tion 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 say, " by the observing which ;” nor, "by observing 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 be fore 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.

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 curselves," 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 par iciple 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 prepo-sition. "He expressed the pleasure he had in the hearing of the philosopher," is capable of a different sense 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.

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2. The same observations which have been made respecting the effect of the article and participle, appear to be applicable to the pronoun and participle when they are similarly associated: as, "Much depends on their observing 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 of its being negtected." 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. See pages 56, 77, 171–175.

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 in-correct language; for prepositions do not, like articles and pronouns, convert the participle into the nature of a substantive; as we have shown above in the phrase, “By observing which."

3. As the perfect participle and the imperfect tense are sometimes different in their form, care mus: 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 fre-

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quently the imperfect tense instead of the participle: as, "I had wrote," for " I had written;" "I was chose," for "I was chosen ;" "I 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 ;" "borne.” “By this means he over-run his guide ;” « over-ran.” “The sun has rose ;"" risen." "His 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 glass," "written." "Philosophers have often mistook the source of true happiness:" it ought to be “mistaken."

The participle ending in ed is often improperly con-tracted by changing cd into t; as, " In good behaviour, he is not surpast by any pupil of the school." It ought to be "surpassed."

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 fre-quently 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.' always agreeable." "We always find them ready when we want them ;"" we find them always ready," &c. "Dissertations on the prophe-. cies 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;" "in-. stead of looking down contemptuously, &c. we should thank

fully 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 degrees, 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 abjure the realm for ever;" instead of "to carry farther their oppo-sition ;" and "to abjure for ever the realm." "He has generally been reckoned an honest man :" "The book may always be had at such a place :" in preference to "has been generally ;" and "may be always:" "These rules will be clearly understood, after they have been diligently studied," are preferable to, "These rules will clearly be understood, after they have diligently been studied."

From the preceding remarks and examples, it appears that no exact and determinate rule can be given for the placing of adverbs on all occasions. The general rule may be of considerable use; but the easy flow and perspicuity of the phrase, are the things which ought to be chiefly regarded..

The adverb there is often used as an expletive, or as a word that adds nothing to the sense; in which case it precedes the verb and the nominative noun: as, "There is a person at the door;""There are some thieves in the house;" which would be as well, or better, expressed by saying, "A person is at the door;" "Some thieves are in the house." Sometimes it is made use of to give a small degree of emphasis to the sentence: as, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John." When it is ap-plied in its strict sense, it principally follows the verb and. the nominative case: as, "The man stands there.”

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1. The adverb never generally precedes the verb: as, never was there;" "He never comes, at a proper time."

When an auxiliary is used, it is placed indifferently, either before or after this adverb: as, "He was never seen (or never was seen) to laugh from that time." Never seems to be improperly used in the following passages. "Ask me

The

never so much dowry and gift.” "If I make my hands never so clean." "Charm he never so wisely." word "ever" would be more suitable to the sense.

2. In imitation of the French idiom, the adverb of place where, is often used instead of the pronoun relative and a preposition. "They framed a protestation, where they repeated all their former claims; i. e. " in which they repeated." "The king was still determined to run forwards, in the same course where he was already, by his precipitate career, too fatally advanced;" i. e. "in which he was." But it would be better to avoid this mode of expression.

The adverbs hence, thence and whence, imply a preposition; for they signify, "from this place, from that place, from what place." It seems, therefore, strictly speaking, to be improper to join a preposition with them, because it is superfluous: as, "This is the leviathan, from whence the wits of our age are said to borrow their weapons;"❝ An ancient author prophecies from hence." But the origin of these words is little attended to, and the preposition from so often used in construction with them, that the omission of it, in many cases, would seem stiff, and be disagreeable.. The adverbs here, there, where, are often improperly applied to verbs signifying motion, instead of the adverbs hither, thither, whither: as, "He came here hastily ;"" They rode there with speed." They should be," He came hither" "They rode thither," &c.

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3. We have some examples of adverbs being used for substantives: "In 1687, he erected it into a community of regulars, since when, it has begun to increase in those countries as a religious order ;" i. e. " since which time.” "A little while and I shall not see you;" i..e. " a short time." "It is worth their while ;"i. e. " it deserves their time and