_Johnson's Gram. Com._, p. 344.

"Both the parts of this rule are exemplified in the following sentences."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 174. "He has taught them to hope for another and a better world."--_S. L. Knapp_. "It was itself only preparatory to a future, a better, and perfect revelation."--_Keith's Evid._, p. 23. "_Es_ then makes another and a distinct syllable."-- _Brightland's Gram._, p. 17. "The eternal clamours of a selfish and a factious people."--_Brown's Estimate_, i, 74. "To those whose taste in Elocution is but a little cultivated."--_Kirkham's Eloc._, p. 65. "They considered they had but a Sort of a Gourd to rejoice in."--_Bennet's Memorial_, p. 333. "Now there was but one only such a bough, in a s.p.a.cious and shady grove."--_Bacon's Wisdom_, p. 75. "Now the absurdity of this latter supposition will go a great way towards the making a man easy."--_Collier's Antoninus_ p. 131. "This is true of the mathematics, where the taste has but little to do."--_Todd's Student's Manual_, p. 331.

"To stand prompter to a pausing, yet a ready comprehension."--_Rush, on the Voice_, p. 251. "Such an obedience as the yoked and the tortured negro is compelled to yield to the whip of the overseer."--_Chalmers's Serm._, p.

90. "For the gratification of a momentary and an unholy desire."--_Wayland's Mor. Sci._, p. 288. "The body is slenderly put together; the mind a rambling sort of a thing."--_Collier's Antoninus_, p.

26. "The only nominative to the verb, is, _the officer_."--_Murray's Gram._, ii, 22. "And though in the general it ought to be admitted, &c."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 376. "Philosophical writing admits of a polished, a neat, and elegant style."--_Ib._, p. 367. "But notwithstanding this defect, Thomson is a strong and a beautiful describer."--_Ib._, p. 405. "So should he be sure to be ransomed, and a many poor men's lives saved."--SHAK.: _Hen._ v.

"Who felt the wrong, or fear'd it, took the alarm, Appeal'd to Law, and Justice lent her arm."--_Pope_, p. 406.

LESSON IV.--CHANGE ARTICLES.

"To enable us to avoid the too frequent repet.i.tion of the same word."--_Bucke's Gr._, p, 52.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the article _the_ is used to limit the meaning of "repet.i.tion," or "too frequent repet.i.tion," where _a_ would better suit the sense. But, according to a principle on page 225th, "The articles can seldom be put one for the other, without gross impropriety; and either is of course to be preferred to the other, as it better suits the sense." Therefore, "_the_" should be _a_, which, in this instance, ought to be placed after the adjective; thus, "To enable us to avoid _too frequent a repet.i.tion_ of the same word."]

"The former is commonly acquired in the third part of the time."--_Burn's Gram._, p. xi. "Sometimes the adjective becomes a substantive, and has another adjective joined to it: as, 'The chief good.'"--_L. Murray's Gram._, i, 169. "An articulate sound is the sound of the human voice, formed by the organs of speech."--_Ib._, i, 2; _Lowth's Gram._, 2; _T.

Smith's_, 5. "Tense is the distinction of time: there are six tenses."--_Maunder's Gram._, p. 6. "In this case, the ellipsis of the last article would be improper."--_L. Murray's Gram._, i, p. 218. "Contrast has always the effect to make each of the contrasted objects appear in the stronger light."--_Ib._, i, 349; _Blair's Rhet._, p. 167. "These remarks may serve to shew the great importance of the proper use of the article."--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 12; _Murray's_, i, 171. "'Archbishop Tillotson,' says an author of the History of England, 'died in this year.'"--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 107. "p.r.o.nouns are used instead of substantives, to prevent the too frequent repet.i.tion of them."--_Alex.

Murray's Gram._, p. 22. "_That_, as a relative, seems to be introduced to save the too frequent repet.i.tion of _who_ and _which_."--_Ib._, p. 23. "A p.r.o.noun is a word used instead of a noun to avoid the too frequent repet.i.tion of the same word."--_L. Murray's Gram._, i, p. 28. "_That_ is often used as a relative, to prevent the too frequent repet.i.tion of _who_ and _which_."--_Kirkham's Gram._, p. 109; _L. Murray's_, i, 53; _Hiley's_, 84. "His knees smote one against an other."--_Logan's Sermons_. "They stand now on one foot, then on another."--_Walker's Particles_, p. 259. "The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another."--_Gen._, x.x.xi, 49. "Some have enumerated ten [parts of speech], making a participle a distinct part."--_L. Murray's Gram_, i, p. 29. "Nemesis rides upon an Hart, because a Hart is a most lively Creature."--_Bacon's Wisdom_, p. 50.

