RULE III. The verbs commencer, continuer, discontinuer, contraindre, engager, s'engager, exhorter, forcer, s'efforcer, manquer, obliger, tácher, and tarder, require the infinitive with de or d, as may be most agreeable to the ear.-EXAMPLES: With the above verbs, à is used to avoid the repetition of de; and de is reciprocally used, to avoid the repetition of d or the collision of several vowels. N.B. Il commence de descendre, il commençait de demander de, il me força à, &c. would produce a very uncouth and barbarous sound. OBSERVATIONS. Jst. When commencer signifies to begin by, it is followed by par. -EXAMPLE: Assez de gens se mêlent de réformer le monde; mais presque personne ne commence par se réformer soi-même. There are people enough who employ themselves in reforming the world; but there is hardly one who begins by reforming himself. 2d. The verbs engager, s'engager, exhorter, are more often construed with d.--EXAMPLES: I invited him to come and see us. Je l'ai engagé à venir nous voir. Il s'engage à descendre le premier. He engages to come down first. However, de may be used to avoid the repetition of à, or the collision of several vowels. 3d. S'efforcer, when it signifies, to make use of all one's strength, or to strain, requires the preposition à before the next infinitive.EXAMPLE: Il s'est efforcé à courir. He strove to run. But when it signifies to endcarour, to make use of one's industry, it requires the preposition de.-EXAMPLE: Chacun doit s'efforcer de croitre | Every one ought to endeavour to en sagesse. grow in wisdom. 4th. The verb manquer requires the proposition de when it is used negatively, or when it signifies to be near, to have like.-EXAMPLES: Les malheureux n'ont jamais The unfortunate have never failed to complain. I had like to fall-to break my arm. But manquer, without a negative, is commonly construed with d. -EXAMPLE: J'ai manqué à faire ce que je vous I have failed in doing what I had avais promis. promised you. 5th. When tácher signifies to aim, it requires the preposition à before the infinitive.-EXAMPLES; Vous tâchez à m'embarrasser. Il tâche à me nuire. T You try to puzzle me. But, when that verb signifies to endeavour, to use our utmost endeavours, it requires the preposition de.-EXAMPLE: Je tâcherai de vous faire obtenir ce | I will endeavour to make you obque vous désirez si ardemment. tain what you so ardently wish for. 6th. Tarder, when it means to tarry, to delay, &c. requires .EXAMPLES: Ne tardez pas à revenir. Do not delay coming back. ment. But, if it signifies to long, it requires de, and then is used im personally only in the third person singular of each teuse.--EXAM PLES: Il me tarde de revoir mon pays | I long to see my native country. natal. Il nous tardait d'arriver. We longed to arrive. RULE IV. When to (the sign of the infinitive) is used to denote the end or design for which a thing is done, and, in general, when with equal propriety to can be rendered by in order to, it is translated, in French, by pour, placed before the infinitive.-EXAMPLES: Les hommes sont nés pour s'en- | Men were born to love and help tr'aimer et s'entr'aider. one another. Observe, that after the words, assez, trop, suffire, suffisant, pour is placed before the infinitives.-EXAMPLES: Il n'est pas assez sot pour y ajou- | He is not foolish enough to give ter foi. Il a trop d'esprit pour se fâcher d'une plaisanterie innocente. Son revenu ne suffit pas pour payer ses dettes. Trente hommes sont suffisans pour défendre ce pont. credit to it. In the following phrases, however, and the like, the preposition de must be used, instead of pour, after the above words.-EXAMPLES: In the following phrases, and the like, the preposition is suppressed before the infinitive following the words assez and trop.EXAMPLES: C'est assez danser, en vérité. C'était aussi trop exiger de lui. It is enough of dancing, indeed. It was requiring too much of him indeed. RULE V.-A verb, in the participle present, in English, preceded by without, is rendered, in French, by the infinitive preceded by the preposition sans.-EXAMPLES: Il a bu tout son vin sans y mettre de l'eau. Il parle souvent sans savoir ce qu'il dit. - NOTE. That for, coming before a participle present, in English, is translated by pour, with the infinitive present of the verb, if it has reference to a present or a future time; or the infinitive past, if to a past time.-EXAMPLES: Combien me demandez-vous pour | How much do you ask for making me faire un habit? Il fut pendu pour avoir volé. me a coat? He was hanged for robbing. RULE VI. The following verbs admit of no propositions after them, before the infinitive of the succeeding verbs. I will observe here, that the infinitive, is also often substantively used, without being acted upon by a preposition; as appears by the following phrases, wherein it represents a noun as subject of the proposition.-EXAMPLES: Mentir (le mensonge) est indigne | To lie, or lying, is unworthy of a d'un galant homme. gentleman. Trop parler (trop de paroles) nuit To speak too much is often hurt souvent. ful. first duty. Aimer (l'amour de) notre prochain | To love one's neighbour is one's est notre premier devoir. Lire (la lecture) est une occupation utile. To read is a useful occupation. I conclude by observing, that the French language derives a great deal of beauty and elegance from the manner in which this tense is applied, as will be seen in the following lines, from Bajazet, one of Racine's tragedies, in which that prince defends himself against Roxana's reproach of ingratitude. Déjà plein d'un amour, dès l'enfance formé, Il était dangereux pour vous de reculer. Cependant je n'en veux pour témoins que vos plaintes, LESSON THE EIGHTEENTH. REMARKS ON COMPLEMENTS. FIRST.-In order that a complement may, at the same time, be under the dependence of several words, it is necessary that every one of the latter should require the same kind of complement: thus we may say, Ne voyez que les personnes qui vous estiment ; les autres ne vous entourent que pour connaître et publier vos défauts. |