posing is, the injudicious introduction of technical words and phrases."— Campbell's Rhet., p. 247. "These are the rules of grammar, by the observing of which, you may avoid mistakes."-Murray's Gram., i, 192; Merchant's, 93; Fisk's, 135; Ingersoll's, 198. "By the observing of the rules, you may avoid mistakes."—Alger's Gram., p. 65. "By the observing of these rules he succeeded."-Frost's El. of Gram., p. 82. "Being praised was his ruin."-Ibid. "Deceiving is not convincing."-Ibid. "He never feared losing a friend."-Ibid. "Making books is his amusement."-Alger's Gram., p. 65. "We call it declining a noun."-Ingersoll's Gram., p. 22. "Washington, however, pursued the same policy of neutrality, and opposed firmly, taking any part in the wars of Europe."-Hall and Baker's School Hist., p. 294. "The following is a note of Interrogation, or asking a question (?)."-Infant School Gram., p. 132. "The following is a note of Admiration, or expressing wonder (!)."—Ib. Omitting or using the article a forms a nice distinction in the sense."-Murray's Gram., ii, 284. "Placing the preposition before the word it governs is more graceful."-Churchill's Gram., p. 150. "Assistance is absolutely necessary to their recovery, and retrieving their affairs."-Butler's Analogy, p. 197. "Which termination, [ish,] when added to adjectives, imports diminution, or lessening the quality."-Murray's Gram., i, 131; Kirkham's, 172. "After what is said, will it be thought refining too much to suggest, that the different orders are qualified for different purposes?"-Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 114. "Who has nothing to think of but killing time."— West's Letters, p. 58. "It requires no nicety of ear, as in the distinguishing of tones, or measuring time."-Sheridan's Elocution, p. 65. sessive Case denotes possession, or belonging to."-Hall's Gram., p. 7.

UNDER NOTE XIII-PERFECT PARTICIPLES.

"The Pos

"Garcilasso was master of the language spoke by the Incas."-Robertson's Amer., ii, 459. "When an interesting story is broke off in the middle."-Kames, El. of Crit., i, 244. "Speaking of Hannibal's elephants drove back by the enemy."-Ib., ii, 32. "If Du Ryer had not wrote for bread, he would have equalled them."-Formey's Belles-Lettres, p. 166. "Pope describes a rock broke off from a mountain, and hurling to the plain."—Kames, ii, 106. "I have wrote or have written, Thou hast wrote or hast written. He hath or has wrote, or hath or has written;" &c.-Dr. Ash's Gram., p. 47; Maltby's, 47. "This was spoke by a pagan."-Webster's Improved Gram., p. 174. "But I have chose to follow the common arrangement."-Ib., p. 10. "The language spoke in Bengal."—Ib., p. 78. "And sound Sleep thus broke off, with suddain Alarms, is apt enough to discompose any one."-Locke, on Ed., p. 32. "This is not orly the Case of those Open Sinners, before spoke of."-Right of Tythes, p. 26. "Some Grammarians have wrote a very perplexed and difficult doctrine on Punctuation."-Ensell's Gram., p. 340. "There hath a pity arose in me towards thee."-Sewel's Hist., fol., p. 324. "Abel is the only man that has underwent the awful change of death."-Juvenile Theatre, p. 4.

"Meantime, on Afric's glowing sands,

Smote with keen heat, the Trav'ler stands."-Union Poems, p. 88.

CHAPTER VIII.-ADVERBS.

The syntax of an Adverb consists in its simple relation to a verb, a participle, an adjective, or whatever else it qualifies; just as the syntax of an English Adjective, (except in a few instances,) consists in its simple relation to a noun or a pronoun.

RULE XXI.—ADVERBS.

Adverbs relate to verbs, participles, adjectives, or other adverbs: as, "Any passion that habitually discomposes our temper, or unfits us for properly discharging the duties of life, has most certainly gained a very dangerous ascendency."-Blair.

"How bless'd this happy hour, should he appear,

Dear to us all, to me supremely dear !"-Pope's Homer.

EXCEPTION FIRST.

The adverbs yes, ay, and yea, expressing a simple affirmation, and the adverbs no and nay, expressing a simple negation, are always independent. They generally answer a question, and are equivalent to a whole sentence. Is it clear, that they ought to be called adverbs? No. "Can honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No."-SHAK.: First Part of Hen. IV, Act v, 1.

EXCEPTION SECOND.

