The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown (free ebook reader .txt) 📕

p. 82. "The king of Israel, and Jehosophat the king of Judah, sat each on his throne."—Mur. Gram., p. 165, twice; Merchant's, 89; Churchill's, 300. "The king of Israel, and Jehosaphat the king of Judah, sat each on his throne."—Lowth's Gram., p. 90; Harrison's, 99; Churchill's, 138; Wright's, 148. "Lisias, speaking of his friends, promised to his father, never to abandon them."—Murray's Gram., Vol. ii, pp. 121 and 253. "Some, to avoid this errour, run into it's opposite."—Churchill's Gram., p. 199. "Hope, the balm of life, sooths us under every misfortune."—Merchants Key, p. 204. "Any judgement or decree might be heerd and reversed by the legislature."—Webster's Essays, p. 340. "A pathetic harang wil skreen from punishment any knave."—Ib., p. 341. "For the same reezon, the wimen would be improper judges."—Ibid. "Every person iz indulged in worshiping az he pleezes."—Ib., p. 345. "Most or all teechers are excluded from genteel company."—Ib., p. 362. "The Kristian religion, in its purity, iz the best institution on erth."—Ib., p. 364. "Neether clergymen nor human laws hav the leest authority over the conscience."—Ib., p. 363. "A gild is a society, fraternity, or corporation."—Red Book, p. 83. "Phillis was not able to unty the knot, and so she cut it."—Ib., p. 46. "An aker of land is the quantity of one hundred and sixty perches."—Ib., p. 93. "Oker is a fossil earth combined with the oxid of some metal."—Ib., p. 96. "Genii, when denoting ærial spirits: Geniuses, when signifying persons of genius."—Mur.'s Gram., i, p. 42. "Genii, when denoting æriel spirits; Geniuses, when signifying persons of genius."—Frost's Gram., p. 9. "Genius, Plu. geniuses, men of wit; but genii, ærial beings."—Nutting's Gram., p. 18. "Aerisius, king of Argos, had a beautiful daughter, whose name was Danæ."—Classic Tales, p. 109. "Phæton was the son of Apollo and Clymene."—Ib., p. 152. "But, after all, I may not have reached the intended Gaol."—Buchanan's Syntax, Pref., p. xxvii. "'Pitticus was offered a large sum.' Better: 'A large sum was offered to Pitticus.'"—Kirkham's Gram., p. 187. "King Missipsi charged his sons to respect the senate and people of Rome."—See ib., p. 161. "For example: Gallileo invented the telescope."—Ib., pp. 54 and 67. "Cathmor's warriours sleep in death."—Ib., p. 54. "For parsing will enable you to detect and correct errours in composition."—Ib., p. 50.

   "O'er barren mountains, o'er the flow'ry plain,
    Extends thy uncontroul'd and boundless reign."—Dryden.

PROMISCUOUS ERRORS IN SPELLING. LESSON I.—MIXED.

"A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critick."—POPE: Johnson's Dict., w. Former. "Produce a single passage superiour to the speech of Logan, a Mingo chief, delivered to Lord Dunmore, when governour of Virginia."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. 247. "We have none synonimous to supply its place."—Jamieson's Rhetoric, p. 48. "There is a probability that the effect will be accellerated."—Ib., p. 48. "Nay, a regard to sound hath controuled the public choice."—Ib., p. 46. "Though learnt from the uninterrupted use of gutterel sounds."—Ib., p. 5. "It is by carefully filing off all roughness and inequaleties, that languages, like metals, must be polished."—Ib., p. 48. "That I have not mispent my time in the service of the community."—Buchanan's Syntax, Pref., p. xxviii. "The leaves of maiz are also called blades."—Webster's El. Spelling-Book, p. 43. "Who boast that they know what is past, and can foretel what is to come."—Robertson's Amer., Vol. i, p. 360. "Its tasteless dullness is interrupted by nothing but its perplexities."— Abbott's Teacher, p. 18. "Sentences constructed with the Johnsonian fullness and swell."—Jamieson's Rhet., p. 130. "The privilege of escaping from his prefatory dullness and prolixity."—Kirkham's Elocution, p. iv. "But in poetry this characteristick of dulness attains its full growth."—Ib., p. 72. "The leading characteristick consists in an increase of the force and fullness."—Ib., p. 71. "The character of this opening fulness and feebler vanish."—Ib., p. 31. "Who, in the fullness of unequalled power, would not believe himself the favourite of heaven?"—Ib., p. 181. "They marr one another, and distract him."—Philological Museum, Vol. i, p. 433. "Let a deaf worshipper of antiquity and an English prosodist settle this."—Rush, on the Voice, p. 140. "This phillipic gave rise to my satirical reply in self-defence."— Merchant's Criticisms. "We here saw no inuendoes, no new sophistry, no falsehoods."—Ib. "A witty and humourous vein has often produced enemies."—Murray's Key, p. 173. "Cry holla! to thy tongue, I pr'ythee: it curvetts unseasonably."—Shak. "I said, in my slyest manner, 'Your health, sir.'"—Blackwood's Mag., Vol. xl, p. 679. "And attornies also travel the circuit in pursute of business."—Red Book, p. 83. "Some whole counties in Virginia would hardly sel for the valu of the dets du from the inhabitants."—Webster's Essays, p. 301. "They were called the court of assistants, and exercized all powers legislativ and judicial."—Ib., p. 340. "Arithmetic is excellent for the guaging of liquors."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 288. "Most of the inflections may be analysed in a way somewhat similar."—Ib., p. 112.

