Rule II-Possessive Case. When the relation of ownership is to be pointed out, the Possessive Case of the noun denoting the owner is used thus, "This is John's hat." Here the relation of ownership is to be declared as existing between the person John and the thing hat, and consequently the name of the possessor is put in the possessive case. If the name of the owner be a compound name, the last of the component parts only receives the sign of the possessive: thus, "the Queen of Great Britain's prerogative;" also when there are two separate names, as," Robertson and Reid's office." 1. This is John Thomson his book. 2. James is in Walker's and Son's office. 3. Charles is a member of the Mechanic's Institution. 4. Have you read Chamber's Journal? Rule III.-Objective Case. Before the verb denoting the object of the predicat ing verb, the preposition to is generally put; and it is in this case called the sign of the infinitive. But as we already saw that the infinitive is nothing but a noun, the utility of this rule may well be questioned. The sign to is omitted after the following verbs:Bid, can, dare, feel, hear, let, make, may, must, need, shall, see, and will. We do not say, "He bade me to go," but," He bade me go." The infinitive of a verb may also come after a noun or an adjective, as well as after another verb. 1. Sylla obliged them submit to such terms as the senate were pleased to impose. (See also Rule I.) Active transitive verbs and prepositions take the Objective Case after them: thus, "Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God." In this sentence, justice" and mercy are in the objective, being affected by the verbs do and love respectively; and God is also in the objective, being the object of the relation pointed out by the preposition with. 2. The king caused them feel the weight of his displeasure. 3. I desired him call in the evening. 4. You need not to trouble yourself on my account. 5. God maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good. Rule VI-Apposition. Nouns and pronouns added to other nouns and pronouns to explain them, are put in the same case; thus, Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is celebrated for its university." Here Edinburgh, being the subject of the sentence, is in the nominative; and the noun capital, with its adjunct of Scotland, being added to explain it, is in the nominative also. The two words, in cases of this kind, are said by grammarians to be in apposition. Some active transitive verbs appear to take two objective cases after them; but it is much more consistent with the analogy of the language to understand "Brutus killed Cæsar in the Capitol; him who had a preposition thus, "He sent me the book," where me been his friend." Here Casar is in the objective, and book are both in the objective. It is quite clear governed by the verb killed; and as the succeeding that book is the thing immediately affected by the verb pronoun refers to it, it must be in the objective too. If sent, it therefore must be in the objective; but as to it were he, there would be no violation of any rule me, it seems most natural to understand the preposi-grammar, but a misrepresentation of a historical fact, tion to, when the sentence would be, "He sent the book as it would lead us to believe that Brutus befriended to me." Ellipses of this sort are quite common, and it Cæsar, whereas it was Caesar that had befriended is altogether unnecessary to bring in any new rule or Brutus. principle to account for idiomatic expressions thus produced. Under this rule we may further observe, that all words denoting measure, whether of time or space, are capable of being put in the objective, a preposition being understood. Thus, in the sentences, "The wall is seven feet high," "I was three days in the country," the words feet and days are in the objective, the preposition for or during being understood. As, however, the nominative and objective of all nouns in English are alike, this remark must be allowed to be of limited utility. 1. I told ye that I would come. 2. Who should I love, if not my father? 3. Do you know who you speak to 4. He that can doubt whether he be any thing or not, I speak not to.--Lock E. Rule IV.-Pronouns. Pronouns agree in gender, number, person, and case with the nouns for which they stand, and are in all respects to be treated as the nouns would have been had they been used. In the sentence, "The master instructs his pupils," the pronoun supplies the place of the possessive case of the noun master, which is of the singular number, third person, and masculine gender; we therefore use his, which corresponds to all this. Again, "John and James learn their lesson:" here their stands for two nouns, and so must be plural. 1. Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass. 2. For my name and memory, I leave it to men's charitable speeches, and to foreign nations, and to the next age.--BACON. 4. I saw the whole species delivered from their sorrows.ADDISON. 