The word amen, which is commonly called an adverb, is often used independently at the beginning or end of a declaration or a prayer; and is itself a prayer, meaning, So let it be: as, Surely, I come quickly. Amen: Even so, come Lord Jesus."—Rev., xxii, 20. When it does not stand thus alone, it seems in general to be used substantively; as, "The strangers among them stood on Gerizim, and echoed amen to the blessings."- Wood's Dict. "These things saith the Amen."-Rev., iii, 14.

EXCEPTION THIRD.

An adverb before a preposition seems sometimes to relate to the latter, rather than to the verb or participle to which the preposition connects its object; as, "This mode of pronunciation runs considerably beyond ordinary discourse."-Blair's Rhet., p. 334. "Yea, all along the times of the apostasy, this was the thing that preserved the witnesses."-Penington's Works, Vol. iv, p. 12. [See Obs. 8th on Rule 7th.]

"Right against the eastern gate,

Where the great sun begins his state."-Milton, L'Allegro.

EXCEPTION FOURTH.

The words much, little, far, and all, being originally adjectives, are sometimes preceded by the negative not, or (except the last) by such an adverb as too, how, thus, so, or as, when they are taken substantively; as, "Not all that glitters, is gold."-" Too much should not be offered at once."-Murray's Gram., p. 140. "Thus far is consistent."-lb., p. 161. "Thus far is right.”— Lowth's Gram., p. 101.

OBSERVATIONS ON RULE XXI.

OBS. 1.-On this rule of syntax, Dr. Adam remarks, "Adverbs sometimes likewise qualify substantives;" and gives Latin examples of the following import: "Homer plainly an orator:""Truly Metellus;" "'—" To-morrow morning." But this doctrine is not well proved by such imperfect phrases, nor can it ever be very consistently admitted, because it destroys the characteristic difference between an adjective and an adverb. To-morrow is here an adjective; and as for truly and plainly, they are not such words as can make sense with nouns. I therefore imagine the phrases to be elliptical: "Verè Metellus," may mean, "This is truly Metellus;" and "Homerus planè orator," ," "Homer was plainly an orator." So, in the example, "Behold an Israelite indeed," the true construction seems to be, “Behold, here is indeed an Israelite;" for, in the Greek or Latin, the word Israelite is a nominative, thus: "Ecce verè Israëlita."-Beza; also Montanus. "Ifε ¿λndws 'Ispanλirns.”—Greek Testament. Behold appears to be here an interjection, like Ecce. If we make it a transitive verb, the reading should be, "Behold a true Israelite;" for the text does not mean, "Behold indeed an Israelite." At least, this is not the meaning in our version. II. H. Wells, citing as authorities for the doctrine, "Bullions, Allen and Cornwell, Brace, Butler, and Webber," has the following remark: "There are, however, certain forms of expression in which adverbs bear a special relation to nouns or pronouns; as, 'Behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters.'- Gen. 6: 17. 'For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power.'— 1 Thes. 1: 5."-Wells's School Gram., 1st Ed., p. 156; late Ed., 168. And again, in his Punctuation, we find this: "When, however, the intervening word is an adverb, the comma is more commonly omitted; as, 'It is labor only which gives a relish to pleasure.'"-Ib., p. 176. From all this, the doctrine receives no better support than from Adam's suggestion above considered. The word "only" is often an adjective, and wherever its "special relation" is to a noun or a pronoun, it can be nothing else. "Even," when it introduces a word repeated with emphasis, is a conjunction.

OBS. 2.-When participles become nouns, their adverbs are not unfrequently left standing with them in their original relation; as, "For the fall and rising again of many in Israel."-Luke, ii, 34. "To denote the carrying forward of the action."-Barnard's Gram., p. 52. But in instances like these, the hyphen seems to be necessary. This mark would make the terms rising-again and carrying-forward compound nouns, and not participial nouns with adverbs relating to them.

4.

"There is no flying hence, nor tarrying here."-Shak., Macbeth.
"What! in ill thoughts again? men must endure

Their going hence, ev'n as their coming hither."-Id.

