Pope, Moral Ep. iii. 267.
The Verb in the first line ought to be in the same Time with those in the last.
“Had their records been delivered down in the vulgar tongue,⸺they could not now be understood, unless by Antiquaries, who made it their study to expound them.” Swift, Letter, on the English Tongue. Here the latter part of the sentence depends intirely on the Supposition expressed in the former, “of their records being delivered down in the vulgar tongue:” therefore made in the Indicative Mode, which implies no supposition, and in the Past Indefinite Time, is improper: it would be much better in the Past Definite, had made; but indeed ought to be in the Subjunctive Mode, Present or Past Time, should make, or should have made.
[58] “By this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.” Ezra, iv. 16. “It renders us careless of approving ourselves to God by religious duties, and by that means securing the continuance of his goodness.” Atterbury, Sermons. Ought it not to be, by these means, by those means? or by this mean, by that mean, in the singular number? as it is used by Hooker, Sidney, Shakespear, &c. “I have not wept this forty years.” Dryden. “I am not recommending these kind of sufferings to your liking.” Bishop Sherlock, Disc. Vol. II. p. 267. So the Pronoun must agree with its Noun: in which respect let the following example be considered. “It is an unanswerable argument of a very refined age, the wonderful Civilities that have passed between the nation of authors and those of readers.” Swift, Tale of a Tub, Sect. x. As to these wonderful Civilities, one might say, that “they are an unanswerable argument, &c.” but as the Sentence stands at present it is not easy to reconcile it to any grammatical propriety. “A person whom all the world allows to be so much your betters.” Swift, Battle of Books. And the Phrase which occurs in the following examples, tho’ pretty common and authorised by Custom, yet seems to be somewhat defective in the same way:
“’Tis these that early taint the female soul.”
Pope.
“’Tis they that give the great Atrides’ spoils;
’Tis they that still renew Ulysses’ toils.”
Prior.
[59] “Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his goodness to give you safe deliverance, and hath preserved you in the great danger of Childbirth:”⸺Liturgy. The Verb hath preserved hath here no Nominative Case; for it cannot be properly supplied by the preceding word God, which is in the Objective Case. It ought to be, “and He hath preserved you;” or rather, “and to preserve you.” Some of our best Writers have frequently fallen into this, which I take to be no small inaccuracy: I shall therefore add some more examples of it, by way of admonition; inferring in each within Crotchets, the Nominative Case that is deficient, and that must necessarily be supplied to support the proper Construction of the Sentence. “If the calm, in which he was born, and [which] lasted so long, had continued.” Clarendon, Life, p. 43. “The Remonstrance he had lately received from the House of Commons, and [which] was dispersed throughout the Kingdom.” Clarendon, Hist. Vol. I. p. 366. 8ᵛᵒ. “These we have extracted from an Historian of undoubted credit, a reverend bishop, the learned Paulus Jovius; and [they] are the same that were practised under the pontificate of Leo X.” Pope, Works, Vol. VI. p. 301. “A cloud gathering in the North; which we have helped to raise, and [which] may quickly break in a storm upon our heads.” Swift, Conduct of the Allies. “A man, whose inclinations led him to be corrupt, and [who] had great abilities to manage and multiply and defend his corruptions.” Gulliver, Part I. Chap. vi. “My Master likewise mentioned another quality, which his servants had discovered in many Yahoos, and [which] to him was wholly unaccountable.” Gulliver, Part IV. Chap. vii. “This I filled with the feathers of several birds I had taken with springes made of Yahoos hairs, and [which] were excellent food.” Ibid. Chap. x. “Osyris, whom the Grecians call Dionysius, and [who] is the same with Bacchus.” Swift, Mechan. Oper. of the Spirit, Sect. ii.