"This BEAUTY Sweetness always must comprize,
Which from the Subject, well express'd will rise."
—Brightland's Gr., p. 164.
UNDER RULE XIV.—OF COMPOUNDS.
"The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward."—COMMON BIBLES: Isa., lviii, 8.
[FORMULE—Not proper, because the compound word "rereward" has not here the orthography of the two simple words rear and ward, which compose it. But, according to Rule 14th, "Compounds generally retain the orthography of the simple words which compose them." And, the accent being here unfixed, a hyphen is proper. Therefore, this word should be spelled thus, rear-ward.]
"A mere vaunt-courier to announce the coming of his master."—Tooke's Diversions, Vol. i, p. 49. "The parti-coloured shutter appeared to come close up before him."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 233. "When the day broke upon this handfull of forlorn but dauntless spirits."—Ib., p. 245. "If, upon a plumbtree, peaches and apricots are ingrafted, no body will say they are the natural growth of the plumbtree."—Berkley's Minute Philos., p. 45. "The channel between Newfoundland and Labrador is called the Straits of Bellisle."—Worcester's Gaz. "There being nothing that more exposes to Headach." [127]—Locke, on Education, p. 6. "And, by a sleep, to say we end the heartach."—SHAK.: in Joh. Dict. "He that sleeps, feels not the toothach."—ID., ibid. "That the shoe must fit him, because it fitted his father and granfather."—Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 431. "A single word, mispelt, in a letter, is sufficient to show, that you have received a defective education."—Bucke's Gram., p. 3. "Which mistatement the committee attributed to a failure of memory."—Professors' Reasons, p. 14. "Then he went through the Banquetting-House to the scaffold."— Smollett's England, Vol. iii, p. 345. "For the purpose of maintaining a clergyman and skoolmaster."—Webster's Essays, p. 355. "They however knew that the lands were claimed by Pensylvania."—Ib., p. 357. "But if you ask a reason, they immediately bid farewel to argument."—Red Book, p. 80. "Whom resist stedfast in the faith."—SCOTT: 1 Peter, v, 9. "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine."—Acts, ii, 42. "Beware lest ye also fall from your own stedfastness."—2 Peter, iii, 17. "Galiot, or galliott, a Dutch vessel, carrying a main-mast and a mizen-mast."—Web. Dict. "Infinitive, to overflow; Preterit, overflowed; Participle, overflown."—Cobbett's E. Gram., (1818,) p. 61. "After they have mispent so much precious Time."—British Gram., p. xv. "Some say, two handsfull; some, two handfulls; and others, two handfull."— Alex. Murray's Gram., p. 106. "Lapfull, as much as the lap can contain."—Webster's Octavo Dict. "Darefull, full of defiance."— Walker's Rhym. Dict. "The road to the blissfull regions, is as open to the peasant as to the king."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 167. "Mis-spel is mis-spell in every Dictionary which I have seen."—Barnes's Red Book. p. 303. "Downfal; ruin, calamity, fall from rank or state."—Johnson's Dict. "The whole legislature likewize acts az a court."—Webster's Essays, p. 340. "It were better a milstone were hanged about his neck."—Perkins's Works, p. 731. "Plum-tree, a tree that produces plums; Hog-plumbtree, a tree."—Webster's Dict. "Trisyllables ending in re or le, accent the first syllable."—Murray's Gram., p. 238.
"It happen'd on a summer's holiday,
That to the greenwood shade he took his way."
—Churchill's Gr., p. 135.
UNDER RULE XV.—OF USAGE.
"Nor are the modes of the Greek tongue more uniform."—Murray's Gram., p. 112.
[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the word "modes" is here written for moods, which is more common among the learned, and usually preferred by Murray himself. But, according to Rule 15th, "Any word for the spelling of which we have no rule but usage, is written wrong if not spelled according to the usage which is most common among the learned." Therefore, the latter form should be preferred; thus, moods, and not modes.]
"If we analize a conjunctive preterite, the rule will not appear to hold."—Priestley's Gram., p. 118. "No landholder would have been at that expence."—Ib., p. 116. "I went to see the child whilst they were putting on its cloaths."—Ib., p. 125. "This stile is ostentatious, and doth not suit grave writing."—Ib., p. 82. "The king of Israel, and Jehosophat the king of Judah, sat each on his throne."—Mur. Gram., p. 165, twice; Merchant's, 89; Churchill's, 300. "The king of Israel, and Jehosaphat the king of Judah, sat each on his throne."—Lowth's Gram., p. 90; Harrison's, 99; Churchill's, 138; Wright's, 148. "Lisias, speaking of his friends, promised to his father, never to abandon them."—Murray's Gram., Vol. ii, pp. 121 and 253. "Some, to avoid this errour, run into it's opposite."—Churchill's Gram., p. 199. "Hope, the balm of life, sooths us under every misfortune."—Merchants Key, p. 204. "Any judgement or decree might be heerd and reversed by the legislature."—Webster's Essays, p. 340. "A pathetic harang wil skreen from punishment any knave."—Ib., p. 341. "For the same reezon, the wimen would be improper judges."—Ibid. "Every person iz indulged in worshiping az he pleezes."—Ib., p. 345. "Most or all teechers are excluded from genteel company."—Ib., p. 362. "The Kristian religion, in its purity, iz the best institution on erth."—Ib., p. 364. "Neether clergymen nor human laws hav the leest authority over the conscience."—Ib., p. 363. "A gild is a society, fraternity, or corporation."—Red Book, p. 83. "Phillis was not able to unty the knot, and so she cut it."—Ib., p. 46. "An aker of land is the quantity of one hundred and sixty perches."—Ib., p. 93. "Oker is a fossil earth combined with the oxid of some metal."—Ib., p. 96. "Genii, when denoting ærial spirits: Geniuses, when signifying persons of genius."—Mur.'s Gram., i, p. 42. "Genii, when denoting æriel spirits; Geniuses, when signifying persons of genius."—Frost's Gram., p. 9. "Genius, Plu. geniuses, men of wit; but genii, ærial beings."—Nutting's Gram., p. 18. "Aerisius, king of Argos, had a beautiful daughter, whose name was Danæ."—Classic Tales, p. 109. "Phæton was the son of Apollo and Clymene."—Ib., p. 152. "But, after all, I may not have reached the intended Gaol."—Buchanan's Syntax, Pref., p. xxvii. "'Pitticus was offered a large sum.' Better: 'A large sum was offered to Pitticus.'"—Kirkham's Gram., p. 187. "King Missipsi charged his sons to respect the senate and people of Rome."—See ib., p. 161. "For example: Gallileo invented the telescope."—Ib., pp. 54 and 67. "Cathmor's warriours sleep in death."—Ib., p. 54. "For parsing will enable you to detect and correct errours in composition."—Ib., p. 50.
"O'er barren mountains, o'er the flow'ry plain,
Extends thy uncontroul'd and boundless reign."—Dryden.
PROMISCUOUS ERRORS IN SPELLING.
LESSON I.—MIXED.
