being often applied to a number above two, and every to two. Still the tendency is to observe the distinction between them such as we have pointed out.

246. Mr Latham* argues that neither should take a plural and either a singular verb. "In predicating something concerning neither you nor I, a negative assertion is made concerning both. In predicating something concerning either you or I, a positive assertion is made concerning one of the two." This is a mere oversight, I doubt not, on the part of the distinguished grammarian named, for it is quite contrary to his own principles, and general practice too, to look to the logic of the sentence, and not rather to its grammatical form. Neither, he would at once allow is not either, and it is an anomaly to let a negative change the number of the verb. The principle referred to by Latham explains the error of using a plural verb with neither, but does not justify it.

EXAMPLES.

1. But each of this learned couple was skilled in both languages. -Hallam.

2. Every man is not able to stem the temptations of public life; and if he cannot conquer, he may properly retreat.-Johnson.

3. Every street and square in Dresden was by this time crowded with troops.-Alison.+

4. Neither of the Hincmars [uncle and nephew] seems to have understood Greek.-Hallam.

5. No public libraries of any magnitude had yet been formed in either of the universities [Oxford or Cambridge].—Hallam.

6. Neither of the contracting powers was to conclude either a peace or a truce without the consent of the other.-Alison.

7. Each of these topics needs a lecture for its development.Channing.

* English Language, p. 363.

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It would be difficult to justify on the principles of general grammar the use of a singular verb in this case, street and square" so obviously presenting a plural idea. It seems to be the influence of " every "carried too far. Yet the error (if it is one) is very common. "It has been frequently observed, by writers on Physiognomy, that every emotion and every operation of the mind has a corresponding expression of the countenance."-D. Stewart.

F

SENTENCES TO BE CORRECTED.-243-246.

1. Arts in the early stages of social life are so simple, that each man is sufficiently master of them all to gratify every demand of his own limited desires.-Robertson.

2. Every means were employed to excite the Nonconformists to thank the king for his indulgence.-Mackintosh.

3. Every person's happiness depends in part upon the respect and reception which they meet with in the world.-Paley.

4. Neither he nor his disciple, Stewart, though aware of the mistakes that have arisen in this province of metaphysics by selecting our instances from the phenomena of vision instead of the other senses, have avoided the same source of error.-Hallam.

5. Neither the time nor the place of his birth are known with certainty.-Robertson.

6. These various rivers, all of which are navigable, each with their own affiliated set of streams, form a vast chain of inland navigation.-Alison.

7. The two great parties of the christian world have each their own standard of truth by which to try all things.—Arnold.

8. The Inquisition was revived, and every despotic custom, which made the government of Spain miserable, were re-established in full force.-Goldsmith.

9. Each of the oriental sects was eager to confess, that all, except themselves, deserved the reproach of idolatry and polytheism.— Gibbon.

10. But neither Elizabeth's friendship nor Throgmorton's zeal were of much avail to Mary.-Robertson.

11.

Each looked to sun, and stream, and plain,

As what they ne'er might see again.

Scott.

12. There have been three riots in England of late, each of which have been levelled against dissenters.-Hall.

13. Neither of them appealed to impotent laws which could afford them no protection.-Robertson.

RULE X.-THE ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB.

247. It is not the office of an adjective to qualify either a verb or another adjective; this must be done by an adverb. We do not say, "James reads good," but "James reads well." "I am myself indifferent honest," should be, "I am myself indifferently honest." "In general," says Adam Smith, no quality, when considered in concrete, or as qualifying some particular subject, can itself be conceived as the subject

of any other quality, though, when considered in abstract, it may. No adjective, therefore, can qualify any other adjective. A great good man, means a man who is both great and good. Both the adjectives qualify the substantive; they do not qualify one another."

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248. That this is the genius of our language, admits not of reasonable doubt; but there are several exceptions. We speak of a thing as being of a florid red colour, and of iron as being red hot. We say, a great many were present;" "the doors were wide open;"" the pale blue sky ;”—in all which cases it is quite clear that the first adjective, in some degree, modifies the second. Whether this idiom is capable of being metaphysically defended against the reasoning of Smith, or whether such expressions are to be regarded as 66 spots impressed so deep in the English language, that criticism can never wash them away," is a question into the discussion of which we need not here enter at great length. It may perhaps be accounted for on the supposition that the adjective in immediate contact with the noun loses its nature; the two words becoming, in fact, a compound noun, which can then receive an adjective to qualify it. Poker represents a certain number of sensations, and we call it a noun. words or word hot-poker may be also considered a noun, and then may be properly qualified by an adjective, red hot-poker. I readily acknowledge, however, that the connexion of ideas, as generally entertained, is more appropriately represented by red-hot poker. There appears to be some analogy between this idiom and another which was formerly pointed out as characteristic of the English language,—that is, one noun qualifying another, as sea-side, flower-garden. But, whatever be the theory of the matter, about the authority of the expressions themselves there can be no dispute.

