"There is no expecting the admiration of beholders."—Baxter. "There is no hiding you in the house."—Shakspeare. "For the better regulating government in the province of Massachusetts."—British Parliament. "The precise marking the shadowy boundaries of a complex government."—J. Q. Adams's Rhet., Vol. ii, p. 6. "[This state of discipline] requires the voluntary foregoing many things which we desire, and setting ourselves to what we have no inclination to."—Butler's Analogy, p. 115. "This amounts to an active setting themselves against religion."—Ib., p. 264. "Which engaged our ancient friends to the orderly establishing our Christian discipline."—N. E. Discip., p. 117. "Some men are so unjust that there is no securing our own property or life, but by opposing force to force."—Brown's Divinity, p. 26. "An Act for the better securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject."—Geo. III, 31st. "Miraculous curing the sick is discontinued."—Barclay's Works, iii, 137. "It would have been no transgressing the apostle's rule."—Ib., p. 146. "As far as consistent with the proper conducting the business of the House."—Elmore, in Congress, 1839. "Because he would have no quarrelling at the just condemning them at that day."—Law and Grace, p. 42. "That transferring this natural manner—will ensure propriety."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 372. "If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key."—Macbeth, Act ii, Sc. 3.
UNDER NOTE II.—POSSESSIVES REQUIRE OF.
"So very simple a thing as a man's wounding himself."—Blair's Rhet., p. 97; Murray's Gram., p. 317. "Or with that man's avowing his designs."—Blair, p. 104; Murray, p. 308; Parker and Fox, Part III, p. 88. "On his putting the question."—Adams's Rhet., Vol. ii, p. 111. "The importance of teachers' requiring their pupils to read each section many times over."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 169. "Politeness is a kind of forgetting one's self in order to be agreeable to others."—Ramsay's Cyrus. "Much, therefore, of the merit, and the agreeableness of epistolary writing, will depend on its introducing us into some acquaintance with the writer."—Blair's Rhet., p. 370; Mack's Dissertation in his Gram., p. 175. "Richard's restoration to respectability, depends on his paying his debts."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 176. "Their supplying ellipses where none ever existed; their parsing words of sentences already full and perfect, as though depending on words understood."—Ib., p. 375. "Her veiling herself and shedding tears," &c., "her upbraiding Paris for his cowardice," &c.—Blair's Rhet., p. 433. "A preposition may be known by its admitting after it a personal pronoun, in the objective case."—Murray's Gram., p. 28; Alger's, 14; Bacon's, 10; Merchant's, 18; and others. "But this forms no just objection to its denoting time."—Murray's Gram., p. 65. "Of men's violating or disregarding the relations which God has placed them in here."—Butler's Analogy, p. 164. "Success, indeed, no more decides for the right, than a man's killing his antagonist in a duel."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 295. "His reminding them."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 123. "This mistake was corrected by his preceptor's causing him to plant some beans."—Ib., p. 235. "Their neglecting this was ruinous."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 82. "That he was serious, appears from his distinguishing the others as 'finite.'"—Felch's Gram., p. 10. "His hearers are not at all sensible of his doing it."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 119.
UNDER NOTE III.—CHANGE THE EXPRESSION.
"An allegory is the saying one thing, and meaning another; a double-meaning or dilogy is the saying only one thing, but having two in view."—Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 461. "A verb may generally be distinguished, by its making sense with any of the personal pronouns, or the word to before it."—Murray's Gram., p. 28; Alger's, 13; Bacon's, 10; Comly's, and many others. "A noun may, in general, be distinguished by its taking an article before it, or by its making sense of itself."—Merchant's Gram., p. 17; Murray's, 27; &c. "An Adjective may usually be known by its making sense with the addition of the word thing: as, a good thing; a bad thing."—Same Authors. "It is seen in the objective case, from its denoting the object affected by the act of leaving."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 44. "It is seen in the possessive case, from its denoting the possessor of something."—Ibid. "The name man is caused by the adname whatever to be twofold subjective case, from its denoting, of itself, one person as the subject of the two remarks."—Ib., p. 56. "When, as used in the last line, is a connective, from its joining that line to the other part of the sentence."—Ib., p. 59. "From their denoting reciprocation."—Ib., p. 64. "To allow them the making use of that liberty."—Sale's Koran, p. 116. "The worst effect of it is, the fixing on your mind a habit of indecision."—Todd's Student's Manual, p. 60. "And you groan the more deeply, as you reflect that there is no shaking it off."—Ib., p. 47. "I know of nothing that can justify the having recourse to a Latin translation of a Greek writer."—Coleridge's Introduction, p. 16. "Humour is the making others act or talk absurdly."—Hazlitt's Lectures. "There are remarkable instances of their not affecting each other."—Butler's Analogy, p. 150. "The leaving Cæsar out of the commission was not from any slight."—Life of Cicero, p. 44. "Of the receiving this toleration thankfully I shall say no more."—Dryden's Works, p. 88. "Henrietta was delighted with Julia's working lace so very well."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 255. "And it is from their representing each two different words that the confusion has arisen."—Booth's Introd., p. 42. "Æschylus died of a fracture of his skull, caused by an eagle's letting fall a tortoise on his head."—Biog. Dict. "He doubted their having it."—Felch's Comp. Gram., p. 81. "The making ourselves clearly understood, is the chief end of speech."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 68. "There is no discovering in their countenances, any signs which are the natural concomitants of the feelings of the heart."—Ib., p. 165. "Nothing can be more common or less proper than to speak of a river's emptying itself."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 186. "Our not using the former expression, is owing to this."—Bullions's E. Gram., p. 59.
UNDER NOTE IV.—DISPOSAL OF ADVERBS.
"To this generally succeeds the division, or the laying down the method of the discourse."—Blair's Rhet., p. 311. "To the pulling down of strong holds."—2 Cor., x, 4. "Can a mere buckling on a military weapon infuse courage?"—Brown's Estimate, i, 62. "Living expensively and luxuriously destroys health."—Murray's Gram., i, 234. "By living frugally and temperately, health is preserved."—Ibid. "By living temperately, our health is promoted."—Ib., p. 227. "By the doing away of the necessity."—The Friend, xiii, 157. "He recommended to them, however, the immediately calling of the whole community to the church."—Gregory's Dict., w. Ventriloquism. "The separation of large numbers in this manner certainly facilitates the reading them rightly."—Churchill's Gram., p. 303. "From their merely admitting of a twofold grammatical construction."—Philol. Museum, i. 403. "His gravely lecturing his friend about it."—Ib., i, 478. "For the blotting out of sin."—Gurney's Evidences, p. 140. "From the not using of water."—Barclay's Works, i, 189. "By the gentle dropping in of a pebble."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 125. "To the carrying on a great part of that general course of nature."—Butler's Analogy, p. 127. "Then the not interposing is so far from being a ground of complaint."—Ib., p. 147. "The bare omission, or rather the not employing of what is used."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 180; Jamieson's, 48. "Bringing together incongruous adverbs is a very common fault."—Churchill's Gram., p. 329. "This is a presumptive proof of its not proceeding from them."—Butler's Analogy, p. 186. "It represents him in a character to which the acting unjustly is peculiarly unsuitable."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 372. "They will aim at something higher than merely the dealing out of harmonious sounds."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 65. "This is intelligible and sufficient; and going farther seems beyond the reach of our faculties."—Butler's Analogy, p. 147. "Apostrophe is a turning off from the regular course of the subject."—Murray's Gram., p. 348; Jamieson's Rhet., 185. "Even Isabella was finally prevailed upon to assent to the sending out a commission to investigate his conduct."—Life of Columbus. "For the turning away of the simple shall slay them."—Prov., i, 32.
