RULE XI.-VERBS.

hen a Verb has two or more nominatives connected d, it must agree with them in the plural number:

"Judges and senates have been bought for gold, Esteem and love were never to be sold." -Pope.

EXCEPTION FIRST.

two or more nominatives connected by and, serve merely to describe son or thing; they are in apposition, and do not require a plural s, "This pilosopher and poet was banished from his country."-"Toll, and custom, was paid unto them."-Ezra, iv, 20.

"Whose icy current and compulsive course

Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on." --Shakspeare.

EXCEPTION SECOND.

two nominatives connected by and, are emphatically distinguished; ong to different propositions, and (if singular) do not require a plural , "Ambition, and not the safety of the state, was concerned." Gold

"Ay, und no too, was no good divinity." --Shakspeare. "Love, and Cove only, is the loan for love." - Young.

EXCEPTION THIRD.

- two or more nominatives connected by and, are preceded by the › each, every, or w; they are taken separately, and do not require a erb: as, "When no part of their substance, and no one of their prop the same."-Butier. "Every limb and feature appears with its re grace."-Steelc.

EXCEPTION FOURTH.

the verb separates its nominatives, it agrees with that which preand is understood to the rest; as,

16

-Forth in the pleasing spring,

Thy beauty walks, thy tenderness, and love." Thomson.

OBSERVATIONS ON RULE XI.

-The conjunction is sometimes understood; as,

Art, empire, earth itself, to change are doomed."-Beattie.

-In Greek and Latin, the verb frequently agrees with the nearest ve, and is understood to the rest; and this construction is someproperly imitated in English: as, “Νυνὶ δὲ ΜΕΝΕΙ πίστις, ἐλπὶς͵ ἀγάπη, τύτα.”-“ Nunc verò manet fides, spes, charitas; tria hæc."-"Now mith, hope, charity; these three."-1 Cor., xiii, 13.

-When the nominatives are of different persons, the verb agrees first person in preference to the second, and with the second in be to the third; for thou and I (or he, thou, and I) are equivalent to thou and he are equivalent to you: as, "Why speakest thou any hy matters? I have said, thou and Ziba divide the land."-2 Sam., I. c., "divide ye the land."

A

st agree with the affirmative subject, and be understood to
= other: as, "Diligent industry, and not mean savings, pro-
ces honourable competence." -" Not a loud voice, but strong
oofs bring conviction."

NOTE II. When two subjects or antecedents are connected
as-well-as, but, or save, they belong to different proposi-
ns; and, (unless one of them is preceded by the adverb
) the verb and pronoun must agree with the former and
understood to the latter: as, "Veracity, as well as justice,
to be our rule of life."-Butler.
"Nothing, but wailings,
s heard." None, but thou, can aid us." "No mortal man,
e he, &c., had e'er survived to say he saw." - W. Scott.

BS. 1. The conjunction as, when it connects nominatives that are in ap-
ition, is commonly placed at the beginning of the sentence, so that the
bagrees with its proper nominative following the explanatory word;
3, "As a poet, he holds a high rank." -Murray. But when this conjune-
denotes a comparison between two nominatives, there must be two verbs
-ressed or understood, each agreeing with its own subject; as, "Such
ters as he [is] have no reputation among the learned."

BS. 2. Some grammarians say that but and save, when they denote extion, should govern the objective case, as prepositions; but this is not acling to the usage of the best authors. The objective case of nouns being the nominative, the point can be proved only by the pronouns; as, There is none but he alone." -Perkins's Theology, 1608. "There is none er but he." Mark, xii, 32. (This text is good authority as regards the 2, though it is incorrect in an other respect: it should have been, "There Lone but he," or, "There is no other than he.") "No man hath ascended to heaven, but he that came down from heaven." John, iii, 13. "Not t any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God." -John, vi, 46. ew can, save he and I."-Byron's Werner. "There is none justified, but that is in measure sanctified." -Penington. Save, as a conjunction, is rly obsolete. In Rev., ii, 17, we read, "Which no man knoweth, saving hat receiveth it."

NOTE III.-When two or more subjects or antecedents are eceded by the adjective each, every or no, they are taken parately, and require a verb and pronoun in the singular mber: as,

"And every sense, and every heart is joy." - Thomso "Each beast, each insect, happy in its own." -Pope.

Four Crea
Keide.

FAI

dustry an

Тонитье

Melty and

more Ther

emperance e and ti I love and Tealth, hon Mr flesh and all his wo Ezabeth's n city cons gh pleasur ach does h

NOTE IV. When words are to be taken conjointly as subets or antecedents, the conjunction and must connect them. OBs. In Latin, cum with an ablative, sometimes has the force of the conaction et with a nominative; as, "Dux cum aliquot principibus capiuntur." Livy. In imitation of this construction, some English writers have subuted with for and, and varied the verb accordingly; as, "A long course ime, with a variety of accidents and circumstances, are requisite to proee these revolutions." -Hume. But, as the preposition makes its object y an adjunct of the preceding noun, this construction cannot be justified. NOTE V.-Two or more distinct subject phrases connected and, require a plural verb: as, “To be wise in our own eyes,

conversa respects, ar asional re ature dem Wat genero

And what t

Und

Wisdom, and Polence, and

fear, but ] The decency, a her beaut is her talent sher beauty

Und constitutio r religion, very one, but buyer, as songsters, s e, but thou

hing, but fi sar, as well

in the opinion of the world, and to be wise in the sight eator, are three things so very different, as rarely to -Blair.

