Page:The Comic English Grammar.djvu/87

Rh Moore, in which the heart, like a tendril, is said to twine round the "nearest and loveliest thing." Now the person which is placed nearest the verb is the object of choice; ergo, the most agreeable person—ergo, the loveliest person or thing.

Should a conjunction disjunctive occur between a singular noun or pronoun, and a plural one, the verb agrees with the plural noun or pronoun: as, "Neither a king nor his courtiers are averse to butter:" (particularly when thickly spread.) "Darius or the Persians were hostile to Greece."

A noun or multitude, that is, one which signifies many, can have a verb or Pronoun to agree with it either in the singular or plural number; according to the import of such noun, as conveying unity or plurality of idea: as, "The nation is humbugged." "The multitude have to pay many taxes." "The city Council are at a loss to know what to do." "The people is a many headed monster."

Pronouns agree with their antecedents, and with the nouns to which they belong, in gender and number: as, "This is the blow which killed Ned." "England was once governed by a celebrated King, who was called Rufus the Red, but whose name was by no means so illustrious as that of Alfred." "General M. and the Lieutenant had put on their boots." "The lady appeared, and she smiled, but the smile belied her feelings."

The relative being of the same person with the