Page:The grammar of English grammars.djvu/691

 of many eminent men, and passed with them through many cities"—Analectic Magazine.

"Ah! who can tell the triumphs of the mind,   By truth illumin'd, and by taste refin'd?"—Rogers.

EXCEPTION FIRST.

The preposition to, before an abstract infinitive, and at the head of a phrase which is made the subject of a verb, has no proper antecedent term of relation; as, "To learn to die, is the great business of life."—Dillwyn. "Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh, is more needful for you."—ST. PAUL: Phil., i, 24. "To be reduced to poverty, is a great affliction."

"Too much to know, is, to know nought but fame;   And every godfather can give a name."—Shakspeare.

EXCEPTION SECOND.

The preposition for, when it introduces its object before an infinitive, and the whole phrase is made the subject of a verb, has properly no antecedent term of relation; as, "For us to learn to die, is the great business of life."—"Nevertheless, for me to abide in the flesh, is more needful for you."—"For an old man to be reduced to poverty is a very great affliction." "For man to tell how human life began,   Is hard; for who himself beginning knew?"—Milton.

OBSERVATIONS ON RULE XXIII.

OBS. 1.—In parsing any ordinary preposition, the learner should name the two terms of the relation, and apply the foregoing rule, after the manner prescribed in Praxis 12th of this work. The principle is simple and etymological, being implied in the very definition of a preposition, yet not the less necessary to be given as a rule of syntax. Among tolerable writers, the prepositions exhibit more errors than any other equal number of words. This is probably owing to the careless manner in which they are usually slurred over in parsing. But the parsers, in general, have at least this excuse, that their text-books have taught them no better; they therefore call the preposition a preposition, and leave its use and meaning unexplained.

OBS. 2.—If the learner be at any loss to discover the true terms of relation, let him ask and answer two questions: first, with the interrogative what before the preposition, to find the antecedent; and then, with the same pronoun after the preposition, to find the subsequent term. These questions answered according to the sense, will always give the true terms. For example: "They dashed that rapid torrent through."—Scott. Ques. What through? Ans. "Dashed through." Ques. Through what? Ans. "Through that torrent." For the meaning is—"They dashed through that rapid torrent." If one term is perfectly obvious, (as it almost always is,) find the other in this way; as, "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge."—Psal., xix, 2. Ques. What unto day? Ans. "Uttereth unto day." Ques. What unto night? Ans. "Showeth unto night" For the meaning is—"Day uttereth speech unto day, and night showeth knowledge unto night." To parse rightly, is, to understand rightly; and what is well expressed, it is a shame to misunderstand or misinterpret. But sometimes the position of the two nouns is such, that it may require some reflection to find either; as, "Or that choice plant, so grateful to the nose,   Which in I know not what far country grows."—Churchill, p. 18.

OBS. 3.—When a preposition begins or ends a sentence or clause, the terms of relation, if both are given, are transposed; as, "To a studious man, action is a relief."—Burgh. That is, "Action is a relief to a studious man." "Science they [the ladies] do not pretend TO."—Id. That is, "They do not pretend to science." "Until I have done that which I have spoken to thee OF."—Gen., xxviii, 15. The word governed by the preposition is always the subsequent term of the relation, however it may be placed; and if this be a relative pronoun, the transposition is permanent. The preposition, however, may be put before any relative, except that and as; and this is commonly thought to be its most appropriate place: as, "Until I have done that of which I have spoken to thee," Of the placing of it last, Lowth says, "This is an idiom which our language is strongly inclined to;" Murray and others, "This is an idiom to which our language is strongly inclined:" while they all add, "it prevails in common conversation, and suits very well with the familiar style in writing; but the placing of the preposition before the relative, is more graceful, as well as more perspicuous, and agrees much better with the solemn and elevated style."—Lowth's Gram., p. 95; Murray's, 8vo, p. 200; Fisk's, 141; R. C. Smiths, 167; Ingersoll's, 227; Churchill's. 150.

OBS. 4.—The terms of relation between which a preposition may be used, are very various. The former or antecedent term may be a noun, an adjective, a pronoun, a verb, a participle, or an adverb: and, in some instances, we find not only one preposition put before an other, but even a conjunction or an interjection used on this side; as, "Because OF offences."—"Alas FOR him!"—The latter or subsequent term, which is the word governed by the preposition, may be a noun, a pronoun, a pronominal adjective, an infinitive verb, or an imperfect or preperfect participle: and,