5. Those are the birds whom we call gregarious. Rule V.--The Infinitive. One verb governs another in the Infinitive: as," He loves to study," where to study is the object of the verb loves. 66 There seems to be an exception to this rule in such expressions as I called at Smith's the bookseller," where Smith's and bookseller are evidently marks of the same idea, but yet the one has the sign of the possessive ('s), which the other has not. As far as the possessive case (so called) is concerned, it is in most instances awkward to add any explanatory word to it; and the sentence runs much more smoothly if we use the preposition of; thus, "I called at the shop of Smith the bookseller," where both words are obviously in the objective. 1. Your friend, him whom you introduced to me yesterday, very soon departed. 2. Why do you treat Mary Ann so harshly, she who has always been so affectionate? 3. The leader was taken, him who defied the law. 4. I am going to see my friends in the country; they whom we met at the ferry. Rule VII-The Verb To Be. The verb To Be has the same case after it as it has before it: thus, "Alfred was a good king." Here the word king, coming after the verb was, is in the nominative, because it is descriptive of Alfred, the subject of the sentence. "She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him." Here gardener is to be considered in the objective, because him, going before the verb to be, is in the objective, governed by the verb supposing. It requires very little penetration to perceive that to be does nothing more, in such cases, than mark that this seventh rule is included in the sixth, for the verb the two nouns between which it is put are different names for the same thing. On this subject, Mr Mili reasons with his usual acuteness. In showing how the name of a class comes to be used for the name of an individual, he says, "I have the name of the individual, John, and the name of the class, man; and I can set down my two names, John, man, in juxtaposition. But this is not sufficient to effect the communication I desire, namely, that the word man is a mark of the same idea of which John is a mark, and a mark of other ideas "She was cheer'd, But silently a gentle tear let fall From either eye." along with it; those, to wit, of which James, Thomas, | Milton makes a wrong use of either in these lines&c., are marks. To complete my contrivance, I invent a mark which, placed between my marks John and Lan, fixes the idea I mean to convey, that man is another mark to that idea of which John is a mark, while it is a mark of other ideas, of which James, Thomas, &c., are marks. For this purpose, we use in English the mark is. By help of this, my object is immediately attained."* Those capable of understanding this dissertation, will immediately see the virtual identity of our sixth and seventh rules; but here, as in other cases, we have been anxious not to depart from the common doctrines, and the repetition of the rule, while it may be useful to some, can do harm to none. 1. You believed it to be he. 2. It was not me who said so. 3. It appeared to be her who carried on the business. 4. Though I was blamed, it could not have been me. These we take to be the great leading principles on which the Syntax of the English language is founded, and by the thorough understanding of which, the student will be enabled to see the construction of almost any sentence. Many grammarians, some of whom-particularly Crombie and M'Culloch-we highly respect, have given many more; but we adhere to the decision of the dictator of English literature, who says, that our language has so little inflection or variety of terminations, that its construction neither requires nor admits many rules."+ A few miscellaneous remarks (we cannot dignify them with the name of rules) will conclude this part of our subject. 1. Every adjective must qualify a noun, either expressed or understood: thus, in the lines "Auspicious Hope! in thy sweet garden grow Wreaths for each toil, a charm for every woe," every adjective is immediately followed by its noun. But in this, "Few shall part where many meet," the noun men is obviously understood. We have already seen that a and an (commonly called the indefinite article) are identical in meaning; but there is this difference in their application, that 4 is prefixed to words beginning with the sound of a consonant, the long sound of u, and vowels sounding like w; and an, to words which begin with the sound of a vowel. Thus, we say, a man, but an ox; a house, but an hospital; a one-horse coach; a unicorn; an easterly wind, &c. 3. In English, as already noticed, the adjective is not generally inflected for any purpose except to express degrees of comparison; but to this remark there are two exceptions. These are the Demonstrative Adjec tives this and that, which have corresponding plurals, these and those: thus, we say, this man, but these men ; that map, but those maps. 4. It is not the office of an adjective to qualify either a verb or another adjective; this must be done by an adverb. We do not say, "James reads good," but "James reads well." "I am myself indifferent honest," should be, "I am myself indifferently honest." "In general, no quality, when considered in concrete, or as qualifying some particular subject, can itself be conceived as the subject of any other quality, though, when considered in abstract, it may. No adjective, therefore, can qualify any other adjective. A great good man, means a man who is both great and good. Both the adjectives qualify the substantive; they do not qualify one another."