"Thick fingers always should command
Without the stretching out the hand."—King's Poems, p. 585.
UNDER NOTE V.—PARTICIPLES WITH ADJECTIVES.
"Is there any Scripture speaks of the light's being inward?"—Barclay's Works, i, 367. "For I believe not the being positive therein essential to salvation."—Ib., iii, 330. "Our not being able to act an uniform right part without some thought and care."—Butler's Analogy, p. 122. "Upon supposition of its being reconcileable with the constitution of nature."—Ib., p. 128. "Upon account of its not being discoverable by reason or experience."—Ib., p. 170. "Upon account of their being unlike the known course of nature."—Ib., p. 171. "Our being able to discern reasons for them, gives a positive credibility to the history of them."—Ib., p. 174. "From its not being universal."—Ib., p. 175. "That they may be turned into the passive participle in dus is no decisive argument in favour of their being passive."—Grant's Lat. Gram., p. 233. "With the implied idea of St. Paul's being then absent from the Corinthians."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 123. "On account of its becoming gradually weaker, until it finally dies away into silence."—Ib., p. 32. "Not without the author's being fully aware."—Ib., p. 84. "Being witty out of season, is one sort of folly."—Sheffield's Works, ii. 172. "Its being generally susceptible of a much stronger evidence."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 102. "At least their being such rarely enhanceth our opinion, either of their abilities or of their virtues."—Ib., p. 162. "Which were the ground of our being one."—Barclay's Works, i, 513. "But they may be distinguished from it by their being intransitive."—Murray's Gram., i, 60. "To distinguish the higher degree of our persuasion of a thing's being possible."—Churchill's Gram., p. 234.
"His being idle, and dishonest too,
Was that which caus'd his utter overthrow."—Tobitt's Gram., p. 61.
UNDER NOTE VI.—COMPOUND VERBAL NOUNS.
"When it denotes being subjected to the exertion of another."—Booth's Introd., p. 37. "In a passive sense, it signifies being subjected to the influence of the action."—Felch's Comp. Gram., p. 60. "The being abandoned by our friends is very deplorable."—Goldsmith's Greece, i, 181. "Without waiting for their being attacked by the Macedonians."—Ib., ii, 97. "In progress of time, words were wanted to express men's being connected with certain conditions of fortune."—Blair's Rhet., p. 135. "Our being made acquainted with pain and sorrow, has a tendency to bring us to a settled moderation."—Butler's Analogy, p. 121. "The chancellor's being attached to the king secured his crown; The general's having failed in this enterprise occasioned his disgrace; John's having been writing a long time had wearied him."—Murray's Gram., p. 66; Sanborn's, 171; Cooper's, 96; Ingersoll's, 46; Fisk's, 83; and others. "The sentence should be, 'John's having been writing a long time has wearied him.'"—Wright's Gram., p. 186. "Much depends on this rule's being observed."—Murray's Key, ii, 195. "He mentioned a boy's having been corrected for his faults; The boy's having been corrected is shameful to him."—Alger's Gram., p. 65; Merchant's, 93. "The greater the difficulty of remembrance is, and the more important the being remembered is to the attainment of the ultimate end."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 90. "If the parts in the composition of similar objects were always in equal quantity, their being compounded would make no odds."—Ib., p. 65. "Circumstances, not of such importance as that the scope of the relation is affected by their being known."—Ib., p. 379. "A passive verb expresses the receiving of an action or the being acted upon; as, 'John is beaten'"—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 16. "So our Language has another great Advantage, namely its not being diversified by Genders."—Buchanan's Gram., p. 20. "The having been slandered is no fault of Peter."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 82. "Without being Christ's friends, there is no being justified."—William Penn. "Being accustomed to danger, begets intrepidity, i.e. lessens fear."—Butler's Analogy, p. 112. "It is, not being affected so and so, but acting, which forms those habits."—Ib., p. 113. "In order to our being satisfied of the truth of the apparent paradox."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 164. "Tropes consist in a word's being employed to signify something that is different from its original and primitive meaning."—Blair's Rhet., p. 132; Jamieson's, 140; Murray's Gram., 337; Kirkham's, 222. "A Trope consists in a word's being employed," &c.—Hiley's Gram., p. 133. "The scriptural view of our being saved from punishment."—Gurney's Evidences, p. 124. "To submit and obey, is not a renouncing a being led by the Spirit."—Barclay's Works, i, 542.
UNDER NOTE VII.—PARTICIPLES FOR INFINITIVES, &C.
"Teaching little children is a pleasant employment."—Bartlett's School Manual, ii, 68. "Denying or compromising principles of truth is virtually denying their divine Author."—Reformer, i, 34. "A severe critic might point out some expressions that would bear being retrenched."—Blair's Rhet., p. 206. "Never attempt prolonging the pathetic too much."—Ib., p. 323. "I now recollect having mentioned a report of that nature."— Whiting's Reader, p. 132. "Nor of the necessity which there is for their being restrained in them."—Butler's Analogy, p. 116. "But doing what God commands, because he commands it, is obedience, though it proceeds from hope or fear."—Ib., p. 124. "Simply closing the nostrils does not so entirely prevent resonance."—Music of Nature, p. 484. "Yet they absolutely refuse doing so."—Harris's Hermes, p. 264. "But Artaxerxes could not refuse pardoning him."—Goldsmith's Greece, i, 173. "Doing them in the best manner is signified by the name of these arts."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 360. "Behaving well for the time to come, may be insufficient." —Butler's Analogy, p. 198. "The compiler proposed publishing that part by itself."—Dr. Adam, Rom. Antiq., p. v. "To smile upon those we should censure, is bringing guilt upon ourselves."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 108. "But it would be doing great injustice to that illustrious orator to bring his genius down to the same level."—Ib., p. 28. "Doubting things go ill, often hurts more than to be sure they do."—Beauties of Shak., p. 203. "This is called straining a metaphor."—Blair's Rhet., p. 150; Murray's Gram., i, 341. "This is what Aristotle calls giving manners to the poem."—Blair's Rhet., p. 427. "The painter's being entirely confined to that part of time which he has chosen, deprives him of the power of exhibiting various stages of the same action."—Murray's Gram., i, 195. "It imports retrenching all superfluities, and pruning the expression."— Blair's Rhet., p. 94; Jamieson's, 64; Murray's Gram., p. 301; Kirkham's, 220. "The necessity for our being thus exempted is further apparent."—West's Letters, p. 40. "Her situation in life does not allow of her being genteel in every thing."—Ib., p. 57. "Provided you do not dislike being dirty when you are invisible."—Ib., p. 58. "There is now an imperious necessity for her being acquainted with her title to eternity."—Ib., p. 120. "Discarding the restraints of virtue, is misnamed ingenuousness."—Ib., p. 105. "The legislature prohibits opening shop of a Sunday."—Ib., p. 66. "To attempt proving that any thing is right."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 256. "The comma directs making a pause of a second in duration, or less."—Ib., p. 280. "The rule which directs putting other words into the place of it, is wrong."—Ib., p. 326. "They direct calling the specifying adjectives or adnames adjective pronouns."— Ib., p. 338. "William dislikes attending court."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 82. "It may perhaps be worth while remarking that Milton makes a distinction."—Philological Museum, i, 659. "Professing regard, and acting differently, discover a base mind."—Murray's Key, p. 206; Bullions's E. Gram., pp. 82 and 112; Lennie's, 58. "Professing regard and acting indifferently, discover a base mind."—Weld's Gram., Improved Edition, p. 59. "You have proved beyond contradiction, that acting thus is the sure way to procure such an object."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 92.
UNDER NOTE VIII.—PARTICIPLES AFTER BE, IS, &C.
