sincere friends, supine conduct, severe frost, pedantic fools, good boys, ill temper, bad behaviour, late hours, old friends, near neighbours, kind parents, misty clouds, serene prospects, a secure fastening, a weary prospect, an uncommon youth, moderate wages, intense cold, humane attentions.

Correct a lesser weight. A more heavier burden. A gooder book. A more cleaner face. The most straitest sect. The best of the two. The most loveliest child. The most gracefulest bow. Ann is attentiver than Jane. The most intensest frost. The most slipperiest ice. The most sweetest pear. The most highest being. Amiabler behaviour. I never saw stupider conduct, more worse it could not be. Tom is the most laziest lad I ever knew. The most omnipotent being possesses most incomprehensible wisdom, and the most infinite perfections. And in the lowest deep a lower deep, still threatening to devour me, opens wide. Is John or James the best scholar? Choose the best of the two watches. A more sicklier child. You have the most dirtiest hands. This is the squarest table in the house. A more perfect being. Nothing can be truer than that the Deity is the most perfect being. The creation is most unbounded. His brother loves him with the truest affection. The one wall is more perpendicular than the triangular than that. Farewell; present my

I never read a truer remark. other. This figure is more truest regards to all your family. My estate is more preferable than yours; I would not change it for the most greatest rewards.

PRONOUNS.

Pronouns are so named because they are the substitutes of nouns. The pronouns used to represent the names of persons only are called personal.

you, he, she, it, we, ye or you, they.

They are I, thou or

I is the first person singular, and is used when a per

son speaks of himself; as, plural of I is we, and is others with himself; as,

"I love my parents."

The

used when a speaker includes 66 we do our duty."

Thou is the second person singular, and indicates the person addressed; as, "thou art the man." You is also used to represent the second person singular in familiar language. The second person plural, in solemn style, is ye; as, "ye are they who justify yourselves before men." In familiar style, you is preferable to ye.

He denotes

It likewise

The third person singular is he, she, it. the male, she the female sex; it the neuter. represents part of a sentence; as, "it is worthy of obser

vation that this is the first money transaction which we read of." What is worthy of observation? The fact, stated in the conclusion of the sentence, "that this is the first money transaction we read of." They is the third person plural, and includes any number of persons or things more than unity when spoken of.

Personal pronouns have properly but two cases, the nominative and objective.

Mine, thine, his, hers, yours, theirs, are usually defined as the possessives of the personal pronouns. This opinion is liable to strong objections. The first three are attributes when used with nouns, and substitutes when used alone; the last three are always substitutes. For example-" thine is the kingdom." "His house and yours are contiguous; but his is more modern." "Take that thine is." "The French ambassador is recalled; ours remains in Paris." "Yours of Monday was duly received; mine, in reply, will be despatched forthwith." "A friend of theirs is daily expected." "Hers is a hopeless case." "He ran headlong into his own ruin, whilst he endeavoured to precipitate ours." These statements corroborate their opinions, but they overthrow mine." It is a manifest solecism to affirm that pronouns which are used as nominatives or objectives, are at the same time possessives. It may be asserted that a noun is understood. Supply the noun for which the word is a substitute, and the pronoun must be changed into an attribute or adjective. Yours of this morning becomes your letter. My friend and theirs has arrived; that is, my friend and their friend. It is quite correct to say a friend of mine, of yours, of hers,-of being the sign of the possessive. If mine, yours, hers, are themselves possessives, then there must be two signs of the same case, which is absurd. It is always a substitute, and is never joined with a noun; its is never used but with a noun,-as, its colour, its price, its height; it is therefore an attribute.

Poss. Whose.

Obj. Whom.

Who is a relative proncun, and is restricted to persons. Nom. Who. Whose is employed as an attribute when attached to a noun; as, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John." "Whose grey top shall tremble, he descending." When whose is unconnected with a noun, it is a

'

substitute; as, "whose I am, and whom I serve." Which, whether as a substitute or a relative, is always neuter; as, "the bird which flew ;"" the tree which was planted." Whose is used as the possessive of which; as, "that forbidden tree whose mortal taste brought death into the world."

Which represents not only words, but entire members of sentences, which contain a proposition or affirmation; as, "if there can be any other way shown, how men may come to that universal agreement, in the things they do consent in, which I presume may be done." Which in this passage includes all that is above related, which may be done. What signifies that which; as, what I stated was this; I understood what was said. What, as an attribute, is used with a noun either in the singular or plural; as, what chance he has of success I know not; what myriads of fishes inhabit the ocean! What has the singular property of representing two cases, a nominative and objective; as, I have in what concerns him done my duty : that is, I have in that which concerns him, &c.

What is used in poetry preceding a name for the or that which; but its place cannot be supplied by these words without a name between them; as, What time the sun withdrew his cheerful light,—that is, at the time when, or in which.

What is sometimes employed elliptically for how is this, or what is this; as, What! could ye not watch with me one hour?

Who, which, what, are used in questioning; as, who informed you? which road did he take? what part of speech is it?

Whoever is equivalent to he who, and signifies any one

without exception. Whichever, whichsoever,—that is, whether one or the other. The before which is obsolete; as, the which, by the which.

Whatever, whatsoever, signify being this or that, or anything that may be. Whatsoever is nearly obsolete.

That is used instead of who for persons, and instead of which for things; as, he that cometh from above, &c. The corn that is brought to market is of excellent quality.

That is occasionally the representative of a whole sentence, or part of a sentence; as, when Moses had heard that, he was content,—that is, when Moses had heard the whole of what Aaron had stated, he was content. In such constructions, that sometimes precedes the sentence or member to which it relates; as, that be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked. In the following sentence that is used as an adjective: -You allege that the prisoner at the bar is guilty; that he is not. That was formerly employed, like what, for

that which.

we have seen.

We speak that we do know, and testify that

In this sense it is obsolete.

Who, which, that, in consequence of their reference to the antecedent, are called relatives. They are dependent on the antecedent-nominative, with which they agree in

number and person. He who through vast immensity can pierce, may tell us, &c. The bread which is baked with yeast is fermented. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to the Lord.

This and that are definite attributes when they specify and distinguish individuals; as, this my son was dead and is alive again; certainly this was a righteous man: that fact is very interesting; that condition was specially made. These is the plural of this; those is the plural of that.

When this and that are collocated, this refers to the nearer with regard to place, and to the last-mentioned with regard to order; that to the more remote object, or the first mentioned.

Self-love and reason to one end aspire,

Pain their aversion, pleasure their desire;

But greedy that (self-love) its object would devour,-
This (reason) taste the honey and not wound the flower.
Some place the bliss in action, some in ease;
Those call it pleasure, and contentment these.

Both is a substitute for names, sentences, and members of sentences. Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. He will not bear the loss of his rank because he can bear the loss of his estate, but he will bear both because he is prepared for both. The necessity which a speaker is under of suiting himself to his audience, both that he may be understood by them, and that his words may have an influence upon them, &c. In the foregoing sentence both represents the two succeeding clauses.

66

Few

"Neither

Many, few, all, any. These words are substitutes when they are employed as nominatives or objectives. "Many shall come in my name and shall deceive many.' die of hunger." All are liable to death." is there any that can deliver out of my hand." First, last, former, latter. "The first shall be last, the last first." Sublimity and vehemence are often confounded,—the latter being considered as a species of the former."

I

Little, less, least, more, most. "The little I had was soon expended." "The less is blessed of the better." cannot go beyond the word of the Lord,-to do less or more.' “The most that can be said will be easily stated."

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