OBS. 3.-Whenever any of those words which are commonly used adverbially, are made to relate directly to nouns or pronouns, they must be reckoned adjectives, and parsed by Rule 9th. Examples: "The above verbs."-Dr. Adam. "To the above remarks."— -Campbell's Rhet., p. 318. "The above instance."-Ib., p. 442. "After the above partial illustration."-Dr. Murray's Hist. of Lang., ii, 62. "The above explanation."-Cobbett's Gram., 22. "For very age."-Zech., viii, "From its very greatness."-Phil. Museum, i, 431. "In his then situation."-Johnson's Life of Goldsmith. "This was the then state of Popery."-Id., Life of Dryden, p. 185. "The servant becomes the master of his once master."-Shillitoe. "Time when is put in the ablative, time how long is put in the accusative."—Adam's Lat. Gram., p. 201; Gould's, 198. Nouns signifying the time when or how long, may be put in the objective case without a preposition.”—Wilbur and Livingston's Gram., p. 24. "I hear the far-off curfew sound."-Milton. "Far on the thither side."-Book of Thoughts, p. 58. "My hither way."-" Since my here remain in England."Shak. "But short and seldom truce."-Fell. "An exceeding knave."-Pope. According to

Ib.

"To

my sometime promise."-Zenobia, i, 176. "Thine often infirmities."-Bible. "A far country.""No wine,"-" No new thing,"-"No greater joy."—Ib. Nothing else."-Blair. morrow noon."-Scott. "Calamity enough."-Tr. Sallust. "For thou only art holy."-Rev., xv, 4. OBS. 4.—It is not my design to justify any uncouth substitution of adverbs for adjectives; nor do I affirm that all the foregoing examples are indisputably good English, though most of them are so; but merely, that the words, when they are thus used, are adjectives, and not adverbs. Lindley Murray, and his copyists, strongly condemn some of these expressions, and, by implica tion, most or all of them; but both he and they, as well as others, have repeatedly employed at least one of the very models they censure. They are too severe on all those which they specify. Their objections stand thus; Such expressions as the following, though not destitute of authority, are very inelegant, and do not suit the idiom of our language; The then ministry,' for, the ministry of that time;'The above discourse,' for, 'the preceding discourse.'"-Murray's Gram., i, p. 198; Crombie's, 294; Ingersoll's, 206. "The following phrases are also exceptionable: 'The then ministry; The above argument.' "-Kirkham's Gram., p. 190. "Adverbs used as adjectives, as, 'The above statement;' The then administration;' should be avoided.”—Barnard's Gram., p. 285. "When and then must not be used for nouns and pronouns; thus, 'Since when,' 'since then,' 'the then ministry,' ought to be, 'Since which time, since that time,' 'the ministry of that period.' ”— Hiley's Gram., p. 96. Dr. Priestley, from whom Murray derived many of his critical remarks, noticed these expressions; and, (as I suppose,) approvingly; thus, "Adverbs are often put for adjectives, agreeably to the idiom of the Greek tongue: [as] 'The action was amiss.'—'The then ministry.'-The idea is alike in both.'-Addison. The above discourse.'-Harris."-Priestley's Gram., p. 135. Dr. Johnson, as may be seen above, thought it not amiss to use then as Priestley here cites it; and for such a use of above, we may quote the objectors themselves: "To support the above construction."-Murray's Gram., i, p. 149; Ingersoll's, p. 238. "In all the above instances."-Mur., p. 202; Ing., 230. "To the above rule."-Mur., p. 270; Ing., 283. "The same as the above."-Mur., p. 66; Ing., 46. "In such instances as the above."-Mur., p. 24; Ing., 9; Kirkham, 23.*

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OBS. 5.-When words of an adverbial character are used after the manner of nouns, they must be parsed as nouns, and not as adverbs; as, "The Son of God-was not yea and nay, but in him was yea."-Bible. "For a great while to come."-Ib. "On this perhaps, this peradventure infamous for lies."— Young. "From the extremest upward of thine head."Shak. "There are upwards of fifteen millions of inhabitants."-Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 266. "Information has been derived from upwards of two hundred volumes."-Worcester's Hist., p. v. An eternal now does always last."-Cowley. "Discourse requires an animated no.”—Cowper. "Their hearts no proud hereafter swelled."-Sprague. An adverb after a preposition is used substantively, and governed by the preposition; though perhaps it is not necessary to call it a common noun: as, "For upwards of thirteen years."-Hiley's Gram., p. xvi. "That thou mayst curso me them from thence." -Numb., xxiii, 27. "Yet for once we'll try."-Dr. Franklin. But many take such terms together, calling them "adverbial phrases." Allen says, "Two adverbs sometimes come together; as, Thou hast kept the good wine until now."-Gram,, p. 174. But until is here more properly a preposition, governing now.

