often as I reflected upon it, to have been the messenger of such intelligence.' As the message, in this instance, was antecedent to the pleasure, and not contemporary with it, the verb expressive of the message must denote that antecedence, by being in the perfect of the infinitive. If the message and the pleasure had been referred to as contemporary, the subsequent verb would, with equal propriety, have been put in the present of the infinitive; as, "It would have afforded me great pleasure, to be the messenger of such intelligence." In the former instance, the phrase in question is equivalent to these words If I had been the messenger;" in the latter instance, to this expres sion" Being the messenger." It is proper to inform the learner, that, in order to express the past time with the defective verb ought, the perfect of the infinitive must always be used; as, "He ought to have done it." When we use this verb, this is the only possible way to distinguish the past from the present. In support of the positions advanced under this rule, we can produce the sentiments of eminent grammarians; amongst whom are Lowth and Campbell. But there are some writers on grammar who strenuously maintain, that the governed verb in the infinitive ought to be in the past tense, when the verb which goverus it is in the past time. Though this cannot be admitted, in the instances which are controverted under this rule, or in any instances of a simlar nature; yet there can be no doubt that, in many cases, in which the thing roferred to preceded the governing verb, it would be proper and allowable. We may say, "From a conversation I once had with him, he appeared to have studied Homer with great care and judgment." It would be proper also to say, "From his conversation, he appears to have studied Homer with great care and judgment;" "That unhappy man is supposed to have died by violence." These examples are not only consistent with our rule, but they confirm and illustrate it. It is the tense of the governing verb only, that marks what is called the absolute time; the tense of the verb governed marks solely its relative time with respect to the other. To assert, as some writers do, that verbs in the infinitive mood have no tenses, no relative distinctions of present, past and future, is inconsistent with just grammatical views of the subject. That these verbs associate with verbs in all the tenses, is no proof of their having no peculiar time of their own. Whatever period the governing verb assumes, whether present, past, or fu ture, the governed verb in the infinitive always respects that period, and its time is calculated from it. Thus, the time of the infinitive may be before, af ter, or the same as, the time of the governing verb, according as the thing signified by the infinitive is supposed to be before, after, or present with the thing denoted by the governing verb. It is, therefore, with great propriety, that tenses are assigned to verbs of the infinitive mood. The point of time from which they are computed, is of no consequence; since present, past, and future, are completely applicable to them. We shall conclude our observations under this rule, by remarking, that, though it is often proper to use the perfect of the infinitive after the governing verb, yet there are particulas cases in which it would be better to give the expression a different form. Thus, instead of saying, "I wish to have written to him sooner," "I then wished to have written to him sooner," "He will one day wish to have written sooner;" it would be more perspicuous and forcible, as well as more agreeable to the practice of good writers, to say, "I wish that I had written to him sooner," "I then wished that I had written to him sooner," "He will one day wish that he had written sooner." Should the justness of these strictures be admitted, there would still be numerous occasions for the use of the past infinitive; as we may perceive by a few examples: "It would ever afterwards have been a source of pleasure, to have found him wise and virtuous." "To have deferred his repentance longer, would have disqualified him for repenting at all." "They will then see, that to have faithfully performed their duty, would have been their greatest consolation." "I expected to have found him." Will you correct this sentence, and give a rule for it? What tense of the infinitive must be used to express past time with the defective verb ought? Give an example. Is it proper ever to use the perfect of the infinitive after the governing verb ? Give an example. "I purpose to go to London in a few months, and after I shall finish (1.) my business there, to proceed (2.) to America." "These prosecutions of William seem to be the most iniquitous measures pursued by the court during the time that the use of parliaments was suspended." "From the little conversation I had with him, he appeared to have been a man of