"Irony is expressing ourselves in a manner contrary to our thoughts."—Murray's Gram., p. 353; Kirkham's, 225; Goldsbury's, 90. "Irony is saying one thing and meaning the reverse of what that expression would represent."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 303. "An Irony is dissembling or changing the proper signification of a word or sentence to quite the contrary."—Fisher's Gram., p. 151. "Irony is expressing ourselves contrary to what we mean."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 280. "This is in a great Measure delivering their own Compositions."—Buchanan's Gram., p. xxvi. "But purity is using rightly the words of the language."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 59. "But the most important object is settling the English quantity."—Walker's Key. p. 17. "When there is no affinity, the transition from one meaning to another is taking a very wide step."— Campbell's Rhet., p. 293. "It would be losing time to attempt further to illustrate it."—Ib., p. 79. "This is leaving the sentence too bare, and making it to be, if not nonsense, hardly sense."—Cobbett's Gram., ¶220. "This is requiring more labours from every private member."—West's Letters, p. 120. "Is not this using one measure for our neighbours, and another for ourselves?"—Ib., p. 200. "Is it not charging God foolishly, when we give these dark colourings to human nature?"—Ib., p. 171. "This is not enduring the cross as a disciple of Jesus Christ, but snatching at it like a partizan of Swift's Jack."—Ib., p. 175. "What is Spelling? It is combining letters to form syllables and words."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 18. "It is choosing such letters to compose words," &c.—Ibid. "What is Parsing? (1.) It is describing the nature, use, and powers of words."—Ib., pp. 22 and 192. (2.) "For parsing is describing the words of a sentence as they are used."—Ib., p. 10. (3.) "Parsing is only describing the nature and relations of words as they are used."—Ib., p. 11. (4.) "Parsing, let the pupil understand and remember, is describing facts concerning words; or representing them in their offices and relations as they are."—Ib., p. 34. (5.) "Parsing is resolving and explaining words according to the rules of grammar."—Ib., p. 326. (6.) "Parsing a word, remember, is enumerating and describing its various relations and qualities, and its grammatical relations to other words in the sentence."—Ib., p. 325. (7.) "For parsing a word is enumerating and describing its various properties and relations to the sentence."—Ib., p. 326. (8.) "Parsing a noun is telling of what person, number, gender, and case, it is; and also telling all its grammatical relations in a sentence with respect to other words."—Ingersoll's Gram., p. 16. (9.) "Parsing any part of speech is telling all its properties and relations."—Ibid. (10.) "Parsing is resolving a sentence into its elements."—Fowler's E. Gram., 1850, §588. "The highway of the righteous is, departing from evil."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 168. "Besides, the first step towards exhibiting truth should be removing the veil of error."—Ib., p. 377. "Punctuation is dividing sentences and the words of sentences, by pauses."—Ib., p. 280. "Another fault is using the preterimperfect shook instead of the participle shaken"—Churchill's Gram., p. 259. "Her employment is drawing maps."—Alger's Gram., p. 65. "Going to the play, according to his notion, is leading a sensual life, and exposing ones self to the strongest temptations. This is begging the question, and therefor requires no answer."—Formey's Belles-Lettres, p. 217. "It is overvaluing ourselves to reduce every thing to the narrow measure of our capacities."—Murray's Gram., i, 193; Ingersoll's, 199. "What is vocal language? It is speaking; or expressing ideas by the human voice."—Sanders, Spelling-Book, p. 7.
UNDER NOTE IX.—VERBS OF PREVENTING.
"The annulling power of the constitution prevented that enactment's becoming a law."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 267. "Which prevents the manner's being brief."—Ib., p. 365. "This close prevents their bearing forward as nominatives."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 153. "Because this prevents its growing drowzy."—Formey's Belles-Lettres, p. 5. "Yet this does not prevent his being great."—Ib., p. 27. "To prevent its being insipid."—Ib., p. 112. "Or whose interruptions did not prevent its being continued."—Ib., p. 167. "This by no means prevents their being also punishments."—Wayland's Moral Science, p. 123. "This hinders not their being also, in the strictest sense, punishments."—Ibid., "The noise made by the rain and wind prevented their being heard."—Goldsmith's Greece, Vol. i, p. 118. "He endeavoured to prevent its taking effect."—Ib., i, 128. "So sequestered as to prevent their being explored."—West's Letters, p. 62. "Who prevented her making a more pleasant party."—Ib., p. 65. "To prevent our being tossed about by every wind of doctrine."—Ib., p. 123. "After the infirmities of age prevented his bearing his part of official duty."—Religious World, ii, 193. "To prevent splendid trifles passing for matters of importance."—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 310. "Which prevents his exerting himself to any good purpose."—Beattie's Moral Science, i, 146. "The want of the observance of this rule, very frequently prevents our being punctual in our duties."—Student's Manual, p. 65. "Nothing will prevent his being a student, and his possessing the means of study."—Ib., p. 127. "Does the present accident hinder your being honest and brave?"—Collier's Antoninus, p. 51. "The e is omitted to prevent two es coming together."—Fowle's Gram., p. 34. "A pronoun is used for or in place of a noun.—to prevent repeating the noun."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 13. "Diversity in the style relieves the ear, and prevents it being tired with the too frequent recurrence of the rhymes."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 166. "Diversity in the style relieves the ear, and prevents its being tired," &c.—Murray's Gram., i. p. 362. "Timidity and false shame prevent our opposing vicious customs."—Murray's Key, ii, 236; Sanborn's Gram., 171; Merchant's, 205. "To prevent their being moved by such."— Campbell's Rhet., p. 155. "Some obstacle or impediment, that prevents its taking place."—Priestley's Gram., p. 38. "Which prevents our making a progress towards perfection."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 4. "This method of distinguishing words, must prevent any regular proportion of time being settled."—Ib., p. 67. "That nothing but affectation can prevent its always taking place."—Ib., p. 78. "This did not prevent John's being acknowledged and solemnly inaugurated Duke of Normandy."—HENRY: Webster's Philos. Gram., p. 182; his Improved Gram., 130; Sanborn's Gram., 189; Fowler's, 8vo, 1850, p. 541.
UNDER NOTE X.—THE LEADING WORD IN SENSE.
"This would preclude the possibility of a nouns' or any other word's ever being in the possessive case."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 338. "A great part of our pleasure arises from the plan or story being well conducted."—Blair's Rhet., p. 18, "And we have no reason to wonder at this being the case."—Ib., p. 249. "She objected only, as Cicero says, to Oppianicus having two sons by his present wife."—Ib., p. 274. "The Britons being subdued by the Saxons, was a necessary consequence of their having called in these Saxons, to their assistance."—Ib., p. 329. "What he had there said, concerning the Saxons expelling the Britons, and changing the customs, the religion, and the language of the country, is a clear and good reason for our present language being Saxon rather than British."—Ib., p. 230. "The only material difference between them, besides the one being short and the other being prolonged, is, that a metaphor always explains itself by the words that are connected with it."—Ib., p. 151; Murray's Gram., p. 342. "The description of Death's advancing to meet Satan, on his arrival."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 156. "Is not the bare fact of God being the witness of it, sufficient ground for its credibility to rest upon?"—Chalmers, Serm., p. 288. "As in the case of one entering upon a new study."—Beattie's Moral Science, i, 77. "The manner of these affecting the copula is called the imperative mode."—BP. WILKINS: Lowth's Gram., p. 43. "We are freed from the trouble, by our nouns having no diversity of endings."—Buchanan's Syntax, p. 20. "The Verb is rather indicative of the actions being doing, or done, than the time when, but indeed the ideas are undistinguishable."—Booth's Introd., p. 69. "Nobody would doubt of this being a sufficient proof."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 66. "Against the doctrine here maintained, of conscience being, as well as reason, a natural faculty."—Beattie's M. Sci., i, 263. "It is one cause of the Greek and English languages being much more easy to learn, than the Latin."—Bucke's Classical Gram., p. 25. "I have not been able to make out a solitary instance of such being the fact."—Liberator, x, 40. "An angel's forming the appearance of a hand, and writing the king's condemnation on the wall, checked their mirth, and filled them with terror."—Wood's Dict., w. Belshazzar. "The prisoners' having attempted to escape, aroused the keepers."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 357. "I doubt not, in the least, of this having been one cause of the multiplication of divinities in the heathen world."—Blair's Rhet., p. 155. "From the general rule he lays down, of the verbs being the parent word of all language."—Diversions of Purley, Vol. i, p. 227. "He was accused of himself being idle."—Felch's Comp. Gram., p. 52. "Our meeting is generally dissatisfied with him so removing."—Wm. Edmondson. "The spectacle is too rare of men's deserving solid fame while not seeking it."—Prof. Bush's Lecture on Swedenborg. "What further need was there of an other priest rising?"—See Key.
