The Grammar of English Grammars Part 49

_Learnedly_ is an adverb. 1. An adverb is a word added to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an other adverb; and generally expresses time, place, degree, or manner.

_Rebuking_ is a participle. 1. A participle is a word derived from a verb, partic.i.p.ating the properties of a verb, and of an adjective or a noun; and is generally formed by adding _ing, d_, or _ed_, to the verb.

_Whatsoever_ is a p.r.o.noun. 1. A p.r.o.noun is a word used in stead of a noun.

_Is_ is a verb. 1. A verb is a word that signifies _to be, to act_, or _to be acted upon_.

_False_ is a common adjective, of the positive degree; compared regularly, _false, falser, falsest_. 1. An adjective is a word added to a noun or p.r.o.noun, and generally expresses quality. 2. A common adjective is any ordinary epithet, or adjective denoting quality or situation. 3. The positive degree is that which is expressed by the adjective in its simple form.

_Blundering_ is a participial adjective, compared by means of the adverbs; _blundering, more blundering, most blundering_; or, _blundering, less blundering, least blundering_. 1. An adjective is a word added to a noun or p.r.o.noun, and generally expresses quality. 2. A participial adjective is one that has the form of a participle, but differs from it by rejecting the idea of time. 3. Those adjectives which may be varied in sense, but not in form, are compared by means of adverbs.

_Or_ is a conjunction. 1. A conjunction is a word used to connect words or sentences in construction, and to show the dependence of the terms so connected.

_Unmannerly_ is a common adjective, compared by means of the adverbs; _unmannerly, more unmannerly, most unmannerly_; or, _unmannerly, less unmannerly, least unmannerly_. 1. An adjective is a word added to a noun or p.r.o.noun, and generally expresses quality. 2. A common adjective is any ordinary epithet, or adjective denoting quality or situation. 3. Those adjectives which may be varied in sense, but not in form, are compared by means of adverbs.

LESSON I.--PARSING.

"The n.o.blest and most beneficial invention of which human ingenuity can boast, is that of writing."--_Robertson's America_, Vol. II, p. 193.

"Charlemagne was the tallest, the handsomest, and the strongest man of his time; his appearance was truly majestic, and he had surprising agility in all sorts of manly exercises."--_Stories of France_, p. 19.

"Money, like other things, is more or less valuable, as it is less or more plentiful."--_Beanie's Moral Science_, p. 378.

"The right way of acting, is, in a moral sense, as much a reality, in the mind of an ordinary man, as the straight or the right road."--_Dr. Murray's Hist. Lang._, i, 118.

"The full period of several members possesses most dignity and modulation, and conveys also the greatest degree of force, by admitting the closest compression of thought."--_Jamieson's Rhet._, p. 79.

"His great master, Demosthenes, in addressing popular audiences, never had recourse to a similar expedient. He avoided redundancies, as equivocal and feeble. He aimed only to make the deepest and most efficient impression; and he employed for this purpose, the plainest, the fewest, and the most emphatic words."--_Ib._, p. 68.

"The high eloquence which I have last mentioned, is always the offspring of pa.s.sion. A man actuated by a strong pa.s.sion, becomes much greater than he is at other times. He is conscious of more strength and force; he utters greater sentiments, conceives higher designs, and executes them with a boldness and felicity, of which, on other occasions, he could not think himself capable."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 236.

"His words bore sterling weight, nervous and strong, In manly tides of sense they roll'd along."--_Churchill_.

"To make the humble proud, the proud submiss, Wiser the wisest, and the brave more brave."--_W. S. Landor_.

LESSON II.--PARSING.

"I am satisfied that in this, as in all cases, it is best, safest, as well as most right and honorable, to speak freely and plainly."--_Channing's Letter to Clay_, p. 4.

"The gospel, when preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, through the wonder-working power of G.o.d, can make the proud humble, the selfish disinterested, the worldly heavenly, the sensual pure."--_Christian Experience_, p. 399.

"I am so much the better, as I am the liker[184] the best; and so much the holier, as I am more conformable to the holiest, or rather to Him who is holiness itself."--_Bp. Beneridge_.

"Whether any thing in Christianity appears to them probable, or improbable; consistent, or inconsistent; agreeable to what they should have expected, or the contrary; wise and good, or ridiculous and useless; is perfectly irrelevant."--_M'Ilvaine's Evidences_, p. 523.

"G.o.d's providence is higher, and deeper, and larger, and stronger, than all the skill of his adversaries; and his pleasure shall be accomplished in their overthrow, except they repent and become his friends."--_c.o.x, on Christianity_, p. 445.

"A just relish of what is beautiful, proper, elegant, and ornamental, in writing or painting, in architecture or gardening, is a fine preparation for the same just relish of these qualities in character and behaviour. To the man who has acquired a taste so acute and accomplished, every action wrong or improper must be highly disgustful: if, in any instance, the overbearing power of pa.s.sion sway him from his duty, he returns to it with redoubled resolution never to be swayed a second time."--_Kames, Elements of Criticism_, Vol. i, p. 25.

