are the same persons, who assisted us yesterday. The men and things which he has studied, have not improved his morals.

NOTE 4. - The pronouns, whichsoever, whosoever, and the like, are elegantly divided by the interposition of the corresponding nouns; thus, On whichsoever side the king cast his eyes;' would have sounded better, if written, On which side soever,' &c.

Exercises in False Syntax.-Howsoever beautiful they appear, they have no real merit. In whatsoever light we view him, his conduct will bear inspection. On whichsoever side they are contemplated they appear to advantage. However much he might despise the maxims of the king's administration, he kept a total silence on that subject.

NOTE 5. Many pesons are apt, in conversation, to put the objective case of the personal pronouns, in the place of these and those; as, 'Give me them books;' instead of those books.' We may sometimes find this fault even in writing; as, 'Observe them three there.' We also frequently meet with those instead of they, at the beginning of a sentence, and where there is no particular reference to an antecedent; as, Those that sow in tears, sometimes reap in joy.' They that, or they who sow in tears.

It is not, however, always easy to say, whether a personal pronoun or a demonstrative is preferable, in certain constructions. 'We are not unacquainted with the calumny of them (or those) who openly make use of the warmest professions.'

Exercises in False Syntax. - Which of them two persons has most distinguished himself? None more impatiently suffer injuries than those, that are most forward in doing them. How beautiful them trees look! We have a great many of them flowers in our garden.

NOTE 6.In some dialects, the word what is improperly used for that, and sometimes we find it in this sense in writing; 'They will never believe but what I have been entirely to blame. I am not satisfied but what,' &c. instead of but that.' The word somewhat, in the following sentence, seems to be used improperly. These punishments seem to have been exercised in somewhat an arbitrary manner.' Sometimes we read, 'In somewhat of.' The meaning is, 'in a manner which is in some respects arbitrary.'

Exercises in False Syntax.-He would not be persuaded but what I was greatly in fault. These commendations of his children appear to have been made in somewhat an injudicious manner. He conducted himself on that occasion in somewhat of an arbitrary manner.

NOTE 7.-The relative pronoun who, is so much appropriated to persons, that there is generally harshness in the application of it, except to the proper names of persons, or the general terms man, woman, &c. A term which only implies the idea of persons, and expresses them by some circumstance or epithet, will hardly authorize the use of it; as, 'That faction in England, who most powerfully opposed his arbitrary pretensions.' That faction which,' would have been better; and the same remark will serve for the following examples; ' France who was in alliance with Sweden. The court, who, &c. The cavalry, who, &c. The cities who aspired at liberty. That party among us, who, &c. The family whom they considered as usurpers.' In some cases it may be doubtful, whether this pronoun is properly applied or not; as, 'The number of substantial inhabitants with whom some cities abound.' For when a term directly and necessarily implies persons, it may in many cases claim the personal relative. None of the company, whom he most affected, could cure him of the melancholy under which he labored.' The word acquaintance may have the same construction. Exercises in False Syntax. - He instructed and fed the crowds, who surrounded him. Sidney was one of the wisest and most active governors, which Ireland has enjoyed for several years. He was the ablest minister which James ever possessed. The court who gives currency to manners, ought to be exemplary. I am happy in the friend which I have long proved.

NOTE 8.- We hardly consider little children as persons, because that term gives us the idea, of reason and reflection; and therefore the application of the personal relative, who, in this case, seems to be harsh; 'A child who.' It, though neuter, is generally applied, when we speak of an infant or child; as, 'It is a lovely infant; It is a healthy child.' The personal relative is still more improperly applied to animals; A lake frequented by that fowl, whom nature has taught to dip the wing in water.'

Exercises in False Syntax.-The Child, whom we have just seen, is wholesomely fed, and not injured by bandages or clothing. He is like a beast of prey, who destroys without pity. The air was full of that kind of swallows, who built their nests in chimneys.

NOTE 9. When the name of a person is used merely as a name, and it does not refer to the person, the pronoun who, ought not to be applied. 'It is no wonder, if such a man did not shine at the court of queen Elizabeth, who was but another name for prudence and economy.' Better thus; 'whose name was but another word for prudence,' &c. The word whose begins likewise to be restricted to persons; yet it is not done so generally, but that good writers, even in prose, use it when speaking of things. The construction is not, however, generally pleasing, as we may see in the following instances; 'Pleasure, whose nature, &c. Call every production, whose parts and whose nature,' &c.

In one case, however, custom authorizes us to use which, with respect to persons; and that is when we want to distinguish one of two persons, or a particular person among a number of others. We should say, 'Which of the two, or which of them is he or she.'

Exercises in False Syntax. Having once disgusted him, he could never regain the favor of Nero, who was indeed another name for cruelty. Flattery, whose nature is to deceive and betray, should be avoided as the poisonous adder. Who of those men came to his assistance?

NOTE 10.. As the pronoun relative has no distinction of number, we sometimes find an ambiguity in the use of it; as when we say, 'The disciples of Christ whom we imitate;' we may mean the imitation either of Christ, or of his disciples. The accuracy and clearness of the sentence depend very much upon the proper and determinate use of the relative, so that it may readily present its antecedent to the mind of the hearer or reader, without any obscurity or ambiguity.

