To show you more particularly their use and importance, I give you the following

REMARKS ON THE ARTICLES.

The peculiar use and importance of the articles will be seen in the following examples: "The son of a king-the son of the king-a son of the king." Each of these three phrases has an entirely different meaning, through the different application of the articles a and the.

"Thou art a man;" is a very general and harmless position; but, "Thou art the man," (as Nathan said to David,) is an assertion capable of striking terror and remorse into the heart.

The article is omitted before nouns that imply the different virtues, vices, passions, qualities, sciences, arts, metals, herbs, &c.: as, "prudence is commendable; falsehood is odious"; anger ought to be avoided ;" &c. It is not prefixed to a proper name: as, "Alexander," (because that of itself denotes a determinate individual or particular thing,) except for the sake of distinguishing a particular family: as, " He is a Howard, or of the family of the Howards: or by way of eminence; as, "Every man is not a Newton;" "He has the courage of an Achilles:" or when some noun is understood : "He sailed down the (river) Thames, in the (ship) Britannia.” When an adjective is used with the noun to which the article relates, it is placed between the article and the noun: as, "a good man," an agreeable woman," " the best friend." On some occasions, however, the adjective precedes a or an: as, "such a shame," " as great a man as Alexander," "" too care

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less an author."

The indefinite article is sometimes placed between the adjective many, and a singular noun: as,

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

"The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
"Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,
"And waste its sweetness on the desert air."

In these lines, the phrases, many a gem, and many a flow'r, refer to many gems, and many flowers, separately, not collectively considered.

The definite article the is frequently applied to adverbs in the comparative and superlative degree; and its effect is, to mark the degree the more strongly, and to define it the more precisely as, "The more I examine it, the better I like it. I like this the least of any."

"That which is nearly connected with us, or 'with which, from its vicinity, we have been long acquainted, becomes emi

nent or distinguishable in our eyes, even though, in itself, and compared with other things of the same kind, it is of no particular importance. A person who resides near a very little town, speaks of it by the name of the town. Every clergyman within his own parish, is called the minister, or the parson ; and if, in a village, there is but one barber, or one smith, his neighbours think they distinguish him sufficiently, by calling him the smith, or the barber. A tree, a rock, a hill, a river, a meadow, may be spoken of in the same manner, with the same emphasis. He is not returned from the hill: he is bathing in the river: I saw him on the top of the rock: shall we walk in the meadow? A branch is blown down from the tree. In these examples the definite article is used; because the thing spoken of, being in the neighbourhood, is well known, and a matter of some consequence to the people who are acquainted with it."

That we may perceive, still more clearly, the nature and significancy of the articles, let us put one for the other, and mark the effect. When it is said, that "the ancestors of the present royal family were kings in England three hundred years before the Conqueror," the sense is clear; as every body knows, that the person here spoken of, by the name of the Conqueror, is William duke of Normandy, who subdued England about seven hundred and fifty years ago. But if we say, that "the ancestors of the present royal Family were kings in England three hundred years before a conqueror," we speak nonsense. -Again, when it is said, that "health is a most desirable thing," there is no man who will not acquiesce in the position: which only means, that health is one of those things that are to be very much desired. But if we take the other article, and say, "Health is the most desirable thing," we change the position from truth to falsehood: for this would imply that nothing is so desirable as health; which is very wide of the truth; virtue, and a good conscience, being of infinitely greater value. You can now answer the following

QUESTIONS.

Is an article ever used with an adverb?

For what purpose?

Which article is so used?

Is the indefinite article ever used with a plural noun ?
Is an article ever used with a proper noun ?

What is the effect when so used?

Is the article ever separated from the noun by intervening words?

CONVERSATION VI.

OF ADJECTIVES.

Tutor. An ADJECTIVE is a word added to a noun to express some quality or circumstance of the person or thing, of which the noun is the name: as, a good apple-a sweet apple

a small apple. I wish you to be careful to make the distinction here between the word that denotes the thing, and the word that denotes the mere quality or circumstance of the thing. I have known many pupils to mistake the adjective for the noun, even after studying grammar a long time. A little reflection on the nature of these two parts of speech, will prevent mistakes of this sort. When I say, that I wear a new hat, you may readily perceive the difference between the word denoting the thing, and the word denoting the quality of it, or showing what sort of thing it is. In order to make yourselves familiar with the Adjectives, write a few nouns, and then prefix as many adjectives to them as you can. Thus, you may write the nouns, trees, rooms, tables, street, &c. and then prefix such adjectives to them, as will make sense: as, dry, tall, green, shady, trees, &c.-a warm, high, low, handsome, well-furnished, room—a short, wide, narrow, dirty, or cleanly, table or street. Each of these adjectives expresses some quality of the things, of which the nouns are the names. You must practise in this way frequently, till you completely comprehend the nature of an Adjective.

