The English language, in its elements and forms

universal; most unkindest; "but that I love thee best, O most best, believe it."-Hamlet. This phraseology is not to be encouraged, though we may have to submit to it. Thus the word lesser is used for less by good authors.

Note XIV.-Adjectives and Adverbs are sometimes improperly used for each other; as, "Extreme bad weather," for extremely; "the then ministry," for the then existing ministry; "weeds and flowers promiscuous shoot," for promiscuously;

honest," for indifferently honest.

indifferent

Note XV.-An adjective is sometimes used Infinitively, or Independently of a noun, when joined to a verb infinitive or to a participle; as, "To be cheerful is the habit of a truly pious mind ;" "the desire of being happy reigns in all hearts." See note second.

SECTION COCCXCI.-THE COLLOCATION OF ADJECTIVES.

The adjective is generally placed immediately before the substantive; as, A learned man; a virtuous woman.

Exception 1. When the adjective is closely connected with some other word, by which its meaning is modified or explained; as, "A man loyal to his prince;" "he is four years old, an army fifty thousand strong;" a wall three feet thick."

Exc. 2. When the verb serves chiefly the purpose of a copula, to unite the predicate with its subject; as, "Thou art good;" "he fell sick."

Exc. 3. When there are more adjectives than one connected with the substantive; as, "A man wise, learned, valiant, and good."

Exc. 4. When metrical harmony will be obtained; as,

"With eyes upraised, as one inspired,

Pale Melancholy sat retired."

Exc. 5. When the adjective is preceded by an adverb, the noun is often placed first; "A man conscientiously exact.'

Exc. 6. When an adjective becomes a title; as, "Alexander the Great;" 66 'Henry

as,
the First."

Exc. 7. When time, number, or dimension is specified, the adjective follows the "He is four years old;" substantive; as, an army twenty thousand strong;" a wall three feet thick."

Exc. 8. When an emphatical adjective is used to introduce a sentiment, it precedes, at some distance, the substantive which it qualifies; as, Sorry I am to hear liberty of speech in this house imputed as a crime."

as,

"All

Exc. 9. The adjective all may be separated from its substantive by the; the nations of Europe." Such and many, when they modify nouns in the singular number, are separated from them by a; as, "Such a character is rare ;"

66 many a time." All adjectives are separated from nouns by a when preceded by so or as: "So rich a dress ;" as splendid a retinue." They are also separated by a and the when preceded by how or however; as, "How dist nguished an act of bravery;" "how brilliant the prize;" "however just the complaint ;" and by too; as, "Too costly a sacrifice." The word soever may be interpose:1 between the attributive and the noun; as, "How clear soever this idea of infinity; how remote soever it may seem."-LOCKE. Double, in the sense of twice, is separated from its noun by the or a; as, "Double the or a distance." In the sense of twofold it is preceded by the or a; as, "The or a double wrapper." Both is separated from its noun by the; as, "Both the men. All and singular, or every, precede the before the noun in these phrases: "All and singular the articles, clauses, and conditions;" "all and every of the articles "-phrases of the law style.

Exc. 10. Worth not only follows the noun which it qualifies, but is followed by a noun denoting price or value; as, "A book worth a florin ;" "it is well worth the money;""it is worth observation." If a pronoun is used after worth, it must be in the objective case: It is worth them, or it.

Exc. 11. Certain adjectives, formed by the prefix a, follow a verb and a noun to which they belong, but never precede the noun. Such are Adry, afeared, afraid, alone, alike, aware, akin, alive, asleep, awake, athirst, aloft, aghast, afloat, askew, ashamed, pursuant, plenty, worth; to which may be added, amiss, aground, ashore, aside, and a few others, which may be used as modifiers or adverbs. We say one is adry, ashamed, alive, or awake; but never an adry person, an ashamed child.

Exc. 12. Certain other adjectives, like pursuant, regent, rampant, follow the noun as, "A proclamation was issued pursuant to advice of council;" "the prince regent;" "a lion rampant."

42 [ENG. LANG. 24.]

In certain cases, adjectives can either follow or precede the noun, at the option of the writer.

SECTION CCCCXCIL-EXERCISES IN THE SYNTAX OF THE ADJECTIVE. RULE V.-a. To Christian nations belong the exclusive cultivation of learning and science, and the assiduous advancement of every useful and ornamental art. C. S.* b. He is the best accountant who can cast up correctly the sum of his own errors.NEVINS. C. S.

c. Allegories, when well chosen, are like so many tracts of light in a discourse, that make everything about them clear and beautiful.-ADDISON. C. S.

d. A firm faith is the best divinity; a good life, the best philosophy; a clear conscience, the best law; honesty, the best policy; and temperance, the best physic.

