Page:The grammar of English grammars.djvu/600

 ."--Pope.

EXCEPTION FIRST.

When two nominatives connected by and serve merely to describe one person or thing, they are either in apposition or equivalent to one name, and do not require a plural verb; as, "Immediately comes a hue and cry after a gang of thieves."--L'Estrange. "The hue and cry of the country pursues him."--Junius, Letter xxiii. "Flesh and blood [i. e. man, or man's nature,] hath not revealed it unto thee."--Matt., xvi, 17." Descent and fall to us is adverse."--Milton, P. L., ii, 76. "This philosopher and poet was banished from his country."--"Such a Saviour and Redeemer is actually provided for us."--Gurney's Essays, p. 386. "Let us then declare what great things our God and Saviour has done for us."--Dr. Scott, on Luke viii. "Toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them."--Ezra, iv, 20.

"Whose icy current and compulsive course   Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on."--Shakspeare.

EXCEPTION SECOND.

When two nominatives connected by and, are emphatically distinguished, they belong to different propositions, and, if singular, do not require a plural verb; as, "Ambition, and not the safety of the state, was concerned."--Goldsmith. "Consanguinity, and not affinity, is the ground of the prohibition."--Webster's Essays, p. 324. "But a modification, and oftentimes a total change, takes place."--''Maunder. "Somewhat, and, in many circumstances, a great deal too, is put upon us."--Butler's Analogy'', p. 108. "Disgrace, and perhaps ruin, was the certain consequence of attempting the latter."--Robertson's America, i, 434.

"Ay, and no too, was no good divinity."--''Shakespeare.

"Love, and love only, is the loan for love."--Young''.

EXCEPTION THIRD.

When two or more nominatives connected by and are preceded by the adjective each, every, or no, they are taken separately, and do not require a plural verb; as, "When no part of their substance, and no one of their properties, is the same."--''Bp. Butler''. "Every limb and feature appears with its respective grace."--Steele. "Every person, and every occurrence, is beheld in the most favourable light."--Murray's Key, p. 190. "Each worm, and each insect, is a marvel of creative power."

"Whose every look and gesture was a joke   To clapping theatres and shouting crowds."--Young.

EXCEPTION FOURTH.

When the verb separates its nominatives, it agrees with that which precedes it, and is understood to the rest; as, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof."--Murray's Exercises, p. 36.

"Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame."--Milton.

"--Forth in the pleasing spring,   Thy beauty walks, thy tenderness, and love."--Thomson.

OBSERVATIONS ON RULE XVI.

OBS. 1.--According to Lindley Murray, (who, in all his compilation, from whatever learned authorities, refers us to no places in any book but his own.) "Dr. Blair observes, that 'two or more substantives, joined by a copulative, must always require the verb or pronoun to which they refer, to be placed in the plural number:' and this," continues the great Compiler, "is the general sentiment of English grammarians."--Murray's Gram., Vol. i, p. 150. The same thing is stated in many other grammars: thus, Ingersoll has the very same words, on the 238th page of his book; and R. C. Smith says, "Dr. Blair very justly observes," &c.--Productive Gram., p. 126. I therefore doubt not, the learned rhetorician has somewhere made some such remark: though I can neither supply the reference which these gentlemen omit, nor vouch for the accuracy of their quotation. But I trust to make it very clear, that so many grammarians as hold this sentiment, are no great readers, to say the least of them. Murray himself acknowledges one exception to this principle, and unconsciously furnishes examples of one or two more; but, in stead of placing the former in his Grammar, and under the rule, where the learner would be likely to notice it, he makes it an obscure and almost unintelligible note, in the margin of his Key, referring by an asterisk to the following correction: "Every man and every woman was numbered."--Murray's Gram., 8vo, Vol. ii. p. 190. To justify this phraseology, he talks thus: "Whatever number of nouns may be connected by a conjunction with the pronoun EVERY, this pronoun is as applicable to the whole mass of them, as to any one of the nouns; and therefore the verb is correctly put in the singular number, and refers to the whole separately and individually considered."--Ib. So much, then, for "the pronoun EVERY!" But, without other exceptions, what shall be done with the following texts from Murray himself? "The flock, and not the fleece, is, or ought to be the object of the shepherd's care."--Ib., ii, 184. "This prodigy of learning, this scholar, critic, and antiquary, was entirely destitute of breeding and civility."--Ib., ii, 217. And, in the following