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4. 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 vas 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."

5. When the nominative case has no personal tense of a verb, but is put before a participle, independently on the rest of the sentence, it is called the case absolute: as, "Shame being lost, all virtue is lost;"" That having been discussed long ago, there is no occasion to resume it.”

As in the use of the case absolute, the case is, in English, always the nominative, the following example is erroneous, in making it the objective. "Solomon was of this mind, and I have no doubt he made as wise and true proverbs, as any body has done since; him only excepted, who was a much greater and wiser man than Solomon." It should be, "he only excepted."

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 compound 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."

Sd, When a verb neuter is used: as, "On a sudden appeared the king."

4th, When the verb is preceded by the adverbs, here, there, then, thence, hence, 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 er nor, so as

be coupled with another sentence: as, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."

The phrases, as follows, as appears, form what are called impersonal verbs; and should, therefore, be confined to the singular number: as, "The arguments advanced were nearly as follows;""The positions were as appears incontrovertible :" that is," as it follows," "as it appears." If we give the sentence a different turn, and instead of as, say such as, the verb is no longer termed impersonal; but properly agrees with its nominative in the plural number: as, "The arguments advanced were nearly such as follow;" "The positions were such as appear incontrovertible."*

They who are inclined to favour the opinion of Horne Tooke, "That as, however and whenever used in English, means the same as it, or that, or which ;" and who are not satisfied whether the verbs, in the sentences first mentioned, should be in the singular or the plural number, may vary the form of expression. Thus, the sense of the preceding sentences, may be conveyed in the following terms. "The arguments advanced were nearly of the following nature ;""The following are nearly the arguments which were advanced;" "The arguments advanced were nearly those which follow;" "It appears that the positions were incontrovertible;" "That the positions were incontrovertible is apparent;" "The positions were apparently incontrovertible."

RULE II.

Two or more nouns, &c. in the singular number? joined together by one or more copulative conjunctions, cxpressed or understood, must have verbs, nouns, and pronouns, agreeing with them in the plural number: as, "Socrates and Plato were wise; they were the most

* In our ideas on this subject, we are supported by general usage, and by the author ity of an eminent critic on language and composition. "When a verb is used ims personally," says Dr. Campbell in his Philosophy of Rhetoric, “it ought undoubtedly to be in the siugular number, whether the neuter pronoun be expressed or unders stood. For this reason, analogy and usage favour this mode of expression: "The cons ditions of the agreement were as follows" and not as follow. A few late writers have inconsiderately adopted this last form through a mistake of the construction. For the same reason, we ought to say, "I shall consider his censures so far only as concerns my friend's conduct ;" and not "so far as concern.”

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eminent philosophers of Greece;" "The sun that rolls over our heads, the food that we receive, the rest that. we enjoy, daily admonish us of a superior and superintending Power."*

This rule is often violated; some instances of which are annexed. "And so was also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon;" "and so were also.” “All joy, tranquillity, and peace, even for ever and ever doth dwell;" "dwell for ever." "By whose power all good and evil is distributed;" "are distributed.” "Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished;""are perished." "The thoughtless and intemperate enjoyment of pleasure, the criminal abuse of it, and the forgetfulness of our being accountable creatures, obliterates every serious thought of the proper business of life, and effaces the sense of religion and of God;" It ought to be "obliterate" and "efface."

1. When the nouns are nearly related, or scarcely distinguishable in sense, and sometimes even when they are very different, some authors have thought it allowable to put the verbs, nouns, and pronouns, in the singular number: as, "Tranquillity and peace dwells there;" "Ignorence and negligence has produced the effect;" "The discomfiture and slaughter was very great." But it is evidently contrary to the first principles of grammar, to consider two distinct ideas as one, however nice may be their shades of difference: and if there be no difference, one of them must be superfluous, and ought to be rejected.

To support the above construction, it is said that the verb may be understood as applied to each of the preceding terms; as in the following example. "Sand, and salt, and a mass of iron is easier to bear than a man without understanding." But besides the confusion, and the latitude of application, which such a construction would introduce, it appears to be more proper and analogical, in cases where the verb is intended to be applied to any one of the terms, to make use of the disjunctive conjunction, which grammatically refers the verb to one or other of the

* See Key to the English Exercises. Ninth edition, p. 23.

preceding terms in a separate view. To preserve the distinctive uses of the copulative and disjunctive conjunctions, would render the rules precise, consistent, and intelligible. Dr. Blair very justly observes, that "two or more substantives, joined by a copulative, must always require the verb or pronoun to which they refer, to be placed in the plural number.

2. In many complex sentences, it is difficult for learners to determine, whether one or more of the clauses are to be considered as the nominative case; and consequently, whether the verb should be in the singular or the plural number. We shall, therefore, set down a number of varied examples of this nature, which may serve as some government to the scholar, with respect to sentences of a similar construction. "Prosperity, with humility, renders its possessor truly amiable." "The ship, with all her furniture, was destroyed." "Not only his estate, his reputation too has suffered by his misconduct." "The general also, in conjunction with the officers, has applied for redress." ""He cannot be justified; for it is true, that the prince, as well as the people, was blame-worthy." "The king, with his life-guard, has just passed through the village.' "In the mutual influence of body and soul, there is a wisdom, a wonderful wisdom, which we cannot fathom.' "Virtue, honour, nay, even self-interest, conspire to recommend the measure. "Patriotism, morality, every public and private consideration, demand our submission to just and lawful government." "Nothing delights me so much as the works of nature.'

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In support of such forms of expression as the following, we see the authority of Hume, Priestley, and other writers; and we annex them for the reader's consideration. "A long course of time, with a variety of accidents and circumstances, are requisite to produce those revolutions." "The king, with the lords and commons, form an excellent frame of government." "The side A, with the sides B and C, compose the triangle." "The fire communicated itself to the bed, which, with the furniture of the room, and a valuable library, were all entirely consumed." It is, however, proper to observe, that these modes of expression do not appear to be warranted by the just principles of con

struction. The words, "A long course of time,” “The king," "The side A," and "which" are the true nominatives to the respective verbs. In the last example, the word all should be expunged. As the preposition with governs the objective case, in English; and, if translated into Latin, would govern the ablative case, it is manifest, that the clauses following with, in the preceding sentences, cannot form any part of the nominative case. They cannot be at the same time in the objective and the nominative cases. The following sentence appears to be unexceptionable; and may serve to explain the others. "The lords and commons are essential branches of the British constitution: the king, with them, forms an excellent frame of government.'

3. If the singular nouns and pronouns, which are joined together by a copulative conjunction, be of several persons, in making the plural pronoun agree with them in person, the second person takes place of the third, and the first of both as, "James, and thou, and I, are attached `to our country." "Thou and he shared it between you.”

RULE III.

The conjunction disjunctive has an effect contrary to that of the conjunction copulative; for as the verb, noun, or pronoun, is referred to the preceding terms taken separately, it must be in the singular number: as, "Ignorance or negligence has caused this mistake;""Johr, James, or Joseph, intends to accompany me." "There is, in many minds, neither knowledge nor understanding."

The following sentences are variations from this rule : "A man may see a metaphor or an allegory in a picture, as well as read them in a description;" "read it." "Neither character nor dialogue were yet understood;" "as yet." "It must indeed be confessed, that a lampoon or a satire do not carry in them robbery or murder;""does not carry

*Though the construction will not admit of a plural verb, the sentence would cer tainly stand better thus: "The king, the lords, and the cominons, form an excellent Constitution."