There 's two or three of us have seen strange sights. Hence when a predicate-verb is followed by two or more subject-nominatives in the singular, the verb will often be found in the singular, as, Now abideth faith, hope, charity; these three. 1 Cor. xiii. 13. Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, POSITION. 128. Those languages which have great variety of inflection admit many changes of position in the order of words. Thus in Latin, the sentence Cæsar Gallos vicit' will admit six different collocations, each having a different emphasis; as,1. Cæsar Gallos vicit. 2. Gallos Cæsar vicit. 3. Cæsar vicit Gallos. 4. Gallos vicit Cæsar. 6. Vicit Gallos Cæsar. It is difficult to express these diversities in English, without turning the active voice into the passive, in some cases; but the following version will convey an idea of the change of emphasis. 1. Cæsar conquered the Gauls. 2. The Gauls were conquered by Cæsar. 3. It was Cæsar who conquered the Gauls. 4. It was the Gauls who were conquered by Cæsar. 5. Cæsar did conquer the Gauls. 6. The Gauls were conquered by Cæsar. 129. But just in proportion as there are fewer inflections in English, so the position becomes important to determine the sense. Because, where there are no changes in the form of the word itself, to denote various relations, these relations must E be marked either by particles, as for example by prepositions, or by the position of the words themselves. In the sentences, 'John beats Peter,' and 'Peter beats John,' there is nothing but the position to show which gives the blow, and which receives it. Whereas in Latin the form of the words would show the distinction :: Johannes Petrum verberat. Petrus Johannem verberat. 130. Hence it is that, in English, the order of words becomes most important; for in very many instances bad order is not merely an inelegance, but it is positively bad grammar. As a general rule the English language follows the logical order of subject and predicate. The subject-nominative comes first; then we have the predicate-verb, or the predicate-verb followed by a predicate-nominative, as the case may be. If the verb is transitive, the object generally follows the verb. A change in the order of words often takes place to mark emphasis. The very change itself awakens attention; and, generally, importance is assigned to those words which occupy the first place. Hence, we often find the predicate, or portions of the predicate preceding the subject; as, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.-Acts xix. 34. In another passage our translators have not been so successful. We read, Rev. xviii. 4, ' Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,' where the repetition at the close weakens the emphasis. But on the other hand, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great' would call attention to the most emphatic word in the sentence; and this, indeed, is the order of the original :Επεσεν, ἔπεσε Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη. 131. In indicative sentences the predicate-verb precedes the subject-nominative, when the sentence or clause opens with 'neither,' or 'nor,' (used in the sense of 'and not'): as, Thou know'st that all my fortunes are at sea; To raise a present sum. Merchant of Venice, i. 1. My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, So too after the particle' there,' used not as an adverb of place, but by way of introducing a sentence: There was a king in Thule. There came a philosopher from India. When a conditional clause is employed without the conjunction 'if,' an auxiliary verb may stand first: as, Were he present, he would say so. Had I been there I should have seen him. When other parts of the predicate, as, for example, the object, are placed first for the sake of emphasis, the predicateverb will often precede the subject-nominative, in order to keep the various parts of the predicate as near together as possible: Other refuge have I none. Charles Wesley. So when an adverb, or an adverbial clause, stands first, the verb may precede the subject-nominative: as, Here followed a long train of officials. In this unhappy battle of Newbury, was slain the Lord Cautions. 132.-1. Take care that there be a subject-nominative in the sentence. The following sentence occurs in a well-known passage, where the historian Robertson is describing the character of Mary Queen of Scots : Polite, affable, insinuating, sprightly, and capable of speaking and of writing with equal ease and dignity. The context shows that we must supply the words 'she was.' The whole passage reads thus: To all the charms of beauty, and the utmost elegance of external form, she added those accomplishments which render their impression irresistible. Polite, affable, insinuating, sprightly, and capable of speaking and of writing with equal ease and dignity. Sudden, however, and violent in all her attachments; because her heart was warm and unsuspicious. Impatient of contradiction; because she had been accustomed from her infancy to be treated as a queen. No stranger, on some occasions, to dissimulation; which, in that perfidious court where she received her education, was reckoned among the necessary arts of government. Not insensible of flattery, or unconscious of that pleasure with which almost every woman beholds the influence of her own beauty. Formed with the qualities which we love, not with the talents that we admire, she was an agreeable woman rather than an illustrious queen. -Robertson, History of Scotland, book vii. Grammatically considered, the whole passage from ‘Polite, affable,' to illustrious queen,' forms one long sentence, of which 'she' is the subject-nominative, and 'was' is the predicate-verb. This form of composition is highly rhetorical, and is admired by some critics; but youthful composers should be cautious in imitating this style. 133.-2. Take care that there be a predicate in the sen tence. In other words, having a subject to speak about, take care to say something about it. This rule is more frequently violated than the former. It is often observable in answers to questions in examination. Pupils should be habituated to give full answers; that is to say, each answer should form a complete sentence. Take this instance: The poems of Homer, which have exercised an important influence upon the literature of the world. But what of the poems of Homer, which have exercised an important influence upon the literature of the world? There is, indeed, a verb, 'have exercised;' but it occurs in the adjective-clause qualifying the subject-nominative poems.' But nothing is predicated. Nothing is stated, nothing is affirmed or denied respecting the poems of Homer. The verses containing the remonstrance addressed to Richard II. by Old John of Gaunt, 'time-honoured Lancaster,' are sometimes quoted thus: This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, This other Eden, demi-paradise ; This fortress built by Nature for herself This precious stone set in the silver sea, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England. But what about this England?' If we refer to the original, we find that the remonstrance does not end there; but goes on as follows: This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England, Richard II., ii. 1. This passage contains three distinct propositions, followed by an exclamation : 1. This royal throne of kings . . . is now leased out. 2. England 3. England. hath made a shameful conquest of itself. Then follows the exclamation' would the scandal vanish.. how happy were my . . . death!' 134. 3. The careless use of the Case Absolute gives occasion to a class of errors, into which Latin scholars are peculiarly liable to fall. As the Latin language has no perfect participle active, the perfect participle passive is used in its stead; but both the participle and the substantive, with which it agrees, are put in the ablative case. Now, in Latin, this ablative case is a safeguard; because the noun or pronoun, so used absolutely, can never be mistaken for a nominative. |