numerous instances that might be cited from our most approved writers, I have selected the following, in which the perfect tense is incorrectly employed instead of the imperfect.

"Our club has recommenced last Friday, but I was not there.” JOHNSON. Letter to Boswell, 1777.

"You may remember I have formerly talked with you about a military dictionary."-IDEM. Letter (without date) to Mr. Cave.

"It is now about four hundred years since the art of multiplying books has been discovered."-D'ISRAELI. Curiosities. "Many years after this article was written, has appeared the history of English Dramatic Poetry by Mr. Collier."-Ibid. "You may do what you have done a century ago, made the Catholics worse than Helots."-SYDNEY SMITH. Essays. "Formerly we have conversed, together with Pericles, on this extraordinary man." - SAVAGE LANDOR. Pericles and Aspasia.

During the last century no prime minister, however powerful, has become rich in office."-MACAULAY. History of England.

"Of this admirable work a subsequent edition has been published in 1822."-ALISON. Essay on Humboldt.

"Out of the walls of Cadiz, in 1810 and 1811, has issued the cloud that now overspreads the world."-IDEM. History of Europe.

In these sentences the words in italics should be repectively "recommenced "

appeared "did"

"became "was "" issued."

"talked ".

"conversed".

In every case

the time is unconnected with the present, or specified as past, and the imperfect tense should have been employed.

F

Other Errors in regard to the Moods and
Tenses.

In the following example the indicative is improperly put for the subjunctive. "Writes" should be "write" or "should write:'

"With all these objections (and we only mention them in case Mr. Hope writes again) there are few books that contain passages of greater power."-SYDNEY SMITH. Essays.

Sir A. Alison has a passage in which the imperfect tense of the indicative is used instead of the subjunctive :-

"If that system were rigorously carried into execution— if a first imprisonment was in every instance made so long as to teach the young novice in crime an honest trade, the continual stream of depravity which now pollutes the British islands would be lessened."-History of Europe.

Here the writer, speaking hypothetically, begins very properly with the subjunctive mood; but in the very next line, which requires the same mood, he abandons it for the indicative, and thus makes nonsense of the sentence.

Here is another example:

"Of Montgomery's prose we might say much that was favourable."-GILFILLAN. Literary Portraits.

Chenevix has an instance of the opposite fault, where he uses the subjunctive instead of the indicative :

"Henry V., indeed, if Shakespeare were well informed,

was a dexterous wooer in his way."—Essay on National Cha

racter.

In the following example we have one of the greatest of English classics unaccountably employing a past tense to express a future :

"This paper should properly have appeared to-morrow."— JUNIUS. Private Letter, No. 24.

There is a misapplication of the verb which is of common occurrence even in some of our ablest writers; and which consists in the use of the infinitive in the past tense, instead of the infinitive present. Examples:

"Had this been the fate of Tasso, he would have been able to have celebrated the condescension of your majesty in noble language."-JOHNSON. Dedication of Hoole's Tranlation of

Tasso.

"Gray might perhaps have been able to have rendered him more temperate in his political views."-SOUTHEY. The Doctor.

"Byron's modesty was shocked at the sight of waltzing, which he would not have suffered the Guiccioli to have indulged in even with her own husband."-WILSON. Recreations of C. North.

Swift, but a few months before, was willing to have hazarded all the horrors of a civil war."-JEFFREY. Essays.

"That he was willing to have made his peace with Walpole is admitted by Mr. Scott."-Ibid.

"It was universally expected that his first act, upon being elevated to the office of Prince Regent, would have been to have sent for Lords Grey and Grenville."-ALISON. History of Europe.

"Those who would gladly have seen the Anglo-Saxon to

have predominated over the Latin element of our language.". TRENCH. English, Past and Present.

In these examples the words in italics should be "to celebrate," "to render," "to indulge," "to hazard," "to make," to send," "to predominate."

Present Participle for the Infinitive Mood.

Of this inaccuracy there are several instances in George Gilfillan, a writer who, whatever may be his defects of style (and they are manifold, especially in his first "Gallery of Literary Portraits"), is generally very attentive to the requirements of grammar. The following are examples :

"It is easy distinguishing the rude fragment of a rock from the splinter of a statue."-Literary Portraits.

"It was great in him promoting one to whom he had done some wrong."—Ibid.

"It were indeed worth while inquiring how much of this coolness resulted from Crabbe's early practice as a surgeon." -Ibid.

"How fine sometimes it is accompanying the prattle of a beautiful child."-Ibid.

"It were not difficult retorting upon many passages of his own writing."-Ibid.

"It is indeed ludicrous looking back through the vista of forty years."—Ibid.

"It were worth while contrasting its estimate of Mahometanism with that of Carlyle."-Ibid.

"It was fine taking it out and finding in it a conductor to our own surcharged emotions."—Ibid.

SLANG TERMS AND FOREIGN WORDS.

The fifth blemish in English prose is the profusion of slang and foreign words by which it is disfigured. For the use of slang we have always shown a growing partiality; but its prevalence of late years is mainly owing to that quintessence of Rebellion and Radicalism; that amalgamation of Socialism and Slavery; that galaxy of Stars and Stripes; our encroaching, annexing, intermeddling, repudiating friend; our outlandish, off-handish, whole-hoggish, go-a-headish brother, Jonathan Yankee.

The foreign words may be classed as follows:1. Words relating to the art of war, most of which we have borrowed from the French. These have been adopted into the language, and are to be found in our dictionaries. 2. Theatrical and musical terms, which we have chiefly received from the Italians and French, and which are to be met with in the newspaper reports of our public entertainments. 3. Words of a technical import, which express matters and modes of being, originally foreign to our national habits, and for which, generally speaking, we have no equivalent terms. My list of these amounts to no less than two hundred and fifty. 4. Words which express ideas common to the homes and bosoms of all