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the book which I left upon the table in the dining-room;" that is, that particular book. "Mend the pens with which I have been writing;" that is, those particular pens. Hence, the is called the definite article.

2. A noun, or, as it is sometimes called, a substantive, is the name of any thing; as, a tree, a garden, an orchard, truth, virtue. These words are distinguished by their having articles before them, or by their expressing ideas without the aid of any other words; as, vigilance, the stars, the moon, industry, winter, a chair, a house, fire, air, water, earth.

3. An adjective is a word added to a noun, to denote some one of its properties, or qualities; as, good, bad, hard, soft, sweet, bitter, sour, the nimble stag, the timorous hare, the strong lion, the fierce tiger, the wise man, the pious woman. Adjectives are distinguished by their not conveying a perfect meaning, without being joined with a noun, or a pronoun; or with the word, thing: as," a useful thing;" "a mischievous thing" "a lofty house;" " a beautiful flower;" "a benevolent being.'

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4. Pronouns are words used instead of nouns, partly from necessity, as, when two strangers meet and converse together; or when we speak of a thing or person, the name of which we do not know; and partly for convenience and variety, to avoid the too frequent repetition of

nouns, which we do know: as, "God is love. He is good, and doeth good continually; his tender mercies are over all his works." "William is industrious, sober, religious, honest; he is, therefore, beloved and respected." "Anne is diligent, peaceable, gentle, kind, and virtuous; she is therefore contented and happy, even in a low station."

A verb is a word which expresses existence, action, or suffering; that is, being acted upon : as, "to be, to read, to be loved." Verbs are distinguished by their making sense with any of the personal pronouns; or when the word to is prefixed to them: as, I run, thou singest, she dances, they talk; to fly, to work.

An Adverb is a word annexed to a verb, or to an adjective, or even to another adverb, to express some quality, or affection, or circumstance concerning it: as, "That man acts honestly;" "she is truly charitable ;" "that tyrant was very cruel;" "he lives extremely frugally."

An adverb may be distinguished by its answering to the questions, in what manner, how, how much, when, where: as, " in what manner, or how, does he act?" "He acts honestly." "How much is he beloved?" "He is beloved greatly." "When was the child born? 66 Yesterday." "Where is he now?" "He is there where you left him."

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A Preposition is a part of speech which expresses the relation that one word bears to

another: as, "He sailed from Dover to Calais;" "he fed them with wholesome food;"" they went by water."

Conjunctions are words, which connect sentences and words, and shew the manner of their dependance upon one another: as, "Thou and he are good friends;" "they are happy because they act rightly;"" she is amiable, but he is rude and rough."

Interjections are broken words and imperfect sounds thrown in between the parts of sentences, expressive of some strong and sudden emotion of mind; and were probably the first sounds uttered by human beings: as, "Ah, how much I suffer!" "Oh, you hurt me!" "Phy, for shame!" An exemplification of the parts of speech.

The power, wisdom and goodness of the universal Creator, Preserver and Ruler, shine forth gloriously in his works, and in his ways; yet, alas! how inattentive are men in general, to the gracious manifestations of his attributes, which he condescendeth to make! A striking instance of human folly and ingratitude!"

In this passage, a and the are articles indefinite and definite; power, wisdom, goodness, Creator, Preserver, Ruler, works, ways, men, manifestations, attributes, instance, folly, ingratitude, are nouns: universal, inattentive, gracious, striking, human, are adjectives; shine, are, condescendeth, make, are verbs; gloriously, yet, how,

are adverbs; of, in, to, are prepositions; and is a conjunction; alas, is an interjection.

CHAP. II.

Farther observations concerning the Articles.

1. Before h mute, the article a is changed into an; as, an hour; but if h be aspirated, a is used; as, a humour, a hunter, a hand, a hubbub.

2. When neither of the articles is prefixed to a noun, that noun is commonly taken in the most unlimited sense; as expressing not one in general, nor one in particular, but every individual that can be comprehended in the term, and every branch of the general idea: as, "Man is a creature of limited powers, and bounded capacity;" Religion is the source of true happiness;" "Godliness is proper for all things, both for the life which now is, and for that which is to come."

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3. The article is seldom prefixed to nouns expressive of virtues, vices, qualities, passions, sciences, arts, metals and herbs: as, "Fortitude is a valuable endowment of mind;" "intemperance is destructive of health and peace;" "anger may glance into the breast of a wise man, but rests only in the bosom of fools;" "natural history is a study that affords delight and improvement;" "printing is a most useful art;" "gold is esteemed to be the most precious of metals;" "lavender effuses a fragrant perfume.”

4 Articles are not joined to proper names,

excepting for the sake of particularising a family, or of expressing great eminence; or to certain names of cities; or when proper names are used as common names: as, "He is a Russel," that is, one of the illustrious family of the Russels; "every philosopher is not a Socrates;" "the Hague; the Havannah; the Devizes; and formerly, the Bath;" "for strength, he is a Hercules:" and also when some noun is understood: as, "The admiral sailed down the Thames, in the Royal Sovereign," meaning the river Thames, the ship named the Royal Sovereign. The indefinite article is rendered more emphatical by the addition of the adjective, certain: as, "A certain man had two sons;" "A certain person was guilty of an act of rudeness in company."

5. Adjectives are commonly interposed between articles, and the nouns, whose extent they determine, though, sometimes, the contrary takes place: as, "A virtuous woman; a skilful artist; an excellent writer; the generous prince;" "as illustrious a captain as Julius Cesar;" "such a pity;" "he is too hasty a composer."

6. The indefinite articles are prefixed only to singular nouns, while the definite may be annexed likewise to nouns in the plural number. Yet in the use of the adjectives, few, and many with the word great before it, there is found an exception to this rule; for though joined with plural nouns, those adjectives admit the singular

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