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CHAP. IV.

OF THE SYNTAX OF ADJECTIVES.

DJECTIVES of quality are coupled with pronouns accusative cases.

Chaucer :

And he was wise, hardy, secret, and rich,
Of these three points, nas none him lych.

Certain adjectives include a partition: From the head doth life and motion flow to the rest of the members. The comparative agreeth to the parts compared, by adding this preposition, than:

Chaucer, 3d book of Fame:

What did this Æolus, but he

Took out his black trump of brass,
That blacker than the divel was.

The superlative is joined to the parts compared by this preposition of.

Gower, lib. 1:

Pride is of every miss the prick:
Pride is the most vice of all wick.

Jewel:

The friendship of truth is best of all.

Oftentimes both degrees are expressed by these two adverbs, more, and most: as more excellent, most excellent. Whereof the latter seemeth to have his proper place in those that are spoken in a certain kind of excellency, but yet without comparison:

• The Latins comparative governeth an ablative; their superlative a genitive plural. The Greeks both comparative and superlative hath a genitive; but in neither tongue is a sign going between.

Hector was a most valiant man; that is, inter fortis

simos.

Furthermore, these adverbs, more and most, are added to the comparative and superlative degrees themselves, which should be before the positive:

Sir Thomas More:

Forasmuch as she saw the cardinal more readier to depart than the remnant; for not only the high dignity of the civil magistrate, but the most basest handicrafts are holy, when they are directed to the honour of God.

And this is a certain kind of English atticism, or eloquent phrase of speech, imitating the manner of the most ancientest and finest Grecians, who, for more emphasis and vehemencies sake, used so to speak.

Positives are also joined with the preposition of, like the superlative:

Elias was the only man of all the prophets that was left alive.

Gower, lib. 4:

The first point of sloth I call
Lachesse, and is the chief of all.

CHAP. V.

OF THE SYNTAX OF A VERB WITH A NOUN.

H

ITHERTO we have declared the syntax of a noun: the syntax of a verb followeth, being either of a verb with a noun, or of one verb with another.

The syntax of a verb with a noun is in number and person; as

I am content.

You are mis-informed.

Chaucer's 2d book of Fame:

For, as flame is but lighted smoke;
Right so is sound ayr ybroke.

I myself, and ourselves, agree unto the first person: you, thou, it, thyself, yourselves, the second: all other nouns and pronouns (that are of any person) to the third. Again, I, we, thou, he, she, they, who, do ever govern; unless it be in the verb am, that requireth the like case after it as is before it, me, us, thee, her, them, him, whom, are governed of the verb. The rest, which are absolute, may either govern, or be governed.

A verb impersonal in Latin is here expressed by an English impersonal, with this article it going before; as oportet, it behoveth; decet, it becometh. General exceptions:

The person governing is oft understood by that went before: True religion glorifieth them that honour it; and is a target unto them that are a buckler unto it. Chaucer:

Womens counsels brought us first to woe,

And made Adam from Paradise to go.

But this is more notable, and also more common in the future; wherein for the most part we never express any person, not so much as at the first:

Fear God, honour the king.

Likewise the verb is understood by some other going before:

Nort. in Arsan.

When the danger is most great, natural strength most feeble, and divine aid most needful.

Certain pronouns, governed of, the verb, do here abound.

Sir Thomas More:

And this I say although they were not abused, as
now they be, and so long have been, that I fear
me ever they will be.

Chaucer, 3d book of Fame:
And as I wondred me, ywis
Upon this house.

Idem in Thisbe:

She rist her up with a full dreary heart:
And in cave with dreadful fate she start.

Special exceptions.

Nouns signifying a multitude, though they be of the singular number, require a verb plural.

Lidgate, lib. 2:

And wise men rehearsen in sentence

Where folk be drunken, there is no resistance. This exception is in other nouns also very common; especially when the verb is joined to an adverb or conjunction: It is preposterous to execute a man, before he have been condemned.

Gower, lib. I:

Although a man be wise himselve,
Yet is the wisdom more of twelve.
Chaucer:

Therefore I read you this counsel take,
Forsake sin, ere sin you forsake.

In this exception of number, the verb sometime agreeth not with the governing noun of the plural number, as it should, but with the noun governed: as Riches is a thing oft-times more hurtful than profitable to the owners. After which manner the Latins The other special also speak: Omnia pontus erat. exception is not in use.

e Which notwithstanding the Hebrews use very strangely : Kullain tazubu uboüna, Job. xvii. 10. All they return ye and come now.

CHAP. VI.

OF THE SYNTAX OF A VERB WITH A VERB.

HEN two verbs meet together, whereof one is governed by the other, the latter is put in the infinite, and that with this sign to, coming between; as, Good men ought to join together in good things.

But will, do, may, can, shall, dare, (when it is in transitive) must and let, when it signifies a sufferance, receive not the sign.

Gower: To God no man may be fellow.

This sign set before an infinite, not governed of a verb, changeth it into the nature of a noun.

Nort. in Arsan.

To win is the benefit of fortune: but to keep is the power of wisdom.

General exceptions.

The verb governing is understood:

Nort. in Arsan.

For if the head, which is the life and stay of the body, betray the members, must not the members also needs betray one another; and so the whole body and head go altogether to utter wreck and destruction?

The other general exception is wanting.

The special exception. Two verbs, have and am, require always a participle past without any sign: as

So in the Greek and Latin, but in Hebrew this exception is often, Esai. vi. 9; which Hebraism the New Testament is wont to retain by turning the Hebrew infinite either into a verbal, axon ȧкovσεTE, Matth. xiii. 14; or participle, idŵv ɛïdov, Act. vii. 34.

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