OBS. 6.-It is plain, that when words of an adverbial form are used either adjectively or substantively, they cannot be parsed by the foregoing rule, or explained as having the ordinary relation of adverbs; and if the unusual relation or character which they thus assume, be not thought sufficient to fix them in the rank of adjectives or nouns, the parser may describe them as adverbs used adjectively, or substantively, and apply the rule which their assumed construction requires. But let it be remembered, that adverbs, as such, neither relate to nouns, nor assume the nature of cases; but express the time, place, degree, or manner, of actions or qualities. In some instances in which their construction may seem not to be reconcilable with the common rule, there may be supposed an ellipsis of a verb or a participle; as, "From Monday to Saturday inclusively."— Webster's Dict. Here, the Doctor ought to have used a comma after Saturday; for the adverb relates, not to that noun, but to the word reckoned, understood. It was well said by Roscommon, too faithfully is pedantically."-Com. Sch. Journal, i, 167. This saying I suppose to mean, "To do

a thing too faithfully, is, to do it pedantically." "And, [I say] truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned." -Heb., xi, 15.

OBS 7.-To abbreviate expressions, and give them vivacity, verbs of self-motion (such as go, come, rise, get, &c.) are sometimes suppressed, being suggested to the mind by an emphatic adverb, which seems to be put for the verb, but does in fact relate to it understood; as, "I'll hence to London, on a serious matter."-Shak.

Supply "go."

"Dr. Webster considers the use of then and above as ADNOUNS, [i. e., adjectives,] to be well authorized and very convenient: as, the then ministry; the abore remarks."-Felch's Comp. Gram., p. 108. Dr. Webster's remark is in the following words: "Then and above are often used as ATTRIBUTES; [i. e., adjectives; as,] the then ministry; the above remarks; nor would I proscribe this use. It is well authorized and very convenient." -Philos. Gram., p. 245; Improved Gram., p. 176. Of this use of then, Dr. Crombie has expressed a very different opinion: "Here then," says he, the adverb equivalent to at that time, is solecistically employed as an adjective, agreeing with ministry. This error seems to gain ground; it should therefore be vigilantly opposed, and carefully avoided."--On Etym, and Synt., p. 405.

+ W. Allen supposes, “An adverb sometimes qualifies a whole sentence: as, Unfortunately for the lovers of antiquity, no remains of Grecian paintings have been preserved."-Elements of Eng. Gram., p. 173. But this example may be resolved thus: "It happens unfortunately for the lovers of antiquity, that no remains of Grecian paintings have been preserved."

"I'll in. I'll in. Follow your friend's counsel. I'll in."-Id. Supply "get."

Away, old man; give me thy hand; away."-Id. Supply "come."

"Love hath wings, and will away." Waller. Supply "fly."

46

Up, up, Glentarkin! rouse thee, ho!"-Scott. Supply "spring."

Henry the Fifth is crowned; up, vanity!" Supply "stand."

"Down, royal state! all you sage counsellors, hence !"-Shak. Supply "fall," and "get you." "But up, and enter now into full bliss."-Milton. Supply "rise."

66

66

OBS. 8.-We have, on some occasions, a singular way of expressing a transitive action imperatively, or emphatically, by adding the preposition with to an adverb of direction; as, up with it, down with it, in with it, out with it, over with it, away with it, and the like; in which construction, the adverb seems to be used elliptically as above, though the insertion of the verb would totally enervate or greatly alter the expression. Examples: She up with her fist, and took him on the face."-Sydney, in Joh. Dictionary. Away with him!"-Acts, xxi, 36. Away with such a fellow from the earth."-1b., xxii, 22. "The calling of assembli s I cannot away with.”—Isaiah, i, 13. "Hence with denial vain, and coy excuse."-Milton's Comus. Ingersoll says, Sometimes a whole phrase is used as an interjection, and we call such interjectional phrases: as, out upon him!-away with him !—Alas, what wonder ! &c.”—Conversations on Gram., p. 79. This method of lumping together several different parts of speech under the notion of one, and calling the whole an 46 adverbial phrase," a "substantive phrase," or an “interjectional phrase," is but a forced put, by which some grammarians would dodge certain difficulties which they know not how to meet. It is directly repugnant to the idea of parsing; for the parser ever deals with the parts of speech as such, and not with whole phrases in the lump. The foregoing adverbs when used imperatively, have some resemblance to interjections; but, in some of the examples above cited, they certainly are not used in this manner.