-Adam Smith. That this is the genius of our language, admits not of reasonable doubt; but there are several exceptions. We speak of a thing as being of a florid red colour, and of 66 a great many were iron as being red hot. present;" "the doors were wide open;" Byron speaks of the "pale blue sky ;"-in all which cases it is quite clear that the first adjective, in some degree, modifies the second. Whether this idiom is capable of being metaphysically defended against the reasoning of Smith, or whether such expressions are to be regarded as, to use the words of Johnson, "spots impressed so deep in the English language, that criticism can never wash them away," is a question into the discussion of which we shall not enter. About the authority of the expressions there can be no dispute. We say, It was already pointed out that certain adjectives, from their very nature, do not admit of comparison; and it should now be observed, that, for the same reason, many of them, such as universal, omnipotent, and others, whose signification cannot be increased, ought not to be qualified by any adverb. 5. Tautological expressions ought to be avoided, and no word should be introduced into a sentence which has not some distinct function to perform. "From whence came he?" should be, "Whence came he?" because, as we already saw, whence, in itself, means " from what place." Again, in the sentence, “I doubt not but that he will come," it is obvious, on a little reflection, that the idea intended would be completely conveyed by this form of expression-" I doubt not that he will come," and the insertion of but serves no useful purpose. By reversing the sentence, this may be more obvious" He will come, I doubt not that (thing)." 2. The exact import of the four words, each, every, either, and neither, which are known by the name of Distributive Adjectives, ought to be carefully attended to, and, from their very meaning, it will appear that they must always be joined to a noun in the singular. Each means the one and the other of two: thus, In this sentence, taken from Goldsmith's History of Cowper, in his ode, "The Lily and the Rose," says pro-England-"The New Englanders were determined to perly "Until a third [flower] surpass you both, Let each be deem'd a queen." Every refers to any number more than two, considered individually thus, Byron, referring to the unfortunate separation of himself and Lady Byron, says― "Both shall live, but every morrow Either means the one or the other of two; neither, not either, not the one nor the other of two. The use of both words is seen in these lines Lepidus flatters both, Of both is flattered; but he neither loves, * Analysis, &c., vol. i. p. 117. Dr Johnson. Preface to Dictionary. attack the royal forces as soon as ever they should march out of Boston"-the word ever is of no use, and consequently should be omitted. Perhaps under the same remark might be included the following, which, however, from its extensive application, we shall keep separate. 6. Two negatives ought not to be used, unless affirmation is meant. In this respect Bacon, Shakspeare, and Locke, and indeed all our early writers, frequently offend. Usage was in their times divided; but it has now become fixed, and that on the side of metaphysical propriety. Bacon says "The joys of parents are secret, and so are their griefs and fears; they cannot utter the one, nor will they not utter the other." Shakspeare Goldsmith, too, has violated the idiom of the English tongue in this respect, although he has offended in good company: "Never was a fleet more completely equipped, nor never had the nation more sanguine hopes of success." Never should be ever. "He is not unjust" is right, if we mean to express much the same idea as is conveyed by the words, "He is just." By some it is maintained that this mode of expression strengthens the affirmation, and certainly it may do so in spoken language; but in writing it serves only to introduce ambiguity, and so ought to be avoided. 7. Certain conjunctions go in pairs: thus, both, and; either, or; neither, nor; though or although, yet; whether, or; so, that; not only or not merely, but also; so, as; as, as; such, as. Most of these words are conjunctions, but not all. "I will neither come or send" is wrong; because or is not the correlative of neither: it ought to be, "I will either come or send," or, "I will neither come nor send." 8. Derivative words generally take the same prepositions after them as their primitives. Goldsmith offends again in saying, "Catiline was insatiable of wealth" because we do not say to satiate (the primitive of insatiable) a person of wealth, but with wealth. 