"The transition of the voice from one vowel of the diphthong to another."--_Wilson's Essay on Gram._, p. 29. "So difficult it is to separate these two things from one another."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 92.

"Without the material breach of any rule."--_Ib._, p. 101. "The great source of a loose style, in opposition to precision, is the injudicious use of those words termed synonymous."--_Ib._, p. 97. "The great source of a loose style, in opposition to precision, is the injudicious use of the words termed _synonymous_."--_Murray's Gram._, i, p. 302. "Sometimes one article is improperly used for another."--_Sanborn's Gram._, p. 197.

"Satire of sense, alas! can Sporus feel?

Who breaks a b.u.t.terfly upon a wheel?"--_Pope_, p. 396.

LESSON V.--MIXED EXAMPLES.

"He hath no delight in the strength of an horse."--_Maturin's Sermons_, p.

311. "The head of it would be an universal monarch."--_Butler's a.n.a.logy_, p. 98. "Here they confound the material and formal object of faith."--_Barclay's Works_, Vol. iii, p. 57. "The Irish and Scotish Celtic are one language; the Welsh, Cornish, and Armorican, are another."--_Dr.

Murray's Hist._, Vol. ii, p. 316. "In an uniform and perspicuous manner."--_Ib._, i, 49. "SCRIPTURE, _n._ Appropriately, and by way of distinction, the books of the Old and New Testament; the Bible."--_Webster's Dict._ "In two separate volumes, ent.i.tled the Old and the New Testaments."--_Wayland's Mor. Sci._, p. 139. "The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain a revelation."--_Ib._ "Q has ever an u after it; which is not sounded in words derived from the French."--_Wilson's Essay_, p. 32. "What should we say of such an one? That he is regenerate?

No."--_Hopkins's Prim. Ch._, p. 22. "Some grammarians subdivide vowels into the simple and the compound."--_Murray's Gram._, i, p. 8. "Emphasis has been further distinguished into the weaker and stronger emphasis."--_Ib._, i, 244. "Emphasis has also been divided into superior and the inferior emphasis."--_Ib._, i, 245, "p.r.o.nouns must agree with their antecedents, or nouns which they represent, in gender, number, and person."--_Merchant's Gram._, pp. 86, 111, and 130. "The adverb _where_, is often improperly used, for the relative p.r.o.noun and preposition."--_Ib._, 94. "The termination _ish_ imports diminution, or lessening the quality."--_Ib._, 79. "In this train all their verses proceed: the one half of the line always answering to the other."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 384. "To an height of prosperity and glory, unknown to any former age."--_Murray's Sequel_, p.

352. "HWILC, who, which, such as, such an one, is declined as follows."--_Gwilt's Saxon Gram._, p. 15. "When a vowel precedes _y_, an _s_ only is required to form a plural."--_Bucke's Gram._, p. 40. "He is asked what sort of a word each is, whether a primitive, derivative, or compound."--_British Gram._, p. vii. "It is obvious, that neither the 2d, 3d, nor 4th chapter of Matthew is the first; consequently, there are not _four first_ chapters."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 306. "Some thought, which a writer wants art to introduce in its proper place."--_Blair's Rhet._, p.

109. "Groves and meadows are most pleasing in the spring."--_Ib._, p. 207.

"The conflict between the carnal and spiritual mind, is often long."--_Gurney's Port. Ev._, p. 146. "A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful."--_Burke's t.i.tle-page_.

"Silence, my muse! make not these jewels cheap, Exposing to the world too large an heap."--_Waller_, p. 113.

CHAPTER III.--NOUNS.

A Noun is the name of any person, place, or thing, that can be known or mentioned: as, _George, York, man, apple, truth_.

OBSERVATIONS.