UNDER NOTE XI.—REFERENCE OF PARTICIPLES.
"Viewing them separately, different emotions are produced."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 344. "But leaving this doubtful, another objection occurs."—Ib., ii, 358. "Proceeding from one particular to another, the subject grew under his hand."—Ib., i, 27. "But this is still an interruption, and a link of the chain broken."—Ib., ii, 314. "After some days hunting, Cyrus communicated his design to his officers."—Rollin, ii, 66. "But it is made, without the appearance of making it in form."—Blair's Rhet., p. 358. "These would have had a better effect disjoined thus."—Ib., p. 119; Murray's Gram., i, 309. "An improper diphthong has but one of the vowels sounded."—Murray's Gram., p. 9; Alger's, 12; Merchant's, 9; Smith's, 118; Ingersoll's, 4. "And being led to think of both together, my view is rendered unsteady."— Blair's Rhet., p. 95; Murray's Gram., 302; Jamieson's Rhet., 66. "By often doing the same thing, it becomes habitual."—Murray's Key, p. 257. "They remain with us in our dark and solitary hours, no less than when surrounded with friends and cheerful society."—Ib., p. 238. "Besides shewing what is right, the matter may be further explained by pointing out what is wrong."—Lowth's Gram., Pref., p. viii. "The former teaches the true pronunciation of words, comprising accent, quantity, emphasis, pause, and tone."—Murray's Gram., Vol., i, p. 235. "Persons may be reproved for their negligence, by saying; 'You have taken great care indeed.'"—Ib., i, 354. "The words preceding and following it, are in apposition to each other."—Ib., ii, p. 22. "Having finished his speech, the assembly dispersed."—Cooper's Pract. Gram., p. 97. "Were the voice to fall at the close of the last line, as many a reader is in the habit of doing."— Kirkham's Elocution, p. 101. "The misfortunes of his countrymen were but negatively the effects of his wrath, by depriving them of his assistance."—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 299. "Taking them as nouns, this construction may be explained thus."—Grant's Latin Gram., p. 233. "These have an active signification, those which come from neuter verbs being excepted."—Ib., p. 233. "From the evidence of it not being universal."—Butler's Analogy, p. 84. "And this faith will continually grow, by acquainting ourselves with our own nature."—Channing's Self-Culture, p. 33. "Monosyllables ending with any consonant but f, l, or s, and preceded by a single vowel, never double the final consonant; excepting add, ebb," &c.—Murray's Gram., p. 23; Picket's, 10; Merchant's, 13; Ingersoll's, 8; Fisk's, 44; Blair's, 7. "The relation of being the object of the action is expressed by the change of the Noun Maria to Mariam"—Booth's Introd., p. 38. "In analyzing a proposition, it is first to be divided into its logical subject and predicate."—Andrews and Stoddard's Latin Gram., p. 254. "In analyzing a simple sentence, it should first be resolved into its logical subject and logical predicate."—Wells's School Gram., 113th Ed., p. 189.
UNDER NOTE XII.—OF PARTICIPLES AND NOUNS.
"The discovering passions instantly at their birth, is essential to our well being."—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 352. "I am now to enter on considering the sources of the pleasures of taste."—Blair's Rhet., p. 28. "The varieties in using them are, indeed many."—Murray's Gram., i, 319. "Changing times and seasons, removing and setting up kings, belong to Providence alone."—Ib., Key, ii, p. 200. "Adhering to the partitions seemed the cause of France, accepting the will that of the house of Bourbon."—Bolingbroke, on Hist., p. 246. "Another source of darkness in composing is, the injudicious introduction of technical words and phrases."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 247. "These are the rules of grammar, by the observing of which, you may avoid mistakes."—Murray's Gram., i, 192; Merchant's, 93; Fisk's, 135; Ingersoll's, 198. "By the observing of the rules you may avoid mistakes."—Alger's Gram., p. 65. "By the observing of these rules he succeeded."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 82. "Being praised was his ruin."—Ibid. "Deceiving is not convincing."— Ibid. "He never feared losing a friend."—Ibid. "Making books is his amusement."—Alger's Gram., p. 65. "We call it declining a noun."— Ingersoll's Gram., p. 22. "Washington, however, pursued the same policy of neutrality, and opposed firmly, taking any part in the wars of Europe."—Hall and Baker's School Hist., p. 294. "The following is a note of Interrogation, or asking a question (?)."—Infant School Gram., p. 132. "The following is a note of Admiration, or expressing wonder (!)."—Ib. "Omitting or using the article a forms a nice distinction in the sense."—Murray's Gram., ii, 284. "Placing the preposition before the word it governs is more graceful."—Churchill's Gram., p. 150. "Assistance is absolutely necessary to their recovery, and retrieving their affairs."—Butler's Analogy, p. 197. "Which termination, [ish,] when added to adjectives, imports diminution, or lessening the quality."—Murray's Gram., i, 131; Kirkham's, 172. "After what is said, will it be thought refining too much to suggest, that the different orders are qualified for different purposes?"—Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 114. "Who has nothing to think of but killing time."—West's Letters, p. 58. "It requires no nicety of ear, as in the distinguishing of tones, or measuring time."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 65. "The Possessive Case denotes possession, or belonging to."—Hall's Gram., p. 7.
UNDER NOTE XIII.—PERFECT PARTICIPLES.
"Garcilasso was master of the language spoke by the Incas."—Robertson's Amer., ii, 459. "When an interesting story is broke off in the middle."—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 244. "Speaking of Hannibal's elephants drove back by the enemy."—Ib., ii, 32. "If Du Ryer had not wrote for bread, he would have equalled them."—Formey's Belles-Lettres, p. 166. "Pope describes a rock broke off from a mountain, and hurling to the plain."—Kames, ii, 106. "I have wrote or have written, Thou hast wrote or hast written. He hath or has wrote, or hath or has written;" &c.—Dr. Ash's Gram., p. 47; Maltby's, 47. "This was spoke by a pagan."—Webster's Improved Gram., p. 174. "But I have chose to follow the common arrangement."—Ib., p. 10. "The language spoke in Bengal."—Ib., p. 78. "And sound Sleep thus broke off, with suddain Alarms, is apt enough to discompose any one."—Locke, on Ed., p. 32. "This is not only the Case of those Open Sinners, before spoke of."—Right of Tythes, p. 26. "Some Grammarians have wrote a very perplexed and difficult doctrine on Punctuation."—Ensell's Gram., p. 340. "There hath a pity arose in me towards thee."—Sewel's Hist., fol., p. 324. "Abel is the only man that has underwent the awful change of death."—Juvenile Theatre, p. 4.
"Meantime, on Afric's glowing sands,
Smote with keen heat, the Trav'ler stands."—Union Poems, p. 88.