9. Certain prepositions are appropriated to certain words and phrases. We do not say, " To have faith to a person," but " in a person;" "To find difficulty with doing a thing," but "in doing it;"" To differ with a person," but " from a person." Such idiomatic expressions are only to be made familiar by an extensive and well-directed course of study; or, as Milton has it, "by a well-continued and judicious conversing among pure authors." 10. After the comparative degree, whether of adjectives or adverbs, and the adjective other, the conjunction than is used: thus, "Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right;" "This is none other than the house of God." Shakspeare has offended against this idiom "The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch, But ought to be than. "Scarcely had Austria been❘ crushed, than it was announced," &c.-GOLDSMITH. Than ought to be when. 11. The Perfect Participle, and not the Past Tense, is used after the verbs have and be. This remark requires to be attended to in using irregular verbs, but in verbs that are regular, no mistake can arise, as both parts are the same. In nothing, we venture to remark, does defective scholarship sooner betray itself than in a wrong conjugation of the irregu lar verbs. "They had from the beginning began to embrace opposite systems." - GOLDSMITH. Began ought to be begun. "You must not think, That we are made of stuff so flat and dull, Shook should be shaken. 12. Adverbs ought to be placed so as to leave no doubt what word is affected by them. "The negroes are to appear at church only in boots." By this position of only, it appears that the negroes were not to come to church unless "in boots," or with nothing else but boots; but the meaning intended was that they should appear at church, and no where else, in boots. The sentence should therefore have stood thus:"The negroes are to appear only at church in boots." "Pompey played a despicable part enough betwixt them." Enough ought to be immediately after despicable. "Cæsar so turned the fate of the day, that the p-barians were almost cut off to a man." It ought to ere cut off almost to a man." EXERCISES. To all these remarks, we shall subjoin a few miscel laneous examples, on which the student may exercise himself. We shall refer to the Rule or Remark vio lated as we go on. 1. Are either of us to blame? (Rule I. Remark 2.) 2. Those kind of things give most satisfaction. (Rule L. E mark 3.) 3. I acted in compliance to his request. (Remarks 8 and 9. 4. Let such teach others who themselves excel-POPE. Remark 7.) 5. These new divines offered salvation upon casier terms, b substituting practice to belief and a man's own efforts to vicsrious satisfaction.-AIKEN's Letters. (Remark 9.) 6. There is nothing more pleases us as to have our performan praised. (Remark 10.) 7. Antony led the way direct to Italy. (Remark 4.) 8. Neither of them appealed to impotent laws which cor! afford them no protection.-ROBERTSON. (Rule IV. Remark i 9. It is wonderful how preposterous the affairs of this world are managed.-FRANKLIN. (Remark 4.) 10. During the rest of his consular year, Bibulus could on escape outrage by not only avoiding all assemblies of the people. of Rome, Cabinet Cyclopædia. (Remark 12.) but every solemn and important meeting of the senate.-History 11. I never did repent for doing good, Nor shall not now.-SHAKSPEARE. (Remarks 6 and 9! 12. The wisest princes need not think it any diminution to ther greatness, or derogation to their sufficiency, to rely upon counse BACON's Essays. (Remark 9.) 13. The hostilities which twice interrupted the progress of the community, neither seemed to originate in any imperative claim of national honour or advantage.-WADE's British History. (Re marks 12 and 7.) 14. It was observed to me, that in this country no man who is able to work need to go supperless to bed. This far he stated the fact.-COMBE's Notes on America. (Rule V. Remark 4.) 15. When a nation forms a government, it is not wisdom but power which they place in the hands of the magistrate.-ROBERT HALL. (Rule IV.) 16. The leaders of the fleet and the army began mutually to accuse each other.-GOLDSMITH. (Remark 5.) 17. Royal proclamations continued as omnipotent as in the preceding reign.-WADE. 18. There have been three riots in England of late, each d which have been levelled against dissenters.