"A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critick."—POPE: Johnson's Dict., w. Former. "Produce a single passage superiour to the speech of Logan, a Mingo chief, delivered to Lord Dunmore, when governour of Virginia."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 247. "We have none synonimous to supply its place."—Jamieson's Rhetoric, p. 48. "There is a probability that the effect will be accellerated."—Ib., p. 48. "Nay, a regard to sound hath controuled the public choice."—Ib., p. 46. "Though learnt from the uninterrupted use of gutterel sounds."—Ib., p. 5. "It is by carefully filing off all roughness and inequaleties, that languages, like metals, must be polished."—Ib., p. 48. "That I have not mispent my time in the service of the community."—Buchanan's Syntax, Pref., p. xxviii. "The leaves of maiz are also called blades."—Webster's El. Spelling-Book, p. 43. "Who boast that they know what is past, and can foretel what is to come."—Robertson's Amer., Vol. i, p. 360. "Its tasteless dullness is interrupted by nothing but its perplexities."— Abbott's Teacher, p. 18. "Sentences constructed with the Johnsonian fullness and swell."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 130. "The privilege of escaping from his prefatory dullness and prolixity."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. iv. "But in poetry this characteristick of dulness attains its full growth."—Ib., p. 72. "The leading characteristick consists in an increase of the force and fullness."—Ib., p. 71. "The character of this opening fulness and feebler vanish."—Ib., p. 31. "Who, in the fullness of unequalled power, would not believe himself the favourite of heaven?"—Ib., p. 181. "They marr one another, and distract him."—Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 433. "Let a deaf worshipper of antiquity and an English prosodist settle this."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 140. "This phillipic gave rise to my satirical reply in self-defence."— Merchant's Criticisms. "We here saw no inuendoes, no new sophistry, no falsehoods."—Ib. "A witty and humourous vein has often produced enemies."—Murray's Key, p. 173. "Cry holla! to thy tongue, I pr'ythee: it curvetts unseasonably."—Shak. "I said, in my slyest manner, 'Your health, sir.'"—Blackwood's Mag., Vol. xl, p. 679. "And attornies also travel the circuit in pursute of business."—Red Book, p. 83. "Some whole counties in Virginia would hardly sel for the valu of the dets du from the inhabitants."—Webster's Essays, p. 301. "They were called the court of assistants, and exercized all powers legislativ and judicial."—Ib., p. 340. "Arithmetic is excellent for the guaging of liquors."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 288. "Most of the inflections may be analysed in a way somewhat similar."—Ib., p. 112.
"To epithets allots emphatic state,
Whilst principals, ungrac'd, like lacquies wait."
—C. Churchill's Ros., p. 8.
LESSON II.—MIXED.
"Hence it [less] is a privative word, denoting destitution; as, fatherless, faithless, pennyless."—Webster's Dict., w. Less. "Bay; red, or reddish, inclining to a chesnut color."—Same. "To mimick, to imitate or ape for sport; a mimic, one who imitates or mimics."—Ib. "Counterroil, a counterpart or copy of the rolls; Counterrolment, a counter account."—Ib. "Millenium, the thousand years during which Satan shall be bound."—Ib. "Millenial, pertaining to the millenium, or to a thousand years."—Ib. "Thraldom; slavery, bondage, a state of servitude."—See Johnson's Dict. "Brier, a prickly bush; Briery, rough, prickly, full of briers; Sweetbriar, a fragrant shrub."—See Johnson, Walker, Chalmers, Webster, and others. "Will, in the second and third Persons, barely foretels."—British Gram., p. 132. "And therefor there is no Word false, but what is distinguished by Italics."—Ib., Pref., p. v. "What should be repeted is left to their Discretion."—Ib., p. iv. "Because they are abstracted or seperated from material Substances."—Ib., p. ix. "All Motion is in Time, and therefor, where-ever it exists, implies Time as its Concommitant."—Ib., p. 140. "And illiterate grown persons are guilty of blameable spelling."—Ib., Pref., p. xiv. "They wil always be ignorant, and of ruf uncivil manners."—Webster's Essays, p. 346. "This fact wil hardly be beleeved in the northern states."—Ib., p. 367. "The province however waz harrassed with disputes."—Ib., p. 352. "So little concern haz the legislature for the interest of lerning."—Ib., p. 349. "The gentlemen wil not admit that a skoolmaster can be a gentleman."—Ib., p. 362. "Such absurd qui-pro-quoes cannot be too strenuously avoided."—Churchill's Gram., p. 205. "When we say, 'a man looks slyly;' we signify, that he assumes a sly look."—Ib., p. 339. "Peep; to look through a crevice; to look narrowly, closely, or slyly."—Webster's Dict. "Hence the confession has become a hacknied proverb."—Wayland's Moral Science, p. 110. "Not to mention the more ornamental parts of guilding, varnish, &c."—Tooke's Diversions, Vol. i, p. 20. "After this system of self-interest had been rivetted."—Brown's Estimate, Vol. ii, p. 136. "Prejudice might have prevented the cordial approbation of a bigotted Jew."—SCOTT: on Luke, x.
"All twinkling with the dew-drop sheen,
The briar-rose fell in streamers green."—Lady of the Lake, p. 16.
LESSON III.—MIXED.
"The infinitive mode has commonly the sign to before it."—Harrison's Gram., p. 25. "Thus, it is adviseable to write singeing, from the verb to singe, by way of distinction from singing, the participle of the verb to sing."—Ib., p. 27. "Many verbs form both the preterite tense and the preterite participle irregularly."—Ib., p. 28. "Much must be left to every one's taste and judgment."—Ib., p. 67. "Verses of different lengths intermixed form a Pindarick poem."—Priestley's Gram., p. 44. "He'll surprize you."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 88. "Unequalled archer! why was this concealed?"—KNOWLES: ib., p. 102. "So gaily curl the waves before each dashing prow."—BYRON: ib., p. 104. "When is a dipthong called a proper dipthong?"—Infant School Gram., p. 11. "How many ss would goodness then end with? Three."—Ib., p. 33. "Q. What is a tripthong? A. A tripthong is the union of three vowels, pronounced in like manner."—Bacon's Gram., p. 7. "The verb, noun, or pronoun, is referred to the preceding terms taken seperately."—Ib., p. 47. "The cubic foot of matter which occupies the center of the globe."—Cardell's Gram., 18mo, p. 47. "The wine imbibes oxigen, or the acidifying principle, from the air."—Ib., p. 62. "Charcoal, sulphur, and niter, make gun powder."—Ib., p. 90. "It would be readily understood, that the thing so labeled, was a bottle of Madeira wine."—Ib., p. 99. "They went their ways, one to his farm, an other to his merchandize."—Ib., p. 130. "A dipthong is the union of two vowels, sounded by a single impulse of the voice."—Russell's Gram., p. 7. "The professors of the Mahommedan religion are called Mussulmans."—Maltby's Gram., p. 73. "This shews that let is not a sign of the imperative mood, but a real verb."—Ib., p. 51. "Those preterites and participles, which are first mentioned in the list, seem to be the most eligible."—Ib., p. 47. "Monosyllables, for the most part, are compared by er and est; and dyssyllables by more and most."—Ib., p. 19. "This termination, added to a noun, or adjective, changes it into a verb: as modern, to modernise; a symbol, to symbolize."—Churchill's Gram., p. 24. "An Abridgment of Murray's Grammar, with additions from Webster, Ash, Tooke, and others."—Maltby's title-page. "For the sake of occupying the room more advantagously, the subject of Orthography is merely glanced at."—Nutting's Gram., p. 5. "So contended the accusers of Gallileo."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., 12mo, 1839, p. 380. "Murray says, 'They were traveling past when we met them.'"—Peirce, ib., p. 361. "They fulfil the only purposes for which they are designed."—Ib., p. 359. "On the fulfillment of the event."—Ib., p. 175. "Fullness consists in expressing every idea."—Ib., p. 291. "Consistently with fulness and perspicuity."—Ib., p. 337. "The word verriest is a gross corruption; as, 'He is the verriest fool on earth.'"—Wright's Gram., p. 202. "The sound will recal the idea of the object."—Hiley's Gram., p. 142. "Formed for great enterprizes."—Bullions's Prin. of E. Gram., p. 153. "The most important rules and definitions are printed in large type, italicised."—Hart's Gram., p. 3. "HAMLETTED, a. Accustomed to a hamlet; countrified."— Bolles's Dict., and Chalmers's. "Singular, spoonful, cup-full, coach-full, handful; plural, spoonfuls, cup-fulls, coach-fulls, handfuls."—Bullions's Analyt. and Pract. Gram., p. 27.
"Between Superlatives and following Names,
OF, by Grammatick Right, a Station claims."
—Brightland's Gram., p. 146.
CHAPTER V.—QUESTIONS.
ORDER OF REHEARSAL, AND METHOD OF EXAMINATION.
[Fist][The student ought to be able to answer with readiness, and in the words of the book, all the following questions on grammar. And if he has but lately commenced the study, it may be well to require of him a general rehearsal of this kind, before he proceeds to the correction of any part of the false grammar quoted in the foregoing chapters. At any rate, he should be master of so many of the definitions and rules as precede the part which he attempts to correct; because this knowledge is necessary to a creditable performance of the exercise. But those who are very quick at reading, may perform it tolerably, by consulting the book at the time, for what they do not remember. The answers to these questions will embrace all the main text of the work; and, if any further examination be thought necessary, extemporaneous questions may be framed for the purpose.]
