[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the term "Asserter" which is here put for Verb, is both ignorantly misspelled, and whimsically misapplied. But, according to Critical Note 14th, "Any use of words that implies ignorance of their meaning, or of their proper orthography, is particularly unscholarlike; and, in proportion to the author's pretensions to learning, disgraceful." The errors here committed might have been avoided thus: "What is a verb? It is a word which signifies to be, to act, or to be acted upon." Or thus: "What is an assertor? Ans. 'One who affirms positively; an affirmer, supporter, or vindicator.'—Webster's Dict.">[
"Virgil wrote the Ænead."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 56. "Which, to a supercilious or inconsiderate Japaner, would seem very idle and impertinent."—Locke, on Ed., p. 225. "Will not a look of disdain cast upon you, throw you into a foment?"—Life of Th. Say, p. 146. "It may be of use to the scholar, to remark in this place, that though only the conjunction if is affixed to the verb, any other conjunction proper for the subjunctive mood, may, with equal propriety, be occasionally annexed."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 93. "When proper names have an article annexed to them, they are used as common names."—Ib., p. 36; Ingersoll's, 25; et al. "When a proper noun has an article annexed to it, it is used as a common noun."—Merchant's Gram., p. 25. "Seeming to disenthral the death-field of its terrors."—Ib., p. 109. "For the same reason, we might, without any disparagement to the language, dispense with the terminations of our verbs in the singular."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 50. "It diminishes all possibility of being misunderstood."—Abbott's Teacher, p. 175. "Approximation to excellence is all that we can expect."—Ib., p. 42. "I have often joined in singing with musicianists at Norwich."—Music of Nature, p. 274. "When not standing in regular prosic order."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 281. "Disregardless of the dogmas and edicts of the philosophical umpire."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 75. "Others begin to talk before their mouths are open, affixing the mouth-closing M to most of their words—as M-yes for Yes."—Music of Nature, p. 28. "That noted close of his, esse videatur, exposed him to censure among his cotemporaries."—Blair's Rhet., p. 127. "OWN. Formerly, a man's own was what he worked for, own being a past participle of a verb signifying to work."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 71. "As [requires] so: expressing a comparison of quality: as, 'As the one dieth, so dieth the other.'"—Murray's Gram., p. 212; R. C. Smith's, 177; and many others. "To obey our parents is a solemn duty."—Parker and Fox's Gram., Part I, p. 67. "Most all the political papers of the kingdom have touched upon these things."—H. C. WRIGHT: Liberator, Vol. xiv, p. 22. "I shall take leave to make a few observations upon the subject."—Hiley's Gram., p. iii. "His loss I have endeavoured to supply, as far as additional vigilance and industry would allow."—Ib., p. xi. "That they should make vegetation so exhuberant as to anticipate every want."—Frazee's Gram., p. 43. "The quotors " " which denote that one or more words are extracted from another author."—Day's District School Gram., p. 112. "Ninevah and Assyria were two of the most noted cities of ancient history."—Ib., p. 32 and p. 88. "Ninevah, the capital of Assyria, is a celebrated ancient city."—Ib., p. 88. "It may, however, be rendered definite by introducing some definition of time; as, yesterday, last week, &c."—Bullions's E. Gram., p. 40. "The last is called heroic measure, and is the same that is used by Milton, Young, Thompson, Pollock, &c."—Id., Practical Lessons, p. 129. "Perrenial ones must be sought in the delightful regions above."—Hallock's Gram., p. 194. "Intransitive verbs are those which are inseperable from the effect produced."—Cutler's Gram., p. 31. "Femenine gender, belongs to women, and animals of the female kind."—Ib., p. 15. "Woe! unto you scribes and pharasees."—Day's Gram., p. 74. "A pyrrick, which has both its syllables short."—Ib., p. 114. "What kind of Jesamine? a Jesamine in flower, or a flowery Jesamine."—Barrett's Gram., 10th Ed., p. 53. "Language, derived from 'linguæ,' the tongue, is the faculty of communicating our thoughts to each other, by proper words, used by common consent, as signs of our ideas."—Ib., p. 9. "Say none, not nara"—Staniford's Gram., p. 81. "ARY ONE, for either."—Pond's Larger Gram., p. 194. (See Obs. 24th, on the Syntax of Adverbs, and the Note at the bottom of the page.)
"Earth loses thy patron for ever and aye;
O sailor boy! sailor boy! peace to thy soul."
—S. Barrett's Gram., 1837, p. 116.
"His brow was sad, his eye beneath,
Flashed like a halcyon from its sheath."
—Liberator, Vol. 12, p. 24.
UNDER CRITICAL NOTE XV.—OF SILLINESS AND TRUISMS.
"Such is the state of man, that he is never at rest."—L. Murray's Gram., p. 57.
