assert. If I say in Latin cum cepisset, when he had taken,' the verb is strictly in the subjunctive mode; for, were not the verb subjoined to cum, it must have taken the indicative form; but I hesitate not to assert, that no example can be produced in English, where the indicative is altered merely because the verb is preceded by some conjunctive particle." "There seems," says Connon in his philosophical and elegant work on Grammar, "a great tendency to avoid the use of the subjunctive altogether; and it looks very much as if it were doomed to destruction." we 1. The conjunctions employed to connect sentences perform a very important office in abbreviating language, by enabling us to omit words which must otherwise be repeated. Thus in the sentence "we ought to esteem and love our parents," we combine two affirmations: ought to esteem our parents;—and we ought to love our parents. "All the rivers upon the face of the globe, however circuitous they may be in their progress, and however opposite in their course, meet at last in the ocean. "This sentence contains two distinct propositions, All the rivers,-meet in the ocean; they are often circuitous in their progress, and opposite in their courses. tr 2. The conjunction is omitted in such sentences as the following. "We hear nothing of causing the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the lepers to be cleansed."-Paley. 3. After the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs, and the attribute other, the conjunction than is used. "There is none greater in this house than I;". that is than I am. "Only in the throne will I be greater than thou;"—that is than thou shalt be. ' ir 4. Than is sometimes improperly used as if it were a preposition governing whom. Alfred, than whom a greater monarch never reigned." Beelzebub, than whom, Satan excepted, none higher sat." This phrase has obtained currency in the language, because than was formerly used as a preposition. Lowth and Campbell recommend that it shall be used only as a conjunction, as the only means of preventing that ambiguity which arises from its occasional use as a preposition. RULE VIII. Interjections are joined with the objective case of the pronoun of the first person, and with the nominative of the second person; as, ah me! oh me! oh thou hypocrite! thou betrayer of innocence ! SYNTACTICAL PARSING. Syntactical Parsing is most intelligibly prosecuted by considering words as they are associated in groups; and regarding such groups as representing distinct and welldefined ideas. "This method of parsing," says Arnold in his English Grammar for classical schools, "will be found both to lessen the dulness of the operation, and to lead to a far clearer view of the construction of sentences." In the introduction to Syntax, p. 94, it has been stated that the members of sentences are the subject, the predicate, and the object. These are the chief members of every proposition, and the longest sentence is composed of a series of such propositions joined together by connectives. The subject, the predicate, and object, often consist of a considerable number of words which are held together by the same connectives. "From the study of this mode of parsing," says Connon, "greater benefits flow than from etymological parsing." The following sentence is copied from Arnold's Gram mar : "All the opportunities I have of displaying heroism are of a private nature." How many sentences have you here? Two. Which is the principal sentence? All the opportunities of displaying heroism are of a private nature. What is the other sentence? I have. Is that a complete sentence? No, it requires the accusative which; which I have. Find the subject. Opportunities. Find the predicate. Of a private nature. Find the copula. The substantive verb are. What notions are joined attributively to the subject opportunities? The adjective all and the definitive the, the participle displaying, of the present active form, used as a substantive; and a relative sentence which I have. To what class of sentences do relative sentences belong? They are adjective-accessory sentences. What notion is joined objectively to the participial substantive displaying? The substantive heroism in the accusative. Some of the words have been slightly altered to correspond with the definitions in this grammar. The learner should remember that the subject means the nominative; the predicate, a finite verb; the copula, the verb to be; and the object is the accusative or objective. The following sentence, from Connon's Grammar, is a specimen of his mode of syntactical parsing. "The national gratitude was liberally bestowed on the leaders in these glorious achievements." 1. Gratitude was bestowed. 2. National gratitude was bestowed. 3. The national gratitude was bestowed. 4. The national gratitude was liberally bestowed. 5. The national gratitude was liberally bestowed on the leaders. 6. The national gratitude was liberally bestowed on the leaders in these achievements. 7. The national gratitude was liberally bestowed on the leaders in these glorious achievements." Syntactical parsing may be thus exhibited : In the world we are surrounded with scenes of distress. In order to walk wisely it is of importance that we study propriety in our actions and general behaviour. propriety in our actions and behaviour. in order to walk wisely. it is of importance. The obligation and necessity The British Constitution stands among the nations of the earth, like an ancient oak in the wood, which, after having resisted many a blast, overtops the other trees of the forest, and commands respect and admiration. This complex sentence is resolvable into the following simple sentences. "It takes a long time to represent the whole process that the mind goes through when we utter a sentence consciously and intelligently; but real grammatical knowledge is not attained till the pupil see the relative bearing of every word upon another in a clause; the effect of every clause on the proposition of which it is a part, and the connection between the different propositions of which every sentence is made up. It is not the grammarian's province to carry his pupil farther. The bearing of sentence upon sentence, and the development of one truth from another, belong to the higher province of the Logician; and with a pupil so trained his task would be "delightful" indeed."-Connon on Syntactical Parsing. Examples of impropriety to be corrected by the Rules of Syntax.-Gold and silver are called the precious metals; but brass or iron are more valuable in agriculture and the arts. The sun and the moon appear to be nearly of the same size, when viewed by the unassisted eye; although the sun is a million times larger than the earth, who is fifty times the magnitude of the moon. The Sanscrit and Celtic languages bears a strong resemblance to each other. Every one is bound to perform the duties which they owe to themselves and to society. Time's shadows like the shuttle flees. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, The foot was left alone to struggle with the enemy; the cavalry was unable, from the roughness of the ground, to come into action. Ligurius, Cæsar's great friend and favourite, are dead. A contrite heart, a humble thought Is mine accepted sacrifice. The commonalty was divided into several factions. The Council consist of men of all parties. When from indolence or bad habits, we do not exercise our bodily frames, infirmity and ill health necessarily ensues. Mankind is influenced much less by precept than by example. Thoughts are only criminal when they are first chosen and then voluntarily continued. We are still at a loss to know who civil power belongs to. These are persons which I hold in contempt. My father and I, as well as my brother are sensible of their loss. The ostrich makes use of both legs and wings to assist its motion. Thales was not only famous for his knowledge of nature, but for his moral wisdom. Every person's happiness depends in part upon the respect and reception which they meet with in the world. A thoughtlessness and improvidence with respect to the future, and a general imprudence in the conduct of life, has been often laid to the charge of poets. The last are indeed more prefer |