the word one. Thus, an elephant is not so strongly definitive as one elephant.

The third article, viz. the, has a demonstrative meaning, being allied to the words this and that, but much less emphatic. In employing the, we avoid the demonstrative force of this or that. Thus, the boy is not so strongly definitive as that boy.

10. The abbreviate of an, viz. a, is used when the word following begins with the sound of a consonant, or with the consonantal sound of w or y; thus, a tree, a wreck, a hero, a wise man, a year, a useful book, such a one.

But when a word beginning with the sound of h has the accent on the second syllable, an is prefixed; as, an hyena, an heroic action.

11. A or an is usually called the Indefinite article; because, though it refers to one only of a class of objects, it refers to no particular one. A book is an expression by which one of a class of objects is referred to, but considered rather in relation to objects of other classes than to the other objects of its own class; it signifies a book in distinction from a slate, or any thing of a different sort. The is usually called the Definite article; because it has a definite reference to one or more of a class. The book is an expression by which one of a class of objects is singled out, and thereby distinguished from the others of its class. The books is an expression by which two or more individuals of a class are referred to and distinguished from the others.

EXERCISES.

12. Name, as parts of speech, the words contained in the subjoined sentences, giving special description of the Nouns and Adjectives :

Borneo is an island of vast extent. The result of this plot was very disastrous. Hume is an historian of great celebrity. He was an intrepid and at the same time a skilful soldier. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. Mary of Scotland enjoyed few of the usual advantages of exalted station and sovereign power.

Some nations of Africa are distinguished for native mildness and hospitality; but many are treacherous and cruel. A wheat garland was the ancient decoration of Ceres, the goddess of husbandry. I found him in a humour suitable for such an enterprise. Elizabeth was a powerful and a steady friend to Henry the Fourth, the first monarch of the house of Bourbon. I told you what book I wanted; the typography of that is too small.

CHAP. V.

OF THE PRONOUN.

1. THE Pronoun is a substitute for the Noun, but not of itself expressing the full meaning of the Noun.**

The chief use of this part of speech seems to be, to represent nouns in such a way as may avoid the fulness of signification which nouns themselves possess.

Take the following passage:

"The imitators of Spenser are not very rigid censors of themselves; for they seem to conclude that when they have disfigured their lines with a few obsolete syllables, they have accomplished their design; without considering that they ought not only to admit old words, but to reject new.' Rambler.

If the pronouns, the italicised words, in this sentence were replaced by the noun imitators, the reiteration of that

* Frazee, an American grammarian, says, "The principal distinction between nouns and pronouns consists in this; the meaning of a noun is fixed and permanent, but the meaning of a substitute is temporary; e. g. the word book is applied to a certain class of things, and to no others; the word it may be applied to a book, a table, a child," &c.— Gramm. p. 81. I would not call this the principal distinction, for, as Frazee himself recognises, many nouns share with the pronouns in fitness for temporary application, e. g. witness, president, visitor.

term would be felt to load the sentence with unnecessary thought; whereas the substituted words, they, their, and themselves, being merely marks referring to the noun imitators, serve to carry on the application of the noun, without subjecting other terms to that diminution of their force, which the repeated introduction of the noun amongst them would have occasioned.

2. When, however, the Pronoun is used to represent persons in the relations of one speaking and one spoken to, this is not to avoid the repetition of a noun, but to supplant the noun entirely; as, "I am sixteen years old; you are twelve.” Generally, it is unnecessary for us to indicate either ourselves or those whom we address, by any names more significant than I or you. Such pronominal marks, indeed, are not only sufficient, but expedient almost to the extent of absolutely requisite.

3. There are three principal species of pronouns, Personal, Relative, and Interrogative.

Personal Pronouns are those which represent the names of persons; as, I, thou, he, she, it, us, me, them. But the word it is more frequently applied to inanimate than to animate objects; and the others are often used to represent inanimate objects, by that figure of speech called Personification.

I represents one that is speaking, thou one that is spoken to, and he, she, or it, one that is neither speaking nor spoken to, but merely spoken of. These are, therefore, denominated, respectively, pronouns of the first, second, and third persons; and each of them has varieties of form; as, me, you, him, we, they, &c.

4. Relative Pronouns are those which, besides being personal substitutes for antecedent nouns, are in conjunctive relation with these nouns. The principal Relatives are who, which, and that, with the varieties whose and whom. Thus :

In the example "The man who stirs makes me his foe," the pronoun who is more than a representative of man; it is

connective as well, having a much closer relation to man than his involves.

Who may frequently be observed to have the force of and he (or and she, or and they); as in the example, "Edward VI., who was a virtuous prince, reigned only six years;" for this is equivalent to "Edward VI. reigned only six years, and he was a virtuous prince." But in the example, “The man who stirs," &c., the connection of who with man is so close and delicate, that we have no connective term for the explanation of it.*

5. The Interrogative Pronouns are just the relative forms who, which, what, employed in asking questions, in the absence of their antecedent or correlative nouns; as, "Who can tell me?" "Which do you prefer?" That is, "I wish to know the one who can tell me." "I wish to know the one which you do prefer."

6. The words this and that are sometimes called Demonstrative pronouns, and each, every, either, neither, are named Distributive pronouns. They are all, however, Definitive adjectives, and cannot with propriety be denominated Pronouns when the noun defined is present. Pronominal adjectives is a better title for such words than Adjective pronouns, as they are sometimes called. The genuine pro

noun is substantive.

EXERCISES.

7. Distinguish the parts of speech in the following sentences, and describe especially the Nouns, Adjectives, and Pronouns :

She and her sister live with their brother, who is a merchant. He is very kind to them; and they love and respect him for his many virtues. You bestowed that favour on a man that gratefully

The Relative diminishes the assertive force of its clause, in proportion as the intimacy of relation between itself and its antecedent is increased. That, when used as a Relative, is generally in the closest relation to the antecedent.

remembers your goodness, and that well deserved it. Who accomplished this result, and what were the mighty instruments which he employed? We looked upon the Dead Sea, and our hearts thrilled with awe; for its dark waters cover the sites of those ancient towns whose iniquity brought upon them a swift destruction.

CHAP. VI.

OF THE VERB.

1. THE Verb is the word by which we can assert.

Assertion is the principal feature of discourse; for without it we cannot express any opinion, or properly utter our thoughts. The Verb, therefore, which enables us to assert, is the most important part of speech, a pre-eminence which its name expressively indicates.

A verb is to a sentence what a vowel is to a syllable.

2. That the essence, or at least the essential service, of the Verb consists in affirmation, has been frequently and justly remarked; but almost every verb in our language has forms pertaining to it which are not of an assertive import. These may be called parts of the verb, etymologically considered, but are not to be regarded as having the distinctive character of the verb as a part of speech, any more than pleasure can be called a verb because of its being a derivative from the verb please.

Thus, the verb speak has the assertive forms speak, speakest, speaks, spoke, spokest; and these are the forms which represent it distinctively as a part of speech. By these forms we can assert; as, "I speak to you;" "Thou speakest to me;" "The man speaks the truth;" "We spoke to him;" "Thou spokest sensibly."

But this verb is connected with the forms to speak, spoken, speaking, which are never employed as assertive