others as well as himself might receive profit and delight, yet they are all within his own breast." In this sentence, the nominative man stands alone and unconnected with any verb, either expressed or implied. It should be, "Though man has great variety," &c.

3. When a verb comes between two nouns, either of which may be understood as the subject of the affirmation, it may agree with either of them; but some regard must be had to that which is more naturally the subject of it, as also to that which stands next to the verb: as, "His meat was locusts and wild honey;" "A great cause of the low state of industry were the restraints put upon it;" "The wages of sin is death.”

In such instances as those which follow, either of the clauses may be considered as the nominative to the verb. "To show how the understanding proceeds herein, is the design of the following discourse." This sentence may be inverted without changing a single word: "The design of the following discourse is, to show how the understanding proceeds herein." "To fear no eye, and to suspect no tongue, is the great prerogative of innocence." This sentence may be inverted : but, according to the English idiom, the pronoun it would, in that case, precede the verb: as, "It is the prerogative of innocence, to fear no eye, and to suspect no tongue.”

The nominative case is commonly placed before the verb; but sometimes it is put after the verb, if it is a simple tense; and between the auxiliary, and the verb or participle, if a com pound tense: as,

1st, When a question is asked, a command given, or a wish expressed as, "Confidest thou in me?" "Read thou;" "Mayst thou be happy!" "Long live the King!"

2d, When a supposition is made, without the conjunction if: as, "Were it not for this;" "Had I been there." 3d, When a verb neuter is used: as, "On a sudden appeared the king." "Above it stood the seraphim."

4th, When the verb is preceded by the adverbs, here, there, then, thence, thus, &c.: as, "Here am I;" "There was he slain;""Then cometh the end;"" Thence ariseth his grief;" "Hence proceeds his anger;" "Thus was the affair settled." 5th, When a sentence depends on neither or nor, so as to be coupled with another sentence: as, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."

6th, When an emphatical adjective introduces a sentence: as," Happy is the man whose heart does not reproach him.” You can now correct the following

EXERCISES IN FALSE SYNTAX. DISAPPOINTMENTS sinks the heart of man; but the renewal of hope give consolation.

The smiles that encourage severity of judgment, hides malice and insincerity.

He dare not act contrary to his instructions.

Fifty pounds of wheat contains forty pounds of flour.

The mechanism of clocks and watches, were totally unknown a few centuries ago.

The number of inhabitants in Great Britain and Ireland, do not exceed sixteen millions.

Nothing but vain and foolish pursuits delight some persons. A variety of pleasing objects charm the eye.

So much both of ability and merit are seldom found.

In the conduct of Parmenio, a mixture of wisdom and folly were very conspicuous.

He is an author of more credit than Plutarch, or any other, that write lives too hastily.

The inquisitive and curious is generally talkative.
Great pains has been taken to reconcile the parties.

I am sorry to say it, but there was more equivocators than

one.

The sincere is always esteemed.

Has the goods been sold to advantage? and did thou embrace the proper season ?

There is many occasions in life, in which silence and simplicity is true wisdom.

The generous never recounts minutely the actions they have done; nor the prudent those they will do.

He need not proceed in such haste.

The business that related to ecclesiastical meetings, matters and persons, were to be ordered according to the king's direction.

In him were happily blended true dignity with softness of

manners.

The support of so many of his relations, were a heavy tax upon his industry; but thou knows he paid it cheerfully. What avails the best sentiments, if persons do not live suitably to them?

Reconciliation was offered, on conditions as moderate as was consistent with a permanent union.

Not one of them whom thou sees clothed in purple, are com pletely happy.

And the fame of this person, and of his wonderful actions, were diffused throughout the country.

The variety of the productions of genius, like that of the operations of nature, are without limit.

In vain our flocks and fields increase our store,
When our abundance make us wish for more.

Thou should love thy neighbour as sincerely as thou loves thyself.

Has thou no better reason for censuring thy friend and companion?

Thou who art the Author and Bestower of life, can doubtless restore it also: but whether thou will please to restore it, or not, that thou only knows.

O thou my voice inspire,

Who touched Isaiah's hallowed lips with fire.

Accept these grateful tears: for thee they flow;
For thee that ever felt another's wo.

Just to thy word, in ev'ry thought sincere ;

Who knew no wish but what the world might hear.

The following examples are adapted to the notes under RULE I.

