Governs is a verb, a word that signifies, &c.-of the third person, singular number, agreeing with "wisdom or folly," according to

RULE 9. Two or more nouns singular, joined by disjunctive conjunctions, must have verbs, nouns, and pronouns agreeing with them in the singular.

If you reflect, for a few moments, on the meaning of the last two Rules presented, you will see, at once, their propriety and importance. For example; in the sentence, "Orlando and Thomas, who study their lessons, make rapid progress," you notice that the two singular nouns, Orlando and Thomas, are connected by the copulative conjunction and, therefore the verb make, which agrees with them, is plural, because it expresses the action of both its nominatives or actors. And you observe, too, that the pronouns who and their, and the noun lessons, are plural, agreeing with the nouns Orlando and Thomas, according to RULE 8. The verb study is plural, agreeing with who, according to RULE 4.

But let us connect these two nouns by a disjunctive conjunetion, and see how the sentence will read : 'Orlando or Thomas, acho studies his lesson, makes rapid progress." Now, you perceive, that a different construction takes place, for the latter expression does not imply, that Orlando and Thomas, both study and make rapid progress; but it asserts, that either the one or the other studies, and makes rapid progress. Hence the verb makes is singular, because it expresses the action of the one or the other of its nominatives. And you observe, too, that the pronouns who and his, and the noun lesson, are likewise in the singular, agreeing with Orlando or Thomas, agreeably to RULE 9. Studies is also singular, agreeing with who, according to

RULE 4.

not be denied, that instead of teaching the learner to express himself correctly in modern English, such a resolution is merely making him familiar with an ancient and barbarous construction which modern refinement_has rejected. Our forefathers, I admit, who were governed by those laws of necessity which compel all nations in the early and rude state of their language, to express themselves in short, detached sentences, employed if as a verb when they used the following circumlocution: "My son will reform. Give Cial fact. I will forgive him." But in the present, improved state of our language, by using if as a conjunction, (for I maintain that it is one,) we express the same thought more briefly; and our modern mode of expression has, too, a decided advantage over the ancient, not only in point of elegance, but also in perspicuity and force. In Scotland and the north of England, some people still make use of gin, a contraction of given: thus, 'I will pardon my on, gin he reform.' But who will contend, that they speak pure English? But perhaps the advocates of what they call a philosophical development of language, will say, that by their resolution of sentences, they merely sup

EXERCISES IN PARSING.

Joseph and his brother reside in New-York. The sun, moon, and stars, admonish us of a superiour and superintending Power. I respect my friend, because he is upright and obliging. Henry and William, who obey their teacher, improve rapidly. Henry or William, who obeys his teacher, improves very fast. Neither rank nor possession makes the guilty mind happy. Wisdom, virtue, and meekness, form the good man's happiness and interest: they support him in adversity, and comfort him in prosperity. Man is a little lower than the angels. The United States, as justly as Great Britain, can now boast of their literary

institutions.>

NOTE. The verb form is plural, and agrees with three nouns singular, connected by copulative conjunctions, according to RULE 8. The verb com fort agrees with they for its nominative. It is connected to support by the conjunction and, agrecably to RULE 34. Angels is nom. to are understood, and Great Britain is nom. to can boast understood, according to KULE 35.

REMARKS ON CONJUNCTIONS AND PREPOSITIONS.

The same word is occasionally employed, either as a conjunction, an adverb. or a preposition. "I submitted, for it was in vain to resist ;" in this example, for is a conjunction, because it connects the two members of a compound sentence. In the next it is a preposition, and governs victory in the objective case: "He contended for victory only."

In the first of the following sentences, since is a conjunction; in the second, it is a preposition, and in the third, an adverb; "Since we must part, let us do it peaceably; I have not seen him since that time; Our friendship commenced long since."

"He will repent before he dies; Stand before me; Why did you not return before" [that or this time;] in the first of these three examples, before is an adverbial conjunction, because it expresses time and connects; and in the second and third, it is a preposition.

As the words of a sentence are often transposed, so are also its members. Without attending to this circumstance, the learner may sometimes be at a loss to perceive the connecting power of a preposition or conjunction, for every preposition and every conjunction connects either words or phrases, sentences or members of sentences. Whenever a sentence begins with & preposition or conjunction, its members are transposed; as, In the days of Joram, king of Israel, flourished the prophet Elisha;" "If thou seek the Lord, he will be found of thee; but, if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever."

ply an ellipsis. If, by an ellipsis, they mean such a one as is necessary to the grammatical construction, I cannot accede to their assumption. In teaching grammar, as well as in other things, we ought to avoid extremes:we ought neither to pass superficially over an ellipsis necessary to the sense of a phrase, nor to put modern English to the blush, by adopting a mode of resolving sentences that would entirely change the character of our language, and carry the learner back to the Vandalick age.

But comes from the Saxon verb, beon-utan, to be-out. "All were well but (be-out, leave-out) the stranger." "Man is but a reed, floating on the current of time." Resolution: "Man is a reed, floating on the current of time; but (be-out this fact) he is not a stable being."

And—aned, an'd, and, is the past part. of ananad, to add, join. A, an, and

"When coldness wraps this suffering clay,

"Ah, whither strays the immortal mind?"

That the words in, if, and when, in these examples, connect the members of the respective sentences to which they are attached, will obviously appear if we restore these sentences to their natural order, and bring these particles between the members which they connect: thus, "Elisha the prophet flourished in the days of Joram king of Israel ;" "The Lord will be found of thee if thou seek him; but he will cast thee off for ever if thou forsake him: "Ah, whither strays the immortal mind,

"When coldness wraps this suffering clay ?"