ALSE SYNTAX UNDER RULE XI. - VERBS.

and frugality leads to wealth.

-Not proper, because the verb leads is in the singular number, and does agree with its two nominatives, industry and frugality, which are conl, and taken conjointly. But, according to Rule 11th, "When a verb has nominatives connected by and, it must agree with them in the plural merefore leads should be lead; thus, Industry and frugality lead to

ce and exercise preserves health.

tide waits for no man.

and affection towards thee remains unaltered.
onour, and happiness, forsakes the indolent.
and my heart faileth.

works, there is sprightliness and vigour.
s meekness and humility was extraordinary.
onsists the security and welfare of every society.
sures and luxurious living begets satiety.
s human pride and folly require correction.

ersation and intercourse with the world is, in several s, an education for vice.

1 release from toil, and indulgence of ease, is what lemands, and virtue allows.

erosity, and what humanity, was then displayed!

-What thou desir'st,

at thou fearst, alike destroys all hope. Under Note 1.-Affirmation with Negation. and not wealth, procure esteem.

and not pomp, are the basis of his fame.
out labour have overcome him.

cy, and not the abstinence, make the difference.
eauty, but her talents attracts attention.
alents, and not her beauty, that attracts attention.
eauty, and not her talents, that attract attention.
Under Note 2.-As Well As, But, or Save.
tution, as well as his fortune, require care.
gion, as well as their manners, were ridiculed.
, but thou, hadst been legally discharged.
', as well as the seller, render themselves liable.
ers, save the hooting owl, was mute.

thou, O mighty prince! canst avert the blow.
out frivolous amusements, please the indolent.

Each day, and each hour, bring their portion of duty.
Every house, and even every cottage, were plundered.
Every thought, every word, and every action, will be brought

into judgement, whether they be good or evil.
The time will come, when no oppressor, no unjust man, will
be able to screen themselves from punishment.

No bandit fierce, no tyrant mad with pride,
No cavern'd hermit, rest self-satisfied.

Under Note 4.-And Required.

In this affair, perseverance with dexterity were requisite.

Town or country are equally agreeable to me.

Sobriety with humility lead to honour.

The king, with the lords, and the commons, compose the

British parliament.

The man with his whole family are dead.

A small house in addition to a trifling annuity, are still granted him.

Under Note 5.- Distinct Subject Phrases.

To profess, and to possess, is very different things.
To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God, is
duties of universal obligation.

To be round or square, to be solid or fluid, to be large or
small, and to be moved swiftly or slowly, is all equally
alien from the nature of thought.

RULE XII.-VERBS.

When a Verb has two or more singular nominatives connected by or or nor, it must agree with them in the singular number: as, "Fear or jealousy affects him."

OBSERVATION ON RULE ΧΙΙ.

To this rule there are properly no exceptions. But in the learned languages, a plural verb is often employed with singular nominatives thus connected;

as,

"Tunc nec mens mihi, nec color
Certa sede manent." - Horace.

And the best scholars have sometimes improperly imitated this construe tion in English; as,

"He comes-nor want nor cold his course delay;

Hide, blushing Glory! hide Pultowa's day." - Dr. Johnson.

NOTES TO RULE XII.

NOTE I.-When a verb has nominatives of different persons or numbers, connected by or or nor, it must agree with tha

assume 1 worth. NOTR IV. or or nor, ould be poor

FALSE

Corance or ne

FMTLE-Not p cot correctly a ected by or, s two or mo them in the sin Iporance or ne

ther imprud Tated to him at the heart her authori

er ability o andant gras returns of h our, nor virtu The sense or dr

placed next to it, and be understood to the rest, in on and number required; as, "Neither he nor his were there.""Neither you nor I am concerned."ither they nor ye also die."-Numb, xviii, 3.

When the latter nominative is parenthetical, the verb agrees with only; as, "One example (or ten) says nothing against the union."-Leigh Hunt. "And we (or future ages) may possibly have "-Bp. Butler.

When the alternative is merely in the words, not in the thought, re virtually in apposition, and the principal nominative alone verb; but there is always a harshness in this mixture of differ5: as, " A parathesis, or brackets, consists of two angular strokes, closing one or more words." - Whiting. "To show us that our or prudence, have no share in our advancements."-Addison. Fan figures, or picture-writing, represent things, not words; they res to the eye, not ideas to the understanding."-Murray's

3.

.-But when the nominatives require different forms , it is in general more elegant to express the verb, liary, in connexion with each of them; as, "Either o blame, or I am." -" Neither were their numbers, eir destination known."

I. The speaker should generally mention himself Thou or I must go."--" He then addressed his dismy father and me." But in confessing a fault he te the first place; as, "I and Robert did it."—М.

-Two or more distinct subject phrases connected or, require a singular verb; as, "That a drunkard oor, or that a fop should be ignorant, is not strange."

SE SYNTAX UNDER RULE XII.-VERBS.

›r negligence have caused this mistake.

Not proper, because the verb have caused is of the plural number, and ly agree with its two nominatives, ignorance and negligence, which y or, and taken disjunctively. But, according to Rule 12th, "When a r more singular nominatives connected by or or nor, it must agree te singular number." Therefore, have caused should be has caused; or negligence has caused this mistake.]

prudence, credulity, nor vanity, have ever been imhim.

eart or the imagination dictate, flows readily. hority nor analogy support such an opinion. ty or inclination were wanting. grass or heath afford abundance to their cattle. of kindness are sweet; and there are neither hon.

virtue, nor utility, in repelling them.