REMARK IV. The noun gens exercises a very singular influence on the adjective, as being always put in the feminine, when the adjec tive precedes it.-EXAMPLES: Ce sont de fort dangereuses gens. Toutes les vieilles gens, toutes les sottes gens, et toutes les méchantes gens l'ont désapprouvé. They are very dangerous people. All the old people, all the foolish people, and all the wicked people have disapproved of it. EXCEPTIONS.-We say tous les gens and not toutes les gens, all people.-EXAMPLES: Tous les gens d'honneur et de | All people of honour and probity probité l'estiment. esteem him. de | 4 We also say, contrary to the rule, Tous les honnêtes gens et tous les | All honest people and all intellihabiles gens l'honorent. gent people honour him. Because the adjectives honnête and habile have the same termination in both genders; but, should the adjective follow the word gens, the rule is very precise, as it is invariably of the masculine gender.→ EXAMPLES: Ce sont des gens fort dangereux. | Ce sont des gens polis et prudens. Il ne faut pas vous fier à des gens indiscrets. Toutes les vieilles gens sont soupçonneux. They are very dangerous people. They arepolite and prudent people. You must not trust indiscreet people. All old people are distrustful. REMARK V. Quelque chose always requires that its correspondents, from which it is separated by de or qui, should be in the masculine singular.-EXAMPLES: REMARK VI.-On and quiconque commonly require their correspondents to be in the masculine gender.-EXAMPLES: On est venu vous demander. Somebody is come to ask for you. ed by halves On n'est ni vertueux ni méchant à We are neither virtuous nor wick demi. Quiconque fait le mal en est puni | tôt ou tard. Quiconque parlera Anglais sera mis à l'amende. Whoever does harm is punished for it sooner or later. Whosoever speaks English shall be fined. But, should the above words pointedly refer to women, the feminine must always be used.-EXAMPLES: On doit toujours être soumise à | A woman should always be obe son mari. Quand on est belle, on ne l'ignore pas. Quand on est jolie, on n'est pas la dernière à le savoir. Quiconque de vous, mesdemoiselles, sera assez imprudente pour le faire, sera punie. dient to her husband. When a woman is handsome, she S. Have you any other observations to make on on? On veut être instruit et l'on ne veut prendre aucune peine pour l'être. On croit souvent être aimé et l'on | est haï. repeated in a sentence, it must noun.—] -EXAMPLES: People wish to be well informed, and yet will take no pains to become so. People often believe themselves to be beloved, and are in reality hated. We use l'on instead of on, in order to avoid a disagreeable clashing of vowels, or the tedious repetition of the same sound; therefore, l'on ought to be preferred after the following words, et, si, où, and que, especially when on precedes a word beginning with com, con. -EXAMPLES: Quand on pardonne, on en est plus | grand, et l'on s'abaisse en se vengeant. Si l'on veut voir la fin d'un procès, | il faut souvent le commencer dans sa jeunesse. C'est par la vertu qu'on lutte avec tranquillité contre les passions des hommes, et que l'on connaît le contentement au milieu de leurs injustices. C'est par elle qu'on voit venir la défaite sans abattement, et que l'on conserve encore du courage après la disgrâce. When we forgive, we become the greater for it, and we degrade ourselves by revenge. If a man wishes to see the end of a law-suit, it is often necessary that he should begin it in his youth. It is by the help of virtue we bear up, with tranquillity, against the passions of men, and enjoy selfcontent amidst their injustice. It is through her we meet defeat without being discouraged, and retain courage after an overthrow. Dites-moi si l'on danse où l'on | Tell me if they dance in the place dîne? where they dine. Observe, that, if on be followed by an 7, in the next word, the 7 should be omitted before it; therefore, do not say, "et l'on l'entendit—si l'on le voit-où l'on le cherche, &c." but et on l'entendit—si on le