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and observations, than rashly to sweep away our ancient terms, for the sake of introducing others; which, after all, are without authority, and may themselves, when critically examined, be found inconvenient and exceptionable.

We shall close our remarks on this subject, by introducing the sentiments of Dr. Johnson respecting it: they are extracted from his "Grammar of the English Tongue."-"In this division and order of the parts of grammar, I follow (says he) the common grammarians, without inquiring whether a fitter distribution might not be found. Experience has long shown this method to be so distinct as to obviate confusion, and so comprehensive as to prevent any inconvenient omissions. I likewise use the terms already received, and already understood, though perhaps others more proper might sometimes be invented. Sylburgius, and other innovators, whose new terms have sunk their learning into neglect, have left sufficient warning against the trifling ambition of teaching arts in a new language."

CHAPTER II.

OF THE ARTICLES.

An Article is a word prefixed to substantives, to point them out, and to show how far their signification extends: as, a garden, an eagle, the

woman.

In English, there are but two articles, a and the: a becomes an before a vowel*, and before a silent h: as, an acorn, an hour. But if the h be sounded, the a only is to be used: as, a hand, a heart, a highway.

THE inattention of writers and printers to this necessary distinction, has occasioned the frequent use of an before h, when it is to be pronounced; and this circumstance, more than any other, has probably contributed to that indistinct utterance, or total omission, of the sound signified by this letter, which very often occurs amongst readers and speakers. An horse, an husband, an herald, an heathen, and many similar associations, are frequently to be found in works of taste and merit. To remedy this evil, readers should be taught to omit, in all similar cases, the sound of the n, and to give the h its full pro

nunciation.

A or an is styled the indefinite article: it is used in a vague sense to point out one single thing of

* A instead of an is now used before words beginning with u long. See page 45, letter U. It is used before one: as, many a one.-An must be used before words where the h is not silent, if the accent is on the second syllable; as, an heroic action, an historical account, &c.

the kind, in other respects indeterminate: as, "Give me a book;" "Bring me an apple."

The is called the definite article; because it ascertains what particular thing or things are meant: as, "Give me the book;" " Bring me the apples ;" meaning some book, or apples, referred to.

A substantive without any article to limit it, is generally taken in its widest sense: as, "A candid temper is proper for man;" that is, for all mankind.

THE peculiar use and importance of the articles will be scen in the following examples: "The son of a king-the son of the king-a son of the king." Each of these three phrases has an entirely different meaning, through the different application of the articles a and the.

“Thou art a man;" is a very general and harmless position; but, "Thou art the man," (as Nathan said to David,) is an assertion capable of striking terror and remorse into the heart.

The article is omitted before nouns that imply the different virtues, vices, passions, qualities, sciences, arts, metals, herbs, &c. : as, "prudence is commendable; falsehood is odious; anger ought to be avoided;" &c. It is not prefixed to a proper name: as, "Alexander," (because that of itself denotes a determinate individual or particular thing,) except for the sake of distinguishing a particular family: as, "He is a Howard, or of the family of the Howards;" or by way of eminence: as, "Every man is not a Newton;" "He has the courage of an Achilles:" or when some noun is understood: "He sailed down the (river) Thames, in the (ship) Britannia."

When an adjective is used with the noun to which the article relates, it is placed between the article and the noun: as, "a good man," "an agreeable woman," "the best friend." On some occasions, however, the adjective

precedes a or an: as, "such a shame," "as great a man as Alexander," "too careless an author."

The indefinite article can be joined to substantives in the singular number only; the definite article may be joined also to plurals.

But there appears to be a remarkable exception to this rule, in the use of the adjectives few and many, (the latter chiefly with the word great before it,) which, though joined with plural substantives, yet admit of the singular article a: as, a few men; a great many men.

The reason of it is manifest, from the effect which the article has in these phrases: it means a small or great number collectively taken; and therefore gives the idea of a whole, that is, of unity. Thus likewise, a dozen, a score, a hundred, or a thousand, is one whole number, an aggregate of many collectively taken; and therefore still retains the article a, though joined as an adjective to a plural substantive: as, a hundred years, &c.

The indefinite article is sometimes placed between the adjective many, and a singular noun: as,

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

"The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
"Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,
"And waste its sweetness on the desert air."

In these lines, the phrases, many a gem, and many a flow'r, refer to many gems, and many flowers, separately not collectively considered.

The definite article the is frequently applied to adverbs in the comparative and superlative degree; and its effect is, to mark the degree the more strongly, and to define it the more precisely: as, "The more I examine it, the better I like it. I like this the least of any."

That which is nearly connected with us, or with which, from its vicinity, we have been long acquainted, becomes eminent or distinguishable in our eyes, even though, in itself, and compared with other things of the same kind, it is of no particular importance. A person who resides near a very little town, speaks of it by the name of the town. Every clergyman within his own parish is called the minister, or the parson; and if, in a village, there be but one barber or one smith, his neighbours think they distinguish him sufficiently, by calling him the smith or the barber. A tree, a rock, a hill, a river, a meadow, may be spoken of in the same manner, with the same emphasis. He is not returned from the hill he is bathing in the river: I saw him on the top of the rock: shall we walk in the meadow? A branch is blown down from the tree. In these examples, the definite article is used; because the thing spoken of, being in the neighbourhood, is well known, and a matter of some consequence to the people who are acquainted with it.

That we may perceive, still more clearly, the nature and significancy of the articles, let us put the one for the other, and mark the effect. When it is said, that "the ancestors of the present royal family were kings in England three hundred years before the Conqueror," the sense is clear; as every body knows, that the person here spoken of, by the name of the conqueror, is William duke of Normandy, who subdued England about seven hundred and fifty years ago. But if we say, that "the ancestors of the present royal family were kings in England three hundred years before a conqueror," we speak nonsense.-Again, when it is said, that "health is a most desirable thing," there is no man who will not acquiesce in the position; which only means, that health is one of those things that are to be very much desired. But if we take the other article, and say, "Health is

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