deeply. The phrases more perfect and most perfect, are improper; because perfection admits of no degrees of comparison. We may say nearer or nearest to perfection, or more or less imperfect.

8. In some cases, adjectives should not be separated from their substantives, even by words which modify their meaning, and make but one sense with them: as, "A large enough number surely." It should be, a number large enough." "The lower sort of people are good enough judges of one not very distant from them."

6.

The adjective is usually placed before its substantive: as, "A generous man ;" "How amiable a woman !" The instances in which it comes after the substantive, are the following:

1st, When something depends upon the adjective; and when it gives a better sound, especially in poetry: as, "A man generous to his enemies ;" "Feed me with food convenient for me;" "A tree three feet thick;" "A body of troops fifty thousand strong;" "The torrent tumbling through rocks abrupt."

2d, When the adjective is emphatical: as, "Alexander the Great" "Lewis the Bold;"" Goodness infinite;" "Wisdom unsearchable."

3d, When several adjectives belong to one substantive: as, "A man just, wise, and charitable ;""A woman modest, sensible, and virtuous."

4th, When the adjective is preceded by an adverb: as, "A boy regularly studious ;" "A girl unaffectedly modest."

5th, When the verb to be, in any of its variations, comes between a substantive and an adjective, the adjective may frequently either precede or follow it: as, "The man is happy;" or," happy is the man who makes virtue his choice:""The interview was delightful" or, "delightful was the interview."

6th, When the adjective expresses some circumstance of a substantive placed after an active verb: as, "Vanity often renders its possessor despicable." In an exclamatory sentence, the adjective generally precedes the substantive: as, "How despicable does vanity often render its possessor?"

There is sometimes great beauty, as well as force, in placing the adjective before the verb, and the substantive immediately after it: as, "Great is the Lord! just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!"

Sometimes the word all is emphatically put after a number of particulars comprehended under it. Ambition, interest, honour, all concurred." Sometimes a substantive, which likewise comprehends the preceding particulars, is used in

conjunction with this adjective pronoun: as, "Royalists, republicans, churchmen, sectaries, courtiers, patriots, all parties, concurred in the illusion."

An adjective pronoun in the plural number, will sometimes properly associate with a singular noun: as, "Our desire, your intention, their resignation." This association applies rather to things of an intellectual nature, than to those which are corporeal. It forms an exception to the general rule.

A substantive with its adjective is reckoned as one compounded word; whence they often take another adjective, and sometimes a third, and so on: as, "An old man; a good old man; a very learned, judicious, good old man."

Though the adjective always relates to a substantive, it is, in many instances, put as if it were absolute; especially where the noun has been mentioned before, or is easily understood, though not expressed: as, "I often survey the green fields, as I am very fond of green;""The wise, the virtuous, the honoured, famed, and great," that is, "persons ;" "The twelve," that is, "apostles ;" "Have compassion on the poor; be feet to the lame, and eyes to the blind.”

Substantives are often used as adjectives. In this case, the word so used is sometimes unconnected with the substantive to which it relates; sometimes connected with it by a hyphen; and sometimes joined to it, so as to make the two words coalesce. The total separation is proper, when either of the two words is long, or when they cannot be fluently pronounced as one word: as, an adjective pronoun, a silver watch, a stone cistern; the hyphen is used, when both the words are short, and are readily pronounced as a single word: as, coal-mine, corn-mill, fruit-tree: the words coalesce, when, they are readily pronounced together; have a long established association; and are in frequent use: as, honeycomb, gingerbread, inkhorn, Yorkshire.

Sometimes the adjective becomes a substantive, and has another adjective joined to it: as, "The chief good ;" "The vast immense of space."

"A

Some adjectives of number are more easily converted into substantives, than others. Thus we more readily say, million of men," than "a thousand of men." On the other hand, it will hardly be allowable to say, "A million men," whereas, "a thousand men," is quite familiar. Yet in the plural number, a different construction seems to be required. We say, "Some hundreds," or "thousands," as well as "millions of men." Perhaps on this account, the words million, hundreds, and thousands, will be said to be substantives.

When an adjective has a preposition before it, and the substantive is understood, the words assume the nature of an adverb, and may be considered as an adverbial phrase: as, "In general, in particular, in common," &c.; that is, "Generally, particularly, commonly."

Enow was formerly used as the plural of enough: but it is now obsolete.

RULE IX.

THE article a or an agrees with nouns in the singular number only, individually or collectively: as, "A Christian, an infidel, a score, a thousand."

The definite article the may agree with nouns in the singular and plural number: as, "The garden, the houses, the stars."

The articles are often properly omitted: when used, they should be justly applied, according to their distinct nature; as, "Gold is corrupting; the sea is green; a lion is bold."

See Vol. ii. Part 3. Exercises. Chap. 1. Rule 9.