The

249. It was already pointed out that certain adjectives, from their very nature, do not admit of comparison; and it should now be observed, that, for the same reason, many of them, such as universal, omnipotent, and others whose signification cannot be increased, ought not to be qualified by any adverb, except to restrain their meaning.

250. Sometimes an adjective and an adverb are equally applicable to a verb, but with a difference of meaning:

thus, "I found the way easy," means that I walked over it and found it to be an 66 easy way;" but "I found the way easily," would mean that I had no difficulty in finding it out and seeing how it lay.

EXAMPLES.

1. So rapid were the movements, so instantaneous the onset of the British, that it seemed as if the spirit of a mighty wizard had suddenly transfused itself into the whole host.-Alison.

2. Both armies passed a restless agitated night.-Idem.

3. He that outlives this day and comes safe home, &c.— Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.-Shakspeare.

4. He found the way quite clear.—Arnold.

5. A long disquisition on optics and the nature of vision, chiefly geometrical, is entirely new.-Hallam.

6.

7.

A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.
So build we up the being that we are;
Thus deeply drinking-in the soul of things,
We shall be wise perforce.

Pope.

Wordsworth.

8. Great souls are always loyally submissive, reverent to what is over them; only small mean souls are otherwise.-Carlyle.

9. Suitable to this unfeeling and inflexible spirit was the behaviour of the convocation.-Robertson.

10. The officers broke open the doors of some of the principal mansions.-Alison.

11. No bricklayer builds a wall perfectly perpendicular.-Carlyle.

SENTENCES TO BE CORRECTED.-247-250.

1. They established the kingdom of Jerusalem, which subsisted near two hundred years.-Robertson.

2. The inattention to altered circumstances is a fault of most universal application in all political questions.-Arnold.

3. A woman has the glory of being full as conspicuous in the graces of style as any writer of this famous age.-Hallam.

4. Such a violation of neutral rights came with a peculiar bad grace from France.-Alison.

5. Antony led the way direct to Italy.-History of Rome, Lardner's Cyclopædia.

6. It is wonderful to remark how preposterous the affairs of this world are managed.-Franklin.

7. Royal proclamations continued as omnipotent as in the preceding reign.-Wade.

8. It was observed to me, that in this country no man who is able to work need to go (?) supperless to bed. This far he stated the fact.-Combe's Notes on America.

9. Previous to finally withdrawing across the Elbe, Eugene took post at Mockern and there stood firm.-Alison.

10. The abuses and corruptions which had crept into the public worship of that church lay more open to observation, and by striking the senses, excited more universal disgust.-Robertson.

11. The Earl of Huntly, conformable to the crafty policy which distinguishes his character, amused the leaders of the Congregation.-Idem.

12. This haughty and imperious style sounded harshly to Scottish nobles, impatient of the slightest appearance of injury.— Idem.

RULE XI. THE POSITION OF THE ADVERB.

251. Adverbs ought to be placed so as to leave no doubt what word is intended to be affected by them.

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"The negroes are to appear at church only in boots." By this position of only, it appears that the negroes were not to come to church unless " in boots," or with nothing else but boots; but the meaning intended was that they should appear at church, and no where else, in boots. The sentence should therefore have stood thus :-"The negroes are to appear only at church in boots." Pompey played a despicable part enough betwixt them." Enough ought to be immediately after despicable. "Cæsar so turned the fate of the day, that the barbarians were almost cut off to a man.' It ought to be, "were cut off almost to a man.' The position of the adverb in a sentence often alters the meaning entirely. Thus, if we say "Man is always capable of laughing," we mean that the risible faculty may at any time be excited; but if we arrange the same words differently, and say "Man is capable of laughing always," we should mean that the risible faculty was capable of unceasing exercise.

252. No definite rule can be laid down for the position of adverbs or adverbial phrases, and yet it is a matter of the greatest importance as far as precision is concerned. The adverb most liable to be wrongly placed is only, and the corresponding adjective alone is in much the same predicament. Rather than attempt any more precise rule than that given