Page:The grammar of English grammars.djvu/575

 John and thou'' are attached to your country."--"The Lord open some light, and show both you and me our inheritance!"--Baxter. "Thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood."--Numbers, xviii, 1.

"For all are friends in heaven; all faithful friends;   And many friendships in the days of Time    Begun, are lasting here, and growing still:    So grows ours evermore, both theirs and mine." --Pollok, C. of T., B. v, l. 335.

OBS 2.--The gender of pronouns, except in the third person singular, is distinguished only by their antecedents. In expressing that of a pronoun which has antecedents of different genders, the masculine should be preferred to the feminine, and the feminine to the neuter. The parser of English should remember, that this is a principle of General Grammar.

OBS 3.--When two words are taken separately as nominatives, they ought not to be united in the same sentence as antecedents. In the following example, therefore, them should be it: "The first has a lenis, and the other an asper over them."--Printer's Gram., p. 246. Better thus: "The first has a lenis over it, and the other an asper."

OBS. 4.--Nouns that stand as nominatives or antecedents, are sometimes taken conjointly when there is no conjunction expressed; as, "The historian, the orator, the philosopher, address themselves primarily to the understanding: their direct aim is, to inform, to persuade, to instruct."--Blair's Rhet., p. 377. The copulative and may here be said to be understood, because the verb and the pronouns are plural; but it seems better in general, either to introduce the connective word, or to take the nouns disjunctively: as, "They have all the copiousness, the fervour, the inculcating method, that is allowable and graceful in an orator; perhaps too much of it for a writer."--Blair's Rhet., p. 343. To this, however, there may be exceptions,--cases in which the plural form is to be preferred,--especially in poetry; as,

"Faith, justice, heaven itself, now quit their hold,   When to false fame the captive heart is sold."--Brown, on Satire.

OBS. 5.--When two or more antecedents connected by and are nominally alike, one or more of them may be understood; and, in such a case, the pronoun must still be plural, as agreeing with all the nouns, whether expressed or implied: as, "But intellectual and moral culture ought to go hand in hand; they will greatly help each other."--Dr. Weeks. Here they stands for intellectual culture and moral culture. The following example is incorrect: "The Commanding and Unlimited mode may be used in an absolute sense, or without a name or substitute on which it can depend."--O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 80. Change it to they, or and to or. See Note 6th to Rule 16th.

IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.

FALSE SYNTAX UNDER RULE XII.

PRONOUNS WITH ANTECEDENTS CONNECTED BY AND.

"Discontent and sorrow manifested itself in his countenance."--Brown's Inst., p. 146.

[FORMULE--Not proper, because the pronoun itself is of the singular number, and does not correctly represent its two antecedents discontent and sorrow, which are connected by and, and taken conjointly. But, according to Rule 12th, "When a pronoun has two or more antecedents connected by and, it must agree with then, jointly in the plural, because they are taken together." Therefore, itself should be themselves; thus, "Discontent and sorrow manifested themselves in his countenance."]

"Both conversation and public speaking became more simple and plain, such as we now find it."--Blair's Rhet., p. 59. "Idleness and ignorance, if it be suffered to proceed, &c."--JOHNSON: Priestley's Gram., p. 186. "Avoid questions and strife; it shows a busy and contentious disposition."--''Wm. Penn''. "To receive the gifts and benefits of God with thanksgiving, and witness it blessed and sanctified to us by the word and prayer, is owned by us."--Barclays Works, i, 213. "Both minister and magistrate are compelled to choose between his duty and his reputation."--Junius, p. 9. "All the sincerity, truth, and faithfulness, or disposition of heart or conscience to approve it, found among rational creatures, necessarily originate from God."--Brown's Divinity, p. 12. "Your levity and heedlessness, if it continue, will prevent all substantial improvement."--Brown's Inst., p. 147. "Poverty and obscurity will oppress him only who esteems it oppressive."--Ib. "Good sense and refined policy are obvious to few, because it cannot be discovered but by a train of reflection."--Ib. "Avoid haughtiness of behaviour, and affectation, of manners: it implies a want of solid merit."--Ib. "If love and unity continue, it will make you partakers of one an other's joy."--Ib. "Suffer not jealousy and distrust to enter: it will destroy, like a canker, every germ of friendship."--Ib. "Hatred and animosity are inconsistent with Christian charity; guard, therefore, against the slightest indulgence of it."--Ib. "Every man is entitled to liberty of conscience, and freedom of opinion, if he does not pervert it to the injury of others."--Ib.

"With the azure and vermilion   Which is mix'd for my pavilion."--Byron's Manfred, p. 9.

RULE XIII.--PRONOUNS.

When a Pronoun has two or more antecedents connected by or or nor, it must agree with them singly, and not as if taken together: as; "James