rians, who, countenanced by certain writers, and even by the French Academy, pretend that the verb may be either singular or plural; but reason, stronger than all grammatical authorities, in unison with polite practice, reproves the latter construction, and only admits the former.-EXAMPLES: L'un et l'autre vous ont obligé. Both have obliged you. Ni l'un ni l'autre, neither, follows the same syntax with l'un et l'autre.-EXAMPLES: Ni l'un ni l'autre ne viendront. Neither of them will come. Ni l'un ni l'autre ne vous ont Neither of them has deceived you. trompé. Observe, that l'un ou l'autre, either, requires the verb to be in the singular; and the same preposition should be used before both l'un and l'autre. S. To say, that a woman appears to be good, which of the two following modes of expression must be used in French? Cette femme a l'air bon, ou This woman has a good-natured countenance. M. As the verb a and l'air, though constituting a compound expression, express but the single idea which may be represented by the verbs semble, paraît; and as the adjective bon is not used to qualify merely the air, but the woman herself; whose air announces the moral quality which is affirmed of her, I think that a preference must be given to "cette femme a l'air bonne," though almost every grammarian be in favour of the other mode of expression. If, instead of saying, " cette femme a l'air," you had said, " cette femme a un air," &c. bon instead of bonne must necessarily be used, because the quality is no longer affirmed of the woman but of the air itself. Observe, we are not to confound" avoir l'air mauvais," to look ill-natured, with “avoir mauvais air," to have a mean appearance; as the former relates to the moral character of a person, and the latter to the exterior. Also, that the former mode of expression requires, before air, the article, which the latter does not admit-EXAMPLES: Cléon, lorsque vous nous bravez, En démontant votre figure, Vous n'avez pas l'air mauvais; je vous jure, SYNTAX OF THE VERB. LESSON THE FOURTEENTH. ON THE USE OF THE TENSES AND THEIR CORRESPONDENCE WITH EACH OTHER. INDICATIVE MOOD. PRESENT. This tense is used, 1st, to denote an actual state, as, Je suis fâché de tout ce qui vous - est arrivé. I am sorry for all that has happened to you. 2d. It is used in propositions of eternal truth, as, Dieu seul est tout-puissant. God alone is almighty. equal to two right angles. Les trois angles d'un triangle va- The three angles of a triangle aré lent deux angles droits. 3d. It is used, in lieu of the future, in the following phrase, and the like: Je pars demain pour la Nouvelle- I set out to-morrow for New-York. York. It is here proper to mention, that Je pars demain, and Je partirai demain, do not convey exactly the same idea; the latter meaning, that I intend or am disposed to set off, while the former expresses, along with it, a degree of impatience that the circumstance should take place. The same difference also exists, but rather in a more pointed manner, between the two modes of expression. Finissez-vous bientôt? and Shall you finish soon? The first question expresses a fit of impatience, while the second may be dictated by mere curiosity. 4th. It is often used in the recital of an event instead of the past tense. The present, by rendering the event in some degree visible, highly enhances the interest it may inspire, and makes the hearer feel, at least, a part of the sensations he would have experienced, had he been a spectator. We may see an instance of the present, used for the past, in Telemachus.-Adoam, after having related various circumstances attending the death of Pygmalion, goes on in the following manner: Cependant tout le palais est plein | peu In the mean time, the whole palace is in tumult, and on all sides are heard the cries of those who say the king is dead. Some are terrified; others run to arms; and all seem fearful of the consequences, and yet overjoyed at the news. Rumour carries it from mouth to mouth, and throughout the great city of Tyre, and there is not a single person who laments the king; his death is the deliverance and consolation of all. But it is in poetry that the present animates with a peculiar degree of energy, and graces the recital of a transaction: witness the following magic lines of the immortal Racine, wherein Théramène relates to Thésée the death of his son Hippolyte: Un effroyable cri, sorti du fond des flots, Le ciel avec horreur voit ce monstre sauvage. La terre s'en émeut, l'air en est infecté. Le flot qui l'apporta recule épouvanté. Tout fuit; et, sans s'armer d'un courage inutile, Dans le temple voisin chacun cherche un asile, Pousse au monstre, et, d'un dard lancé d'une main sûre, Il lui fait dans le flanc une large blessure. De rage et de douleur le monstre bondissant, Vient aux pieds des chevaux tomber en mugissant, Se roule et leur présente une gueule enflammée, Qui les couvre de feu, de sang, et de fumée, La frayeur les emporte; et, sourds à cette fois, Tout son corps n'cst bientôt qu'une plaie. PHEDRE, ACTE V. Sc. VI. The following tenses correspond with the present of the indicative: On dit que Vous partez, aujourd'hui, pour Rome. Vous partirez, demain, Vous partiez, hier, quand je vous rencontrai, Vous êtes parti, ce matin. Vous étiez parti, hier, avant moi. OBSERVATION.-The same correspondence takes place when the sentence is negative, except in the present of the indicative, which is supplied by the present of the subjunctive. Example: On ne dit pas que vous partez aujourd'hui would be a discordance in grammar; and the genius of the French language requires that we should say, On ne dit pas que vous partiez aujourd'hui. We shall soon treat more at length on this subject. PRESENT ANTERIOR, OR IMPERFECT. This tense, as well as the present anterior periodical, or preterite, has, in treating on the verb, been so clearly characterised, with regard to the functions it performs, that I can say but little here, without repeating what has already been said. I shall, therefore, only mention the tenses which correspond with it. They are the present anterior or imperfect, the present anterior periodical or preterite, and the past or compound of the present, of the indicative.-EXAMPLES: Je lisais, quand vous entriez. Je lisais hier quand vous entrâtes. Je lisais, il n'y a qu'un instant, quand vous êtes entré. PAST ANTERIOR, OR COMPOUND OF THE IMPERFECT. This tense corresponds with the past, present anterior periodical, past anterior periodical, and present anterior, or, in other terms, with the compound of the present, preterite, compound of the preterite, and imperfect of the indicative.-EXAMPLES: quand vous êtes entré. J'avais lu quand vous entrátes. quand vous fútes entré. The past anterior periodical, or compound of the preterite, corresponds with the present anterior periodical, or preterite of the same mood.-EXAMPLES: THE COMPARATIVE TENSES OF THE INDICATIVE. These tenses, though seldom used, are still necessary to express with all possible precision, the moment when an action (the existence of which is yet unknown) began. I refer you, for further information on that subject, to page 148. They are exemplified as follows: Après que j'ai eu fait mon dernier | After I had just performed my last voyage, je me suis mis à l'étude des langues vivantes, par néces sité. voyage, I betook myself to the study of the living languages, through necessity. |