Exercises in False Syntax.—The king dismissed his minister without any inquiry; who had never before committed so unjust an action. There are millions of people in the empire of China, whose support is derived almost entirely from rice.

NOTE 11. It is and it was, are often, after the manner of the French, used in a plural construction, and by some of our best writers; as, • It is either a few great men who decide for the whole, or it is the rabble, that follow a seditious ringleader; It is they that are the real authors, though the soldiers are the actors of the revolution; It was the heretics, that first began to rail,' &c. "'Tis these that early taint the female mind.' This license in the construction of it is, (if it be proper to admit it at all,) has however, been certainly abused in the following sentence, which is thereby made a very awkward one. It is wonderful the very few accidents, which, in several years, happen from this practice.'

Exercises in False Syntax.-It is remarkable his continual endeavors to serve us, notwithstanding our ingratitude. It is indisputably true his assertion, though it is a paradox.

Remarks.

-The neuter pronoun, by an idiom peculiar to the English language, is frequently joined in explanatory sentences with a noun or pronoun of the masculine, or feminine gender; as, 'It was I; It was the man or woman that did it.'

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The neuter pronoun it, is sometimes omitted and understood; thus we say, 'As appears, as follows;' for As it appears, as it follows;' and, May be,' for It may be.'

The neuter pronoun it, is sometimes employed to express:

1st, The subject of any discourse or inquiry; as, It happened on a summer's day; Who is it that calls on me?'

2d, The state or condition of any person or thing; as, 'How is it with you?'

3d, The thing, whatever it be, that is the cause of any effect or event, or any person considered merely as a cause; as, • We heard her say it was not he; The truth is, it was I that helped her.'

RULE X.-A noun or pronoun, joined with a participle and standing independent on the rest of the sentence, is in the nominative case absolute; as, Shame being lost, all virtue is lost;' That having been discussed long ago, there is no reason to resume it.'

Remarks. This and rule VI are the only exceptions to the remarks under rule V, 'That every nominative case must have a verb, either expressed or understood.' When an address is made, the noun has no connexion whatever with any verb; and in the case absolute the noun has no connexion with any personal tense of a verb, but only with a participle.

As in the use of the case absolute, the case is, in English, always the nominative, the following example is erroneous, in making it the objective. Solomon was of this mind; and I have no doubt he made as wise and true proverbs, as any body has done since; him only excepted, who was a much greater and wiser man than Solomon.' It should be, 'he only excepted.

Exercises in False Syntax-Him whom they justly called the Father of his country being taken captive, the whole army surrendered at discretion.

RULE XIII. Adjective pronouns must agree, in number, with the nouns, to which they belong; as, "This book, these books; that sort, these sorts."

Remarks. The possessive adjective pronouns, and perhaps some others, appear to be exceptions to this rule; they are added to nouns without regard to number; as, 'Our life, our lives; your house, your houses; their estate, their estates.'-A few instances of the breach of this rule are here exhibited. I have not travelled this twenty years; "these twenty. I am not recommending these kind of sufferings; this kind. Those set of books was a valuable present; that set.'

Exercises in False Syntax.-These kind of indulgences soften and injure the mind. Instead of improving yourselves you have been playing this two hours. Those sort of favours did real injury, under the appearance of kindness. He saw one or more persons enter the garden. He has lived here this twenty years. The mail has been gone this three hours. I do not like that kind of people. I hate these sort of plays.

NOTE 1.-The word, means, in the singular number, and the phrases, ' By this means, By that means,' are used by our best and most correct writers; namely, Bacon, Tillotson, Atterbury, Addison, Steele, Pope, &c. They are indeed, in so general and approved use, that it would appear awkward, if not affected, to apply the old singular form and say, 'By this

mean; by that mean; it was by a mean ;' although it is more agreeable to the general analogy of the language.

Good writers do indeed make use of the noun, mean, in the singular number, and in that number only, to signify mediocrity, middle state, &c.; as, 'This is a mean between the two extremes.' But in the sense of instrumentality, it has long been disused by the best authors, and by almost every writer. This means and that means should be used only when they refer to what is singular; these means and those means when they respect plurals; as, 'He lived temperately, and by this means preserved his health. The scholars were attentive, industrious and obedient to their tutors; and by these means acquired knowledge.

Exercises in False Syntax. - Charles was extravagant, and by this mean became poor and despicable. It was by that ungenerous mean that he obtained his end. Industry is the mean of obtaining competency. Though a promising measure, it is a mean, which I cannot adopt. This person embraced every opportunity to display his talents, and by these means rendered himself ridiculous. Joseph was industrious, frugal and discreet, and by this means obtained property and reputation.

NOTE 2.When two persons or things are spoken of in a sentence, and there is occasion to mention them again for the sake of distinction, that is used in reference to the former, and this, in reference to the latter; as, 'Self-love, which is the spring of action, in the soul, is ruled by reason; but for that, man would be inactive; and but for this, he would be active to no end.

