Page:Collier's Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information.djvu/14

2 "ornament," and "ability." The several parts may be arranged thus: They are thus distinguished according to their offices in the paragraph, which can readily be noticed, when thus arranged, without the employment of any names for them. 4. The paragraph numbered (2) may be arranged in this manner:—

Here the three purposes mentioned in the former paragraph are the things spoken of; and certain things are said about each of them, though not exactly in the same manner as those purposes were said to be answered by "studies,” above. These two parts, therefore—something spoken of, and something said about it—we may note as essential to a complete and intelligible sentence of the kind before us; and we may adopt the names given to them by grammarians—subject and predicate; which, signifying precisely what has just been said,require no further explanation. 5. Paragraph (3) we arrange thus:

Both subjects and predicates here are somewhat complex. "Expert" is prefixed to "men;" "general" to "counsels;" and to "the plots and marshalling" are appended the words "of affairs;" just as in paragraph (2) "chief" was prefixed to "use," and "for delight, for ornament, and for ability" added to the same word, with the evident intention of circumscribing and defining it. And with a similar intention, the meaning of "can execute and judge of" is carried out and completed by "particulars" and "one by one;" and that of the latter predicate, "can judge of," is further limited by the word "perhaps" being attached to it. In the second part of the paragraph, also, "from those that are learned," and "best," are appended to the predicate "come." And so in paragraph (1), "for delight, for ornament, and for ability," follow the word "serve;" and in paragraph (2), after "is," comes "in privateness and retiring, in discourse," etc. It is evident that these appended words and phrases, although they are of the highest moment to the full and precise expression of the thoughts, when regard is had to the structure of the sentences alone, are not essential, but subordinate parts thereof. And they have accordingly received from grammarians distinct names; those employed to describe and define subjects being designated attributives; and those employed with predicates, for the purpose of modifying and supplementing their meaning—objects; which terms we will use for the future, to avoid trouble and confusion. 6. But we may observe further, that the attributives, which have occurred in these paragraphs, are of two kinds, One kind (like the subjects) consists of names of things, called by grammarians nouns; as "delight," "ornament," "ability," "business," "affairs;" and these have before them the little words "of" and "for," which are known as prepositions, to attach them to the subjects. The other kind consists of epithets merely, and not of names, as "chief," "expert," "general;" and they are called adjectives. In paragraph (3) we find another word, "the," used very much in the same way as adjectives are used; except that its sole force is to point to the subject particularly spoken of; whence it has been named the demonstrative. And in paragraph (2) there is a word, "their," in form closely resembling it; but (in this instance) meaning, "of studies." It is plainly an adjective; but it is also called a pronoun, from its being thus used instead of a noun. One other word, "and," which occurs in the subjects of these paragraphs, requires a passing glance. Its use is obvious; it connects certain parts of sentences together, so as to save much repetition, and the inconveniences that must result from it, and it is designated a conjunction. 7. Before we speak of the different kinds of objective words and phrases which we meet with in these paragraphs, some further notice should be taken of the predicates. In paragraph (1), and in the second example in paragraph (3), they are perfectly simple, consisting of the words "serve" and "come" alone