   "To epithets allots emphatic state,
    Whilst principals, ungrac'd, like lacquies wait."
        —C. Churchill's Ros., p. 8.

LESSON II.—MIXED.

"Hence it [less] is a privative word, denoting destitution; as, fatherless, faithless, pennyless."—Webster's Dict., w. Less. "Bay; red, or reddish, inclining to a chesnut color."—Same. "To mimick, to imitate or ape for sport; a mimic, one who imitates or mimics."—Ib. "Counterroil, a counterpart or copy of the rolls; Counterrolment, a counter account."—Ib. "Millenium, the thousand years during which Satan shall be bound."—Ib. "Millenial, pertaining to the millenium, or to a thousand years."—Ib. "Thraldom; slavery, bondage, a state of servitude."—See Johnson's Dict. "Brier, a prickly bush; Briery, rough, prickly, full of briers; Sweetbriar, a fragrant shrub."—See Johnson, Walker, Chalmers, Webster, and others. "Will, in the second and third Persons, barely foretels."—British Gram., p. 132. "And therefor there is no Word false, but what is distinguished by Italics."—Ib., Pref., p. v. "What should be repeted is left to their Discretion."—Ib., p. iv. "Because they are abstracted or seperated from material Substances."—Ib., p. ix. "All Motion is in Time, and therefor, where-ever it exists, implies Time as its Concommitant."—Ib., p. 140. "And illiterate grown persons are guilty of blameable spelling."—Ib., Pref., p. xiv. "They wil always be ignorant, and of ruf uncivil manners."—Webster's Essays, p. 346. "This fact wil hardly be beleeved in the northern states."—Ib., p. 367. "The province however waz harrassed with disputes."—Ib., p. 352. "So little concern haz the legislature for the interest of lerning."—Ib., p. 349. "The gentlemen wil not admit that a skoolmaster can be a gentleman."—Ib., p. 362. "Such absurd qui-pro-quoes cannot be too strenuously avoided."—Churchill's Gram., p. 205. "When we say, 'a man looks slyly;' we signify, that he assumes a sly look."—Ib., p. 339. "Peep; to look through a crevice; to look narrowly, closely, or slyly."—Webster's Dict. "Hence the confession has become a hacknied proverb."—Wayland's Moral Science, p. 110. "Not to mention the more ornamental parts of guilding, varnish, &c."—Tooke's Diversions, Vol. i, p. 20. "After this system of self-interest had been rivetted."—Brown's Estimate, Vol. ii, p. 136. "Prejudice might have prevented the cordial approbation of a bigotted Jew."—SCOTT: on Luke, x.

   "All twinkling with the dew-drop sheen,
    The briar-rose fell in streamers green."—Lady of the Lake, p. 16.

LESSON III.—MIXED.

