Wheat, the price of which necessarily varied, averaged in the middle of the fourteenth century tenpence the bushel, barley averaging at the same time three shillings the quarter.—Froude.
A very strong restrictive.
185. Sometimes the has a strong force, almost equivalent to a descriptive adjective in emphasizing a word,—
No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.—Bible.
As for New Orleans, it seemed to me the city of the world where you can eat and drink the most and suffer the least.—Thackeray.
He was the man in all Europe that could (if any could) have driven six-in-hand full gallop over Al Sirat.—De Quincey.
Mark of a substantive.
186. The, since it belongs distinctively to substantives, is a sure indication that a word of verbal form is not used participially, but substantively.
In the hills of Sacramento there is gold for the gathering.—Emerson.
I thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to imitate it.—Franklin.