C. S.

(Mention the instances under this note in which the adjective is used attributively, and in which it is used predicatively.)

Note I.- -a. Beautiful June has come: June is, beautiful. C. S.

b. When bad men combine, the good must associate, else they will fall one by one in a contemptible struggle.-BURKE. C. S.

c. In matters of conscience, first thoughts are best; in matters of prudence, the best thoughts are last. C. S.

Note II..-a. To calumniate is detestable; to be generous is commendable. C. S. b. "To do so, my lord duke," replied Morton, undauntedly, ourselves the rebels you term us."- SCOTT.

C. S.

were to acknowledge

Note IV.-a. No such original convention of the people was ever held antecedent to the existence of civil government. C. S.

b. "Either," said I, you did not know the way well, or you did: if the former, it was dishonest in you to undertake to guide me; if the latter, you have wilfully led me out of the way."-W. COBBETT. C. S.

Note V.-a. I never met with a closer grained wood. C. S.

b. Some deemed him wondrous wise, and some believed him mad.-BEATTIE. C. S. Note VI. He described a beautiful young lady leading a blind old man. C. S. Note VII.-a. Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring. C. S.

b. But redder yet that light shall glow
On Linden's hills of blood-stain'd snow,
And bloodier yet the torrent flow

Of Iser, rolling rapidly.-CAMPBELL. C. S.

C. S.
C. S.

Note VIII.- -a. If she is not one of the immortals, she is like them. b. Each sudden breath of wind passed by us like the voice of a spirit. Note IX.-a. He enjoys the goods of fortune with a grateful heart. C. S. b. The generous, who is always just, and the just, who is always generous, may, unannounced, approach the throne of Heaven. C. S.

Note X.-Having leaped the stone wall, he drank spring water which issued from the base of the mountain. C. S.

Note XI.-a. He is the strongest of the two, but not the wisest. F. S.

b. Moses was the meekest of men.

C. S.

Note XII.-a. He spoke with so much propriety that I understood him the best of all others that spoke on the subject. F. S.

b. He was graver than the other Frenchmen.

C. S.

c. One of the acutest, most powerful, and, of all reasoners, the most conscientious and sincere. C. S.

Note XIII.- -a. His work was perfect, his brother's more perfect, and his father's the most perfect of all. F. S.

b. It is more easier to build two chimneys than to maintain one. F. S.

c. They chose, as they thought, of the two, the lesser evil.-JOHN RANDOLPH.

Note XIV.- -a. You had scarce gone when be arrived. F. S.

b. The tutor addressed him in terms rather warm, but suitably to his offence. F. S. Note XV.- -a. To be trifling in youth is a bad omen. C. S.

b. To be innocent is to be not guilty, but to be virtuous is to overcome our evilinclinations.-FENN. C. S.

C. S. Correct Syntax; F. S. False Syntax.

SECTION CCCCXCII.-SYNTAX OF PRONOMINAL ADJECTIVES OR ADJECTIVE

PRONOUNS.

RULE VI-PRONOMINAL ADJECTIVES, like adjectives, belong to substantives and to words used as substantives. See examples in the notes below.

Note I.-The DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVE PRONOUNS THIS and THAT agree with nouns in the singular number, THESE and THOSE with nouns in the plural number; as, This city, that church; these cities, those churches.

Note II. THIS, THAT, and other adjectives denoting unity, are joined to nouns in the plural form denoting an aggregate or a unity of idea; as, "This ten years,” “every three years." A plural form expressing unity of idea is sometimes, by the influence of this idea, changed to the singular form; as, Twelve months into twelvemonth; seven nights into se'nnight; fourteen nights into fortnight.

Note III. THIS and THAT, THESE and THOSE, are joined either in the singular or the · plural number to the word means, which has the same form in both numbers; as, "This means;" "these means.

Note IV. The Personal pronoun THEM is sometimes improperly used for THESE and THOSE; as, "Give me them books" for "give me those books;" "read them lines" for "read these lines." This error can be historically accounted for by referring to the demonstrative power of THEM, which was derived from the Anglo-Saxon Demonstrative pronoun þæt, and not from he, she, or it, though it is used as the plural form of each one of them.

Note V.-THIS and THAT, placed before a general term, not only individualise it like the article, but also express opposition between different individuals; as, "That boy;" "this girl." Here there is a contrast expressed between one boy and another boy, and one girl and another girl.