"The infinitive mode has commonly the sign to before it."—Harrison's Gram., p. 25. "Thus, it is adviseable to write singeing, from the verb to singe, by way of distinction from singing, the participle of the verb to sing."—Ib., p. 27. "Many verbs form both the preterite tense and the preterite participle irregularly."—Ib., p. 28. "Much must be left to every one's taste and judgment."—Ib., p. 67. "Verses of different lengths intermixed form a Pindarick poem."—Priestley's Gram., p. 44. "He'll surprize you."—Frost's El. of Gram., p. 88. "Unequalled archer! why was this concealed?"—KNOWLES: ib., p. 102. "So gaily curl the waves before each dashing prow."—BYRON: ib., p. 104. "When is a dipthong called a proper dipthong?"—Infant School Gram., p. 11. "How many ss would goodness then end with? Three."—Ib., p. 33. "Q. What is a tripthong? A. A tripthong is the union of three vowels, pronounced in like manner."—Bacon's Gram., p. 7. "The verb, noun, or pronoun, is referred to the preceding terms taken seperately."—Ib., p. 47. "The cubic foot of matter which occupies the center of the globe."—Cardell's Gram., 18mo, p. 47. "The wine imbibes oxigen, or the acidifying principle, from the air."—Ib., p. 62. "Charcoal, sulphur, and niter, make gun powder."—Ib., p. 90. "It would be readily understood, that the thing so labeled, was a bottle of Madeira wine."—Ib., p. 99. "They went their ways, one to his farm, an other to his merchandize."—Ib., p. 130. "A dipthong is the union of two vowels, sounded by a single impulse of the voice."—Russell's Gram., p. 7. "The professors of the Mahommedan religion are called Mussulmans."—Maltby's Gram., p. 73. "This shews that let is not a sign of the imperative mood, but a real verb."—Ib., p. 51. "Those preterites and participles, which are first mentioned in the list, seem to be the most eligible."—Ib., p. 47. "Monosyllables, for the most part, are compared by er and est; and dyssyllables by more and most."—Ib., p. 19. "This termination, added to a noun, or adjective, changes it into a verb: as modern, to modernise; a symbol, to symbolize."—Churchill's Gram., p. 24. "An Abridgment of Murray's Grammar, with additions from Webster, Ash, Tooke, and others."—Maltby's title-page. "For the sake of occupying the room more advantagously, the subject of Orthography is merely glanced at."—Nutting's Gram., p. 5. "So contended the accusers of Gallileo."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., 12mo, 1839, p. 380. "Murray says, 'They were traveling past when we met them.'"—Peirce, ib., p. 361. "They fulfil the only purposes for which they are designed."—Ib., p. 359. "On the fulfillment of the event."—Ib., p. 175. "Fullness consists in expressing every idea."—Ib., p. 291. "Consistently with fulness and perspicuity."—Ib., p. 337. "The word verriest is a gross corruption; as, 'He is the verriest fool on earth.'"—Wright's Gram., p. 202. "The sound will recal the idea of the object."—Hiley's Gram., p. 142. "Formed for great enterprizes."—Bullions's Prin. of E. Gram., p. 153. "The most important rules and definitions are printed in large type, italicised."—Hart's Gram., p. 3. "HAMLETTED, a. Accustomed to a hamlet; countrified."— Bolles's Dict., and Chalmers's. "Singular, spoonful, cup-full, coach-full, handful; plural, spoonfuls, cup-fulls, coach-fulls, handfuls."—Bullions's Analyt. and Pract. Gram., p. 27.

   "Between Superlatives and following Names,
    OF, by Grammatick Right, a Station claims."
        —Brightland's Gram., p. 146.

CHAPTER V.—QUESTIONS. ORDER OF REHEARSAL, AND METHOD OF EXAMINATION.

[Fist][The student ought to be able to answer with readiness, and in the words of the book, all the following questions on grammar. And if he has but lately commenced the study, it may be well to require of him a general rehearsal of this kind, before he proceeds to the correction of any part of the false grammar quoted in the foregoing chapters. At any rate, he should be master of so many of the definitions and rules as precede the part which he attempts to correct; because this knowledge is necessary to a creditable performance of the exercise. But those who are very quick at reading, may perform it tolerably, by consulting the book at the time, for what they do not remember. The answers to these questions will embrace all the main text of the work; and, if any further examination be thought necessary, extemporaneous questions may be framed for the purpose.]

LESSON I.—GRAMMAR.

1. What is the name, or title, of this book? 2. What is Grammar? 3. What is an English Grammar? 4. What is English Grammar, in itself? and what knowledge does it imply? 5. If grammar is the art of reading, writing, and speaking, define these actions. What is it, to read? 6. What is it, to write? 7. What is it, to speak? 8. How is grammar to be taught, and by what means are its principles to be made known? 9. What is a perfect definition? 10. What is an example, as used in teaching? 11. What is a rule of grammar? 12. What is an exercise? 13. What was language at first, and what is it now? 14. Of what two kinds does the composition of language consist? and how do they differ? 15. What are the least parts of language? 16. What has discourse to do with sentences? or sentences, with points? 17. In extended compositions, what is the order of the parts, upwards from a sentence? 18. What, then, is the common order of literary division, downwards, throughout? 19. Are all literary works divided exactly in this way? 20. How is Grammar divided? 21. Of what does Orthography treat? 22. Of what does Etymology treat? 23. Of what does Syntax treat? 24. Of what does Prosody treat?

PART FIRST, ORTHOGRAPHY. LESSON II.—LETTERS.

1. Of what does Orthography treat? 2. What is a letter? 3. What is an elementary sound of human voice, or speech? 4. What name is given to the sound of a letter? and what epithet, to a letter not sounded? 5. How many letters are there in English? and how many sounds do they represent? 6. In what does a knowledge of the letters