As an exercise on this lecture, you may now answer these QUESTIONS NOT ANSWERED IN PARSING. From what words is the term conjunction derived?—What is a sentence?—What is a simple sentence?-What is a compound sentence?-Give examples.-In what respect do conjunctions and prepositions agree in their nature?-How many sorts of conjunctions are there?-Repeat the lists of conjunctions.-Repeat some conjunctions with their corresponding conjunctions.Do relative pronouns ever connect sentences?-Repeat the order of parsing a conjunction.-Do you apply any Rule in parsing a conjunction?-What Rule should be applied in parsing a noun or pronoun connected with another?-What Rule in parsing a verb agreeing with two or more nouns singular, connected by a copulative conjunction ?-What Rule when the nouns are connected by a disjunctive?-In parsing a verb connected to another by a conjunction, what Rule do you apply?-Is a conjunction ever used as other parts of speech?-Give examples.— What is said of the words for, since, and before?—What is said of the transposition of sentences?

or one, from the same verb, points out whatever is aned, oned, or made one. And also refers to the thing that is joined to, added to, or made one with, some other person or thing mentioned. "Julius and Harriet will make a happy pair." Resolution: "Julius, Harriet joined, united, or aned, will make a hapspy pair;" i. e. Harriet made one with Julius, will make a happy pair.

For means cause.

It

Because-be-cause, is a compound of the verb be, and the noun cause. retains the meaning of both; as, "I believe the maxim, for I know it to be true;"-"I believe the maxim, be-cause I know it to be true;" i. e. the cause of my belief, be, or is, I know it to be true.

Nor is a contraction of ne or. Ne is a contraction of not, and or, of other. Nor is, not other-wise: not in the other way or manner.

Else is the imperative of alesan, unless, of onlesan, and lest, the past part. of lesan, all signifying to dismiss, release, loosen, set free. "He will be punished, unless he repent ;"-"Unless, release, give up (the fact) he repents, he will be punished."

66

Though is the imperative of the Saxon verb thafigan, to allow, and yet, ** getan, to get. Yet is simply, get; ancient g is our modern y. Though he me, yet will I trust in him:-Grant or allow (the fact) he slay me, get, tain (the opposite fact) I will trust in him."

QUESTIONS ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL NOTES.

From what parts of speech are prepositions and conjunctions derived ?-What is Horne Tooke's opinion of that?-From what is each of the following words derived, that, if, but, and, because, nor, else, unless, lest, though, and yet?

LECTURE X.

OF INTERJECTIONS.-CASES OF NOUNS.

INTERJECTIONS are words which express the sudden emotions of the speaker; as, "Alas! I fear for life;" "O death! where is thy sting?"

Interjections are not so much the signs of thought, as of feeling. Almost any word may be used as an interjection; but when so employed, it is not the representative of a distinct idea. A word which denotes a distinct conception of the mind, must necessarily belong to some other part of speech. They who wish to speak often, or rather,to make noises, when they have no useful information to communicate, are apt to use words very freely in this way; such as the following expressions, la, la mè, my, O my, O dear, dear me, surprising, astonishing, and the like.

Interjections not included in the following list, are generally known by their taking an exclamation point after them.

A LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL, INTERJECTIONS. 1. Of earnestness or grief; as, O! oh! ah! alas! 2. Contempt; as, Pish! tush!

3. Wonder; as, Heigh! really! strange!

PHILOSOPHICAL NOTES.

The term INTERJECTION is applied to those inarticulate sounds employed both by men and brutes, not to express distinct ideas, but emotions, passions, or feelings. The sounds employed by human beings in groaning, sighing, crying, screaming, shrieking, and laughing, by the dog in barking, growling, and whining, by the horse in snorting and neighing, by the sheep in bleating, by the cat in mewing, by the dove in cooing, by the duck in quacking, and by the goose in hissing, we sometimes attempt to represent by words; but, as written words are the ocular representatives of articulate sounds, they cannot be made clearly to denote inarticulate or indistinct ruises. Such indistinct utterances belong to natural language; but they fall below the bounds of regulated speech. Hence, real interjections are not a part of written language.

"O virtue! how amiable thou art!"

s an interjection, a word used to express some pa on of the speaker.

e ten parts of speech have now been unfolded ar , although some of them have not been fully ex e you proceed any farther, you will please to beg first lecture, and read over, attentively, the whole parse every example in the exercises systematical hen be able to parse the following exercises, which e parts of specch. If you study faithfully six ho and pursue the directions given, you may become, al, at least, a good, practical grammarian, in six you study only three hours in a day, it will t three months to acquire the same knowledge.

y

EXERCISES IN PARSING.

ue cheerfulness makes a man happy in himself, a the happiness of all around him.

odesty always appears graceful in youth: it dou e of every virtue which it seems to hide.

e meaning of those words commonly called interjections, n by tracing them to their roots.

h and pshaw are the Anglo-Saxon paec, paeca; and are equ ery! i. e. tromperie, from tromper.

or fie is the imperative, foe, the past tense, and foh or faugh of the Saxon verb fian, to hate.

is the imperative of look. Halt is the imperative of healden ell-fare-well, is a compound of faran, to go, and the adverb s, to go well. Welcome-well-come, signifies, it is well that Adieu comes from the French a Dieu, to God; meaning, I › God