OBS. 9.—A conjunctive adverb usually relates to two verbs at the same time, and thus connects two clauses of a compound sentence; as, "And the rest will I set in order when I come."--1 Cor., xi, 34. Here when is a conjunctive adverb of time, and relates to the two verbs will set and come; the meaning being, "And the rest will I set in order at the time at which I come." This adverb when is often used erroneously in lieu of a nominative after is, to which construction of the word, such an interpretation as the foregoing would not be applicable; because the person means to tell, not when, but what, the thing is, of which he speaks: as, Another cause of obscurity is when the structure of the sentence is too much complicated, or too artificial; or when the sense is too long suspended by parentheses."-Campbell's Rhet., p. 246. Here the conjunction that would be much better than when, but the sentence might advantageously spare them both; thus, "An other cause of obscurity is too much complication, too artificial a structure of the sentence, or too long a suspension of the sense by parenthesis."

OBS. 10. For the placing of adverbs, no definite general rule can be given; yet is there no other part of speech so liable to be misplaced. Those which relate to adjectives, or to other adverbs, with very few exceptions, immediately precede them; and those which belong to compound verbs, are commonly placed after the first auxiliary; or, if they be emphatical, after the whole verb. Those which relate to simple verbs, or to simple participles, are placed sometimes before and sometimes after them. Examples are so very common, I shall cite but one: "A man may, in respect to grammatical purity, speak unexceptionably, and yet speak obscurely, or ambiguously; and though we cannot say, that a man may speak properly, and at the same time speak unintelligibly, yet this last case falls more naturally to be considered as an offence against perspicuity, than as a violation of propriety."-Campbell's Rhet., p. 239.

OBS. 11.—Of the infinitive verb and its preposition to, some grammarians say, that they must never be separated by an adverb. It is true, that the adverb is, in general, more elegantly placed before the preposition than after it; but, possibly, the latter position of it may sometimes contribute to perspicuity, which is more essential than elegance: as, "If any man refuse so to implore, and to so receive pardon, let him die the death."-Fuller, on the Gospel, p. 209. The latter word so, if placed like the former, might possibly be understood in a different sense from what it now bears. But perhaps it would be better to say. "If any man refuse so to implore, and on such terms to receive pardon, let him die the death." "Honour teaches us properly to respect ourselves."-Murray's Key, ii, 252. Here it is not quite clear, to which verb the adverb 'properly" relates. Some change of the expression is therefore needful. The right to place an adverb sometimes between to and its verb, should, I think, be conceded to the poets: as,

"Who dared to nobly stem tyrannic pride."-BURNS: C. Sat. N.

แ

OBS. 12.-The adverb no is used independently, only when it is equivalent to a whole sentence. This word is sometimes an adverb of degree; and as such it has this peculiarity, that it can relate only to comparatives: as, "No more," ,"—" No better,"-" No greater,"-" No sooner." When no is set before a noun, it is clearly an adjective, corresponding to the Latin nullus; as, No clouds, no vapours intervene."-Dyer. Dr. Johnson, with no great accuracy, remarks, "It seems an adjective in these phrases, no longer, no more, no where; though sometimes it may be so commodiously changed to not, that it seems an adverb; as, 'The days are yet no shorter.' "— Quarto Dict. And his first example of what he calls the "adverb xo" is this: "Our courteous Antony, Whom ne'er the word of no woman heard speak.' SHAKSPEARE."-id. Dr. Webster says, "When it precedes where, as in no where, it may be considered as adverbial, though originally an adjective."-Octavo Dict. The truth is, that no is an adverb, whenever it relates to an adjective; an adjective, whenever it relates to a noun; and a noun, whenever it takes the relation of a case.

Thus, in what Johnson cites from Shakspeare, it is a noun, and not an adverb; for the meaning is, that a woman never heard Antony speak the word of no-that is, of negation. And there ought to be a comma after this word, to make the text intelligible. To read it thus: "the word of no woman," makes no an adjective. So, to say, "There are no abler critics than these," is a very different thing from saying, "There are critics no abler than these;" because no is an adjective in the former sentence, and an adverb in the latter. Somewhere, nowhere, anywhere, elsewhere, and everywhere, are adverbs of place, each of which is composed of the noun where and an adjective; and it is absurd to write a part of them as compound words, and the rest as phrases, as many authors do.

