off our attention from the main object to which the preacher had directed our thoughts. They appear, in this case, like excrescences jutting out from the body, which form an unnatural addition to it; and tend to enfeeble the impression which the composition, as a whole, is calculated to make. The most eloquent of the French, perhaps, indeed, of all modern orators, Boussuet, bishop of Meaux, terminates in a very moving manner, his funeral oration on the great Prince of Condé, with this return upon himself, and his old age: "Accept, O Prince! these last efforts of a voice which you once well knew. With you all my funeral discourses are now to end. Instead of deploring the death of others, henceforth it shall be my study to learn from you, how my own may be blessed. Happy, if warned by those gray hairs, of the account which I must soon give of my ministry, I reserve, solely for that flock whom I ought to feed with the word of life, the feeble remains of a voice which now trembles, and of an ardour which is now on the point of being extinct." In all discourses, it is a matter of importance to hit the precise time of concluding, so as to bring our discourse just to a point; neither ending abruptly and unexpectedly, nor disappointing the expectation of the hearers, when they look for the close; and continuing to hover round and round the conclusion, till they become heartily tired of us. We should endeavour to go off with a good grace; not to end with a languishing and drawling sentence: but to close with dignity and spirit, that we may leave the minds of the hearers warm; and dismiss them with a favourable impression of the subject and of the speaker. END OF APPENDIX. 211 Accent dignifies syllables; emphasis, words Manner of pronouncing the unaccented vowels, denotes the speaker's edu- By what marks signified ADJECTIVE. The definition of it It is varied only by degrees of comparison Whether the positive is a degree of comparison Various modes of forming the degrees of comparison 52, 53 52, 159 17 50 50 50 Analogy of different languages, with respect to the degrees of comparison How adjectives become nouns, and nouns adjectives The superlative of eminence, and the superlative of comparison, distin- Though the degrees of comparison are indefinite in number, yet language re- 54, 55, Adjectives having a superlative signification, do not admit of comparison Degrees of it often inaccurately applied In particular cases, the adjective and noun should not be separated When placed before, when after its noun 158, 159 The same word occasionally used as an adverb, an adjective, or a substantive 118 120 Adverbs improperly used as adjectives 157 AFFIRMATION is not the essence of the verb Affirmation is the essence of the verb, according to some writers ALPHABET. Nature of the letters, and of a perfect alphabet. 291, 292 302-304 300-302 See Characters. 164, 169 230 APPOSITION. Rule respecting the cases of nouns in apposition. A skilful arrangement of words and members, promotes 33-35, 160-163 The article a agrees with nouns in the singular number only; the article the, Omitting or using the article a forms a nice distinction in the sense Article the used as an epithet of distinction Article the is sometimes used instead of the possessive pronoun ARTICULATION. The nature of it explained AUXILIARY verbs. Their nature, use, and importance 173 18, 19 71, 75, 76, 89-95 The same verb is sometimes an auxiliary, sometimes a principal Their form in the subjunctive mood 91 79, 80, 99, 104, 105 Auxiliary and principal constitute but one verb The auxiliary let governs the objective case B THE BIBLE. The present translation of it is the best standard of the Eng- DR. BLAIR's recommendation of the study of Grammar and Composition C CADENCE. Its nature, and how to be managed 157 viii 215 Page CADENCE. The close of a sentence should not be abrupt or unpleasant. 280, 281 CASE. Only three in English . Mode of forming cases in Latin, not applicable to our language Opinion of Harris and Rees Webb's observations respecting the English cases Reasons in support of an objective case attached to English nouns The verb to be has the same case before and after it. Rules which determine the possessive case 238 46 47 47, 48 48, 49 47, 105 169 164-167 The sign of the possessive case is sometimes applied to but one of the gov- Rules which determine the objective case The same cases of nouns and pronouns are connected by conjunctions CASE absolute. See Absolute. CHARACTERS. Particular ones used in composition 236, 237 CLAUSE of a sentence explained 141 CLEARNESS of a sentence. Rules to promote it, namely, COMPARISON or Simile. Its rules as a figure of speech The copulative and disjunctive conjunctions operate differently on the In what cases they influence the form of the verb, and in what cases they do not Some of them require correspondent conjunctions 183-186 188, 192, 269, 270 The nature and construction of than and but explained at large CONSONANT. Its precise nature and divisions Distinction between its name and nature, is of great importance Sounds of consonants. How to apply consonants most advantageously. See Vowels and Consonants. Page 4 10 277-279 DERIVATION. Ways in which words are derived from one another 130-136 The propriety or impropriety of the ellipsis, with respect to all the parts of speech Special cases of improper ellipses. EMPHASIS. Nature and necessity of it explained The great regulator of quantity, and sometimes of accent The great rule for managing it Its rise and progress ETYMOLOGY 317-319 190 190 190 190-193 192, 193 210-213 212, 213 213 ENGLISH language. Its own idiom and principles must be observed 79, 80, 104, 105 136-140 27-140 195 201-203 235 309 F FEET. See Poetical Feet. FIGURES of speech. Their nature and use, and the rules for applying them FINITE verbs. Their nature, as distinguished from verbs in the infinitive mood-(note). FRENCH idioms. Some of them imitated in English Some of them to be avoided |