LESSON I.—GRAMMAR.
1. What is the name, or title, of this book? 2. What is Grammar? 3. What is an English Grammar? 4. What is English Grammar, in itself? and what knowledge does it imply? 5. If grammar is the art of reading, writing, and speaking, define these actions. What is it, to read? 6. What is it, to write? 7. What is it, to speak? 8. How is grammar to be taught, and by what means are its principles to be made known? 9. What is a perfect definition? 10. What is an example, as used in teaching? 11. What is a rule of grammar? 12. What is an exercise? 13. What was language at first, and what is it now? 14. Of what two kinds does the composition of language consist? and how do they differ? 15. What are the least parts of language? 16. What has discourse to do with sentences? or sentences, with points? 17. In extended compositions, what is the order of the parts, upwards from a sentence? 18. What, then, is the common order of literary division, downwards, throughout? 19. Are all literary works divided exactly in this way? 20. How is Grammar divided? 21. Of what does Orthography treat? 22. Of what does Etymology treat? 23. Of what does Syntax treat? 24. Of what does Prosody treat?
PART FIRST, ORTHOGRAPHY.
LESSON II.—LETTERS.
1. Of what does Orthography treat? 2. What is a letter? 3. What is an elementary sound of human voice, or speech? 4. What name is given to the sound of a letter? and what epithet, to a letter not sounded? 5. How many letters are there in English? and how many sounds do they represent? 6. In what does a knowledge of the letters consist? 7. What variety is there in the letters? and how are they always the same? 8. What different sorts of types, or styles of letters, are used in English? 9. What are the names of the letters in English? 10. What are their names in both numbers, singular and plural? 11. Into what general classes are the letters divided? 12. What is a vowel? 13. What is a consonant? 14. What letters are vowels? and what, consonants? 15. When are w and y consonants? and when, vowels? 16. How are the consonants divided? 17. What is a semivowel? 18. What is a mute? 19. What letters are reckoned semivowels? and how many of these are aspirates? 20. What letters are called liquids? and why? 21. What letters are reckoned mutes? and which of them are imperfect mutes?
LESSON III.—SOUNDS.
1. What is meant, when we speak of the powers of the letters? 2. Are the sounds of a language fewer than its words? 3. How are different vowel sounds produced? 4. What are the vowel sounds in English? 5. How may these sounds be modified in the formation of syllables? 6. Can you form a word upon each by means of an f? 7. Will you try the series again with a p? 8. How may the vowel sounds be written? and how uttered when they are not words? 9. Which of the vowel sounds form words? and what of the rest? 10. How many and what are the consonant sounds in English? 11. In what series of words may all these sounds be heard? 12. In what series of words may each of them be heard two or three times? 13. What is said of the sounds of j and x? 14. What is said of the sounds of c and g? 15. What is said of sc, or s before c? 16. What, of ce, ci, and ch? 17. What sounds has the consonant g? 18. In how many different ways can the letters of the alphabet be combined? 19. What do we derive from these combinations of sounds and characters?
LESSON IV.—CAPITALS.
1. What characters are employed in English? 2. Why should the different sorts of letters be kept distinct? 3. What is said of the slanting strokes in Roman letters? 4. For what purpose are Italics chiefly used? 5. In preparing a manuscript, how do we mark these things for the printer? 6. What distinction of form belongs to each of the letters? 7. What is said of small letters? and why are capitals used? 8. What things are commonly exhibited wholly in capitals? 9. How many rules for capitals are given in this book? and what are their titles? 10. What says Rule 1st of books? 11. What says Rule 2d of first words? 12. What says Rule 3d of names of Deity? 13. What says Rule 4th of proper names? 14. What says Rule 5th of titles? 15. What says Rule 6th of one capital? 16. What says Rule 7th of two capitals? 17. What says Rule 8th of compounds? 18. What says Rule 9th of apposition? 19. What says Rule 10th of personifications? 20. What says Rule 11th of derivatives? 21. What says Rule 12th of I and O? 22. What says Rule 13th of poetry? 23. What says Rule 14th of examples? 24. What says Rule 15th of chief words? 25. What says Rule 16th of needless capitals?
[Now turn to the first chapter of Orthography, and correct the improprieties there quoted for the practical application of these rules.]
LESSON V.—SYLLABLES.
1. What is a syllable? 2. Can the syllables of a word be perceived by the ear? 3. Under what names are words classed according to the number of their syllables? 4. Which of the letters can form syllables of themselves? and which cannot? 5. What is a diphthong? 6. What is a proper diphthong? 7. What is an improper diphthong? 8. What is a triphthong? 9. What is a proper triphthong? 10. What is an improper triphthong? 11. How many and what are the diphthongs in English? 12. How many and which of these are so variable in sound that they may be either proper or improper diphthongs? 13. How many and what are the proper diphthongs? 14. How many and what are the improper diphthongs? 15. Are proper triphthongs numerous in our language? 16. How many and what are the improper triphthongs? 17. What guide have we for dividing words into syllables? 18. How many special rules of syllabication are given in this book? and what are their titles, or subjects? 19. What says Rule 1st of consonants? 20. What says Rule 2d of vowels? 21. What says Rule 3d of terminations? 22. What says Rule 4th of prefixes? 23. What says Rule 5th of compounds? 24. What says Rule 6th of lines full?
[Now turn to the second chapter of Orthography, and correct the improprieties there quoted for the practical application of these rules.]
LESSON VI.—WORDS.
1. What is a word? 2. How are words distinguished in regard to species and figure? 3. What is a primitive word? 4. What is a derivative word? 5. What is a simple word? 6. What is a compound word? 7. How do permanent compounds differ from others? 8. How many rules for the figure of words are given in this book? and what are their titles, or subjects? 9. What says Rule 1st of compounds? 10. What says Rule 2d of simples? 11. What says Rule 3d of the sense? 12. What says Rule 4th of ellipses? 13. What says Rule 5th of the hyphen? 14. What says Rule 6th of no hyphen?
[Now turn to the third chapter of Orthography, and correct the improprieties there quoted for the practical application of these rules.]
LESSON VII.—SPELLING.
1. What is spelling? 2. How is this art to be acquired? and why so? 3. Why is it difficult to learn to spell accurately? 4. Is it then any disgrace to spell words erroneously? 5. What benefit may be expected from the rules for spelling? 6. How many rules for spelling are given in this book? and what are their titles, or subjects? 7. What says Rule 1st of final f, l, or s? 8. Can you mention the principal exceptions to this rule? 9. What says Rule 2d of other finals? 10. Are there any exceptions to this rule? 11. What says Rule 3d of the doubling of consonants? 12. Under what three heads are the exceptions to this rule noticed? 13. What says Rule 4th against the doubling of consonants? 14. Under what four heads are the apparent exceptions to this Rule noticed? 15. What says Rule 5th of final ck? 16. What monosyllables, contrary to this rule, end with c only? 17. What says Rule 6th of the retaining of double letters before affixes? 18. Under what three heads are the exceptions to this rule noticed? 19. What says Rule 7th of the retaining of double letters after prefixes? 20. What observation is made respecting exceptions to this rule?
LESSON VIII.—SPELLING.
21. What says Rule 8th of final ll, and of final l single? 22. What words does this rule claim, which might seem to come under Rule 7th? and why? 23. What says Rule 9th of final e omitted? 24. Under what three heads are the exceptions, real or apparent, here noticed? 25. What says Rule 10th of final e retained? 26. Under what three heads are the exceptions to this rule noticed? 27. What says Rule 11th of final y changed? 28. Under what three heads are the limits and exceptions to this rule noticed? 29. What says Rule 12th of final y unchanged? 30. Under what three heads are the exceptions to this rule noticed? 31. What says Rule 13th of the terminations ize and ise? 32. Under what three heads are the apparent exceptions to this rule noticed? 33. What says Rule 14th of compounds? 34. Under what seven heads are the exceptions to this rule noticed? 35. What says Rule 15th of usage, as a law of spelling?
