6thly. Adjectives of nations.-EXAMPLES: L'Iliade et l'Enéide sont les ta- | The Iliad and Æneid are pictures of the Greek and Roman people. bleaux du peuple Grec et du Ce seigneur Russe a un cuisinier Italien. La nouvelle constitution Germanique n'a pas été adoptée. This Russian lord has a French cook and an Italian valet de chambre. The new German constitution has not been adopted. Adjectives chiefly relating to moral qualities, or to vices, are in general indifferently placed either before or after their substantives. -EXAMPLES: Notwithstanding the above rules, harmony, taste, and poetical language countenance deviations. An attentive reading, therefore, of good authors, or practice in the conversation of the well-informed of the French, will be the best guides for the pupil. RULE II.-In English, two adjectives may qualify a noun, without being united by a conjunction; but, in French, the conjunction is absolutely indispensable.-EXAMPLES: C'est une femme bonne et ver- She is a good, virtuous woman. tueuse. C'est un homme sobre et chari- He is a sober, charitable man. table. It is proper to mention, that some modern writers have thought fit to deviate from this rule by the suppression of the conjunction. I must observe, that, though the learner might sometimes place both French adjectives thus united by the conjunction before the noun, yet, to prevent mistakes, I advise him always to place the two adjectives after the noun. If three or more adjectives should qualify one noun, the conjunction is then placed between the two last, and the adjectives must always be put after the noun.-EXAMPLES: Ce sont des leçons longues, ennuyeuses, et embarrassantes. These are long, tedious, and perplexing lessons.. Un ami constant, sincère, et désin- | A constant, sincere, and disintéressé, est rare. terested friend, is rare. Custom sometimes permits one of the adjectives to precede the noun, while the other, or others, should follow.-EXAMPLES: C'est une grande femme blonde. C'est un petit homme sec et robuste. She is a tall, fair woman. He is a small, raw-boned, robust man. RULE III. The preposition by, when used, in English, before a word or words expressing proportion, by which one subject exceeds another, is always rendered, in French, by the preposition de.EXAMPLES: Je suis plus grand que vous de¦ Il est plus âgé que moi de six ans. I am taller than you by the whole He is older than I by six years. Observe, that when, in English, than precedes numbers, it is also rendered, in French, by de.-EXAMPLES: J'ai perdu au jeu plus de cent gui nees. Elle n'a pas plus de dix-sept ans. Je l'ai vu plus d'une fois. I lost, in playing, more than one She is not more than seventeen. RULE IV. When than, in a comparative sense, precedes a verb, it is rendered, in French, by que ne.-EXAMPLES: Il est plus sage que vous ne pen- | He is wiser than you think. sez. Je suis plus fort que je n'étais I am stronger than I was last year. l'année passée. Vous écrivez mieux que vous ne You write better than you did last fesiez l'année dernière. year. EXCEPTION I.-If the verb following than be in the infinitive mood, que is followed by de instead of ne.-EXAMPLES: Il est plus noble de pardonner que [ It is more noble to forgive than de se venger. to avenge ourselves. Il est plus aisé d'obéir que de It is easier to obey than to comcommander. mand. But, when the French comparative adjective requires the preposition àbefore the first infinitive, than is then expressed by qu'à.-EXAM PLES: Il est plus disposé à vous nuire qu'à vous obliger. Il est plus sujet à médire qu'à bien faire. | He is more inclined to hurt than to oblige you. He is more addicted to slander than to well-doing. EXCEPTION II.—The word than is rendered by que only, when a conjunction, or connective word, is placed between than and the verb.-EXAMPLES: You will recover sooner than if RULE V. When the superlative does not imply any comparison (although it relates to a noun feminine, singular or plural), le, instead of la or les, must invariably precede plus.-EXAMPLES: as much as the sun, even when she shines the brightest. The moon is not, by far, so distant from the earth as the other celestial bodies, even when she is the most distant from it. We do not always weep when we are the most afflicted. La lune ne nous éclaire pas au- | The moon does not enlighten us tant que le soleil, lors même qu'elle est le plus brillante. La lune n'est pas, à beaucoup près, aussi éloignée de la terre que les autres astres, lors même qu'elle en est le plus éloignée. Nous ne pleurons pas toujours quand nous sommes le plus aAlligés. It is very easy, in the above phrases, to see that no objects are designed to be contrasted or compared together. - RULE VI. The preposition in, which sometimes follows a superlative, in English, is always rendered by de, du, or de l', &c.-EXAM RULE VII.-When a superlative is connected with a verb, by means of the words qui, que, où, it requires that verb to be in the subjunctive.-EXAMPLES: C'est la plus belle fille qui ait C'est une des affaires les plus dé- | She is the most beautiful girl that ever existed. He is the strongest man that I ever saw. It is one of the most disagreeable affairs in which an honest man was ever engaged. M. I have acquainted you, in the conversation on the adjective, what was meant by its regimen or complement. My object, now, is to acquaint you what kind of adjectives require the preposition de before their regimen or complementary word, and what others require the preposition à. RULE VIII.-French adjectives, expressing plenty, satisfaction, desire, knowledge, &c. as well as adjectives having a contrary signification; and, in general, those followed, in English, by the prepositions of, from, after, with, by, &c. require the preposition de after them. EXAMPLES: Il a été comblé de politesses. Il est très-avide de richesses. quer cet auteur. Elle est incapable de mensonge. He was loaded with kindnesses. You are not able to construe this She is incapable of an untruth. RULE IX-Adjectives which denote aptness, fitness, inclination, conformity, habit, disposition, &c. require the preposition à after them.-EXAMPLES: Il est propre à fout. Elle n'est propre à rien. Cela est nuisible à la santé. He is fit for any thing. She is unfit for any thing. Cela est aisé à dire et mal-aisé à This is easy to say and difficult to faire. Il est adonné à l'ivrognerie. do. He is addicted to drunkenness. I am sensible of your kindnessch. Ce négociant est très-exact à ses | This merchant is very punctual in engagemens. Il est habile à tout faire. Il est zélé à remplir ses devoirs. his engagements. He is zealous in discharging his A few adjectives are often followed, in French, by the preposition envers, which is then rendered, in English, by to.-EXAMPLES: Il faut être poli envers tout le | We ought to be polite to every monde. Ce maître est très-bon envers ses esclaves. Ce capitaine de corsaire est trèscruel envers ses prisonniers. body. This master is very good to his slaves. This privateer-captain is very cruel to his prisoners. RULE X.-When numbers are followed by a noun and a past participle, in English, the preposition de must be put, in French, between the noun and participle, which agree in gender and number.—Ex-. AMPLES: Dans le dernier incendie, il y eut | In the last fire, there were twentyseven houses burnt, more than fifty people smothered, and a great many buried under the rubbish. This frigate, in the engagement, had sixty men killed, and eighty wounded. S. Are there not some difficulties concerning the adjectives, feu, nu, and grand? M. Yes: 1st, the adjective feu, preceded by the article la, is feminine; but, when it precedes that article, it is masculine.-EXAMPLES: Feu la reine, ou la feue reine, | The late queen was an accométait une femme accomplie. plished woman. Observe, that this adjective has no plural. 2d. The adjective nu, when it precedes a noun, is invariable; but, when it follows, it agrees with it in gender and number.-Ex AMPLES: Il lui parla nu-tête, ou la tête nue. Il va nu-pieds, nu-jambes; ou il va les pieds nus, les jambes nues. He spoke to him, or her, bareheaded. He goes bare-footed, bare-legged. 3d. Grande, feminine, sometimes loses its e in pronunciation and in |