letters." "I always intended to have rewarded my son according to his merit.' "It would, on reflection, have given me great satisfaction, to relieve him from that distressed situation." "It required so much care, that I thought I should have lost it before I reached home." "We have done no more than it 1 was our duty to have done." "He would have assisted one of his friends, if he could do it without injuring the other; but as that could not have been done, he avoided all interference." "Must it not be expected that he would have defended an authority, which had been so "It was a pleasure to have received his approbation of my labors, for which I cordially thanked him." "It would have afforded me still greater pleasure, to receive his approbation at an earlier period; but to receive (4.) it at all, reflected credit upon me." "To be censured by him, would soon have proved an insuperable discouragement." "Him portioned maids, appren ticed orphans blest, The young who labor, and the old who rest." "The doctor, in his lecture, said, that fever always produced thirst." RULE XIV. Corresponding with Murray's Grammar, Active participles from active transitive verbs govern the objective case. 1. Participles are sometimes governed by the article; for the present participle, with the definite article the before it, becomes a substantive, and must have the preposition of after it; as, "These are the rules of grammar, by the observing of which, you may avoid mistakes." It would not be proper to (1.) "shall have finished." (2.) Rule IX. (3.) "Might it not have been," &c. (4.) to have received." Note XIII. (5.) Rule XIII. (6.) Rule VIII. (7.) 561. say, by the observing which," nor, "by bserving of which;" but the phrase, without either article or preposition, would be right; as, "by observing which." The article a or an has the same effect; as, "This was a betraying of the trust reposed in him." This rule arises from the nature and idiom of our language, and from as plain a principle as any on which it is founded; namely, that a word which has the article before it, and the possessive preposition of after it, must be a noun; and, if a noun, it ought to follow the construction of a noun, and not to have the regimen of a verb. It is the participial termination of this sort of words, that is apt to deceive us, and make us treat them as if they were of an amphibious species, partly nouns and partly verbs. 66 The following are a few examples of the violation of this rule: "He was sent to prepare the way by preaching of repentance;" it ought to be, “by the preaching of repentance," or, " by preaching repentance." "By the continual mortifying our corrupt affections;" it should be, "by the continual mortifying of," or, "by continually mortifying our corrupt affections." They laid out themselves towards the advancing and promoting the good of it "towards advancing and promoting the good." "It is an overvaluing ourselves, to reduce every thing to the narrow measure of our capacities ;""it is overvaluing ourselves," or, "an overvaluing of ourselves.' Keeping of one day in seven," &c. ; it ought to be," the keeping of one day," or, "keeping one day." A phrase in which the article precedes the present participle, and the possessive preposition follows it, will not, in every instance, convey the same meaning as would be conveyed by the participle without the article and preposition. "He expressed the pleasure he had in the hearing of the philosopher." is capable of a different scuse from, "He expressed the pleasure he had in hearing the philosopher." When, therefore, we wish, for the sake of harmony or variety, to substitute one of these phraseologies for the other, we should previously consider whether they are perfectly similar in the sentiments >they convey. By the observing of which." Will you parse observing? Rule for it? What words in this sentence may be omitted with propriety? Would it be proper to omit one of them only? "By observing of truth, you will command esteem, as well as secure peace." 'He prepared them for this event, by the sending to them proper "A person may be great or rich "The changing times and seasons, 1. "The not attending (1.) to this "The middle station of life seems to be the most advantageously 2. The same observations which have been made respecting the effect of the article and participle, appear to be applicable to the pronoun and partici ple, when they are similarly associated; as, "Much depends on their observ ing of the rule, and error will be the consequence of their neglecting of it;" instead of "their observing the rule, and their neglecting it." We shall perceive this more clearly, if we substitute a noun for the pronoun; as, "Much depends upon Tyro's observing of the rule," &c. But, as this construction sounds rather harshly, it would, in general, be better to express the sentiment in the following, or some other form: "Much depends on