know with more precifion, in a complex C.VIII. Sentence, each particular Substance, with its attendant verbal Attributes. The fame may be said of Sex, with refpect to Adjectives. They have Terminations which vary, as they refpect Beings male or fe male, tho' Substances paft difpute are alone fufceptible of fex (2). We therefore pass

over

(7) 'Tis somewhat extraordinary, that so acute and rational a Grammarian as Sanctius, fhould justly deny Genders, or the diftinction of Sex to Adjectives, and yet make Perfons appertain, not to Subftantives, but to Verbs. His commentator Perizonius is much more confiftent, who fays-At vero fi rem rectè confideres, ipfis Nominibus & Pronominibus vel maximè, immo unicè ineft ipfa Perfona; & Verba fe habent in Perfonarum ratione ad Nomina planè ficuti Adjectiva in ratione Generum ad Subftantiva, quibus folis autor (Sanctius fcil. L. I. c. 7.) & rectè Genus adfcribit, exclufis Adjectivis. Sanct. Minerv. L. I. c. 12. There is indeed an exact Analogy between the Accidents of Sex and Perfon. There are but two Sexes, that is to fay, the Male and the Female; and but two Perfons (or Characters effential to discourse) that is to say, the Speaker, and the Party addreft. The third Sex and third Perfon are improperly fo called, being in fact but Negations of the other two.

C.VIII. over these matters, and all of like kind,

as being rather among the Elegancies, than the Effentials of Language, which Effentials are the Subject of our prefent Inquiry. The principal of these now remaining is THE DIFFERENCE OF VERBS, AS TO THEIR SEVERAL SPECIES, which we endeavour to explain in the following man

ner.

CHAP.

CHA P. IX.

Concerning the Species of Verbs, and their other remaining Properties.

A

LL Verbs, that are ftrictly fo called, C. IX. denote (a) Energies. Now as all Energies are Attributes, they have reference of course to certain energizing Subftances. Thus 'tis impoffible there fhould be fuch Energies, as To love, to fly, to wound, &c. if there were not fuch Beings as Men, Birds, Swords, &c. Farther, every Energy doth not only require an Energizer, but is neceffarily converfant about fome Subject. For example, if we fay, Brutus loves-we must needs fupply-loves Cato, Caffius,

(a) We use this word ENERGY, rather than Motion, from its more comprehensive meaning; it being a fort of Genus, which includes within it both Motion and its Privation. See before, p. 94, 95.

C. IX. Caffius, Portia, or fome one. The Sword

wounds-i. e. wounds Hector, Sarpedon, Priam, or fome one. And thus is it, that every Energy is neceffarily fituate between two Substantives, an Energizer which is active, and a Subject which is paffive. Hence then, if the Energizer lead the Sentence, the Energy follows its Character, and becomes what we call A VERB Thus we fay Brutus amat, Brutus loves. On the contrary, if the paffive Subject be principal, it follows the Character of this too, and then becomes

ACTIVE.

-

what we call A VERB PASSIVE. Thus we fay, Portia amatur, Portia is loved. Tis in like manner that the fame Road between the Summit and Foot of the fame Mountain, with refpect to the Summit is Afeent, with respect to the Foot is Defcent. Since then every Energy refpects an Energizor or a paffive Subject; hence the reafon why every Verb, whether active or pasfive, has in Language a neceffary‹ Reference

ference to fome Noun for its Nominative C. IX.

Cafe (b).

BUT to proceed ftill farther from what has been already obferved. Brutus loved Portia.- Here Brutus is the Energizer; loved, the Energy, and Portia, the Subject. But it might have been, Brutus loved Cato, or Caffius, or the Roman Republic; for the Energy is referable to Subjects infinite. Now among thefe infinite Subjects, when that happens to occur, which is the Energizer alfo, as when we say Brutus loved himself, flew himself, &c. in fuch Cafe the Energy hath to the Jame Being a double Relation, both Active and Paffive. And this 'tis which gave rife

among

(b) The doctrine of Imperfonal Verbs has been justly rejected by the best Grammarians, both antient and modern. See Sant. Min. L. I. c. 12. L. III. c. 1. L. IV. c. 3. Prifcian. L. XVIII. p. 1134. Apoll. L. III. fub fin. In all which places they will fee a proper Nominative supplied to all Verbs of this fuppofed Character.