Now, as the relation between the subject and predicate of a proposition cannot be affected by a word which does not belong to it, the construction is the same as if the propositions were wholly separate.
N.B. The question (in cases where the conjunction that is not used), as to the greater propriety of the two expressions—I believe it to be him—I believe it to be he—has yet to be considered.
[§ 561]. The verb and genitive case.—No verb in the present English governs a genitive case. In Anglo-Saxon certain verbs did: e.g., verbs of ruling and others—weolde thises middangeardes=he ruled (wealded) this earth's. Genitive cases, too, governed by a verb are common both in Latin and Greek. To eat of the fruit of the tree is no genitive construction, however much it may be equivalent to one. Fruit is in the objective case, and is governed not by the verb but by the preposition of.
[§ 562]. The verb and accusative.—All transitive verbs govern an accusative case,—he strikes me, thee, him, her, it, us, you, them.
The verb and dative case.—The word give, and a few others, govern a dative case. Phrases like give it him, whom shall I give it, are perfectly correct, and have been explained above. The prepositional construction give it to him,—to whom shall I give it? is unnecessary. The evidence of this is the same as in the construction of the adjective like.
[§ 563]. The partitive construction.—Certain transitive verbs, the action whereof is extended not to the whole, but only to a part of their object, are followed by the preposition of and an objective case. To eat of the fruit of the tree=to eat a part (or some) of the fruit of the tree: to drink of the water of the well=to drink a part (or some) of the water of the well. It is not necessary, here, to suppose the ellipsis of the words part (or some). The construction is a construction that has grown out of the partitive power of the genitive case; for which case the preposition of, followed by the objective, serves as an equivalent.
[§ 564]. It has been already stated that forms like I believe
it to be him, and forms like I believe it to be he, had not been investigated. Of these, the former is, logically, correct.
Here, the word, to be, is, in respect to its power, a noun.