abbeys, he went into the halls, and he went into the public buildings." "He also went through all the streets, and lanes of the city:" that is, "Through all the streets, and through all the lanes," &c. "He spoke to every man and woman there," that is," to every man and to every woman.” "This day, next month, last year;" that is," on this day, in the next month, in the last year." "The Lord do that which seemeth him good;" that is," which seemeth to him."

9. The ellipsis of the conjunction is as follows: "They confess the power, wisdom, goodness, and love of their Creator;" i. e. the power, and wisdom, and goodness, and love of," &c. "Though I love him, I do not flatter him," that is, "Though I love him, yet I do not flatter him."

as,

There is a very common ellipsis of the conjunction that: "He told me he would proceed immediately;" "I desire he would not be too hasty;" "I fear it comes too much from the heart:" instead of "He told me that he would proceed immediately;" "I desired that he would not be too hasty;" "I fear that it comes too much from the heart."-This ellipsis is tolerable in conversation, and in epistolary writing: but it should be sparingly indulged, in every other species of composition. The French do not use this mode of expression : they avoid the ellipsis on such occasions.

10. The ellipsis of the interjection is not very common: it, however, is sometimes used: as, "Oh! pity and shame!" that is, "Oh pity! Oh shame!"

As the ellipsis occurs in almost every sentence in the English language, numerous examples of it might be given: but only a few more can be admitted here.

In the following instance, there is a very considerable one : "He will often argue, that if this part of our trade were well cultivated, we should gain from one nation; and if another, from another;" that is, " He will often argue, that if this part of our trade were well cultivated, we should gain from one nation, and if another part of our trade were well cultivated, we should gain from another nation."

Sometimes a considerable part of a sentence is properly omitted, when we presume that the nominative case and its whole regimen may be readily understood: as, " Nature has given to animals one time to act, and another to rest ;" instead of saying: "Nature has given to animals one time to act, and nature has given to animals another time to rest."

The following instances, though short, contain much of the ellipsis; "Wo is me;" i. e. "wo is to me." "To let blood;" i. e. " to let out blood." "To let down;" i. e. " to let it fall

!

or slide down." "To walk a mile" i. e. " to walk through the space of a mile.” "To sleep all night;" i. e. " to sleep through all the night." "To go a fishing;" "To go a hunting;" i. e. "to go on a fishing voyage or business;" "to go on a hunting party." "I dine at two o'clock;" i. e. " at two of the clock." By sea, by land, on shore ;" i. e. "By the sea, by the land, on the shore."

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After the word notwithstanding, when used as a conjunction disjunctive, or a preposition, we frequently omit the whole succeeding member of the sentence; and in this use of notwithstanding, we have a striking proof of the value of abbreviations in language. For example: "Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning: notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto him." Here notwithstanding appears without the clause to which it belongs; and to complete the sense in words, it would be necessary to repeat the whole preceding clause, or the substance of it," Moses said, Let no man leave of it until the morning. Notwithstanding this command of Moses, or, notwithstanding Moses said that which has been recited, they hearkened not unto Moses.". "Folly meets with success in this world: but it is true notwithstanding, that it labours under disadvantages." This passage, at length, would read thus: "Folly meets with success in this world: but it is true, notwithstanding folly meets with success in this world, that it labours under disadvantages."

It is not unusual to apply a pronoun, this, that, which, or what, to represent nearly the whole of a sentence; as, "Bodies which have no taste, and no power of affecting the skin, may, notwithstanding this, act upon organs which are more delicate." Here this stands for "they have no taste, and no power to affect the skin," and is governed by the preposition notwithstanding.

11. The examples that follow are produced to show the impropriety of ellipsis in some particular cases. "The land was always possessed, during pleasure, by those intrusted with the command;" it should be, "those persons intrusted;" or, "those who were intrusted." "If he had read further, he would have found several of his objections might have been spared;" that is, "he would have found that several of his objections," &c. "There is nothing men are more deficient in, than knowing their own characters." It ought to be," nothing in which men ;" and, " than in knowing." "I scarcely know any part of natural philosophy would yield more variety and use:" it should be," which would yield," &c. "In the temper of mind he then was ;" i. e. " in which he then was."

"The little satisfaction and consistency, to be found in most of the systems of divinity I have met with, made me betake myself to the sole reading of the Scriptures:" it ought to be, "which are to be found," and "which I have met with." "He desired they might go to the altar together, and jointly return their thanks to whom only they were due;" i. e." He desired that they might go to the altar together, and jointly return their thanks to him to whom only they were due."

