English Grammar in Familiar Lectures Part 48

Extravagance and folly may reduce you to a situation where you will have much to fear and little to hope.

Not one in fifty of our modern infidels are thoroughly versed in their knowledge of the Scriptures.

Virtue and mutual confidence is the soul of friendship. Where these are wanting, disgust or hatred often follow little differences.

An army present a painful sight to a feeling mind.

To do good to them that hate us, and, on no occasion, to seek revenge, is the duty of a Christian.

The polite, accomplished libertine, is but miserable amidst all his pleasures: the rude inhabitant of Lapland is happier than him.

There are principles in man, which ever have, and ever will, incline him to offend.

This is one of the duties which requires great circ.u.mspection.

They that honor me, them will I honor.

Every church and sect have opinions peculiar to themselves.

Pericles gained such an ascendant over the minds of the Athenians, that he might be said to attain a monarchical power in Athens.

Thou, Lord, who hath permitted affliction to come upon us, shall deliver us from it in due time.

That writer has given us an account of the manner in which Christianity has formerly been propagated among the heathens.

Though the measure be mysterious, it is not unworthy of your attention.

In his conduct was treachery, and in his words, faithless professions. After I visited Europe, I returned to America.

I have not, nor shall not, consent to a proposal so unjust.

I had intended yesterday to have walked out, but I have been again disappointed.

Five and eight makes thirteen; five from eight leaves three.

If he goes to Saratoga next week, it will make eight times that he has visited that renowned watering place.

I could not convince him, that a forgiving disposition was n.o.bler than a revengeful one. I consider the first, one of the brightest virtues that ever was or can be possessed by man.

The college consists of one great, and several smaller edifices.

He would not believe, that honesty was the best policy.

The edifice was erected sooner than I expected it to have been.

Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, &c.?

He might have completed his task sooner, but he could not do it better.

The most ignorant and the most savage tribes of men, when they have looked round on the earth, and on the heavens, could not avoid ascribing their origin to some invisible, designing cause, and felt a propensity to adore their Creator.

CRITICAL NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

OBSERVATION 1. The following absurd phrases so common in the sacred desk and elsewhere, should be carefully avoided by all who regard common sense:--"Sing the _two first_ and _three last_ verses." Just as if there could be more than _one_ first and _one_ last. There may be a _first two_, a _second two_, &c.; a _first three_, a _second three_, a _last three_. "Within the _two last_ centuries;" "The second syllable of the _three first_ words;" "The _three first_ of these orthoepists have no rule by which their p.r.o.nunciation is regulated:"--"the _last two_ centuries;" "the _first three_ words;" "the _first three_ of these orthoepists."

2. Adjectives should not be used to express the manner of action. "The higher the river, the _swifter_ it flows;" "James learns _easier_ than Juliet; he sees _deeper_ into the millstone than she:"--"the _more swiftly_ it flows;" "learns _more easily_; _farther_ into the millstone." "He conducted the _boldest_ of any:"--"the _most boldly_."

3. _More_ requires _than_ after it. The following sentences are therefore improper: "He was more beloved, but not so much admired, _as_ Cinthio;" "Richard is more active, but not so studious, _as_ his companion." The legitimate mode of supplying the ellipses in these constructions, will show their gross impropriety: thus, "He was more beloved _as_ Cinthio;" "Richard is more active _as_ his companion," &c.

4. Adverbs, as ill.u.s.trated on page 85, are generally _subst.i.tutes_ for two or more words belonging to other parts of speech. "Will you accompany me to Europe next summer?" _"Yes."_ "Do you believe that the voyage will restore your health?" _"No."_ In these examples, the adverbs _yes_ and _no_, are subst.i.tutes for whole sentences, and, therefore, do not qualify any words understood. _Yes_, in this instance, literally means, _"I will accompany you to Europe next summer;"_ and _no_, _"I do not believe that the voyage will restore my health."_ Many other adverbs are often employed in a similar manner.