Note VI.-The DISTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVE PRONOUNS EACH, EVERY, EITHER, require the nouns to which they belong to be in the singular number.

EACH is employed to denote two or more taken separately; as, "Each member is entitled to his share."

EVERY is applied to more than two objects taken individually, and comprehends them all; as, "Every tree is known by its fruit." It is sometimes joined to a plural noun, when the things are conceived of as forming one aggregate; as, Every twelve years."

EITHER and NEITHER signify only one of two; as, "Take either of the two apples," that is, one or the other, but not both. EITHER is sometimes used improperly for each or both; as, "On either side of the river." EITHER has sometimes the meaning of one or another of any number; as, "You may take either of these ten books." This use of the word EITHER is not to be encouraged.

Instead of EITHER, the phrase any one or the word any should be employed. So, instead of NEITHER, in like manner, none or no one should be employed. Thus, instead of saying "either of the fifty men,' we should say any one of the fifty men," or one of the fifty men."

Note VII.-MANY, FEW, SEVERAL, denote number, and belong to plural substantives; as, "Many men;" "few offices;" "several prisoners."

MANY is used with a singular substantive, with the article a between it and the substantive; as, You, I know, have many a time sacrificed your own feelings to those of others." "A great many" is a phrase in current use.

FEW may take the article a before it, though that article cannot be used with a plural word; as, "Can you lend me a few shillings?"

MUCH and LITTLE denote quantity, and are used in the singular; as, “Much money,” “little money."

MORE and MOST denote number and quantity, and are used both in the singular and the plural number; as, "More fruit," "most fruit; more men," " "most men."' Note VIII.—ALL, NONE, NO, SOME, ANY, denote number or quantity, and belong to singular or plural nouns; as, "All men ;" "all the earth." No and NONE differ as my and mine, &c.; as, "I have no paper;" "as to paper, I have none." NONE, like mine, was formerly used before a vowel. "This is none other but the house of God."--Gen. xxviii. 17. Though compounded of no one, NONE is used as either singular or plural. "Some men" (number); some water (quantity). SOME is used with numerals to signify "Some fifty years ago.” Mr. CROMBIE Considers this phraseology as highly

about.

objectionable, but it is a good old Saxon idiom. "Sum" is often found combined with the genitive plural of the cardinal numbers, and signifies about; as, Sume ten géar," some ten years. "Any food" (quantity); "any apples" (number). ANY is sometimes equivalent to EVERY; as, "Any body can do that." It is sometimes indefinite, being equivalent to SOME; as, "Shall we tell any body our misfortunes?" the particular person being left undecided.

ENOUGH is an adjective singular, and denotes quantity; as, Bread enough." ENOW, the old plural of enough, denotes number; as, "Books enow."

Note IX.-There is an ambiguity in the adjective No against which it is necessary to guard. Thus, if we say, "No laws are better than the English," it may mean either that the absence of all law is better than the English laws, or that no code of jurisprudence is superior to the English. In the latter be the meaning intended, the ambiguity is removed by saying, "There are no laws better than the English." If the former, we might say, "The absence of all law is preferable to the English system."

EXERCISES UNDER RULE VI. (PRONOMINAL ADJECTIVES.)

RULE VI.-See examples in the notes below.

Note I.-a. These sort of actions injure society. F. S.

b. Those kind of injuries bring with them an appropriate punishment. F. S. Note II. I have not been in Oxford this five years.

C. S.

Note III. .-a. By this means they are happy in each other. C. S.
b. By that means he preserved his superiority. C. S.

c. In the use of these means he preserved his superiority. C. S.
Note IV.-Will you drive them cattle out of the field! F. S.
Note V. This student is industrious, that soldier is brave. C. S.
Note VI.- -a. Each had his place appointed, each his course. C. S.

b. Each of them, in their turn, receive the benefits to which they are entitled. F. S. c. Every nation has reason to feel interested in the pretensions of its own native language; in the original quality of that language, or characteristic kind of its power; and in the particular degree of its expansion at the period in question.-DE QUINCEY. C. S. d. Every person, whatever be their station, is bound to obey the laws of morality. F. S.

e. Are either of those five men worthy of public confidence? F. S. f. Are either of those two men worthy of public confidence? C. S.

g. Neither of those men are aware that their opinions are false. F. S.

h. It is neither grace, nor is it dignity, that speaks to us from the noble countenance of Juno Ludovici; it is neither, because it is at the same time both.-SCHILLER, Translation. C. S.

Note VII.-Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. C. S.
Note VIII.-All nature is but art unknown to thee;

All chance direction which thou canst not see;
All discord harmony not understood;

All partial evil universal good.-POPE. C. S.