CONVERSATION XXI.

Tutor. In most languages, there are some verbs which are defective with respect to persons. These are denominated impersonal verbs. They are used only in the third person, because they refer to a subject peculiarly appropriated to that person: as, "It rains, it snows, it hails, it lightens, it thunders." But as the word impersonal implies a total absence of persons, it is improperly applied to those verbs which have a person and hence it is manifest, that there is no such thing in the English, nor indeed, in any language, as a sort of verbs really impersonal.

The plea urged to prove the existence of impersonal verbs is, in substance, as follows: and you will perceive that it is not wholly destitute of plausibility. There are certain verbs which do not admit for their subject any thing that has life, or any thing that is strictly definable: such as, " It snows, it hails, it freezes, it rains, it lightens, it thunders." In this point of view, and with this explanation, it is supposed, by some grammarians, that our language contains a few impersonal verbs; that is, verbs which declare the existence of some action or state, but which do not refer it to any animate being, or any determinate particular subject.

The whole number of verbs in the English language, regular and irregular, simple and compounded, taken together, is about 4300. The number of irregular verbs, the defective included, is about 177.

The whole number of words, after deducting proper names, and the inflections of our verbs and nouns, does not exceed forty thousand.

George. What you have just said of impersonal verbs, re

minds me of a sentence, which I saw the other day. It was this: "There needs no ghost come from the grave to tell us this." I could not parse needs.

Tutor. Needs is frequently used in this manner : as, "There needs more assistance;" "there needs one more to make up the number;" and Pope says, "There needs but thinking right, and meaning well."

It is, doubtless, a contraction of need is, the nominative and the verb: as, "There need is of no ghost," &c. or "There is need of," &c. "There need is of more assistance." Needs is sometimes used as an adverb: as, "Offences must needs come," &c. ; "He needs would show his master what his art could do;" that is, necessarily.

Before you commence the correcting of false syntax, it is proper, that you should be exercised more in parsing. I will give you a few lessons in which you will find some constructions more difficult than any which you have yet had; but comprehend the sense of the author, supply the ellipsis, and you will not find much difficulty.

EXERCISES IN PARSING.

A few instances of the same word's constituting several of the parts of speech.

Calm was the day, and the scene delightful. may expect a calm after a storm.

We

To prevent passion is easier than to calm it.

Better is a little with content, than a great deal with anxiety. The gay and dissolute think little of the miseries, which are stealing softly after them.

A little attention will rectify some errors.
Though he is out of danger, he is still afraid.
He laboured to still the tumult.

Fair and softly go far.

The fair was numerously attended.

His character is fair and honourable.

Damp air is unwholesome.

Guilt often casts a damp over our sprightliest hours.
Soft bodies damp the sound much more than hard ones.
Though she is rich and fair, yet she is not amiable.
They are yet young, and must suspend their judgment yet
a while.

Many persons are better than we suppose them to be.
The few and the many have their prepossessions.

遞

Few days pass without some clouds.

The hail was very destructive.
Hail virtue! source of every good.
We hail you as friends.

Much money is corrupting.

Think much, and speak little.

He has seen much of the world, and been much caressed. His years are more than hers, but he has not more know

ledge.

The more we are blessed, the more grateful we should be. The desire of getting more is rarely satisfied.

He has equal knowledge, but inferior judgment.

She is his inferior in sense, but his equal in prudence.
Every being loves its like.

We must make a like space between the lines.

Behave yourselves like men.

We are too apt to like pernicious company.
He may go or stay as he likes.

They strive to learn.

He goes to and fro.

To his wisdom we owe our privilege.

The proportion is ten to one.

He has served them with his utmost ability.

When we do our utmost, no more is required.

I will submit, for I know submission brings peace.

It is for our health to be temperate.

Oh! for better times.

I have a regard for him. ́

He is esteemed, both on his own account, and on that of his parents

Both of them deserve praise.

Yesterday was a fine day.

I rode out yesterday.

I shall write to-morrow.

To-morrow may be brighter than to-day.

Promiscuous Exercises in Parsing.

PROSE.

DISSIMULATION in youth, is the forerunner of perfidy in old Its first appearance is the fatal omen of growing depravity and future shame.

age.

If we possess not the power of self-government, we shall be the prey of every loose inclination, that chances to arise. Pampered by continual indulgence, all our passions will be