[Now turn to the fourth chapter of Orthography, and correct the improprieties there quoted for the practical application of these rules and their exceptions.]
CHAPTER VI.—FOR WRITING.
EXERCISES IN ORTHOGRAPHY.
[Fist] [The following examples of false orthography are inserted here, and not explained in the general Key, that they may he corrected by the pupil in writing. Some of the examples here quoted are less inaccurate than others, but all of them, except a few shown in contrast, are, in some respect or other, erroneous. It is supposed, that every student who can answer the questions contained in the preceding chapter, will readily discern wherein the errors lie, and be able to make the necessary corrections.]
EXERCISE I.—CAPITALS.
"Alexander the great killed his friend Clitus."—Harrison's Gram., p. 68. "The words in italics are parsed in the same manner."—Maltby's Gram., p. 69. "It may be read by those who do not understand latin."—Barclay's Works, Vol. iii, p. 262. "A roman s being added to a word in italics or small capitals."—Churchill's Gram., p. 215. "This is not simply a gallicism, but a corruption of the French on; itself a corruption."— Ib., p. 228. "The Gallicism, 'it is me,' is perpetually striking the ear in London."—Ib., p. 316. "'Almost nothing,' is a common Scotticism, equally improper: it should be, 'scarcely any thing.'"—Ib., p. 333. "To use learn for teach, is a common Scotticism, that ought to be carefully avoided."—See ib., p. 261. "A few observations on the subjunctive mood as it appears in our English bible."—Wilcox's Gram., p. 40. "The translators of the bible, have confounded two tenses, which in the original are uniformly kept distinct."—Ib., p. 40. "More like heaven on earth, than the holy land would have been."—Anti-Slavery Mag., Vol. i, p. 72. "There is now extant a poetical composition, called the golden verses of Pythagoras."— Lempriere's Dict. "Exercise of the Mind upon Theorems of Science, like generous and manly Exercise of the Body, tends to call forth and strengthen Nature's original Vigour."—Harris's Hermes, p. 295. "O that I could prevail on Christians to melt down, under the warm influence of brotherly love, all the distinctions of methodists, independents, baptists, anabaptists, arians, trinitarians, unitarians, in the glorious name of christians."—KNOX: Churchill's Gram., p. 173. "Pythagoras long ago remarked, 'that ability and necessity dwell near each other.'"—Student's Manual, p. 285.
"The Latin Writers Decency neglect,
But modern Readers challenge more Respect."
—Brightland's Gram., p. 172.
EXERCISE II.—SYLLABLES.
1. Correct Bolles, in the division of the following words: "Del-ia, Jul-ia, Lyd-ia, heigh-ten, pat-ron, ad-roit, worth-y, fath-er, fath-er-ly, mar-chi-o-ness, i-dent-ic-al, out-ra-ge-ous, ob-nox-i-ous, pro-di-gi-ous, tre-mend-ous, ob-liv-i-on, pe-cul-i-ar."—Revised Spelling-Book: New London, 1831.
2. Correct Sears, in the division of the following words: "A-quil-a, hear-ty, drea-ry, wor-my, hai-ry, thor-ny, phil-os-o-phy, dis-cov-e-ry, re-cov-e-ry, ad-diti-on, am-biti-on, au-spici-ous, fac-titi-ous, fla-giti-ous, fru-iti-on, sol-stiti-al, ab-o-liti-on."—Standard Spelling-Book: "New Haven," 1826.
3. Correct Bradley, in the division of the following words: "Jes-ter, rai-ny, forg-e-ry, fin-e-ry, spic-e-ry, brib-e-ry, groc-e-ry, chi-can-e-ry, fer-riage, line-age, cri-ed, tri-ed, sù-ed, slic-ed, forc-ed, pledg-ed, sav-ed, dup-ed, strip-ed, touch-ed, trounc-ed."—Improved Spelling-Book: Windsor, 1815.
4. Correct Burhans, in the division of the following words: "Boar-der, brigh-ten, cei-ling, frigh-ten, glea-ner, lea-kage, suc-ker, mos-sy, fros-ty, twop-ence, pu-pill-ar-y, crit-i-call-y, gen-er-all-y, lit-er-all-y, log-i-call-y, trag-i-call-y, ar-ti-fici-al, po-liti-call-y, sloth-full-y, spite-full-y, re-all-y, sui-ta-ble, ta-mea-ble, flumm-er-y, nesc-i-ence, shep-her-dess, trav-ell-er, re-pea-ter, re-pressi-on, suc-cessi-on, un-lear-ned."—Critical Pronouncing Spelling-Book:[128] Philadelphia, 1823.
5. Correct Marshall, in the division of the following words: "Trench-er, trunch-eon, dros-sy, glos-sy, glas-sy, gras-sy, dres-ses, pres-ses, cal-ling, chan-ging, en-chan-ging, con-ver-sing, mois-ture, join-ture, qua-drant, qua-drate, trans-gres-sor, dis-es-teem."—New Spelling-Book: New York, 1836.
6. Correct Emerson, in the division of the following words: "Dus-ty mis-ty, mar-shy, mil-ky, wes-tern, stor-my, nee-dy, spee-dy, drea-ry, fros-ty, pas-sing, roc-ky, bran-chy, bland-ish, pru-dish, eve-ning, a-noth-er."—National Spelling-Book: Boston, 1828.
"Two Vowels meeting, each with its full Sound,
Always to make Two Syllables are bound."—Brightland's Gram., p. 64.
EXERCISE III.—FIGURE OF WORDS.
"I was surprised by the return of my long lost brother."—Parker's Exercises in English Composition, p. 5. "Such singular and unheard of clemency cannot be passed over by me in silence."—Ib., p. 10. "I perceive my whole system excited by the potent stimulus of sun-shine."—Ib., p. 11. "To preserve the unity of a sentence, it is sometimes necessary to employ the case absolute, instead of the verb and conjunction."—Ib., p. 17. "Severity and hard hearted opinions accord with the temper of the times."—Ib., p. 18. "That poor man was put into the mad house."—Ib., p. 22. "This fellow must be put into the poor house."—Ib. p. 22. "I have seen the breast works and other defences of earth, that were thrown up."—Ib., p. 24. "Cloven footed animals are enabled to walk more easily on uneven ground."—Ib., p. 25. "Self conceit blasts the prospects of many a youth."—Ib., p. 26. "Not a moment should elapse without bringing some thing to pass."—Ib., p. 36. "A school master decoyed the children of the principal citizens into the Roman camp."—Ib., p. 39. "The pupil may now write a description of the following objects. A school room. A steam boat. A writing desk. A dwelling house. A meeting house. A paper mill. A grist mill. A wind mill."—Ib., p. 45. "Every metaphor should be founded on a resemblance which is clear and striking; not far fetched, nor difficult to be discovered."—Ib., p. 49. "I was reclining in an arbour overhung with honey suckle and jessamine of the most exquisite fragrance."—Ib., p. 51. "The author of the following extract is speaking of the slave trade."—Ib., p. 60. "The all wise and benevolent Author of nature has so framed the soul of man, that he cannot but approve of virtue."—Ib., p. 74. "There is something of self denial in the very idea of it."—Ib., p. 75. "Age therefore requires a well spent youth to render it happy."—Ib., p. 76. "Pearl-ash requires much labour in its extraction from ashes."—Ib., p. 91. "Club, or crump, footed, Loripes; Rough, or leather, footed, Plumipes."—Ainsworth's Dict.
"The honey-bags steal from the humble bees,
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs."
—SHAK.: Joh.'s Dict., w. Glowworm.
"The honeybags steal from the bumblebees,
And for night tapers crop their waxen thighs."
—SHAK.: Joh.'s Dict., w. Humblebee.
"The honey bags steal from the humble-bees,
And, for night tapers crop their waxen thighs."
—Dodd's Beauties of Shak., p. 51.
EXERCISE IV.—SPELLING.