Note IX.-No religion is better than the Mohammedan. ings which this ambiguous sentence may express)

(State each of the two mean

SECTION CCCCXCIV.SYNTAX OF NUMERAL ADJECTIVES.

RULE VII.-The CARDINAL ONE, the ORDINAL FIRST, and the word SINGLE, are naturally Singular, and are used with nouns in the singular number.

The CARDINALS TWO, THREE, &c., which answer to the question how many, are used with nouns in the plural number.

The ORDINALS SECOND, THIRD, &c., which denote wHAT PLACE the thing occupies;

The MULTIPLICATIVES DOUBLE, TWO-FOLD, TRIPLE, THREE-FOLD, FOUR-FOLD, which show how many times one thing exceeds another, are used with nouns in the singular number.

Note I.-After Numerals, the words PAIR, COUPLE, DOZEN, SCORE, HUNDRED, THOUSAND,

&c., do not take the plural form; as, "Six pair of shoes;" "three dozen of apples ;" "four couple of dancers." We say twenty sail of vessels; a hundred head of cattle.

Note II.-Both Cardinals and Ordinals can be used as nouns, and some of them take the plural termination; as, Ones, twos, threes, tens, hundreds, thousands, millions, seconds, thirds, fourths. See Section CCLXXXII.

Note III.-It has been a question whether the Ordinal shall come before the Cardinal; for instance, whether the first three, or the three first, is the correct order. The objection to the use of first three is, that it implies an absurdity, when there is no second three. The objection to the use of three first is, that it implies an absurdity, since there can be but one first. Each order is justified by respectable usage. A preacher, having his mind upon the number of stanzas to be sung, would be apt to say the "four first stanzas." The heads of two different classes at school would be called the two first boys. The first and second boys of the same class would be called the first two boys. Expressions like two first are sanctioned by the example of some of the best writers; so also are expressions like first two, which, indeed, in some cases, are to be preferred. "The fathers of the five first centuries."-MIDDLETON. "I have not numbered the lines, except of the four first books."-COWPER. So we say "the two former" and "the two latter," or the three former" and "the three latter." "The three former' are relics of the idiom of the ancient Britons; the three latter' of that spoken by the inhabitants of Ireland."PRICHARD'S Eastern Origin of the Celtic Nations. It is becoming the more common practice to name the Ordinal first.

EXERCISES UNDER RULE VII. (NUMERAL ADJECTIVES.)

RULE VII.-a. One man esteemeth one day above another. C. S.
b. No single man is born with the right of controlling all the rest.
c. Two similar horses used together are called a span. C. S.
d. Let a double portion of his spirit rest upon me.

e. Man has a twofold nature. C. S.

C. S.

Note I. There were six pair of doves, two couple of partridges, and three brace of ducks. C. S.

Note II.-a. They came and departed by twos. C. S.

b. Shout ye! and ye! make answer, Saul hath slain

His thousands; David his ten thousands slain. C. S.

Note III. The clergyman commenced the services by reading the four first stanzas of the 90th Psalm, omitting the fifth and last.

State the arguments for the use of each form.

C. S.

SECTION CCCCXCV.-SYNTAX OF THE ARTICLE AN OR

RULE VIII.-The article AN or A, called the Indefinite Article, is used before nouns in the singular number, to show that some single object is meant, without specifying or defining it; as, An army; a book.

Note I.-The Indefinite Article has sometimes the meaning of every or each; as, "They cost five crowns a dozen;" "it cost five-pence an inch" every dozen," "cach inch." The following adjective pronouns exclude the articles: This, that, each, every, either, any, much, some, no, none, neither.

Note II. The Indefinite Article is placed before plural nouns preceded by few or many, and also before any collective word; as, A few days;" a great many persons ;" a hundred men ;" 66 a thousand years." A never precedes many without the intervention of great between them, but follows many, standing between this word and a noun; as, "Many a man." Some other pronominal adjectives, in like manner, precede the articles; as, All, both, many, such.

Note III. The omission or the insertion of the indefinite article in some instances. nearly reverses the meaning. Its omission before such words as few, little, shows that the number or quantity indicated by the adjectives is taken in its proper sense : "Ah! little think the gay, licentious, proud." Here little is equivalent to "not much," or, by a trope, to "not at all." "He reads with a little attention." Here, on the contrary, when the indefinite article is inserted, a little " means or some." If we say 'few accompanied the prince," we seem to disparage the number, and to represent it as inconsiderable, as if we said "not many." If we say, a few accompanied the prince," .

not none,"

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