CHAPTER VIII.—ADVERBS.
The syntax of an Adverb consists in its simple relation to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or whatever else it qualifies; just as the syntax of an English Adjective, (except in a few instances,) consists in its simple relation to a noun or a pronoun.
RULE XXI.—ADVERBS.
Adverbs relate to verbs, participles, adjectives, or other adverbs: as, "Any passion that habitually discomposes our temper, or unfits us for properly discharging the duties of life, has most certainly gained a very dangerous ascendency."—Blair.
"How bless'd this happy hour, should he appear, Dear to us all, to me supremely dear!"—Pope's Homer.
EXCEPTION FIRST.
The adverbs yes, ay, and yea, expressing a simple affirmation, and the adverbs no and nay, expressing a simple negation, are always independent. They generally answer a question, and are equivalent to a whole sentence. Is it clear, that they ought to be called adverbs? No. "Can honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No."—SHAK.: First Part of Hen. IV, Act v, 1.
EXCEPTION SECOND.
The word amen, which is commonly called an adverb, is often used independently at the beginning or end of a declaration or a prayer; and is itself a prayer, meaning, So let it be: as, "Surely, I come quickly. Amen: Even so, come Lord Jesus."—Rev., xxii, 20. When it does not stand thus alone, it seems in general to be used substantively; as, "The strangers among them stood on Gerizim, and echoed amen to the blessings."—Wood's Dict. "These things saith the Amen."—Rev., iii, 14
EXCEPTION THIRD.
An adverb before a preposition seems sometimes to relate to the latter, rather than to the verb or participle to which the preposition connects its object; as, "This mode of pronunciation runs considerably beyond ordinary discourse."—Blair's Rhet., p. 334. "Yea, all along the times of the apostasy, this was the thing that preserved the witnesses."—Penington's Works, Vol. iv, p. 12. [See Obs. 8th on Rule 7th.]
"Right against the eastern gate, Where the great sun begins his state."—Milton, L'Allegro.
EXCEPTION FOURTH.
The words much, little, far, and all, being originally adjectives, are sometimes preceded by the negative not, or (except the last) by such an adverb as too, how, thus, so, or as, when they are taken substantively; as, "Not all that glitters, is gold."—"Too much should not be offered at once."—Murray's Gram., p. 140. "Thus far is consistent."—Ib., p. 161. "Thus far is right."—Lowth's Gram., p. 101.
OBSERVATIONS ON RULE XXI.
OBS. 1.—On this rule of syntax, Dr. Adam remarks, "Adverbs sometimes likewise qualify substantives;" and gives Latin examples of the following import: "Homer plainly an orator:"—"Truly Metellus;"—"To-morrow morning." But this doctrine is not well proved by such imperfect phrases, nor can it ever be very consistently admitted, because it destroys the characteristic difference between an adjective and an adverb. To-morrow is here an adjective; and as for truly and plainly, they are not such words as can make sense with nouns. I therefore imagine the phrases to be elliptical: "Verè Metellus," may mean, "This is truly Metellus;" and "Homerus planè orator," "Homer was plainly an orator." So, in the example, "Behold an Israelite indeed," the true construction seems to be, "Behold, here is indeed an Israelite;" for, in the Greek or Latin, the word Israelite is a nominative, thus: "Ecce verè Israëlita."—Beza; also Montanus. "[Greek: Ide alæthos 'Israaelitæs.]"—Greek Testament. Behold appears to be here an interjection, like Ecce. If we make it a transitive verb, the reading should be, "Behold a true Israelite;" for the text does not mean, "Behold indeed an Israelite." At least, this is not the meaning in our version. W. H. Wells, citing as authorities for the doctrine, "Bullions, Allen and Cornwell, Brace, Butler, and Webber," has the following remark: "There are, however, certain forms of expression in which adverbs bear a special relation to nouns or pronouns; as, 'Behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters.'—Gen. 6: 17. 'For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power.'—1 Thes. 1: 5."—Wells's School Gram., 1st Ed., p. 156; late Ed., 168. And again, in his Punctuation, we find this: "When, however, the intervening word is an adverb, the comma is more commonly omitted; as, 'It is labor only which gives a relish to pleasure.'"—Ib., p. 176. From all this, the doctrine receives no better support than from Adam's suggestion above considered. The word "only" is often an adjective, and wherever its "special relation" is to a noun or a pronoun, it can be nothing else. "Even," when it introduces a word repeated with emphasis, is a conjunction.
OBS. 2.—When participles become nouns, their adverbs are not unfrequently left standing with them in their original relation; as, "For the fall and rising again of many in Israel."—Luke, ii, 34. "To denote the carrying forward of the action."—Barnard's Gram., p. 52. But in instances like these, the hyphen seems to be necessary. This mark would make the terms rising-again and carrying-forward compound nouns, and not participial nouns with adverbs relating to them.
"There is no flying hence, nor tarrying here."—Shak., Macbeth.
"What! in ill thoughts again? men must endure
Their going hence, ev'n as their coming hither."—Id.
OBS. 3.—Whenever any of those words which are commonly used adverbially, are made to relate directly to nouns or pronouns, they must be reckoned adjectives, and parsed by Rule 9th. Examples: "The above verbs."—Dr. Adam. "To the above remarks."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 318. "The above instance."—Ib., p. 442. "After the above partial illustration."—Dr. Murray's Hist. of Lang., ii, 62. "The above explanation."—Cobbett's Gram., ¶ 22. "For very age."—Zech., viii, 4. "From its very greatness."—Phil. Museum, i, 431. "In his then situation."—Johnson's Life of Goldsmith. "This was the then state of Popery."—Id., Life of Dryden, p. 185. "The servant becomes the master of his once master."—Shillitoe. "Time when is put in the ablative, time how long is put in the accusative."—Adam's Lat. Gram., p. 201; Gould's, 198. "Nouns signifying the time when or how long, may be put in the objective case without a preposition."—Wilbur and Livingston's Gram., p. 24. "I hear the far-off curfew sound."—Milton. "Far on the thither side."—Book of Thoughts, p. 58. "My hither way."—"Since my here remain in England."—Shak. "But short and seldom truce."—Fell. "An exceeding knave."—Pope. "According to my sometime promise."—Zenobia, i, 176. "Thine often infirmities."—Bible. "A far country."—Ib. "No wine,"—"No new thing,"—"No greater joy."—Ib. "Nothing else."—Blair. "Tomorrow noon."—Scott. "Calamity enough."—Tr. Sallust. "For thou only art holy."—Rev., xv, 4.