"His antichamber, and room of audience, are little square chambers wainscoted."—ADDISON: Johnson's Dict., w. Antechamber. "Nobody will deem the quicksighted amongst them to have very enlarged views of ethicks."—LOCKE: Ib., w. Quicksighted. "At the rate of this thick-skulled blunderhead, every plow-jobber shall take upon him to read upon divinity."—L'ESTRANGE: Ib., m. Blunderhead. "On the topmast, the yards, and boltsprit would I flame distinctly."—SHAK.: Ib., w. Bowsprit. "This is the tune of our catch plaid by the picture of nobody."—ID.: Ib., w. Nobody. "Thy fall hath left a kind of blot to mark the fulfraught man."—ID.: Ib., w. Fulfraught. "Till blinded by some Jack o'Lanthorn sprite."—Snelling's Gift, p. 62. "The beauties you would have me eulogise."—Ib., p. 14. "They rail at me—I gaily laugh at them."—Ib., p. 13. "Which the king and his sister had intrusted to him withall."—Josephus, Vol. v, p. 143. "The terms of these emotions are by no means synonimous."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 336. "Lillied, adj. Embellished with lilies."—Chalmers's Dict. "They seize the compendious blessing without exertion and without reflexion."—Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 428. "The first cry that rouses them from their torpour, is the cry that demands their blood."—Ib., p. 433. "It meets the wants of elementary schools and deserves to be patronised."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 5. "Whose attempts were paralysed by the hallowed sound."—Music of Nature, p. 270. "It would be an amusing investigation to analyse their language."—Ib., p. 200. "It is my father's will that I should take on me the hostess-ship of the day."—SHAK.: in Johnson's Dict. "To retain the full apprehension of them undiminisht."—Phil. Museum., Vol. i, p. 458. "The ayes and noes were taken in the House of Commons."—Anti-Slavery Mag., Vol. i, p. 11. "Derivative words are formed by adding letters or syllables to primatives."—Davenport's Gram., p. 7. "The minister never was thus harrassed himself."—Nelson, on Infidelity, p. 6. "The most vehement politician thinks himself unbiassed in his judgment."—Ib., p. 17. "Mistress-ship, n. Female rule or dominion."—Webster's Dict.
"Thus forced to kneel, thus groveling to embrace,
The scourge and ruin of my realm and race."
—POPE: Ash's Gram., p. 83.
EXERCISE V.—MIXED ERRORS.
"The quince tree is of a low stature; the branches are diffused and crooked."—MILLER: Johnson's Dict. "The greater slow worm, called also the blindworm, is commonly thought to be blind, because of the littleness of his eyes."—GREW: ib. "Oh Hocus! where art thou? It used to go in another guess manner in thy time."—ARBUTHNOT: ib. "One would not make a hotheaded crackbrained coxcomb forward for a scheme of moderation."—ID.: ib. "As for you, colonel huff-cap, we shall try before a civil magistrate who's the greatest plotter."—DRYDEN: ib., w. Huff. "In like manner, Actions co-alesce with their Agents, and Passions with their Patients."—Harris's Hermes, p. 263. "These Sentiments are not unusual even with the Philosopher now a days."—Ib., p. 350. "As if the Marble were to fashion the Chizzle, and not the Chizzle the Marble."—Ib., p. 353. "I would not be understood, in what I have said, to undervalue Experiment."—Ib., p. 352. "How therefore is it that they approach nearly to Non-Entity's?"—Ib., p. 431. "Gluttonise, modernise, epitomise, barbarise, tyranise."—Churchill's Gram., pp. 31 and 42. "Now fair befal thee and thy noble house!"—SHAK.: ib., p. 241. "Nor do I think the error above-mentioned would have been so long indulged," &c.—Ash's Gram., p. 4. "The editor of the two editions above mentioned was pleased to give this little manuel to the public," &c.—Ib., p. 7. "A Note of Admiration denotes a modelation of the voice suited to the expression."—Ib., p. 16. "It always has some respect to the power of the agent; and is therefore properly stiled the potential mode."—Ib., p. 29. "Both these are supposed to be synonomous expressions."—Ib., p. 105. "An expence beyond what my circumstances admit."—DODDRIDGE: ib., p. 138. "There are four of them: the Full-Point, or Period; the Colon; the Semi-Colon; the Comma."—Cobbett's E. Gram., N. Y., 1818, p. 77. "There are many men, who have been at Latin-Schools for years, and who, at last, cannot write six sentences in English correctly."—Ib., p. 39. "But, figures of rhetorick are edge tools, and two edge tools too."—Ib., p. 182. "The horse-chesnut grows into a goodly standard."—MORTIMER: Johnson's Dict. "Whereever if is to be used."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 175.
"Peel'd, patch'd, and pyebald, linsey-woolsey brothers."
—POPE: Joh. Dict., w., Mummer.
"Peel'd, patch'd, and piebald, linsey-woolsey brothers."
—ID.: ib., w. Piebald.
EXERCISE VI.—MIXED ERRORS.
"Pied, adj. [from pie.] Variegated; partycoloured."—Johnson's Dict. "Pie, [pica, Lat.] A magpie; a party-coloured bird."—Ib. "Gluy, adj. [from glue.] Viscous; tenacious; glutinous."—Ib. "Gluey, a. Viscous, glutinous. Glueyness. n. The quality of being gluey."—Webster's Dict. "Old Euclio, seeing a crow-scrat[129] upon the muck-hill, returned in all haste, taking it for an ill sign."—BURTON: Johnson's Dict. "Wars are begun by hairbrained[130] dissolute captains."—ID.: ib. "A carot is a well known garden root."—Red Book, p. 60. "Natural philosophy, metaphysicks, ethicks, history, theology, and politicks, were familiar to him."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 209. "The words in Italicks and capitals, are emphatick."—Ib., p. 210. "It is still more exceptionable; Candles, Cherrys, Figs, and other sorts of Plumbs, being sold by Weight, and being Plurals."—Johnson's Gram. Com., p. 135. "If the End of Grammar be not to save that Trouble, and Expence of Time, I know not what it is good for."—Ib., p. 161. "Caulce, Sheep Penns, or the like, has no Singular, according to Charisius."—Ib., p. 194. "These busibodies are like to such as reade bookes with intent onely to spie out the faults thereof"—Perkins's Works, p. 741. "I think it every man's indispensible duty, to do all the service he can to his country."—Locke, on Ed., p. 4. "Either fretting it self into a troublesome Excess, or flaging into a downright want of Appetite."—Ib., p. 23. "And nobody would have a child cramed at breakfast."—Ib., p. 23. "Judgeship and judgment, lodgable and alledgeable, alledgement and abridgment, lodgment and infringement, enlargement and acknowledgment."—Webster's Dict., 8vo. "Huckster, n. s. One who sells goods by retail, or in small quantities; a pedler."—Johnson's Dict.
"He seeks bye-streets, and saves th' expensive coach."
—GAY: ib., w. Mortgage.
"He seeks by-streets, and saves th' expensive coach."
—GAY: ib., w. By-street.
EXERCISE VII.—MIXED ERRORS.
"Boys like a warm fire in a wintry day."—Webster's El. Spelling-Book, p. 62. "The lilly is a very pretty flower."—Ib., p. 62. "The potatoe is a native plant of America."—Ib., p. 60. "An anglicism is a peculiar mode of speech among the English."—Ib., p. 136. "Black berries and raspberries grow on briars."—Ib., p. 150. "You can broil a beef steak over the coals of fire."—Ib., p. 38. "Beef'-steak, n. A steak or slice of beef for broiling."—Webster's Dict. "Beef'steak, s. a slice of beef for broiling."—Treasury of Knowledge. "As he must suffer in case of the fall of merchandize, he is entitled to the corresponding gain if merchandize rises."—Wayland's Moral Science, p. 258. "He is the worshipper of an hour, but the worldling for life."—Maturin's Sermons, p. 424. "Slyly hinting something to the disadvantage of great and honest men."—Webster's Essays, p. 329. "'Tis by this therefore that I Define the Verb; namely, that it is a Part of Speech, by which something is apply'd to another, as to its Subject."—Johnson's Gram. Com., p. 255. "It may sometimes throw a passing cloud over the bright hour of gaiety."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 178. "To criticize, is to discover errors; and to crystalize implies to freeze or congele."—Red Book, p. 68. "The affectation of using the preterite instead of the participle, is peculiarly aukward; as, he has came."—Priestley's Grammar, p. 125. "They are moraly responsible for their individual conduct."—Cardell's El. Gram., p. 21. "An engine of sixty horse power, is deemed of equal force with a team of sixty horses."—Red Book, p. 113. "This, at fourpence per ounce, is two shillings and fourpence a week, or six pounds, one shining and four pence a year."—Ib., p. 122. "The tru meening of parliament iz a meeting of barons or peers."—Webster's Essays, p. 276. "Several authorities seem at leest to favor this opinion."—Ib., p. 277. "That iz, az I hav explained the tru primitiv meening of the word."—Ib., p. 276. "The lords are peers of the relm; that iz, the ancient prescriptiv judges or barons."—Ib., p. 274.
