loved; I fhall be loved;

and fo on, through all the Perfons, the Numbers, the Times, and the Modes.

The Neuter Verb is varied like the Active; but, having fomewhat of the Nature of the Paffive, admits in many inftances of the Paffive form, retaining ftill the Neuter fignification; chiefly in fuch Verbs, as fignify some sort of motion, or change of place or condition: as, I am come; I was gone; I am grown; I was fallen (1). " The Verb am, in this cafe

Serm, 52.

dred. "

was,

which

"This

(1) I doubt much of the propriety of the following examples: "The rules of our holy religion, from which we are infinitely fwerved. Tillotfon, Vol. I. Serm. 27. "The whole obligation of that law and covenant, Ib. Vol. II. God made with the Jews, was alfo ceased. "Whofe number was now amounted to three hunSwift, Contests and Diffenfions, Chap. 3. Mareschal, upon some discontent, was entered into a confpiracy against his mafter. «‹ Addifon, Freeholder, No. 31. "At the end of a Campaign, when half the men are deserted Neuter Verbs are Addifon, Tatler, No. 42. fometimes employed very improperly as Adives: «Go, flee Amos, vii. 12. « I thee away into the land of Judah. think it by no means a fit and decent thing to vie Charities, and erect the reputation of one upon the ruins of another. u

or killed. "

precifely defines the Time of the action or event, but does not change the nature of it: the Pasfive form ftill expreffing, not properly a Paffion, but only a state or condition of Being.

IRREGULAR VERBS.

1

IN English both the Paft Time Active and the Participle Perfect, or Paffive, are formed by adding to the Verb ed; or d only, when the Verb ends in e: as, ❝ turn, turned; love, loved. " The Verbs that vary from this rule, in either or in both cafes, are efteemed Irregular. The nature of our language, the Accent and

Atterbury, Serm. I. 2.

"So many learned men, that have spent their whole time and pains to agree the Sacred with

the Profane Chronology.

Fol. Vol. I. p. 295.

"How would the Gods my righteous toils fucceed?,

Sir William Temple, Works,

Pope, Odyff. xiv. 447.

If Jove this arm fucceed. »

Ibid, xxi. 219.

And Active Verbs are as improperly made Neuter; as, “I

muft premife with three circumftances. "

Laft Ministry, Cháp. 2. with him by calumniating, laris, p. 519.

Swift, Q. Anne's

"Thofe that think to ingratiate

,me. Bentley, Differt. on Pha

:

Pronunciation of it, inclines us to contract even all our Regular Verbs: thus loved, turned, are commonly pronounced in one fyllable, lov'd, turn'd and the fecond Perfon, which was originally in three fyllables, lovedeft, turnedeft, is become a difyllable, lovedft, turnedfi; for as we generally throw the accent as far back as poffible towards the first part of the word, (in fome even to the fourth fyllable from the end,) the ftrefs being laid on the firft fyllables, the reft are pronounced in a lower tone, more rapidly and indiftinctly; and fo are often either, wholly dropped, or blended into one another.

It fometimes happens alfo, that the word, which arifes from a regular change, does not found eafily or agreeably; fometimes by the rapidity of our pronunciation the vowels are fhortened or loft; and the confonants, which are thrown together, do not eafily coalefce with one another and are therefore changed into others of the fame organ, or of a kindred fpecies.

י

This occafions a further deviation from the regular form: thus loveth, turneth, are contracted into lov'th, turn'th, and these for eafier pronunciation immediately become loves, turns.

+

Verbs ending in ch, ck, p, x, ll, fs, in the Paft Time Active, and the Participle Perfect of Paffive, admit the change of ed into t; as, (1) Snatcht, checkt, fnapt, mixt, dropping alfo one of the double letters, dwelt, past; for fnatched, checked, fnapped, mixed, dwelled, paffed: thofe that end in l, m, n, p, after a diphthong, moreover fhorten the diphthong, or change it into a single fhort vowel; as, dealt, dreamt, meant, felt. Sept, &c. all for the fame reafon; from the quickness of the pronunciation, and because the d after a short vowel will not eafily coalefce with the preceding confonant. Those that end in ve change also v into f; as, bereave, bereft; leave, left; because likewife v after a fhort vowel will not easily coalefce with t.

All these, of which I have hitherto given examples, are confidered not as Irregular, but as Contracted only in most of them the Entire as well as the Contracted form is ufed; and

(1) Some of these Contractions are harsh and disagreeable: and it were better, if they were avoided and disused: but they prevail in common difcourfe, and are admitted into Poetry; which latter indeed cannot well do without them.

the

the Entire form is generally to be preferred to the Contracted.

The formation of Verbs in English, both Regular and Irregular, is derived from the Saxon. The Irregular Verbs in English are all Monofyllables, unlefs compounded; and they are for the most part the fame words which are Irregular Verbs in the Saxon.

As all our Regular Verbs are fubject to fome kind of Contraction; fo the firft Clafs of Irregulars is of thofe, that become fo from the fame caufe.

1.

Irregulars by Contraction.

Some Verbs ending in dort have the Prefent, the Paft Time, and the Participle Perfe& and Paffive, all alike, without any variation: as, beat, burft (1), caft (2), coft,

cut,

(1) These two have alfo beaten and burften in the Participle; and in that form they belong to the Third Class of Irregulars.

(2) Shakspeare uses the Participle in the Regular Form: "And when the mind is quicken'd, out of doubt

F