OBS. 4.—It is not my design to justify any uncouth substitution of adverbs for adjectives; nor do I affirm that all the foregoing examples are indisputably good English, though most of them are so; but merely, that the words, when they are thus used, are adjectives, and not adverbs. Lindley Murray, and his copyists, strongly condemn some of these expressions, and, by implication, most or all of them; but both he and they, as well as others, have repeatedly employed at least one of the very models they censure. They are too severe on all those which they specify. Their objections stand thus; "Such expressions as the following, though not destitute of authority, are very inelegant, and do not suit the idiom of our language; 'The then ministry,' for, 'the ministry of that time;' 'The above discourse,' for, 'the preceding discourse.'"—Murray's Gram., i, p. 198; Crombie's, 294; Ingersoll's, 206. "The following phrases are also exceptionable: 'The then ministry;' 'The above argument.'"—Kirkham's Gram., p. 190. "Adverbs used as adjectives, as, 'The above statement;' 'The then administration;' should be avoided."—Barnard's Gram., p. 285. "When and then must not be used for nouns and pronouns; thus, 'Since when,' 'since then,' 'the then ministry,' ought to be, 'Since which time,' 'since that time,' 'the ministry of that period.'"—Hiley's Gram., p. 96. Dr. Priestley, from whom Murray derived many of his critical remarks, noticed these expressions; and, (as I suppose,) approvingly; thus, "Adverbs are often put for adjectives, agreeably to the idiom of the Greek tongue: [as,] 'The action was amiss.'—'The then ministry.'—'The idea is alike in both.'—Addison. 'The above discourse.'—Harris."—Priestley's Gram., p. 135. Dr. Johnson, as may be seen above, thought it not amiss to use then as Priestley here cites it; and for such a use of above, we may quote the objectors themselves: "To support the above construction."—Murray's Gram., i, p. 149; Ingersoll's, p. 238. "In all the above instances."—Mur., p. 202; Ing., 230. "To the above rule."—Mur., p. 270; Ing., 283. "The same as the above."—Mur., p. 66; Ing., 46. "In such instances as the above."—Mur., p. 24; Ing., 9; Kirkham, 23.[427]
OBS. 5.—When words of an adverbial character are used after the manner of nouns, they must be parsed as nouns, and not as adverbs; as, "The Son of God—was not yea and nay, but in him was yea."—Bible. "For a great while to come."—Ib. "On this perhaps, this peradventure infamous for lies."—Young. "From the extremest upward of thine head."—Shak. "There are upwards of fifteen millions of inhabitants."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 266. "Information has been derived from upwards of two hundred volumes."—Worcester's Hist., p. v. "An eternal now does always last"—Cowley. "Discourse requires an animated no."—Cowper. "Their hearts no proud hereafter swelled."—Sprague. An adverb after a preposition is used substantively, and governed by the preposition; though perhaps it is not necessary to call it a common noun: as, "For upwards of thirteen years."—Hiley's Gram., p. xvi. "That thou mayst curse me them from thence."—Numb., xxiii, 27. "Yet for once we'll try."—Dr. Franklin. But many take such terms together, calling them "adverbial phrases." Allen says, "Two adverbs sometimes come together; as, 'Thou hast kept the good wine until now.'"—Gram., p. 174. But until is here more properly a preposition, governing now.
OBS. 6.—It is plain, that when words of an adverbial form are used either adjectively or substantively, they cannot be parsed by the foregoing rule, or explained as having the ordinary relation of adverbs; and if the unusual relation or character which they thus assume, be not thought sufficient to fix them in the rank of adjectives or nouns, the parser may describe them as adverbs used adjectively, or substantively, and apply the rule which their assumed construction requires. But let it be remembered, that adverbs, as such, neither relate to nouns, nor assume the nature of cases: but express the time, place, degree, or manner, of actions or qualities. In some instances in which their construction may seem not to be reconcilable with the common rule, there may be supposed an ellipsis of a verb or a participle:[428] as, "From Monday to Saturday inclusively."—Webster's Dict. Here, the Doctor ought to have used a comma after Saturday; for the adverb relates, not to that noun, but to the word reckoned, understood. "It was well said by Roscommon, 'too faithfully is pedantically.'"—Com. Sch. Journal, i, 167. This saying I suppose to mean, "To do a thing too faithfully, is, to do it pedantically." "And, [I say] truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned."—Heb., xi, 15.
OBS 7.—To abbreviate expressions, and give them vivacity, verbs of self-motion (such as go, come, rise, get, &c.) are sometimes suppressed, being suggested to the mind by an emphatic adverb, which seems to be put for the verb, but does in fact relate to it understood; as,
"I'll hence to London, on a serious matter."—Shak. Supply "go."
"I'll in. I'll in. Follow your friend's counsel. I'll in"—Id.
Supply "get."
"Away, old man; give me thy hand; away."—Id. Supply "come."
"Love hath wings, and will away"—Waller. Supply "fly."
"Up, up, Glentarkin! rouse thee, ho!"—Scott. Supply "spring."
"Henry the Fifth is crowned; up, vanity!" Supply "stand."
"Down, royal state! all you sage counsellors, hence!"—Shak. Supply "fall," and "get you."
"But up, and enter now into full bliss."—Milton. Supply "rise."
OBS. 8.—We have, on some occasions, a singular way of expressing a transitive action imperatively, or emphatically, by adding the preposition with to an adverb of direction; as, up with it, down with it, in with it, out with it, over with it, away with it, and the like; in which construction, the adverb seems to be used elliptically as above, though the insertion of the verb would totally enervate or greatly alter the expression. Examples: "She up with her fist, and took him on the face."—Sydney, in Joh. Dictionary. "Away with him!"—Acts, xxi, 36. "Away with such a fellow from the earth."—Ib., xxii, 22. "The calling of assemblies I cannot away with"—Isaiah, i, 13. "Hence with denial vain, and coy excuse."—Milton's Comus. Ingersoll says, "Sometimes a whole phrase is used as an interjection, and we call such interjectional phrases: as, out upon him!—away with him!—Alas, what wonder! &c."—Conversations on Gram., p. 79. This method of lumping together several different parts of speech under the notion of one, and calling the whole an "adverbial phrase," a "substantive phrase," or an "interjectional phrase," is but a forced put, by which some grammarians would dodge certain difficulties which they know not how to meet. It is directly repugnant to the idea of parsing; for the parser ever deals with the parts of speech as such, and not with whole phrases in the lump. The foregoing adverbs when used imperatively, have some resemblance to interjections; but, in some of the examples above cited, they certainly are not used in this manner.
OBS. 9.—A conjunctive adverb usually relates to two verbs at the same time, and thus connects two clauses of a compound sentence; as, "And the rest will I set in order when I come,"—1 Cor., xi, 34. Here when is a conjunctive adverb of time, and relates to the two verbs will set and come; the meaning being, "And the rest will I set in order at the time at which I come." This adverb when is often used erroneously in lieu of a nominative after is, to which construction of the word, such an interpretation as the foregoing would not be applicable; because the person means to tell, not when, but what, the thing is, of which he speaks: as, "Another cause of obscurity is when the structure of the sentence is too much complicated, or too artificial; or when the sense is too long suspended by parentheses."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 246. Here the conjunction that would be much better than when, but the sentence might advantageously spare them both; thus, "An other cause of obscurity is too much complication, too artificial a structure of the sentence, or too long a suspension of the sense by parenthesis."
OBS. 10.—For the placing of adverbs, no definite general rule can be given; yet is there no other part of speech so liable to be misplaced. Those which relate to adjectives, or to other adverbs, with very few exceptions, immediately precede them; and those which belong to compound verbs, are commonly placed after the first auxiliary; or, if they be emphatical, after the whole verb. Those which relate to simple verbs, or to simple participles, are placed sometimes before and sometimes after them. Examples are so very common, I shall cite but one: "A man may, in respect to grammatical purity, speak unexceptionably, and yet speak obscurely, or ambiguously; and though we cannot say, that a man may speak properly, and at the same time speak unintelligibly, yet this last case falls more naturally to be considered as an offence against perspicuity, than as a violation of propriety."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 239.
OBS. 11.—Of the infinitive verb and its preposition to, some grammarians say, that they must never be separated by an adverb. It is true, that the adverb is, in general, more elegantly placed before the preposition than after it; but, possibly, the latter position of it may sometimes contribute to perspicuity, which is more essential than elegance: as, "If any man refuse so to implore, and to so receive pardon, let him die the death."—Fuller, on the Gospel, p. 209. The latter word so, if placed like the former, might possibly be understood in a different sense from what it now bears. But perhaps it would be better to say. "If any man refuse so to implore, and on such terms to receive pardon, let him die the death." "Honour teaches us properly to respect ourselves."—Murray's Key, ii, 252. Here it is not quite clear, to which verb the adverb "properly" relates. Some change of the expression is therefore needful. The right to place an adverb sometimes between to and its verb, should, I think, be conceded to the poets: as,
"Who dared to nobly stem tyrannic pride."—BURNS: C. Sat. N.