"Falshood is folly, and 'tis just to own
The fault committed; this was mine alone."
—Pope, Odys., B. xxii, l. 168.
EXERCISE VIII—MIXED ERRORS.
"A second verb so nearly synonimous with the first, is at best superfluous."—Churchill's Gram., p. 332. "Indicate it, by some mark opposite [to] the word misspelt."—Abbott's Teacher, p. 74. "And succesfully controling the tendencies of mind."—Ib., p. 24. "It [the Monastick Life] looks very like what we call Childrens-Play."—[LESLIE'S] Right of Tythes, p. 236. "It seems rather lik Playing of Booty, to Please those Fools and Knaves."—Ib., Pref., p. vi. "And first I Name Milton, only for his Name, lest the Party should say, that I had not Cousider'd his Performance against Tythes."—Ib., p. iv. "His Fancy was too Predominant for his Judgment. His Talent lay so much in Satyr that he hated Reasoning."—Ib., p. iv. "He has thrown away some of his Railery against Tythes, and the Church then underfoot."—Ib., p. v. "They Vey'd with one another in these things."—Ib., p. 220. "Epamanondas was far the most accomplished of the Thebans."—Cooper's New Gram., p. 27. "Whoever and Whichever, are thus declined. Sing. and Plur. nom. whoever, poss. whoseever, obj. whomever. Sing. and Plu. nom. whichever, poss. whoseever, obj. whichever."—Ib., p. 38. "WHEREEVER, adv. [where and ever.] At whatever place."—Webster's Dict. "They at length took possession of all the country south of the Welch mountains."—Dobson's Comp. Gram., p. 7. "Those Britains, who refused to submit to the foreign yoke, retired into Wales."—Ib., p. 6. "Religion is the most chearful thing in the world."—Ib., p. 43. "Two means the number two compleatly, whereas second means only the last of two, and so of all the rest."—Ib., p. 44. "Now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose sirname is Peter."—Ib., p. 96. (See Acts, x, 5.) "In French words, we use enter instead of inter; as, entertain, enterlace, enterprize."—Ib., p. 101. "Amphiology, i. e. a speech of uncertain or doubtful meaning."—Ib., p. 103. "Surprize; as, hah! hey day! what! strange!"—Ib., p. 109. "Names of the letters: ai bee see dee ee ef jee aitch eye jay kay el em en o pee cue ar ess tee you voe double u eks wi zed."—Rev. W. Allen's Gram., p. 3.
"I, O, and U, at th' End of Words require,
The silent (e), the same do's (va) desire."
—Brightland's Gram., p. 15.
EXERCISE IX.—MIXED ERRORS.
"And is written for eacend, adding, ekeing."—Dr. Murray's Hist. of Europ. Lang., Vol. i, p. 222. "The Hindus have changed ai into e, sounded like e in where."—Ib., Vol. ii, p. 121. "And therefor I would rather see the cruelest usurper than the mildest despot."— Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 430. "Sufficiently distinct to prevent our marveling."—Ib., i, 477. "Possessed of this preheminence he disregarded the clamours of the people."—Smollett's England, Vol. iii, p. 222. "He himself, having communicated, administered the sacrament to some of the bye-standers."—Ib., p. 222. "The high fed astrology which it nurtured, is reduced to a skeleton on the leaf of an almanac."—Cardell's Gram., p. 6. "Fulton was an eminent engineer: he invented steam boats."—Ib., p. 30. "Then, in comes the benign latitude of the doctrine of goodwill."—SOUTH: in Johnson's Dict. "Being very lucky in a pair of long lanthorn-jaws, he wrung his face into a hideous grimace."—SPECTATOR: ib. "Who had lived almost four-and-twenty years under so politick a king as his father."—BACON: ib., w. Lowness. "The children will answer; John's, or William's, or whose ever it may be."—Infant School Gram., p. 32. "It is found tolerably easy to apply them, by practising a little guess work."—Cardell's Gram., p. 91. "For between which two links could speech makers draw the division line?"—Ib., p. 50. "The wonderful activity of the rope dancer who stands on his head."—Ib., p. 56. "The brilliancy which the sun displays on its own disk, is sun shine."—Ib., p. 63. "A word of three syllables is termed a trisyllable."—Murray's Gram., p. 23; Coar's, 17; Jaudon's, 13; Comly's, 8; Cooper's, New Gr., 8; Kirkham's, 20; Picket's, 10; Alger's, 12; Blair's, 1; Guy's, 2; Bolles's Spelling-Book, 161. See Johnson's Dict. "A word of three syllables is termed a trissyllable."—British Gram., p. 33; Comprehensive Gram., 23; Bicknell's, 17; Allen's, 31; John Peirce's, 149; Lennie's, 5; Maltby's, 8; Ingersoll's, 7; Bradley's, 66; Davenport's, 7; Bucke's, 16; Bolles's Spelling-Book, 91. See Littleton's Lat. Dict. (1.) "Will, in the first Persons, promises or threatens: But in the second and third Persons, it barely foretells."—British Gram., p. 132. (2.) "Will, in the first Persons, promises or threatens; but in the second and third Persons, it barely foretells."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 41. (3.) "Will, in the first person, promises, engages, or threatens. In the second and third persons, it merely foretels."—Jaudon's Gram., p. 59. (4.) "Will, in the first person singular and plural, promises or threatens; in the second and third persons, only foretells."—Lowth's Gram., p. 41. (5.) "Will, in the first person singular and plural, intimates resolution and promising; in the second and third person, only foretels."—Murray's Gram., p. 88; Ingersoll's, 136; Fisk's, 78; A. Flint's, 42; Bullions's, 32; Hamlin's, 41; Cooper's Murray, 50. [Fist] Murray's Second Edition has it "foretells." (6.) "Will, in the first person singular and plural, expresses resolution and promising. In the second and third persons it only foretells."—Comly's Gram., p. 38; E. Devis's, 51; Lennie's, 22. (7.) "Will, in the first person, promises. In the second and third persons, it simply foretels."—Maltby's Gram., p. 24. (8.) "Will, in the first person implies resolution and promising; in the second and third, it foretells."—Cooper's New Gram., p. 51. (9.) "Will, in the first person singular and plural, promises or threatens; in the second and third persons, only foretels: shall, on the contrary, in the first person, simply foretels; in the second and third persons, promises, commands, or threatens."—Adam's Lat. and Eng. Gram., p. 83. (10.) "In the first person shall foretels, and will promises or threatens; but in the second and third persons will foretels, and shall promises or threatens."—Blair's Gram., p. 65.
"If Mævius scribble in Apollo's spight,
There are who judge still worse than he can write."—Pope.
EXERCISE X.—MIXED ERRORS.