Exercises in Fulse Syntax.-Religion raises men above themselves; irreligion sinks them beneath the brutes; that binds them down to a poor pitiable speck of perishable earth; this opens for them a prospect to the skies. More rain falls in the first two summer months than in the first two winter ones; but it makes a much greater show upon the earth in those than in these: because there is a much slower evaporation. Rex and Tyrannus are of very different characters; the one rules his people by laws to which they consent; The other by his absolute will and power;this is called freedom, that tyranny.

NOTE 3. The distributive adjective pronouns, each, every, either, agree with the nouns, pronouns, and verbs, of the singular number only; as, "The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, sat each on his throne; Every tree is known by its fruit; unless the prural noun convey a collective idea; as, Every six months; Every hundred years.' The following phrases are exceptionable. Let each esteem others better than themselves;' it ought to be himself.' The language should be both perspicuous and correct; in proportion, as either of these two qualities are wanting, the language is imperfect;' it should be is wanting.' Every one of these letters bear regular dates, and contain proofs of attachment; 'bears a regular date, and contains.' Every town and village were burned; every grove and every tree were cut down ;''was burned, and was cut down.' (See the Lecture on Verbs, rule XV, note 4.)

Either is often used improperly, instead of each; as, The king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, sat either, of them on his throne; Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer.' Each signifies both of them taken distinctly or separately; either properly signifies only the one or the other of them taken disjunctively.

Exercises in False Syntax. Each of them in their turn receive the benefits to which they are entitled. My counsel to each of you is, that you should make it your endeavor to come to a friendly agreement. By discussing what relates to each particular, in their order, we shall better understand the subject. Every person, whatever be their station, are bound by the duties of morality and religion. Every leaf, every twig, every drop of water, teem with life. Neither of those men seem to have any idea that their opinions may be ill-founded. When benignity and gentleness reign within, we are always least in hazard from without; every person and every occurrence are beheld in the most favorable light. On either side of the river, was the tree of life.

RULE VII. A verb must agree with its nominative case in number and person: as, 'I learn; thou art improved ; the birds sing.'

Remarks. The following are a few instances of the violation of this rule. What signifies good opinions when our practice is bad? What signify. There's two or three of us, who have seen the work; There are. We may suppose there was more impostors than one; There were more. I have considered what have been said on both sides in this controversy; What has been said. If thou would be healthy, live temperately; If thou wouldst. Thou sees how little has been done; Thou seest. Though thou cannot do much for the cause, thou may and should do something; Canst not, mayst, and shouldst. Full many a flower are born to blush unseen; is born. A conformity of inclinations and qualities prepare us for friendship; Prepares us. A variety of blessings have been conferred upon us; Has been. In piety and virtue consist the happiness of man; Consists. To these precepts are subjoined a copious selection of rules and maxims; Is subjoined,'

In the use of the verbs, dare and need, when not immediately followed by an objective case, some writers omit the personal termination of those verbs; as, ' He dare not do it,' instead of, 'He dares not do it;' 'He need not be afraid,' instead of, 'He needs not be afraid.' But this practice is clearly a violation of one of the plainest rules of Syntax; and, therefore, should not be imitated.

Exercises in False Syntax. Disappointments sinks the heart of man; but the renewal of hope give consolation. The smiles that encourage severity of judgment, hides malice and insincerity. He dare not act contrary to his instructions. Fifty pounds of wheat contains forty pounds of flour. The mechanism of clocks and watches were totally unknown a few centuries ago. The number of inhabitants in Great Britain and Ireland do not exceed sixteen millions. Nothing but vain and foolish pursuits delight some persons. A variety of pleasing objects charm the eye. So much both of ability and merit are seldom found. In the conduct of Parmenio, a mixture of wisdom and folly were very conspicuous. The inquisitive and curious is generally talkative. Great pains has been taken to reconcile the parties. I am sorry to say it, but there was more equivocators than one, The sincere is always esteemed. There is many occasions in life, in which silence and simplicity is true wisdom.

In vain our flocks and fields increase our store,

When our abundance make us wish for more.

He need not proceed in such haste. The generous never recounts minutely the actions they have done; nor the prudent, those they will do. In him were happily blended true dignity with softness of manners. The support of so many of his relations were a heavy tax upon his industry; but thou knows he paid it cheerfully. That liberty is the birthright of man, need not be laboured in this assembly. What avails the best sentiments if persons do not live suitably to them. Reconciliation was offered on terms as moderate, as was consistent with a permanent union. Not one of them whom thou sees clothed in purple, are completely happy. And the fame of this person and of his wonderful actions, were diffused throughout the country. The variety of the productions of genius, like that of the operations of nature, are without limit. Thou who art the Author and Bestower of life, can doubtless restore it also; but whether thou will please to restore it or not, thou only knows.

O thou my voice inspire,

Who touch'd Isaiah's hallowed lips with fire.
Accept these grateful tears; for thee they flow,
For thee that ever felt another's wo.

NOTE 1.-Every verb, except in the infinitive mood, or the participle ought to have a nominative case, either expressed or implied; as, 'Awake; arise; that is, 'Awake ye; arise ye.'

A late writer on grammar observes, that in the use of the verb need,