OBS. 12.—The adverb no is used independently, only when it is equivalent to a whole sentence. This word is sometimes an adverb of degree; and as such it has this peculiarity, that it can relate only to comparatives: as, "No more,"—"No better,"—"No greater,"—"No sooner." When no is set before a noun, it is clearly an adjective, corresponding to the Latin nullus; as, "No clouds, no vapours intervene."—Dyer. Dr. Johnson, with no great accuracy, remarks, "It seems an adjective in these phrases, no longer, no more, no where; though sometimes it may be so commodiously changed to not, that it seems an adverb; as, 'The days are yet no shorter.'"—Quarto Dict. And his first example of what he calls the "adverb NO" is this: "'Our courteous Antony, Whom ne'er the word of no woman heard speak.' SHAKSPEARE."—Ibid. Dr. Webster says, "When it precedes where, as in no where, it may be considered as adverbial, though originally an adjective."—Octavo Dict. The truth is, that no is an adverb, whenever it relates to an adjective; an adjective, whenever it relates to a noun; and a noun, whenever it takes the relation of a case. Thus, in what Johnson cites from Shakspeare, it is a noun, and not an adverb; for the meaning is, that a woman never heard Antony speak the word of no—that is, of negation. And there ought to be a comma after this word, to make the text intelligible. To read it thus: "the word of no woman," makes no an adjective. So, to say, "There are no abler critics than these," is a very different thing from saying, "There are critics no abler than these;" because no is an adjective in the former sentence, and an adverb in the latter. Somewhere, nowhere, anywhere, else-where, and everywhere, are adverbs of place, each of which is composed of the noun where and an adjective; and it is absurd to write a part of them as compound words, and the rest as phrases, as many authors do.
OBS. 13.—In some languages, the more negatives one crowds into a sentence, the stronger is the negation; and this appears to have been formerly the case in English, or in what was anciently the language of Britain: as, "He never yet no vilanie ne sayde in alle his lif unto no manere wight."—Chaucer. "Ne I ne wol non reherce, yef that I may."—Id. "Give not me counsel; nor let no comforter delight mine ear."—Shakspeare. "She cannot love, nor take no shape nor project of affection."—Id. Among people of education, this manner of expression has now become wholly obsolete; though it still prevails, to some extent, in the conversation of the vulgar. It is to be observed, however, that the repetition of an independent negative word or clause yet strengthens the negation; as, "No, no, no."—"No, never."—"No, not for an hour."—Gal., ii, 5. "There is none righteous, no, not one."—Rom., iii, 10. But two negatives in the same clause, if they have any bearing on each other, destroy the negation, and render the meaning weakly affirmative; as, "Nor did they not perceive their evil plight."—Milton. That is, they did perceive it. "'His language, though inelegant, is not ungrammatical;' that is, it is grammatical."— Murray's Gram., p. 198. The term not only, or not merely, being a correspondent to but or but also, may be followed by an other negative without this effect, because the two negative words have no immediate bearing on each other; as, "Your brother is not only not present, and not assisting in prosecuting your injuries, but is now actually with Verres."—Duncan's Cicero, p, 19. "In the latter we have not merely nothing, to denote what the point should be; but no indication, that any point at all is wanting."—Churchill's Gram., p. 373. So the word nothing, when taken positively for nonentity, or that which does not exist, may be followed by an other negative; as,
"First, seat him somewhere, and derive his race,
Or else conclude that nothing has no place."—Dryden, p. 95.
OBS. 14.—The common rule of our grammars, "Two negatives, in English, destroy each other, or are equivalent to an affirmative," is far from being true of all possible examples. A sort of informal exception to it, (which is mostly confined to conversation,) is made by a familiar transfer of the word neither from the beginning of the clause to the end of it; as, "But here is no notice taken of that neither"—Johnson's Gram. Com., p. 336. That is, "But neither is any notice here taken of that." Indeed a negation may be repeated, by the same word or others, as often as we please, if no two of the terms in particular contradict each other; as, "He will never consent, not he, no, never, nor I neither." "He will not have time, no, nor capacity neither."—Bolingbroke, on Hist., p. 103. "Many terms and idioms may be common, which, nevertheless, have not the general sanction, no, nor even the sanction of those that use them."—Campbell's Rhet., p. 160; Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 358. And as to the equivalence spoken of in the same rule, such an expression as, "He did not say nothing," is in fact only a vulgar solecism, take it as you will; whether for, "He did not say anything," or for, "He did say something." The latter indeed is what the contradiction amounts to; but double negatives must be shunned, whenever they seem like blunders. The following examples have, for this reason, been thought objectionable; though Allen says, "Two negatives destroy each other, or elegantly form an affirmation."—Gram., p. 174.
——————"Nor knew I not
To be both will and deed created free."
—Milton, P. L., B. v., l. 548.
"Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale
From her moist continent to higher orbs."
—Ib., B. v, l. 421.
OBS. 15.—Under the head of double negatives, there appears in our grammars a dispute of some importance, concerning the adoption of or or nor, when any other negative than neither or nor occurs in the preceding clause or phrase: as, "We will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image."—Dan., iii., 18. "Ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem."—Neh., ii, 20. "There is no painsworthy difficulty nor dispute about them."—Horne Tooke, Div., Vol. i, p. 43. "So as not to cloud that principal object, nor to bury it."—Blair's Rhet., p. 115; Murray's Gram., p. 322. "He did not mention Leonora, nor her father's death."—Murray's Key, p. 264. "Thou canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth."—Ib., p. 215. The form of this text, in John iii, 8th. is—"But canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth;" which Murray inserted in his exercises as bad English. I do not see that the copulative and is here ungrammatical; but if we prefer a disjunctive, ought it not to be or rather than nor? It appears to be the opinion of some, that in ail these examples, and in similar instances innumerable, nor only is proper. Others suppose, that or only is justifiable; and others again, that either or or nor is perfectly correct. Thus grammar, or what should be grammar, differs in the hands of different men! The principle to be settled here, must determine the correctness or incorrectness of a vast number of very common expressions. I imagine that none of these opinions is warrantable, if taken in all that extent to which each of them has been, or may be, carried.
OBS. 16.—It was observed by Priestley, and after him by Lindley Murray, from whom others again have copied the remark: "Sometimes the particles or and nor, may, either of them, be used with nearly equal propriety; [as,] 'The king, whose character was not sufficiently vigorous, nor decisive, assented to the measure.'—Hume. Or would perhaps have been better, but nor seems to repeat the negation in the former part of the sentence, and therefore gives more emphasis to the expression."— Priestley's Gram., p. 138; Murray's, i, 212; Ingersoll's, 268; R. C. Smith's, 177. The conjunction or might doubtless have been used in this sentence, but not with the same meaning that is now conveyed; for, if that connective had been employed, the adjective decisive would have been qualified by the adverb sufficiently, and would have seemed only an alternative for the former epithet, vigorous. As the text now stands, it not only implies a distinction between vigour of character and decision of character, but denies the latter to the king absolutely, the former, with qualification. If the author had meant to suggest such a distinction, and also to qualify his denial of both, he ought to have said—"not sufficiently vigorous, nor sufficiently decisive." With this meaning, however, he might have used neither for not; or with the former, he might have used or for nor, had he transposed the terms—"was not decisive, or sufficiently vigorous."