_"Firstly,"_ is often improperly used instead of the adverb _first;_ "a _good deal_," instead of, _much_, or, a _great deal_.

5. A nice distinction should be observed in the use of _such_ and _so_.

The former may be employed in expressing _quality_; the latter, in expressing a _degree_ of the quality; as, "_Such_ a temper is seldom found;" "_So_ bad a temper is seldom found." In the following examples, _so_ should be used instead of _such:_ "He is _such_ an extravagant young man, that I cannot a.s.sociate with him;" "I never before saw _such_ large trees."

The affected use of cardinal, instead of ordinal numbers, ought not to be imitated. "On page _forty-five;"_ "Look at page _nineteen_;"--_forty-fifth, nineteenth_.

6. In the choice and application of prepositions, particular regard should be paid to their meaning as established by the idiom of our language and the best usage. "In my proceedings, I have been actuated from the conviction, that I was supporting a righteous cause;" "He should have profited from those golden precepts;" "It is connected to John with the conjunction _and_;" "Aware that there is, in the minds of many, a strong predilection in favor of established usages;" "He was made much on at Argos;" "They are resolved of going;" "The rain has been falling of a long time;" "It is a work deserving of encouragement."

These examples may be corrected thus, "actuated _by_ the conviction;"

"_by_ those golden precepts;" "_by_ the conjunction and;" "predilection _for_;" "much _of_ at Argos;" "_on_ going;" "falling a long time;"

"deserving encouragement."

7. The preposition _to_ is used before nouns of place, where they follow verbs or participles of motion; as, "I went _to_ Washington." But _at_ is employed after the verb _to be_; as, "I have been _at_ Washington;"

"He has been _to_ New York, _to_ home," &c. are improper. The preposition _in_ is set before countries, cities, and large towns; "He lives _in_ France, _in_ London, _in_ Philadelphia, _in_ Rochester." But before single houses, and cities and villages which are in distant countries, _at_ is commonly used; as, "He lives _at_ Park-place;" "She resides _at_ Vincennes." People in the northern states may say, "They live _in_ New Orleans, or, _at_ New Orleans."

8. Pa.s.sive agents to verbs in the infinitive mood, should not be employed as active agents. The following are solecisms: "This house to let;" "Horses and carriages to let;" "Congress has much business to perform this session;" because the agents, _house_, _horses_ and _carriages_, and _business_, which are really _pa.s.sive_, are, according to these constructions, rendered as active. The expressions should be, "This house to _be_ let;" "Horses and carriages to _be_ let;" "much business to _be performed_."

9. AMBIGUITY.--"Nothing is more to be desired than wisdom." Not _literally_ correct, for _wisdom_ is certainly more to be desired than _nothing_; but, as a figurative expression, it is well established and unexceptionable.

"A crow is a large black bird:"--a large, _black--bird_.

"I saw a horse--fly through the window:"--I saw a _horsefly_.

"I saw a ship gliding under full sail through a spy gla.s.s." I saw, through a spy gla.s.s, a ship gliding under full sail.

"One may see how the world goes with half an eye." One may see with half an eye, how the world goes.

"A great stone, that I happened to find, after a long search, by the sea sh.o.r.e, served me for an anchor." This arrangement of the members and circ.u.mstances of this sentence, confines the speaker's _search to the sea sh.o.r.e;_ whereas, he meant, "A _large stone, which,_ after a long search, I happened _to find by the sea sh.o.r.e,_ served me for an anchor."

"I shall only notice those called personal p.r.o.nouns." I shall notice _only_ those called personal p.r.o.nouns.

10. TAUTOLOGY.--Avoid words which add no thing to the sense; such as, "_Now_ extant, _free_ gratis, _slow_ mope, _cold_ snow, a _hot_ sun, a _flowing_ stream, a _dull_ blockhead, _wise_ sages." "I am just going to go there;" I am _about_ to go.