OBS. 1.--All words and signs taken _technically_, (that is, independently of their meaning, and merely as things spoken of,) are _nouns_; or, rather, are _things_ read and construed _as nouns_; because, in such a use, they temporarily a.s.sume the _syntax_ of nouns: as, "For this reason, I prefer _contemporary_ to _cotemporary_."--_Campbell's Rhet._, p. 175; _Murray's Gram._, i, p. 368. "I and J were formerly expressed by the same character; as were U and V."--_W. Allen's Gram._, p. 3. "_Us_ is a personal p.r.o.noun."--_Murray_. "_Th_ has two sounds."--_Ib._ "The _'s_ cannot be a contraction of _his_, because _'s_ is put to _female_ [feminine] nouns; as, _Woman's beauty, the Virgin's delicacy_."--_Dr. Johnson's Gram._ "_Their_ and _theirs_ are the possessives likewise of _they_, when _they_ is the plural of _it_."--_Ib._ "Let B be a _now_ or instant."--_Harris's Hermes_, p. 103. "In such case, I say that the instant B is the end of the time A B."--_Ib._, 103. "_A_ is sometimes a noun: as, a great _A_."--_Todd's Johnson_. "Formerly _sp_ was cast in a piece, as _st's_ are now."--_Hist.

of Printing_, 1770. "I write to others than he will perhaps include in his _we_."--_Barclay's Works_, Vol. iii, p. 455. "Here are no fewer than eight _ands_ in one sentence."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 112; _Murray's Gram._, Vol.

i, p. 319. "Within this wooden _O_;" i. e., circle.--_Shak._

OBS. 2.--In parsing, the learner must observe the sense and use of each word, and cla.s.s it accordingly. Many words commonly belonging to other parts of speech are occasionally used as nouns; and, since it is the manner of its use, that determines any word to be of one part of speech rather than of an other, whatever word is used directly as a noun, must of course be pa.r.s.ed as such.

1. Adjectives made nouns: "The _Ancient_ of days did sit."--_Bible_. "Of the _ancients_."--_Swift_. "For such _impertinents_."--_Steele_. "He is an _ignorant_ in it."--_Id._ "In the luxuriance of an unbounded _picturesque_."--_Jamieson_. "A source of _the sublime_;" i. e., of sublimity.--_Burke_. "The vast _immense_ of s.p.a.ce:" i. e., immensity.--_Murray_. "There is none his _like._"--_Job_, xli, 33. "A _little_ more than a _little_, is by _much_ too _much_."--_Shakspeare_.

"And gladly make _much_ of that entertainment."--_Sidney_. "A covetous man makes _the most_ of what he has."--_L'Estrange_. "It has done _enough_ for me."--_Pope_. "He had _enough_ to do."--_Bacon_.

"_All_ withers here; who _most_ possess, are losers by their gain, Stung by full proof, that bad at best, life's idle _all_ is vain."

--_Young_.

"Nor grudge I thee _the much_ the Grecians give, Nor murm'ring take _the little_ I receive."

--_Dryden_.

2. p.r.o.nouns made nouns: "A love of seeing the _what_ and _how_ of all about him."--STORY'S LIFE OF FLAXMAN: _Pioneer_, Vol. i, p. 133. "The nameless HE, whose nod is Nature's birth."--_Young_, Night iv. "I was wont to load my _she_ with knacks."--_Shak. Winter's Tale_. "Or any _he_, the proudest of thy sort."--_Shak_. "I am the happiest _she_ in Kent."--_Steele_. "The _shes_ of Italy."--_Shak_. "The _hes_ in birds."--_Bacon_. "We should soon have as many _hes_ and _shes_ as the French."--_Cobbet's E. Gram._, Para.

42. "If, for instance, we call a nation a _she_, or the sun a _he_."--_Ib._, Para. 198. "When I see many _its_ in a page, I always tremble for the writer."--_Ib._, Para. 196. "Let those two questionary pet.i.tioners try to do this with their _whos_ and their _whiches_."--SPECT: _Ash's Gr._, p. 131.

"Such mortal drugs I have; but Mantua's law Is death to any _he_ that utters them."--_Shak_.

3. Verbs made nouns: "Avaunt all att.i.tude, and _stare_, and _start_ theatric."--_Cowper_. "A _may-be_ of mercy is sufficient."--_Bridge_.