the rule's being observed; and error will be the consequence on its being neglected:" observing the rule ;" and, "of neglecting it." This remark may be applied to several other modes of expression to be found in this work; which, though they are contended for as strictly correct, are not always the most eligible, on account of their unpleasant sound. or, 66 on We sometimes meet with expressions like the following: "In forming of his sentences, he was very exact ;" "From calling of names, he proceeded to blows." But this is incorrect language; for prepositions do not, like articles and pronouns, convert the participle itself into the nature of a substantive; as we have shown above in the phrase, "by observing which." And yet the participle, with its adjuncts, may be considered as a substantive phrase in the objective case, governed by the preposition or verb, expressed or understood; as, By promising much, and performing but little, we become despicable ;"" He studied to avoid expressing himself too severely." "Much depends on their observing of the rule" Would this sentence be correct if the preposition of were omitted? Will you repeat the note ? " "There will be no danger of their "It was from our misunderstand 2. ing the directions, that we lost our way.". "In tracing of his history, we dis cover little that is worthy of imitation." "By reading of books written by. the best authors, his mind became highly improved." 3. As the perfect participle and the imperfect tense are sometimes differeut in their form, care must be taken that they be not indiscriminately used. It is frequently said, "He begun," for "he began;""He run," for "he ran" "He drunk," for " he drank;" the participle being here used instead of the imperfect tense and much more frequently the imperfect tense instead of the participle; as, “I had wrote," for "I had written;" "I was chose," for "I was chosen;" "1 have eat," for "I have eaten." "His words were interwove with sighs;" "were interwoven." "He would have spoke;" "spoken.” "He hath bore witness to his faithful servants;" "horne."" By this means he overrun his guide;" "overran." "The sun has rose ;""risen." constitution has been greatly shook, but his mind is too strong to be shook by such causes ;"" shaken," in both places. They were verses wrote on "written." glass;" Philosophers have often mistook the source of true happiness;" it ought to be, “mistaken." "His The participle ending in ed is often improperly contracted by changing ed "In good behavior he is not surpast by any pupil of the school;" "She was much distrest ;" they ought to be," surpassed," "distressed." into t; as, Is it correct to say, "He begun"? What is wrong in the expression? Will you repeat Note 3? Can the participle ending in ed be contracted to 2, with propriety? "By too eager pursuit, he run a great risk of being disappointed." (2.) "He had not long enjoyed repose, before he began to be weary of having nothing to do." (1.) Omit "their." 3. "He was greatly heated, and some respects, exceptionable, ́ ̄ (2.) Pres. pass. part. used as a noun.-Rule X. in every state in Europe." "His resolution was too strong to be shook by slight opposi tion." "He was not much restrained "They who have bore a part in "When the rules have been wan- "He writes as the best authors RULE XXVII. Corresponding with Murray's Grammar, RULE XV. Adverbs, though they have no government of case, tense, &c., require an appropriate situation in the sentence, viz. for the most part, before adjectives, after verbs active or neuter, and frequently between the auxiliary and the verb; as, "He made a very sensible discourse; he spoke unaffectedly and forcibly, and was attentively heard by the whole assembly." A few instances of erroneous positions of adverbs may serve to illustrate the rule. "He must not expect to find study agreeable always ;" "always agreeable." "We always find them ready when we want them;" "we find them always ready," &c. "Dissertations on the prophecies which have remarkably been fulfilled;" "which have been remarkably." "Instead of looking contemptuously down on the crooked in mind or in body, we should look up thankfully to God, who hath made us better;" "Instead of looking down contemptuously, &c., we should thankfully look up," &c. "If thou art blessed naturally with a good memory, continually exercise it ;" naturally blessed," &c. exercise it continually." Sometimes the adverb is placed with propriety before the verb, or at some distance after it; sometimes between the two auxiliaries; and sometimes after them both; as in the following examples: "Vice always creeps by de grees, and insensibly twines around us those concealed fetters, by which we are at last completely bound." "He encouraged the English barons to carry their opposition farther;" "They compelled him to declare that he would ab jure the realm forever; instead of, "to carry farther their opposition ; and |