"I am liable to be charged that I latinize too much."—DRYDEN: in Johnson's Dict. "To mould him platonically to his own idea."—WOTTON: ib. "I will marry a wife as beautiful as the houries, and as wise as Zobeide."—Murray's E. Reader, p. 148. "I will marry a wife, beautiful as the Houries."—Wilcox's Gram., p. 65. "The words in italics are all in the imperative mood."—Maltby's Gram., p. 71. "Words Italicised, are emphatick, in various degrees."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 173. "Wherever two gg's come together, they are both hard."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 5. "But these are rather silent (o)'s than obscure (u)'s."—Brightland's Gram., p. 19. "That can be Guest at by us, only from the Consequences."—Right of Tythes, p. viii. "He says he was glad that he had Baptized so few; And asks them, Were ye Baptised in the Name of Paul?"—Ib., p. ix. "Therefor he Charg'd the Clergy with the Name of Hirelings."—Ib., p. viii. "On the fourth day before the first second day in each month."—The Friend, Vol. vii, p. 230. "We are not bound to adhere for ever to the terms, or to the meaning of terms, which were established by our ancestors."—Murray's Gram., p. 140. "O! learn from him to station quick eyed Prudence at the helm."—Frosts El. of Gram., p. 104. "It pourtrays the serene landscape of a retired village."—Music of Nature, p. 421. "By stating the fact, in a circumlocutary manner."—Booth's Introd. to Dict., p. 33. "Time as an abstract being is a non-entity."—Ib., p. 29. "From the difficulty of analysing the multiplied combinations of words."—Ib., p. 19. "Drop those letters that are superfluous, as: handful, foretel."—Cooper's Plain & Pract. Gram., p. 10. "Shall, in the first person, simply foretells."—Ib., p. 51. "And the latter must evidently be so too, or, at least, cotemporary, with the act."—Ib., p. 60. "The man has been traveling for five years."—Ib., p. 77. "I shall not take up time in combatting their scruples."—Blair's Rhet., p. 320. "In several of the chorusses of Euripides and Sophocles, we have the same kind of lyric poetry as in Pindar."—Ib., p. 398. "Until the Statesman and Divine shall unite their efforts in forming the human mind, rather than in loping its excressences, after it has been neglected."—Webster's Essays, p. 26. "Where conviction could be followed only by a bigotted persistence in error."—Ib., p. 78. "All the barons were entitled to a seet in the national council, in right of their baronys."—Ib., p. 260. "Some knowledge of arithmetic is necessary for every lady."—Ib., p. 29. "Upon this, [the system of chivalry,] were founded those romances of night-errantry."—Blair's Rhet., p. 374. "The subject is, the atchievements of Charlemagne and his Peers, or Paladins."—Ib., p. 374. "Aye, aye; this slice to be sure outweighs the other."—Blair's Reader, p. 31. "In the common phrase, good-bye, bye signifies passing, going. The phrase signifies, a good going, a prosperous passage, and is equivalent to farewell."—Webster's Dict. "Good-by, adv.—a contraction of good be with you—a familiar way of bidding farewell."—See Chalmers's Dict. "Off he sprung, and did not so much as stop to say good bye to you."—Blair's Reader, p. 16. "It no longer recals the notion of the action."—Barnard's Gram., p. 69.
"Good-nature and good-sense must ever join;
To err, is human; to forgive, divine."—Pope, Ess. on Crit.
EXERCISE XI.—MIXED ERRORS.
"The practices in the art of carpentry are called planeing, sawing, mortising, scribing, moulding, &c."—Blair's Reader, p. 118. "With her left hand, she guides the thread round the spindle, or rather round a spole which goes on the spindle."—Ib., p. 134. "Much suff'ring heroes next their honours claim."—POPE: Johnson's Dict., w. Much. "Vein healing verven, and head purging dill."—SPENSER: ib., w. Head. "An, in old English, signifies if; as, 'an it please your honor.'"—Webster's Dict. "What, then, was the moral worth of these renouned leaders?"—M'Ilvaine's Lect., p. 460. "Behold how every form of human misery is met by the self denying diligence of the benevolent."—Ib., p. 411. "Reptiles, bats, and doleful creatures—jackalls, hyenas, and lions—inhabit the holes, and caverns, and marshes of the desolate city."—Ib., p. 270. "ADAYS, adv. On or in days; as, in the phrase, now adays."—Webster's Dict. "REFEREE, one to whom a thing is referred; TRANSFERREE, the person to whom a transfer is made."—Ib. "The Hospitallers were an order of knights who built a hospital at Jerusalem for pilgrims."—Ib. "GERARD, Tom, or Tung, was the institutor and first grand master of the knights hospitalers: he died in 1120."—Biog. Dict. "I had a purpose now to lead our many to the holy land."—SHAK.: in Johnson's Dict. "He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants."—Psalms, cv, 25. "In Dryden's ode of Alexander's Feast, the line, 'Faln, faln, faln, faln,' represents a gradual sinking of the mind."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 71. "The first of these lines is marvelously nonsensical."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 117. "We have the nicely chiseled forms of an Apollo and a Venus, but it is the same cold marble still."—Christian Spect., Vol. viii, p. 201. "Death waves his mighty wand and paralyses all."—Bucke's Gram., p. 35. "Fear God. Honor the patriot. Respect virtue."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 216. "Pontius Pilate being Governour of Judea, and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee."—Ib., p. 189. See Luke, iii, 1. "AUCTIONEER, n. s. The person that manages an auction."—Johnson's Dict. "The earth put forth her primroses and days-eyes, to behold him."—HOWEL: ib. "Musselman, not being a compound of man, is musselmans in the plural."—Lennie's Gram., p. 9. "The absurdity of fatigueing them with a needless heap of grammar rules."—Burgh's Dignity, Vol. i, p. 147. "John was forced to sit with his arms a kimbo, to keep them asunder."—ARBUTHNOT: Joh. Dict. "To set the arms a kimbo, is to set the hands on the hips, with the elbows projecting outward."—Webster's Dict. "We almost uniformly confine the inflexion to the last or the latter noun."—Maunder's Gram., p. 2. "This is all souls day, fellows! Is it not?"—SHAK.: in Joh. Dict. "The english physicians make use of troy-weight."—Johnson's Dict. "There is a certain number of ranks allowed to dukes, marquisses, and earls."—PEACHAM: ib., w. Marquis.
"How could you chide the young good natur'd prince,
And drive him from you with so stern an air."
—ADDISON: ib., w. Good, 25.
EXERCISE XII.—MIXED ERRORS.
"In reading, every appearance of sing-song should be avoided."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 75. "If you are thoroughly acquainted with the inflexions of the verb."—Ib., p. 53. "The preterite of read is pronounced red."—Ib., p. 48. "Humility opens a high way to dignity."—Ib., p. 15. "What is intricate must be unraveled."—Ib., p. 275. "Roger Bacon invented gun powder, A. D. 1280."—Ib., p. 277. "On which ever word we lay the emphasis."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 243; 12mo, p. 195. "Each of the leaders was apprized of the Roman invasion."—Nixon's Parser, p. 123. "If I say, 'I gallopped from Islington to Holloway;' the verb is intransitive: if, 'I gallopped my horse from Islington to Holloway;' it is transitive."—Churchill's Gram., p. 238. "The reasonableness of setting a part one day in seven."—The Friend, Vol. iv, p. 240. "The promoters of paper money making reprobated this act."—Webster's Essays, p. 196. "There are five compound personal pronouns, which are derived from the five simple personal pronouns by adding to some of their cases the syllable self; as, my-self, thy-self, him-self, her-self, it-self."—Perley's Gram., p. 16. "Possessives, my-own, thy-own, his-own, her-own, its-own, our-own, your-own, their-own."—Ib., Declensions. "Thy man servant and thy maid servant may rest, as well as thou."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 160. "How many right angles has an acute angled triangle?"—Ib., p. 220. "In the days of Jorum, king of Israel, flourished the prophet Elisha."—Ib., p. 148. "In the days of Jorum, king of Israel, Elisha, the prophet flourished."—Ib., p. 133. "Lodgable, a. Capable of affording a temporary abode."—Webster's Octavo Dict.—"Win me into the easy hearted man."—Johnson's Quarto Dict. "And then to end life, is the same as to dye."—Milnes's Greek Gram., p. 176. "Those usurping hectors who pretend to honour without religion, think the charge of a lie a blot not to be washed out but by blood."—SOUTH: Joh. Dict. "His gallies attending him, he pursues the unfortunate."—Nixon's Parser, p. 91. "This cannot fail to make us shyer of yielding our assent."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 117. "When he comes to the Italicised word, he should give it such a definition as its connection with the sentence may require."—Claggett's Expositor, p. vii. "Learn to distil from your lips all the honies of persuasion."—Adams's Rhetoric, Vol. i, p. 31. "To instill ideas of disgust and abhorrence against the Americans."—Ib., ii, 300. "Where prejudice has not acquired an uncontroled ascendency."—Ib., i, 31. "The uncontrolable propensity of his mind was undoubtedly to oratory."—Ib., i, 100. "The Brutus is a practical commentary upon the dialogues and the orator."—Ib., i, 120. "The oratorical partitions are a short elementary compendium."—Ib., i, 130. "You shall find hundreds of persons able to produce a crowd of good ideas upon any subject, for one that can marshall them to the best advantage."—Ib., i, 169. "In this lecture, you have the outline of all that the whole course will comprize."—Ib., i, 182. "He would have been stopped by a hint from the bench, that he was traveling out of the record."—Ib., i, 289. "To tell them that which should befal them in the last days."—Ib., ii, 308. "Where all is present, there is nothing past to recal."—Ib., ii, 358. "Whose due it is to drink the brimfull cup of God's eternal vengeance."—Law and Grace, p. 36.