-ROBERT HALL (Remark 2.) The student should now be so familiar with the Rule of Syntax, which are nothing but generalised fact regarding the customary modes of uniting words and sentences together, that he will be able to commit hi thoughts to appropriate language; that is, such a shall convey to others the exact meaning he has in hi own mind. To do this, however, not merely with accu racy but also taste, besides attending to the rules syntax, he must take care, first, that all the words b uses belong to the English tongue; and, secondly, tha they be employed in their usual and recognised accep tation. A word not English is termed a barbarism, an when used in a sense different from its established one an impropriety; both should be equally avoided, eithe in writing or speaking. PUNCTUATION. Punctuation, or the insertion of points in writte language, is usually considered a part of grammar, an a knowledge of its principles is desirable for corres literary composition. The introduction of points said to be useful to mark places at which a pause of lesser or greater length should be made in readin This definition is not altogether wrong, but punctu tion has much higher objects in view. Points at necessary for marking the parts or sections into whic sentences and paragraphs are divided, so that the exa meaning or sense may be apprehended, and perfe regularity preserved. The real use of points, ther fore, is to cut off and separate single words, or group of words, from each other. Sometimes the separati need only be slight, and for this the point called the comma, is sufficient. For instance, "Providence has, i think, displayed a tenderness for mankind." Here there is a comma before and after "I think," because these two words express something thrust into the sentence, which should be kept in some measure distinct. The semicolon; is used to mark a more perfect separation of words. In general, it cuts a sentence into two or more parts, one of which has a reference to the other. Thus, "Economy is no disgrace; for it is better to live on a little than to outlive a great deal." Here the sentence is in two sections, the semicolon marking the boundary of separation. The colon signifies a still wider separation in the words of a sentence; but its qualifications are so indistinct, and so liable to misconception, that in practice it is now almost entirely disused, and the period or full stop is employed in its stead. The other marks used in written language are as follows:-The mark of interrogation, which is put after words asking a question; the mark of admiration!, put after any exclamation of surprise, lamentation, or scorn; the dash -, which is sometimes employed instead of a semicolon, or for any kindred purpose; and the parenthesis ( ), for enclosing a word or portion of a sentence foreign to the tenor of the Good writers endeavour to avoid requiring either parenthetic marks or dashes, both of which indicate irregularities of thought and expression. fense. CONCLUSION. "Words are the daughters of earth. and things only are the sons of heaven." Language is but a vehicle of thought, or, at best, its instrument, and to view it as an "end unto itself," is the vain humour of a pedant. Let none be so taken up with words as to forget solid things. COMMON ERRORS CORRECTED. The remaining space of the present sheet could scarcely, we think, be better employed than in enumerating some examples of the most common errors in the pronunciation and selection of words. In every part of the country there are some peculiar vices of speech, which have been handed down from one generation to another, and are generally so inveterate in most minds, from the effect of early habit, that no cultivation which the mind may receive in mature life altogether obliterates them. For any one who has occasion to mix in refined society to be thus liable every moment to the use of some barbarism of speech, is a misfortune of some magnitude; for nothing tends so much to convey a mean impression of his education and habits of life. The most beautiful young female, who, silent, appears a kind of divinity, is reduced at once to common earth when we hear a few inelegant words fall from her mouth. Coleridge somewhere tells that he was once much prepossessed in favour of an individual whom he met at a dinner-table, and who appeared a dignified and respectable person, until, some kind of fruit being introduced, he heard him exclaim, "Oh, them's the jockies for me!" Words are the exponents of conditions of mind, and, when mean ones are used, we unavoidably suppose the condition of mind to be mean. ERRORS IN PRONUNCIATION. We have now explained the Etymology and Syntax of the English tongue, as far as our limits permit; and, in drawing to a close, we may be allowed to impress on our readers the value of the science which we have been endeavouring to expound. If they have intelligently gone along with us in our various remarks, they will not be surprised when we assert that this de- The interchange of w for and v for w, and the putpartment of human knowledge, if skilfully cultivated, ting of the sound of h before words where it is inapprowill be productive of very valuable results. To under-priate, and taking it away where it ought to be. Exstand the grammar of a sentence, is nothing more or amples-Vill you rait to get some vine and wictuals? less than to understand its sense, and