voit où on le cherche. S. Are there not some difficulties, in the French language, concern ing the use of the word personne? M. Yes: and I will explain them. When this word is preceded by an article, it implies an individual of the human species, and requires that the correspondent adjective be always feminine.EXAMPLES: J'ai rencontré la personne que vous | avez trouvée si ennuyeuse. Nulle ou aucune personne n'est assez sotte pour le croire. Il n'y avait pas une personne qui n'en fût fâchée. I met with the person you found so tedious. None or no one is foolish enough to believe it. There was not one person but was sorry for it. If personne be not preceded by an article, it requires that its correspondent should be masculine, and is then used to express any human being whatever.-EXAMPLES: Personne n'est assez sot pour le | croire. Il n'y avait personne qui n'en fût très-fâché. Nobody is foolish enough to believe it. There was not any body but was very sorry for it. Hence it is, that the presence or absence of the article before it, makes all the difference in its use. It is here necessary to observe, with the French Academy, that such modes of expression as une jolie, une charmante, une belle personne, are never used but of women. I cannot conclude this lesson, without descanting upon particulars attending the gender of certain nouns, to which your attention is earnestly solicited. A TABLE OF NOUNS, WHOSE GENDER VARIES ACCORDING TO THEIR NUMBER, ACCEPTATION, &c. The nouns amour, délice, orgue, are masculine in the singular, and feminine in the plural.-EXAMPLES: AMOUR, M. Il est épris d'un amour violent. He is intoxicated with violent love. Observe, that in poetry, amour in the singular is either masculine or feminine: however, the former is to be preferred. Adieu, servons tous trois d'exemple à l'univers, Au nom de cette amour que les dieux ont trahie, AMOURS, F. P. Il n'y a point de laides amours. RACINE. VOLTAIRE. There are no ugly loves, or, there is nothing ugly, or no ugliness in love. But, observe, that amour is masculine, in the plural, when it means graces personified, or those small figures, which serve as emblems, in painting and sculpture.-EXAMPLES: AMOURS, M. P. Les petits amours sont de cruels | Little loves are cruel tyrants. tyrans. Il a fait sculpter de jolis petits He caused several pretty little loves to be carved around the parlour. amours autour de la salle. DELICE, M. La promenade est un délice pour | Walking is a delight, or a luxury moi. to me. However, in a few instances it may be made masculine, in the plural, as C'est un des plus beaux orgues de | It is one of the finest organs in l'Italie. Italy. Aide is feminine when it signifies succour, assistance, or the person who gives it; but, it is masculine, in the sense of being under the command, direction, &c. of a superior.-EXAMPLES: Donnez-lui une aide prompte. Vous êtes toute mon aide. AIDE, F. Give him speedy help. You are all my help, or support. AIDE, M. Le général Wellington lui envoya | General Wellington sent him an un aide de camp. aid-de-camp. Avez-vous besoin d'un aide de | Do you want an under-cook? cuisine ? Non, il me faut un aide à maçon. No: I must have a mason's as sistant. Aigle is feminine, in aigle impériale, imperial eagle; aigle Romaine, Roman eagle; aigle, a constellation, and in heraldry. In other circumstances it is masculine.-EXAMPLES: AIGLE, M. Il est chevalier de l'aigle blanc, et [ He is a knight of the white eagle de l'aigle noir. L'aigle courageux n'engendre Il crie comme un aigle. and of the black eagle. The courageous eagle does not beget the timid dove. He is a man of transcendent ge nius. He shrieks like an eagle. Ne sais-tu pas encore, homme faible et superbe, VOLTAIRE. MAHOMEt. There are nouns that, under the same acceptation, adopt either gender, according to the choice of him who speaks; such are, automne and Duché pairie.—EXAMPLES: AUTOMNE, M. & F. Un bel automne (masculine after the adjective) DUCHE-PAIRIE, M. & F. Un ou une duché-pairie (the masculine is more gene-4 dukedom. rally used) |