Part 12 (1/2)

”He spoke ( ), and _it_ was done; he commanded ( ), and _it_ stood fast”

”_Bless_ ( ), and _curse_ ( ) not”--_Bible_

”_Strike_ ( ) while the iron is hot”--_Proverb_

”I _came_ ( ), I _saw_ ( ), I _conquered_ ( )”--_Caesar's Letter_

He lives ( ) contented and happy

”The _life_ that I now _live_, in the flesh, I _live_ by the faith of the son of God”--_Paul_

”Let hteous, and let my last _end be_ like his”--_Nuthens ( ), as it invites ( ) to sleep ( ), and secures ( ) against great disorders, it is to be generally encouraged Gyes and for all classes The Jeere ordered to _take a walk_ out of the city on the Sabbath day; and here rich and poor, young and old, ed ( ) in innocent mirth or in the pleasures of friendly intercourse--_Spurzheiion; write ( ) for it; fight ( ) for it; die ( ) for it; any thing but live ( ) for it”--_Lacon_

”I have addressed this volume to those that think ( ), and so ( ) to inscribe a book to so small a minority But a volume addressed to those that think ( ) is in fact addressed to all the world; for altho the proportion of those who _do_ ( ) think ( ) be extremely small, yet every individual _flatters himself_ that he is one of the number”--_Idem_

What is the difference whether a hts_?

”He that _thinks himself_ the happiest man, really is so; but he that _thinks hireatest fool”--_Ideh ( ) and sow ( ), others to chop ( ) and split ( ); some to mow ( ) and reap ( ); one to score ( ) and hew ( ); two to frame ( ) and raise ( ) In his factory he has persons to card ( ), spin ( ), reel ( ), spool ( ), warp ( ), and weave ( ), and a clerk to deliver ( ) and charge ( ), to receive ( ) and pay ( ) They eat ( ), and drink ( ), heartily, three times a day; and as they work ( ) hard, and feel ( ) tired at night, they lay ( ) down, sleep ( ) soundly, and dreao ( ) to work ( ) again In thethe children wash ( ) and dress ( ) and prepare ( ) to go ( ) to school, to learn ( ) to read ( ), write ( ), and cipher ( )” All neuter or intransitive verbs!!

”The celebrated horse, Corydon, will perfor in the circus He will leap ( ) over four bars, separately, in ilish hunter He will lie ( ) down, and rise ( ) up instantly at the _word of command_ He will move ( ) backwards and sideways, rear ( ) and stand ( ) on his hind feet; he will sit ( ) down, like a Turk, on a cushi+on To conclude ( ), he will leap ( ), in a surprising yerdemain upon the public He will stretch a line across the room, several feet fro dexterity He will stand ( ) on his head, balance, ( ) on one foot, and swing ( ) from side to side of the roo ( ) upon his feet; bound ( ) upon the floor; dance ( ) and keel ( ) over with out touching his hands He will sing ( ), play ( ), and , and act ( ) like a fool He will laugh ( ) and cry ( ), as if real; roar ( ) like a lion, and chirp ( ) like a bird To conclude ( ): He will do all this to an audience of neuter grammarians, without either ”_action_ or _passion_,” all the while having a ”_state of being_,” motionless, in the center of the room!!

What a lie! say you _A lie?_ I hope you do not accuse _ false in this matter it all _lies_ in the quotation, at the conclusion, frorammar If that is false, whose fault is it? Not mine, certainly But what if I should _lie_ ( ), intransitively? I should tell no falsehoods

But enough of this If there is any thing irrational or inconsistent, any thing false or ridiculous, in this view of the subject, it should be reht, not only in coes, as serious, practical truth; as the onlyourselves for usefulness or respectability in society You smile at such trash, and well you ra in which we h_ ( ) at past follies

But I am disposed to consider this hter_ When I see the rising generation spend months and years of the best and most important part of their lives, which should be devoted to the acquisition of that which is true and useful, studying the dark and false theory of language as usually taught, I ah at the folly which imposes such a task upon theone by I have seen too hted hopes, too many wearisome hours, too many sad countenances, tooof corporeal chastisements; to think it a sht the rudireat nae, in this department of education, is imperiously dee There is a spirit abroad in the land which will not bow tamely and without complaint, to the unwarranted dictation of arbitrary, false, and contradictory rules, e It demands reason, consistency and plainness; and yields assent only where they are found

And teachers, if they will not lead in the reformation, must be satisfied to follow after; for a reformation is loudly called for, and will be had None are satisfied with existing grammars, which, in principle, are nearly alike The seventy-three attempts to improve and simplify Murray, have only acted _intransitively_, and accoiven to printers, paper e We have little occasion to wonder at the errors and raphers tell us for sober truth, that =to act=, _to be in action_, _not to rest_, to be in _ _no action_!!

or _v i_ verb intransitive, producing _no effects_; and that a ”_neuter verb_ =expresses= (active transitive verb) _a state of being_!!

There are fewtherefrom conclusions which are rational or consistent Truth is rarely elicted from error, beauty from deformity, or order from confusion

While, therefore, we allow the neuter systeetfulness, as they usually do as soon as we leave school and shut our books, let us throw the htlessly (without _thinking thoughts_) and innocently lead us s, in paths of error and contradiction, e and usefulness But let us resolve to save ourselves and future generations fro the same unpleasant and unprofitable course, and endeavor to _reflect_ the _light_ whichdarkness, and secure the light and knowledge of truth to those who shall coists have undertaken to explain our language by the aid of foreign tongues Because there are genitive cases, different kinds of verbs, six tenses, etc in the Latin or Greek, the saues will not allow of the plan of exposition we have adopted, which we very seriously question, tho we have not tiation We believe that the principles we have adopted are capable of universal application; that what is action in England would be action in Greece, Rome, Turkey, and every where else; that ”_like causes will produce like effects_” all the world over It matters not by whoather ideas therefrom will describe it as it appears to thee they uage to speak Monkeys, for aught I know to the contrary, can speak as well as we; but the reason they do not, is because they have nothing to say

Let Maelzael's automaton chess-player be exhibited to a promiscuous multitude They would all atteain a knowledge of its construction, each in his own language So _power_, thro all the curiously arranged _ent_ who acted as prime mover to the whole affair Others, less cautious in their conclusions, ht think it a perpetual motion Such would find a _first cause_ short of the Creator, the great original of all things and actions; and thus violate the soundest principles of philosophy Heaven has never left a vacuu power may be set in operation independent of his ever-present supervision; and hence the long talked of _perpetual motion_ is the vainest chimera which ever occupied the human brain It may well appear as the opposite extreive no action to ulate the world, the other would hty Be it ours to take a s and beings as occupying a place duly prescribed by Infinite Wisdo to their several abilities, and subject to the regulation of the all-pervading lahich guide, preserve, and harmonize the whole

If there is a subject which teaches us beyond controversy the existence of a Supreme Power, a Universal Father, an all-wise and ever-present God, it is found in the order and harulation of Divine laws; and man's superiority to the rest of the world is most clearly proved, froe to the communication of ideas in free and social converse, or in the transe of things as presented to his understanding