to see clearly how An 'ard-boiled hegg. its various parts are connected; while in learning to regnise the different modifications that words undergo, and the different arrangements of which they are sceptible, to express difference of thought, we have ercised many of the mental faculties, and in so far aid the foundation of what is much wanted, a just ystem of Logic. The sources whence the student will derive effectual d in the prosecution of this interesting subject, we have already pointed out incidentally; but let no one ment too much though he should not have access to Bem. Rather let him, by additional thought on his en part, make up for the deficiency, and he may rest ured that, by accustoming himself to mark the different modes of expression he meets with in reputable authors, a system of grammar will evolve itself, which will be all the more valued-if we may not say valuable -that it has been wrought out by his own exertions, and not received by tradition or passively from the bands of another. Following this plan, the real method induction, he will either reproduce the rules which we have set before him, or else see their erroneousness. that, in either case, we shall deserve well of him; for, if we are right in any thing, we shall have served as a guide to him; and in those points where we have red, we shall have put him on the way to find out ur errors. We know very well that the pupil cannot with our eyes, and we have, therefore, only endeawared to direct his attention to such objects as he may see with his own. So far as he sees, he should believe, and no farther. To dogmatise is the method of a grammatist, but our ambition has been to act the Part of a philosophical grammarian, and, as such, we arnot conclude without warning our readers never to forget that words in themselves are nothing, and that they are only valuable in so far as they are the symbols of ideas. Beautifully and justly has Johnson said, The sound instead of g at the ends of words. Examples-Somethink, nothink. The addition of r at the ends of words ending in vowels. Examples-Idear, windor, Elizar. Changing the termination en or ain into ing; as garding for garden, founting for fountain. UNGRAMMATICAL FORMS. Between you and I, there is a great want of conscientiousness in most partisans. Correction-Between you and me, &c. I am not so proud as him. Cor.-As he. You will do it better than her. Cor.-Than she. May thou as well as me, be meek, patient, and forgiving. Cor.-As well as I, &c. While the house was being built. Cor.-While the house was in the course of being built. He don't go to town to-day. Cor.--He does not go to town to-day. I rather think he is out of town. Cor.-I believe he is out of town. I had better go myself. Cor.-It were better that I should go myself. I had oblige to go. Cor.-I was obliged to go. rapidly. She readied a dish for us. pared, a dish for us. Cor. She cooked, or pre She was a superior woman, or, She was a most superior woman. Cor.-Superior can only be used with regard to something else which is at the same time expressed; thus, She was a woman much superior to the generality of her sex. Short-lived, long-lived. Cor.-Short-lifed, long-lifed. Cor. The Earl of Winchelsea of that time; the Mrs Bennet then living. He lays asleep in the cabin. Cor.-He lies asleep in the cabin. His health was drank. Cor. The dinner was all eat up. all eaten up. His health was drunk. Cor.-The dinner was I went to table and eat very heartily. Cor.-I went to table and ate very heartily. A couple of shillings. Cor.-Couple can only be properly applied to objects in connexion; as, a married couple, a couple of pointers. John, James, and Robert, were sober workmen, the latter particularly so. Cor. The last particularly so (the objects enumerated being more than two). The Manchester Guardian is a well-advertised paper -meaning a paper which usually contains many advertisements. Cor.-The Manchester Guardian usually contains many advertisements, or-enjoys a large share of the patronage of advertisers. I could not give him credit, without he changes his behaviour. Cor.-I could not give him credit, unless he changes his behaviour. I will go, except I should be ill. Cor.-Unless I should be ill. Failing in his effort, he again repeated it. Cor.Again is superfluous. He is no way thy inferior, and in this instance is no ways to blame. Cor. He is in no wise thy inferior, and in this instance is not at all to blame. He charged me with want of resolution, in which he was greatly mistaken. Cor.-He charged me with want of resolution, but in this censure he was greatly mistaken. No less than two hundred scholars have been educated in that school. Cor.-No fewer, &c. It is above a year since the time that I left school. Cor.-It is more than a year since I left school. He was guilty of such atrocious conduct, that he was deserted by his friends for good and all. Cor.-He was guilty of conduct so atrocious, that he was entirely deserted by his friends. it. OBSOLETE, AWKWARD, AND MEAN FORMS. I had as lief do it myself as persuade another to do Cor.