[FORMULE.—This is a remark of no wisdom or force, because it would be nearer the truth, to say, "Such is the state of man, that he must often rest," But, according to Critical Note 15th, "Silly remarks and idle truisms are traits of a feeble style, and when their weakness is positive, or inherent, they ought to be entirely omitted." It is useless to attempt a correction of this example, for it is not susceptible of any form worth preserving.]
"Participles belong to the nouns or pronouns to which they relate."—Wells's Gram., 1st Ed., p. 153. "Though the measure is mysterious, it is worthy of attention."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 221. "Though the measure is mysterious, it is not unworthy your attention."—Kirkham's Gram., pp. 197 and 227. "The inquietude of his mind made his station and wealth far from being enviable."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 250. "By rules so general and comprehensive as these are [,] the clearest ideas are conveyed."—Ib., p. 273. "The mind of man cannot be long without some food to nourish the activity of its thoughts."—Ib., p. 185. "Not having known, or not having considered, the measures proposed, he failed of success."—Ib., p. 202. "Not having known or considered the subject, he made a crude decision."—Ib., p. 275. "Not to exasperate him, I spoke only a very few words."—Ib., p. 257. "These are points too trivial, to be noticed. They are objects with which I am totally unacquainted."—Ib., p. 275. "Before we close this section, it may afford instruction to the learners, to be informed, more particularly than they have been."—Murray's Gram., p. 110. "The articles are often properly omitted: when used, they should be justly applied, according to their distinct nature."—Ib., p. 170; Alger's, 60. "Any thing, which is done now, is supposed to be done at the present time."—Sanborn's Gram., p. 34. "Any thing which was done yesterday is supposed to be done in past time."—Ib., 34. "Any thing which may be done hereafter, is supposed to be done in future time."—Ib., 34. "When the mind compares two things in reference to each other, it performs the operation of comparing."—Ib., p. 244. "The persons, with whom you dispute, are not of your opinion."—Cooper's Pl. and Pr. Gram., p. 124. "But the preposition at is always used when it follows the neuter Verb in the same Case: as, 'I have been at London.'"—Dr. Ash's Gram., p. 60. "But the preposition at is generally used after the neuter verb to be: as, 'I have been at London.'"—L. Murray's Gram., p. 203; Ingersoll's, 231; Fisk's, 143; et al. "The article the has sometimes a different effect, in distinguishing a person by an epithet."—Murray's Gram., p. 172. "The article the has, sometimes, a fine effect, in distinguishing a person by an epithet."—Priestley's Gram., p. 151. "Some nouns have plurals belonging only to themselves."—Infant School Gram., p. 26. "Sentences are either simple or compound."—Lowth's Gram., p. 68. "All sentences are either simple or compound."—Gould's Adam's Gram., p. 155. "The definite article the belongs to nouns in the singular or plural number."—Kirkham's Gram., Rule 2d, p. 156. "Where a riddle is not intended, it is always a fault in allegory to be too dark."—Blair's Rhet., p. 151; Murray's Gram., 343. "There may be an excess in too many short sentences also; by which the sense is split and broken."—Blair's Rhet., p. 101. "Are there any nouns you cannot see, hear, or feel, but only think of? Name such a noun."—Infant School Gram., p. 17. "Flock is of the singular number, it denotes but one flock—and in the nominative case, it is the active agent of the verb."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 58. "The article THE agrees with nouns of the singular or plural number."—Parker and Fox's Gram., p. 8. "The admiral bombarded Algiers, which has been continued."—Nixon's Parser, p. 128. "The world demanded freedom, which might have been expected."—Ibid. "The past tense represents an action as past and finished, either with or without respect to the time when."—Felton's Gram., p. 22. "That boy rode the wicked horse."—Butler's Practical Gram., p. 42. "The snake swallowed itself."—Ib., p. 57. "Do is sometimes used when shall or should is omitted; as, 'if thou do repent.'"—Ib., p. 85. "SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. This mood has the tenses of the indicative."—Ib., p. 87. "As nouns never speak, they are never in the first person."—Davis's Practical Gram., p. 148. "Nearly all parts of speech are used more or less in an elliptical sense."—Day's District School Gram., p. 80. "RULE. No word in a period can have any greater extension than the other words or sections in the same sentence will give it."—Barrett's Revised Gram., p. 38 and p. 43. "Words used exclusively as Adverbs, should not be used as adjectives."—Clark's Practical Gram., p. 166. "Adjectives used in Predication, should not take the Adverbial form."—Ib., pp. 167 and 173.
UNDER CRITICAL NOTE XVI.—OF THE INCORRIGIBLE.
"And this state of things belonging to the painter governs it in the possessive case."—Murray's Gram., p. 195; Ingersoll's, 201; et al.