George. Adjectives, then, being words to express qualities, and not things, cannot, I think, have person, number, gender, and case.

Tutor. You are right. In our language, Adjectives have no person, number, gender, or case and the only variation, which they admit, is that of the degrees of comparison.

There are commonly reckoned three degrees of comparison; The POSITIVE, the COMPARATIVE, and the SUPERLA

TIVE.

The Positive State expresses the quality of an object, without increase or diminution: as, good boys, wise boys, great boys.

The Comparative Degree increases or lessens the Positive

in signification: as, wiser boys-greater boys-less wise boys -or boys less wise. The Adjective may be placed after the noun, as well as before it, as in the last example.

The Superlative Degree increases or lessens the Positive to the highest or lowest degree; as, greatest, wisest, least wise boys, or men, or people.

The simple word, or Positive, becomes the Comparative, by adding r or er; and the Superlative, by adding st or est to the end of it: as,

Pos.

wise,

great,

Com. wiser,

greater,

Super.

wisest.

greatest.

*

The words more and most, less and least, have the same

effect: as,

wise,

less wise,

Super.

most wise.

least wise.

You must perceive that an Adjective is a very simple part speech; and when you parse it, you will merely tell of what degree of comparison it is, and to what noun it belongs; and then give this rule:

RULE V.

Every adjective belongs to some noun, expressed or understood.

Caroline. I suppose we are now prepared to parse sentences, composed of Nouns, Verbs, Articles, and Adjectives. Tutor. Yes. I will first parse one for you, and then give you several more, which you must practice upon.

The little girls write a long letter.

The is the definite Article, and refers to the noun girls. Repeat Rule IV. Little is an Adjective of the Positive state, and belongs to the noun girls. Repeat Rule V. Girls is a noun of the third person, plural number, of the feminine gender, and nominative case to the verb write. Write is a tran sitive verb, of the third person, plural number, and agrees with its. Nominative case, girls. Repeat Rule I. A is the indefinite Article, and refers to the noun letter. Repeat Rule IV. Long is an Adjective, of the positive state, and belongs to the noun letter. Repeat Rule V. Letter is a noun of the third person, singular number, of neuter gender, and in the objective case, governed by the transitive verb write. Repeat Rule III.

Parse this sentence several times; and when you can do it accurately, practise upon the following, in the same manner.

EXERCISES IN PARSING.

The great ships carry large burdens; the smaller ships bear less burdens. Generous persons relieve the poor, old men. Wealthy ladies help indigent females. The little children cry. The old birds fly. Wise mothers teach little girls. The man's discourse caused much excitement. The girl's friends abuse the children's parents. The parents' servants brush the boys' new clothes.

NOTE. An adjective, used without a substantive, having the definite article before it, has the force and meaning of a substantive of the plural number, and must be parsed thus: The rich help the poor

Rich is an adjective used substantively, third person plural, in the nominative case to the verb help.

Poor is an adjective used substantively, of the third person, plural number, and in the objective case, governed by the transitive verb help. Repeat Rule III.

Private virtues adorn a man.

The grey horses prance.

NOTE. One, two, three, &c. are called numeral adjectives. The two armies conquered the enemies.

Thirty men killed twenty wolves.

NOTE. The words, first, second, third, &c. are called nu

meral adjectives of order.

The third man killed the fourth wolf.

QUESTIONS.

What is an Adjective?

Do adjectives vary, as nouns do, on account of number, gender, or case?

Do they ever vary?

What variation have they?

How many degrees of comparison have they?

How is the Comparative formed?

How the Superlative ?

Is the noun, to which the adjective belongs, always expressed?

What rule do you give, when you parse adjectives?

· Is an adjective ever used in the nature of a noun ? Of what number is the adjective when used substantively

Now I will give you some

REMARKS ON ADJECTIVES.

Grammarians have generally enumerated three degrees of