OBS. 17.—In the tenth edition of John Burn's Practical Grammar, published at Glasgow, in 1810, are the following suggestions: "It is not uncommon to find the conjunctions or and nor used indiscriminately; but if there be any real distinction in the proper application of them, it is to be wished that it were settled. It is attempted thus:—Let the conjunction or be used simply to connect the members of a sentence, or to mark distribution, opposition, or choice, without any preceding negative particle; and nor to mark the subsequent part of a negative sentence, with some negative particle in the preceding part of it. Examples of OR: 'Recreation of one kind or other is absolutely necessary to relieve the body or mind from too constant attention to labour or study.'—'After this life, succeeds a state of rewards or punishments.'—'Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love?' Examples of NOR: 'Let no man be too confident, nor too diffident of his own abilities.'—'Never calumniate any man, nor give the least encouragement to calumniators.'—'There is not a Christian duty to which providence has not annexed a blessing, nor any affliction for which a remedy is not provided.' If the above distinction be just, the following passage seems to be faulty:
'Seasons return, but not to me returns
Day, or the sweet approach of ev'n or morn,
Or sight of vernal bloom, or summer's rose,
Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine.'
Milton, P. L., B. iii, l. 40.—"Burn's Gr., p. 108.
OBS. 18.—T. O. Churchill, whose Grammar first appeared in London in 1823, treats this matter thus: "As or answers to either, nor, a compound of not or [ne or] by contraction, answers to neither, a similar compound of not either [ne either]. The latter however does not constitute that double use of the negative, in which one, agreeably to the principles of philosophical grammar, destroys the other; for a part of the first word, neither, cannot be understood before the second, nor: and for the same reason a part of it could not be understood before or, which is sometimes improperly used in the second clause; while the whole of it, neither, would be obviously improper before or. On the other hand, when not is used in the first clause, nor is improper in the second; since it would involve the impropriety of understanding not before a compound of not [or ne] with or. 'I shall not attempt to convince, nor to persuade you.—What will you not attempt?—To convince, nor to persuade you.' The impropriety of nor in this answer is clear: but the answer should certainly repeat the words not heard, or not understood."—Churchill's New Gram., p. 330.
OBS. 19.—"It is probable, that the use of nor after not has been introduced, in consequence of such improprieties as the following: 'The injustice of inflicting death for crimes, when not of the most heinous nature, or attended with extenuating circumstances.' Here it is obviously not the intention of the writer, to understand the negative in the last clause: and, if this were good English, it would be not merely allowable to employ nor after not, to show the subsequent clause to be negative as well as the preceding, but it would always be necessary. In fact, however, the sentence quoted is faulty, in not repeating the adverb when in the last clause; 'or when attended:' which would preclude the negative from being understood in it; for, if an adverb, conjunction, or auxiliary verb, preceding a negative, be understood in the succeeding clause, the negative is understood also; if it be repeated, the negative must be repeated likewise, or the clause becomes affirmative."—Ib., p. 330.
OBS. 20.—This author, proceeding with his remarks, suggests forms of correction for several other common modes of expression, which he conceives to be erroneous. For the information of the student, I shall briefly notice a little further the chief points of his criticism, though he teaches some principles which I have not thought it necessary always to observe in writing. "'And seemed not to understand ceremony, or to despise it.' Goldsmith. Here either ought to be inserted before not. 'It is not the business of virtue, to extirpate the affections of the mind, but to regulate them.' Addison. The sentence ought to have been: 'It is the business of virtue, not to extirpate the affections of the mind, but to regulate them.' 'I do not think, that he was averse to the office; nor do I believe, that it was unsuited to him.' How much better to say: 'I do not think, that he was averse to the office, or that it was unsuited to him!' For the same reason nor cannot follow never, the negative in the first clause affecting all the rest."—Ib. p. 332. "Nor is sometimes used improperly after no: [as,] 'I humbly however trust in God, that I have hazarded no conjecture, nor have given any explanation of obscure points, inconsistent with the general sense of Scripture, which must be our guide in all dubious passages.' Gilpin. It ought to be: 'and have given no explanation;' or, 'I have neither hazarded any conjecture, nor given any explanation.' The use of or after neither is as common, as that of nor after no or not.[429] 'Neither the pencil or poetry are adequate.' Coxe. Properly, 'Neither the pencil nor poetry is adequate.' 'The vow of poverty allowed the Jesuits individually, to have no idea of wealth.' Dornford. We cannot allow a nonentity. It should be: 'did not allow, to have any idea.'"—Ib., p. 333.
OBS. 21.—Thus we see that Churchill wholly and positively condemns nor after not, no, or never; while Burn totally disapproves of or, under the same circumstances. Both of these critics are wrong, because each carries his point too far; and yet it may not be right, to suppose both particles to be often equally good. Undoubtedly, a negation may be repeated in English without impropriety, and that in several different ways: as, "There is no living, none, if Bertram be away."—Beauties of Shak., p. 3. "Great men are not always wise, neither do the aged [always] understand judgement."—Job, xxxii, 9. "Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength."—Job, xxxiv. 19. Some sentences, too, require or, and others nor, even when a negative occurs in a preceding clause; as, "There was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words."—Job, xxxii, 12. "How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes nor regardeth the rich more than the poor."—Job, xxxiv, 19. "This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep."—Neh., viii, 9. "Men's behaviour should be like their apparel, not too straight or point-de-vise, but free for exercise."—Ld. Bacon. Again, the mere repetition of a simple negative is, on some occasions, more agreeable than the insertion of any connective; as, "There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves."—Job, xxxiv, 22. Better: "There is no darkness, no shadow of death, wherein the workers of iniquity may hide themselves." "No place nor any object appears to him void of beauty."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 255. Better: "No place, no object, appears to him void of beauty." That passage from Milton which Burn supposes to be faulty, and that expression of Addison's which Churchill dislikes, are, in my opinion, not incorrect as they stand; though, doubtless, the latter admits of the variation proposed. In the former, too, or may twice be changed to nor, where the following nouns are nominatives; but to change it throughout, would not be well, because the other nouns are objectives governed by of:
"Seasons return, but not to me returns Day, nor the sweet approach of ev'n or morn, Nor sight of vernal bloom, or summer's rose, Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine."
OBS. 22.—Ever and never are directly opposite to each other in sense, and yet they are very frequently confounded and misapplied, and that by highly respectable writers; as, "Seldom, or never can we expect," &c.—Blair's Lectures, p. 305. "And seldom, or ever, did any one rise, &c."—Ib., p. 272. "Seldom, or never, is[430] there more than one accented syllable in any English word."—Ib., p. 329. "Which that of the present seldom or ever is understood to be."—Dr. Murray's Hist. of Lang., Vol. ii, p. 120. Here never is right, and ever is wrong. It is time, that is here spoken of; and the affirmative ever, meaning always, or at any time, in stead of being a fit alternative for seldom, makes nonsense of the sentence, and violates the rule respecting the order and fitness of time: unless we change or to if, and say, "seldom, if ever." But in sentences like the following, the adverb appears to express, not time, but degree; and for the latter sense ever is preferable to never, because the degree ought to be possible, rather than impossible: "Ever so little of the spirit of martyrdom is always a more favourable indication to civilization, than ever so much dexterity of party management, or ever so turbulent protestation of immaculate patriotism."—Wayland's Moral Science, p. 411. "Now let man reflect but never so little on himself."—Burlamaqui, on Law, p. 29. "Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely."—Ps., lviii, 5. The phrase ever so, (which ought, I think, to be written as one word,) is now a very common expression to signify in whatsoever degree; as, "everso little,"—"everso much,"—"everso wise,"—"everso wisely." And it is manifestly this, and not time, that is intended by the false phraseology above;—"a form of speech handed down by the best writers, but lately accused, I think with justice, of solecism. * * * It can only be defended by supplying a very harsh and unprecedented ellipsis."—Johnson's Dict., w. Never.