It is of the nature of both the articles to determine or limit

the thing spoken of. A determines it to be one single thing of the kind, leaving it still uncertain which; the determines which it is, or of many, which they are.

The following passage will serve as an example of the dif ferent uses of a and the, and of the force of the substantive without any article. "Man was made for society, and ought to extend his good will to all men: but a man will naturally entertain a more particular kindness for the men, with whom he has the most frequent intercourse; and enter into a still closer union with the man whose temper and disposition suit best with his own."

There is in some instances, a peculiar delicacy in the application or omission of the indefinite article. This will be scen in the following sentences. We commonly say; "I do not intend to turn critic on this occasion;" not "turn a criOn the other hand, we properly add the article in this phrase; "I do not intend to become a critic in this business;" not, "to become critic." It is correct to say with the article, "He is in a great hurry ;" but not, "in great hurry." And yet, in this expression, "He is in great haste," the article should be omitted: it would be improper to say, "He is in a great haste." A nice discernment, and accurate attention to the best usage, are necessary to direct us, on these occasions,

As the articles are

sometimes misapplied, it may be of some use to exhibit a few instances: "And I persecuted this way unto the death." The apostle does not mean any particular sort of death, but death in general: the definite article therefore is improperly used: it ought to be "unto death," without any article.

"When he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; that is, according to this translation, "into all truth whatsoever, into truth of all kinds ;" very different from the meaning of the evangelist, and from the original, "into all the truth;" that is, "into all evangelical truth, all truth necessary for you to know."

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"Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?" it ought to be "the wheel," used as an instrument for the particular purpose of torturing criminals. "The Almighty hath given reason to a man to be a light unto him:" it should rather be, to man," in general. "This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is the son of Abraham:" it ought to be, "a son of Abraham.”

These remarks may serve to show the great importance of the proper use of the article, and the excellence of the English language in this respect; which, by means of its two articles, does most precisely determine the extent of signification of common names.

1. A nice distinction of the sense is sometimes made by the use or omission of the article a. If I say, "He behaved with a little reverence;" my meaning is positive. If I say, "He behaved with little reverence;" my meaning is negative. And these two are by no means the same, or to be used in the same cases. By the former, I rather praise a person; by the latter, I dispraise him. For the sake of this distinction, which is a very useful one, we may better bear the seeming impropriety of the article a before nouns of number. When I say, "There were few men with him ;" I speak diminutively, and mean to represent them as inconsiderable: whereas, when I say, "There were a few men with him;" I evidently intend to make the most of them.

2. In general, it may be sufficient to prefix the article to the former of two words in the same construction; though the French never fail to repeat it in this case. "There were

many hours, both of the night and day, which he could spend, without suspicion, in solitary thought." It might have been "of the night and of the day." And, for the sake of emphasis, we often repeat the article in a series of epithets.

"He

hoped that this title would secure him an ample and an independent authority."

3. In common conversation, and in familiar style, we frequently omit the articles, which might be inserted with propriety in writing, especially in a grave style. "At worst, time might be gained by this expedient." "At the worst," would have been better in this place. "Give me here John Baptist's head." There would have been more dignity in saying, "John the Baptist's head ;" or, "The head of John the Baptist."

The article the has sometimes a good effect, in distinguishing a person by an epithet. "In the history of Henry the fourth, by Father Daniel, we are surprised at not finding him the great man." "I own I am often surprised that he should have treated so coldly, a man so much the gentleman."

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This article is often elegantly put, after the manner of the French, for the pronoun possessive: as, "He looks him full in the face; that is, "in his face." "In his presence they were to strike the forehead on the ground;" that is, "their foreheads."

We sometimes, according to the French manner, repeat the same article, when the adjective, on account of any clause depending upon it, is put after the substantive. "Of all the considerable governments among the Alps, a commonwealth is a constitution the most adapted of any to the poverty of those countries." "With such a specious title as that of blood, which with the multitude is always a claim, the strongest, and the most easily comprehended." "They are not the men in the nation the most difficult to be replaced."

The definite article is likewise used to distinguish between things, which are individually different, but have one generic name, and things which are, in truth, one and the same, but are characterized by several qualities. If we say, "The ecclesiastical and secular powers concurred in this measure," the expression is ambiguous, as far as language can render it so. The reader's knowledge, as Dr. Campbell observes, may prevent his mistaking it; but, if such modes of expression be admitted, where the sense is clear, they may inadvertently be imitated, in cases where the meaning would be obscure, if not entirely misunderstood. The error might have been avoided, either by repeating the substantive, or by subjoining the substantive to the first adjective, and prefixing the article to both adjectives; or by placing the substantive after both adjectives, the article being prefixed in the same manner: as, "The ecclesiastical powers, and the secular powers;" or better, "The