moral and religious tendency. His attention to objects of so much importance will, he trusts, meet the approbation of every well-disposed reader. If they were faithfully regarded in all books of education, they would doubtless contribute very materially to the order and happiness of society, by guarding the innocence and cherishing the virtue of the rising generation. Holdgate, near York, 1795. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE NINTH EDITION. THE eighth edition of this grammar received considerable alterations and additions: but works of this nature admit of repeated improvements; and are, perhaps, never complete. The thor, solicitous to render his book more worthy of the encouraging approbation bestowed on it by the public, has again revised the work with care and attention. The new edition, he hopes, will be found much improved. The additions, which are very considerable, are, chiefly, such as are calculated to expand the learner's views of the subject; to obviate objections; and to render the study of grammar both easy and interesting. This edition contains also a new and enlarged system of parsing; copious lists of nouns arranged according to their gender and number; and many notes and observations, which serve to extend, or to explain, particular rules and positions.* The writer is sensible that, after all his endeavours to elucidate the principles of the work, there are few of the divisions, arrangements, definitions, or rules, against which critical ingenuity cannot devise plausible objections. The subject is attended with so much intricacy, and admits of views so various, that it was not possible to render every part of it unexceptionable; or to accommodate the work, in all respects, to the opinions and prepossessions of every grammarian and teacher. If the author has adopted that system which, on the whole, is best suited to the nature of the subject, and conformable to the sentiments of the most judicious grammarians; if his reasonings and illustra tions, respecting particular points, are founded on just principles, and the peculiarities of the English language; he has, perhaps, done all that could reasonably be expected in a work of this nature; and he may warrantably indulge a hope, that the book will be still more extensively approved and circulated. *The author conceives that the occasional strictures, dispersed through the book, and intended to illustrate and support a number of important grammatical points, will not, to young persons of ingenuity, appear to be dry and useless discussions. He is persuaded that, by such persons, they will be read with attention. And he presumes that these strictures will gratify their curiosity, stimulate application, and give solidity and permanence to their grammatical knowledge. In the Octavo edition of the grammar, the reader will find many additional discussions of this nature. Holdgate, near York, 1804. CONTENTS. CHAP. 2. CHAP. 3. Of syllables, and the rules for arranging them. 26 Of words in general, and the rules for spelling 67 Of one noun governing another in the possessive case. 117 Of the verb's agreement with the nominative case. Creomparisons by the conjunction than or as. Directions for parsing. PART IV.-PROSODY. CHAP. 1. Of the clearness of a sentence. CHAP. 2. Of the unity of a sentence |