OBS. 13.-In some languages, the more negatives one crowds into a sentence, the stronger is the negation; and this appears to have been formerly the case in English, or in what was anciently the language of Britain: as, He never yet no vilanie ne sayde in alle his lif unto no manere wight." Chaucer. Ne I ne wol non reherce, yef that I may."-Id. "Give not me counsel; nor let no comforter delight mine ear."-Shakspeare. "She cannot love, nor take no shape nor project of affection."-Id. Among people of education, this manner of expression has now become wholly obsolete; though it still prevails, to some extent, in the conversation of the vulgar. It is to be observed, however, that the repetition of an independent negative word or clause yet strengthens the negation; as, "No, no, no."-" No, never."-" No, not for an hour."Gal., ii, 5. "There is none righteous, no, not one."-Rom., iii, 10. But two negatives in the same clause, if they have any bearing on each other, destroy the negation, and render the meaning weakly affirmative; as, "Nor did they not perceive their evil plight."-Milton. That is, they did perceive it." His language, though inelegant, is not ungrammatical;' that is, it is grammatical."-Murray's Gram., p. 198. The term not only, or not merely, being a correspondent to but or but also, may be followed by an other negative without this effect, because the two negative words have no immediate bearing on each other; as, "Your brother is not only not present, and not assisting in prosecuting your injuries, but is now actually with Verres."-Duncan's Cicero, p. 19. "In the latter we have not merely nothing, to denote what the point should be; but no indication, that any point at all is wanting."-Churchill's Gram., p. 373. So the word nothing, when taken positively for nonentity, or that which does not exist, may be followed by an other negative; as,

"First, seat him somewhere, and derive his race,

Or else conclude that nothing has no place."-Dryden, p. 95.

Oɛs. 14.—The common rule of our grammars, "Two negatives, in English, destroy each other, or are equivalent to an affirmative," is far from being true of all possible examples. A sort of informal exception to it, (which is mostly confined to conversation,) is made by a familiar transfer of the word neither from the beginning of the clause to the end of it; as, "But here is no notice taken of that neither."―Johnson's Gram. Com., p. 336. That is, "But neither is any notice here taken of that." Indeed a negation may be repeated, by the same word or others, as often as we please, if no two of the terms in particular contradict each other; as, "He will never consent, not he, no, never, nor I neither." He will not have time, no, nor capacity neither."-Bolingbroke, on Hist., p. 103. "Many terms and idioms may be common, which, nevertheless, have not the general sanction, no, nor even the sanction of those that use them."-Campbell's Rhet., p. 160; Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 358. And as to the equivalence spoken of in the same rule, such an expression as, "He did not say nothing," is in fact only a vulgar solecism, take it as you will; whether for, "He did not say anything," or for, "He did say something." The latter indeed is what the contradiction amounts to; but double negatives must be shunned, whenever they seem like blunders. The following examples have, for this reason, been thought objectionable; though Allen says, "Two negatives destroy cach other, or elegantly form an affirmation."—Gram., p. 174. "Nor knew I not

To be both will and deed created free."-Milton, P. L., B. v, l. 548.

"Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale

From her moist continent to higher orbs."-Ib., B. v, 1. 421.

OBS. 15.-Under the head of double negatives, there appears in our grammars a dispute of some importance, concerning the adoption of or or nor, when any other negative than neither or nor occurs in the preceding clause or phrase: as, "We will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image."-Dan., iii, 18. "Ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem."Neh., ii, 20. "There is no painsworthy difficulty nor dispute about them."-Horne Tooke, Div., Vol. i, p. 43. "So as not to cloud that principal object, nor to bury it."-Blair's Rhet., p. 115; Murray's Gram., p. 322. "He did not mention Leonora, nor her father's death."-Murray's Key, p. 264. "Thou canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth."-Ib., p. 215. The form of this text, in John iii, 8th, is-" But canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth;" which Murray inserted in his exercises as bad English. I do not see that the copulative and is here ungrammatical; but if we prefer a disjunctive, ought it not to be or rather than nor? It appears to be the opinion of some, that in all these examples, and in similar instances innumerable, nor only is proper. Others suppose, that or only is justifiable; and others again, that either or or nor is perfectly correct. Thus grammar, or what should be grammar, differs in the hands of different men! The principle to be settled here, must determine the correctness or incorrectness of a vast number of very common expressions. I imagine that none of these opinions is warrantable, if taken in all that extent to which each of them has been, or may be, carried.