"There, from the dead, centurions see him rise,
See, but struck down with horrible surprize!"—Savage.
"With seed of woes my heart brimful is charged."—SIDNEY: Joh. Dict.
"Our legions are brimful, our cause is ripe."—SHAKSPEARE: ib.
PART II.
ETYMOLOGY.
ETYMOLOGY treats of the different parts of speech, with their classes and modifications.
The Parts of Speech are the several kinds, or principal classes, into which words are divided by grammarians.
Classes, under the parts of speech, are the particular sorts into which the several kinds of words are subdivided.
Modifications are inflections, or changes, in the terminations, forms, or senses, of some kinds of words.
CHAPTER I.—PARTS OF SPEECH.
The Parts of Speech, or sorts of words, in English, are ten; namely, the Article, the Noun, the Adjective, the Pronoun, the Verb, the Participle, the Adverb, the Conjunction, the Preposition, and the Interjection.
1. THE ARTICLE.
An Article is the word the, an, or a, which we put before nouns to limit their signification: as, The air, the stars; an island, a ship.
2. THE NOUN.
A Noun is the name of any person, place, or thing, that can be known or mentioned: as, George, York, man, apple, truth.
3. THE ADJECTIVE.
An Adjective is a word added to a noun or pronoun, and generally expresses quality: as, A wise man; a new book. You two are diligent.
4. THE PRONOUN.
A Pronoun is a word used in stead of a noun: as, The boy loves his book; he has long lessons, and he learns them well.
5. THE VERB.
A Verb is a word that signifies to be, to act, or to be acted upon: as,
I am, I rule, I am ruled; I love, thou lovest, he loves.
6. THE PARTICIPLE.
A Participle is a word derived from a verb, participating the properties of a verb, and of an adjective or a noun; and is generally formed by adding ing, d, or ed, to the verb: thus, from the verb rule, are formed three participles, two simple and one compound; as, 1. ruling, 2. ruled, 3. having ruled.
7. THE ADVERB.
An Adverb is a word added to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an other adverb; and generally expresses time, place, degree, or manner: as, They are now here, studying very diligently.
8. THE CONJUNCTION.
A Conjunction is a word used to connect words or sentences in construction, and to show the dependence of the terms so connected: as, "Thou and he are happy, because you are good."—L. Murray.
9. THE PREPOSITION.
A Preposition is a word used to express some relation of different things or thoughts to each other, and is generally placed before a noun or a pronoun; as, The paper lies before me on the desk.
10. THE INTERJECTION.
An Interjection is a word that is uttered merely to indicate some strong or sudden emotion of the mind: as, Oh! alas! ah! poh! pshaw! avaunt! aha! hurrah!
OBSERVATIONS.
OBS. 1.—The first thing to be learned in the study of this the second part of grammar, is the distribution of the words of the language into those principal sorts, or classes, which are denominated the Parts of Speech. This is a matter of some difficulty. And as no scheme which can be adopted, will be in all cases so plain that young beginners will not occasionally falter in its application, the teacher may sometimes find it expedient to refer his pupils to the following simple explanations, which are designed to aid their first and most difficult steps.
How can we know to what class, or part of speech, any word belongs? By learning the definitions of the ten parts of speech, and then observing how the word is written, and in what sense it is used. It is necessary also to observe, so far as we can, with what other words each particular one is capable of making sense.
1. Is it easy to distinguish an ARTICLE? If not always easy, it is generally so: the, an, and a, are the only English words called articles, and these are rarely any thing else. Because an and a have the same import, and are supposed to have the same origin, the articles are commonly reckoned two, but some count them as three.
2. How can we distinguish a NOUN? By means of the article before it, if there is one; as, the house, an apple, a book; or, by adding it to the phrase, "I mentioned;" as, "I mentioned peace;"—"I mentioned war;"—"I mentioned slumber." Any word which thus makes complete sense, is, in that sense, a noun; because a noun is the name of any thing which can thus be mentioned by a name. Of English nouns, there are said to be as many as twenty-five or thirty thousand.
3. How can we distinguish an ADJECTIVE? By putting a noun after it, to see if the phrase will be sense. The noun thing, or its plural things, will suit almost any adjective; as, A good thing—A bad thing—A little thing—A great thing—Few things—Many things—Some things—Fifty things. Of adjectives, there are perhaps nine or ten thousand.
4. How can we distinguish a PRONOUN? By observing that its noun repeated makes the same sense. Thus, the example of the pronoun above, "The boy loves his book; he has long lessons, and he learns them well,"—very clearly means, "The boy loves the boy's book; the boy has long lessons, and the boy learns those lessons well." Here then, by a disagreeable repetition of two nouns, we have the same sense without any pronoun; but it is obvious that the pronouns form a better mode of expression, because they prevent this awkward repetition. The different pronouns in English are twenty-four; and their variations in declension are thirty-two: so that the number of words of this class, is fifty-six.
5. How can we distinguish a VERB? By observing that it is usually the principal word in the sentence, and that without it there would be no assertion. It is the word which expresses what is affirmed or said of the person or thing mentioned; as, "Jesus wept."—"Felix trembled."—"The just shall live by faith." It will make sense when inflected with the pronouns; as, I write, thou writ'st, he writes; we write, you write, they write.—I walk, thou walkst, he walks; we walk, you walk, they walk. Of English verbs, some recent grammarians compute the number at eight thousand; others formerly reckoned them to be no more than four thousand three hundred.[131]
6. How can we distinguish a PARTICIPLE? By observing its derivation from the verb, and then placing it after to be or having; as, To be writing, Having written—To be walking, Having walked—To be weeping, Having wept—To be studying, Having studied. Of simple participles, there are twice as many as there are of simple or radical verbs; and the possible compounds are not less numerous than the simples, but they are much less frequently used.
7. How can we distinguish an ADVERB? By observing that it answers to the question, When? Where? How much? or How?—or serves to ask it; as, "He spoke fluently." How did he speak? Fluently. This word fluently is therefore an adverb: it tells how he spoke. Of adverbs, there are about two thousand six hundred; and four fifths of them end in ly.
8. How can we distinguish a CONJUNCTION? By observing what words or terms it joins together, or to what other conjunction it corresponds; as, "Neither wealth nor honor can heal a wounded conscience."—Dillwyn's Ref., p. 16. Or, it may be well to learn the whole list at once: And, as, both, because, even, for, if, that, then, since, seeing, so: Or, nor, either, neither, than, though, although, yet, but, except, whether, lest, unless, save, provided, notwithstanding, whereas. Of conjunctions, there are these twenty-nine in common use, and a few others now obsolete.
9. How can we distinguish a PREPOSITION? By observing that it will govern the pronoun them, and is not a verb or a participle; as, About them—above them—across them—after them—against them—amidst them—among them—around them—at them—Before them—behind them—below them—beneath them—beside them—between them—beyond them—by them—For them—from them—In them—into them, &c. Of the prepositions, there are about sixty now in common use.
10. How can we distinguish an INTERJECTION? By observing that it is an independent word or sound, uttered earnestly, and very often written with the note of exclamation; as Lo! behold! look! see! hark! hush! hist! mum! Of interjections, there are sixty or seventy in common use, some of which are seldom found in books.