"In grave Quintilian's copious work, we find The justest rules and clearest method join'd."--_Pope, on Crit._

LESSON III.--PARSING.

"There are several sorts of scandalous tempers; some malicious, and some effeminate; others obstinate, brutish, and savage. Some humours are childish and silly; some, false, and others, scurrilous; some, mercenary, and some, tyrannical."--_Collier's Antoninus_, p. 52.

"Words are obviously voluntary signs: and they are also arbitrary; excepting a few simple sounds expressive of certain internal emotions, which sounds being the same in all languages, must be the work of nature: thus the unpremeditated tones of admiration are the same in all men."--_Kames, Elements of Crit._, i, 347.

"A stately and majestic air requires sumptuous apparel, which ought not to be gaudy, nor crowded with little ornaments. A woman of consummate beauty can bear to be highly adorned, and yet shows best in a plain dress."--_Ib._, p. 279. "Of all external objects a graceful person is the most agreeable. But in vain will a person attempt to be graceful, who is deficient in amiable qualities."--_Ib._, p. 299.

"The faults of a writer of acknowledged excellence are more dangerous, because the influence of his example is more extensive; and the interest of learning requires that they should be discovered and stigmatized, before they have the sanction of antiquity bestowed upon them, and become precedents of indisputable authority."--_Dr. Johnson, Rambler_, Vol. ii, No. 93.

"Judges ought to be more learned than witty, more reverend than plausible, and more advised than confident; above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue."--_Bacon's Essays_, p. 145.

"The wisest nations, having the most and best ideas, will consequently have the best and most copious languages."--_Harris's Hermes_, p. 408.

"Here we trace the operation of powerful causes, while we remain ignorant of their nature; but everything goes on with such regularity and harmony, as to give a striking and convincing proof of a combining directing intelligence."--_Life of W. Allen_, Vol. i, p. 170.

"The wisest, unexperienced, will be ever Timorous and loth, with novice modesty, Irresolute, unhardy, unadventurous."--_Milton_.

IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.

ERRORS OF ADJECTIVES.

LESSON I.--DEGREES.

"I have the real excuse of the honestest sort of bankrupts."--_Cowley's Preface_, p. viii.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the adjective _honestest_ is harshly compared by _est_. But, according to a principle stated on page 283d concerning the regular degrees, "This method of comparison is to be applied only to monosyllables, and to dissyllables of a smooth termination, or such as receive it and still have but one syllable after the accent." Therefore, _honestest_ should be _most honest_; thus, "I have real excuse of the _most honest_ sort of bankrupts."]

"The honourablest part of talk, is, to give the occasion."--_Bacon's Essays_, p. 90. "To give him one of his own modestest proverbs."-- _Barclay's Works_, iii, 340. "Our language is now certainly properer and more natural, than it was formerly."--_Bp. Burnet_. "Which will be of most and frequentest use to him in the world."--_Locke, on Education_, p. 163.

"The same is notified in the notablest places in the diocese."--_Whitgift_.

"But it was the dreadfullest sight that ever I saw."--_Pilgrim's Progress_, p. 70. "Four of the ancientest, soberest, and discreetest of the brethren, chosen for the occasion, shall regulate it."--_Locke, on Church Gov_. "Nor can there be any clear understanding of any Roman author, especially of ancienter time, without this skill."--_Walker's Particles_, p. x. "Far the learnedest of the Greeks."--_Ib._, p. 120. "The learneder thou art, the humbler be thou."--_Ib._, p. 228. "He is none of the best or honestest."-- _Ib._, p. 274. "The properest methods of communicating it to others."-- _Burn's Gram._, Prof, p. viii. "What heaven's great King hath powerfullest to send against us."--_Paradise Lost_. "Benedict is not the unhopefullest husband that I know."--SHAK.: _in Joh. Dict._ "That he should immediately do all the meanest and triflingest things himself."--RAY: _in Johnson's Gram._, p. 6. "I shall be named among the famousest of women."--MILTON'S _Samson Agonistes: ib._ "Those have the inventivest heads for all purposes."--ASCHAM: _ib._ "The wretcheder are the contemners of all helps."--BEN JONSON: _ib._ "I will now deliver a few of the properest and naturallest considerations that belong to this piece."--WOTTON: _ib._ "The mortalest poisons practised by the West Indians, have some mixture of the blood, fat, or flesh of man."--BACON: _ib._ "He so won upon him, that he rendered him one of the faithfulest and most affectionate allies the Medes ever had."--_Rollin_, ii, 71. "'You see before you,' says he to him, 'the most devoted servant, and the faithfullest ally, you ever had.'"--_Ib._, ii, 79. "I chose the flourishing'st tree in all the park."--_Cowley_.

"Which he placed, I think, some centuries backwarder than Julius Africa.n.u.s thought fit to place it afterwards."--_Bolingbroke, on History_, p. 53.

"The Tiber, the notedest river of Italy."--_Littleton's Dict._

"To fartherest sh.o.r.es the ambrosial spirit flies."

--_Cutler's Gram._, p. 140.

----"That what she wills to do or say, Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best."

--_Milton_, B. viii, l. 550.

LESSON II.--MIXED.