-I would as readily, &c. He convinced his opponent by sheer dint of argument. Cor.-Entirely by force of argument. He is not a whit better than those whom he so liberally condemns. Cor. He is not in any degree, &c. He stands upon the bond, and will not abate a jot of his claim. Cor.-He insists on the strict terms of the I took some cream into a bowl. Cor.-I took some bond, and will not in the least abate his claim. cream in a bowl. I saw them all, unless two or three. Cor.-I saw them all, except two or three. I am going for to do it. Cor.-I am going to do it. He was a devoted antiquarian all his days. Cor.He was a devoted antiquary all his days. (Antiquarian is the adjective.) James is going to be a medical man. Cor.-James is going to be a physician, surgeon, or medical practitioner. He is oftener wrong than right. frequently wrong than right. Cor. He is more I have no right to pay this tax. I have no right to be distressed by that man's conduct. Cor.-I am under no obligation to pay this tax. I am not obliged to suffer from that man's conduct. You will be necessitated to submit. Cor. You will be obliged to submit. Don't talk of those sort of things to me. Cor.-Don't talk of that sort of things to me. Sort of things is a mean and objectionable expression. Things of that kind" is more elegant as well as correct. The castle is seated by the Garonne. Cor.-The castle is seated beside the Garonne. Lord Byron was born at London. There have been destructive fires at Edinburgh. Cor.-Lord Byron was born in London. There have been destructive fires in Edinburgh. (At is only proper with respect to a small town.) I met him on the street. Cor.-I met him in the street. I don't know, but I will inquire at my friend. Cor. -Of my friend. Oh, I will fall, and nobody shall help me. Cor.-Oh, I shall fall, and nobody will help me. I have been to London, and am now going for Liverpool. Cor.-I have been in London, and am now going to Liverpool. They were some distance from home when the accident happened. Cor.-At some distance, &c. He lives opposite the Royal Exchange. Cor.-Opposite to, &c. Good satin, I take it, is considerably superior to common silk. Cor.-I presume. Politics too often sets men by the ears. When they come to words, and fall out, reason is generally lost sight of. I should not wonder but on this occasion there might be broken heads going. Cor.-Politics too often causes quarrels. When men enter into contro versy and differ violently, reason is generally lost sight of. I should not wonder but on this occasion they might commit some violence on each other. We shall have a regular break-up in the ministry. Cor.-We shall have a dissolution of the ministry. He was very dexterous in smelling out the designs of his neighbours. Cor.-In penetrating, &c. He is a thorough-paced knave. Cor.-He is a great knave. Heretofore Hannibal had carried all before him; wherefore he had become very proud, listening to no advice whatsoever; whereas Scipio invariably took counsel from the most sagacious of his officers.-The words in Italics are all obsolete and objectionable. He wist not what to do. Cor.-He knew not what to do. He little wots of the storm that is brewing. CorHe is not aware, &c. Topsy-turvy, pell-mell, hurly-burly, having a month's mind for a thing, currying favour with a person, dancing attendance on customers All objectionable, from their meanness. - We are at one on the slave question. I happen to have a little leisure upon my hands. He might have perceived it with half an eye. We should always be glad to put ourselves about for our neighbours. Cor.-To put ourselves to a little inconvenience. My father left this morning by the mail. Cor.-My father went away this morning, &c. "When are you to leave?" is, in like manner, vicious. The place or thing left should always be stated. Slang phrases of all kinds should be received warily. The least objectionable are those which merely sug The performance was approved of by all who under-gest comical ideas; those which tend to present light stood it. Cor.--The performance was approved by all. They attacked Northumberland's house, whom they put to death. Cor.-They attacked the house of Northumberland (or the Duke of Northumberland), whom they put to death. It is true what he says, but it is not applicable to the point. Cor. What he says is true, &c. Together with the national debt, the greatest national vantages are also transmitted to succeeding generans. Cor.-Also is superfluous. and jocular views of moral error are particularly detestable. It will be the aim of a well-bred and judi cious person to make his discourse neither too nice and formal, nor too loose and homely, but as far as possible to preserve a medium between the select language em ployed in literature, and the familiar and perhaps temporary phraseology which prevails in ordinary society. Printed and published by W. and R. CHAMBERS, Edinburgh. Bold also by W. S. ORR, London. |