1. If the privileges to which he has an undoubted right, and he has long enjoyed, should now be wrested from him, would be flagrant injustice.

These curiosities we have imported from China, and are similar to those which were some time ago brought from Africa.

Will martial flames for-ever fire thy mind,

And never, never be to Heav'n resign'd?

2. Two substantives, when they come together, and do not signify the same thing, the former must be in the genitive case. Virtue, however it may be neglected for a time, men are so consituted as ultimately to acknowledge and respect genuine merit.

P 2

SECTION II.

RULE II.

When two nouns come together, signifying different things, the former implying possession, must be in the possessive case, and governed by the latter.

The preposition of joined to a substantive, is frequently equivalent to the possessive case: as, "A Christian's hope," "The hope of a Christian." But it is only so, when the expression can be converted into the regular form of the possessive case. We can say. "The reward of virtue," and " Virtue's reward;" but though it is proper to say, "A crown of gold," we cannot convert the expression into the possessive case, and say, "Gold's crown."

6

Substantives govern pronouns as well as nouns, in the possessive case: as, Every tree is known by its fruit;" "Goodness brings its reward;""That desk is mine."

The genitive its is often improperly used for 'tis or it is: as, "Its my book;" instead of, "it is my book."

The pronoun his, when detached from the noun to which it relates, is to be considered, not as a possessive adjective pronoun, but as the genitive case of the personal pronoun: as, "This composition is his." "Whose book is that ?" "His." If we use the noun itself, we should say, "This composition is John's." "Whose book is that ?" "Eliza's." The position will be still more evident, when we consider that both the pronouns, in the following sentence, must have a similar construction: "Is it her or his honour that is tarnished ?” "It is not hers, but his."

Sometimes a substantive in the genitive or possessive case stands alone, the latter one by which it is governed being understood: as, "I called at the bookseller's," that is, "at the bookseller's shop."

1. If several nouns come together in the possessive case, the apostrophe with s is annexed to the last, and understood in the rest as, "John and Eliza's books:" "This was my father, mother, and uncle's advice." But when any words intervene, perhaps on account of the increased pause, the sign of the possessive should be annexed to each: as, They are John's as well as Eliza's books ;" "I had the physician's, the surgeon's, and the apothecary's assistance." The

following distinction, on this point, appears to be worthy of attention. When any subject or subjects are considered as the common property of two or more persons, the sign of the possessive case is fixed only to the name of the last person: as, This is Henry, William, and Joseph's estate." But when several subjects are considered, as belonging separately to distinct individuals, the names of the individuals have the sign of the possessive case annexed to each of them: as, "These are Henry's, William's, and Joseph's estates."-It is, however, better to say, "It was the advice of my father, mother, and uncle;" "I had the assistance of the physician, the surgeon, and the apothecary;" "This estate belongs in common to Henry, William, and Joseph."

son."

2. In poetry, the additional s is frequently omitted, but the apostrophe retained, in the same manner as in substantives of the plural number ending in s: as, "The wrath of Peleus' This seems not so allowable in prose; which the following erroneous examples will demonstrate: "Moses' minister;" "Phinehas' wife;" "Festus came into Felix' room." "These answers were made to the witness' questions." But in cases which would give too much of the hissing sound, or increase the difficulty of pronunciation, the omission takes place even in prose: as, "For righteousness' sake;" "For

conscience' sake."

3. Little explanatory circumstances are particularly awkward between a genitive case, and the word which usually follows it: as, "She began to extol the farmer's, as she called him, excellent understanding." It ought to be," the excellent understanding of the farmer, as she called him."-The word in the genitive case is frequently placed improperly: as, "This fact apears from Dr. Pearson of Birmingham's experiments." It should be," from the experiments of Dr. Pearson of Birmingham."

4. When a sentence consists of terms signifying a name and an office, or of any expressions by which one part is descriptive or explanatory of the other, it may occasion some doubt to which of them the sign of the genitive case should be annexed: or whether it should be subjoined to them both. Thus, some would say, "I left the parcel at Smith's the bookseller;" others," at Smith the bookseller's ;" and perhaps others, "at Smith's the bookseller's." The first of these forms is most agreeable to the English idiom; and if the addition consists in two or more words, the case seems to be less dubious: as, "I left the parcel at Smith's, the bookseller and stationer." The point will be still clearer, if we supply the ellipsis in these