“Considerable arrears being now resting to the soldiers.”—Ibid. “Resting,” which is equivalent to “being quiet,” or “remaining,” is, in the sense in which it is here employed, a rank Scotticism: it should be, “due,” or “owing.”
“The reason will be accounted for hereafter.”—Warburton. Accounted for is here improperly used for assigned. “To account for a reason,” is “to account for an account.”
“But no evidence is admitted in the house of lords, this being a distinct jurisdiction, which differs it considerably from these instances.”—Blackstone. The verb to differ is a neuter verb, and cannot admit a regimen. The author has improperly used it in an active sense, for “to make to differ.” It should be, “by which it differs,” or “which makes it differ considerably from these instances.”[146]
“In order to have this project reduced to practice, there seems to want nothing more, than to put those in mind,” &c.—Swift. Here, “to want,” that is, “to need,” “to require,” is improperly used for “to be wanting,” “to be required,” “to be wanted.” It should be, “there seems to be nothing wanting.” The verb to want was frequently employed by Pope and Swift in the sense in which we here find it. Johnson, likewise, in one or two passages, has adopted the same usage, thus, “there had never wanted writers to talk occasionally of Arcadia and Strephon.”—Life of Phillips. But in this sense it may now be deemed obsolescent, if not entirely obsolete.
The reader will here permit me to observe, that there is an idiom in our language, respecting the use of active for passive verbs, which seems worthy of attention, and which I do not recollect to have seen remarked by any of our grammarians. In the languages of antiquity, the distinction between active and passive was strictly observed; but in English the active is frequently employed for the passive voice. Of this remarkable idiom numberless examples might be produced; but the few following will suffice. Thus we say, “the sentence reads ill,” “the wine drinks harsh,” “the grass cuts easily,” “the apples eat hard,” “the drum beats to arms,” “the metal works well.” In these examples, the subject clearly is acted upon; the verb, therefore, must be considered as having a passive signification. It is almost unnecessary to observe, that this phraseology should be avoided, whenever it is likely to create ambiguity.
“Lead me forth in thy truth, and learn me.”—Book of Common Prayer, Psal. xxv. The verb to learn formerly denoted, either “to teach,” or “to acquire knowledge.” In the former sense it is now obsolete. It should therefore be, “lead me forth in thy truth, and teach me.”
“Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings by thy most gracious favour.”—Book of Common Prayer. “He had prevented the hour, because we might have the whole day before us.”—Bacon. The verb to prevent, as signifying “to go before,” or “come before,” is now obsolete.
“There was no longer any doubt, that the king was determined to wreck his resentment on all concerned.”—Watson’s Philip II.
“They not only wrecked their vengeance on the living, but on the ashes of the dead heretics.”—Henry’s Britain.