[ (11) This house is worth four thousand pounds. The book is worth ten shillings. That work is worth all the labor expended upon it. It is worth while to consider a subject, &c. (while is here a noun in the acusative). William departed this life, aged thirty-five years. That man is sixty years old. This table is five feet long and three feet wide. The house is four stories high. The wall is eighteen inches thick, ten feet high, and two hundred feet long. The river, in this place, is fifteen feet deep.

(12) It will be noticed that the adjective old and the adjectives of dimension take the accusative of time and measure before them.]

EXERCISE.-Form a given number of propositions containing examples of adjectives modified by an accusative of time, measure, &c.

NOTE.-Those who class the word ago among the adverbs, must assign it a place with those which take an accusative of time before them. For example, That event happened TWENTY YEARS ago. We cannot admit this explanation of the modification of the word ago, and consequently, must decline classing it among the adverbs. Ago or agone, or agon (for so the word was often spelled in our old authors-we have an instance in 1 Sam. 30:13, "Three days agone I fell sick;" and in Archbishop Tillotson, as quoted by H. Tooke, "Thirty years agone") was once in common use as the perfect participle of the verb go. See H. Tooke, pp. 254–257, Mr. R. Taylor's edition, 1840. We select a few of the examples adduced by Mr. Tooke, enough, we think, to settle this matter beyond the reach of all cavil.

"Her love is after soone AGO."-Gower.

"The remenant was all AGO."-Idem.

"For after that he was AGO."-Idem.

"God wotte, worldely joye is soone AGO."-Chaucer.

"AGO was every sorowe and every fere."-Idem.

"Of any thinge of suche a time AGONE.--Idem.

'May sigh, that thei were AGONE."-Gower.

"Whan that the mysty vapoure was AGONE."-Chaucer.
"For I loved one, ful longe sythe AGONE."-Idem.
"But sothe is said, GONE sithen many a day."-Idem.

It is, we think, perfectly manifest from these examples, that our old authors used ago interchangeably with GONE, as the participle of Go. This fact affords us the best guidance to the true analysis of the forms of expression in which AGO occurs. In the proposition, He lived thirty years AGO,

[(11) Repeat some of the examples, and in all the propositions given point out the adjective and the accusative of price, time, &c.

(12) Repeat the remark in reference to the adjective old and the adjectives of dimension.]

we might consider the noun years as the accusative of time to the verb lived, and itself modified by the participle AGO. Or, what we think better, we may consider years as subject noun to the verb are suppressed and modified by the participle ago. In accordance with this view the above expression may be completed thus, He lived thirty years ARE (since) ago or gone. That this is the true way of supplying the ellipsis, we are the more confirmed in thinking, by such examples as the last two given above: "Ful longe sythe (➡since) agone;" "Gone sithen (since) many a day." Mr. Tyrwhitt, Moxon's edition, 1843, gives this line, we know not on what authority, "Gone sithen is many a day." This would be more to our purpose, if we could confide in Mr. Tyrwhitt's readings. But we cannot.

Another mode of analysis, not essentially different from the last, is to treat the noun of time as in the case absolute with the participle AGO.

(13) 3d. Many adjectives are modified or completed by infinitives in the same manner as verbs. We subjoin a few examples for exercise in analysis.

[(14) Your friend is very ambitious to excel his neighbors. The young man is desirous to learn. He is anxious to succeed in his enterprise. That action is worthy to be imitated. This boy is prone to do mischief. That boy is prompt to perform his duty. John is now ready to go home.*

(15) Participles or adjectives formed from verbs which take an

* The following examples may be regarded as somewhat different in character. He is too lazy to learn. He is wise enough to take care of himself. Such infinitives assist, together with the adverbs enough and too, in indicating the degree of intensity which the adjective is made to express in these particular cases. They serve a purpose similar to that served by accessory propositions which indicate degrees of intensity. (See §§ 120-122.)

Some adverbs take also a modifying infinitive; as, He does not know HOW TO ACT; He does not understand WHEN TO BE SILENT, when to speak. "The Son of Man hath not where to lay his head." When we resolve the adverbs, these become identical with the infinitive which modifies a noun. How in what manner; when at what time, and where at what place. The nouns manner, time, place, are what the infinitives above really modify.These infinitives, with their accompaniments, may be considered as contracted accessory propositions (see § 142).

(18) What is the third modification of adjectives?

[(14) Repeat some examples, and point out the adjective and infinitive modification in all the examples.

(15) Repeat the remark about participles.]

infinitive modification of course take the same modification. Such adjectives, for example, as accustomed, habituated, inclined, addicted, disposed, &c., come within this description.]

EXERCISE.-Form a number of propositions containing examples of this construction.

(16) 4th. Many adjectives are modified by a noun with a preposition, like nouns and verbs. (17) A few of the adverbs, formed from adjectives which take this modification, are sometimes completed in the same way. (18) We have examples in the following propo

sitions: The man acted conformably To your ORDERS; John acted consistently WITH his CHARACTER. When we resolve the adverbs conformably and consistently, as in the equivalent propositions, The man acted IN A MANNER CONFORMABLE to your orders, John acted IN A MANNER CONSISTENT with his character, we shall see that they are modified by a noun and preposition, because the adjective involved in them is so modified.

[(19) Different adjectives take after them different prepositions with a modifying noun, and the same adjective always takes the same preposition, or the same set of prepositions after it. Most adjectives taking after them a preposition are confined exclusively to a single preposition; a few take two or more, but generally with some change of meaning. It may be useful to enumerate the prepositions which are most frequently employed in modifying adjectives.

(20) The greatest number of adjectives susceptible of this form of modification take the preposition to exclusively; as, adequate to, agreeable to, convenient to, &c.

(21) Many adjectives take the preposition of exclusively; as, desirous of, capable of, full of, worthy or unworthy of, careful of, &c. The of before the noun is sometimes omitted after worthy and unworthy. Careful sometimes takes. after it the preposition in, but with a different sense.

(22) Some adjectives take the preposition for; as, fit for, useful for, thankful for, &c.

(16) Mention the fourth form of modification applied to adjectives (17) Are adverbs ever modified in the same way? (18) Illustrate by example, and explain why the adverb is susceptible of this modification.

[(19) Repeat the substance of what is said in reference to different adjectives taking dif ferent prepositions after them.

(20) What preposition do the greatest number of adjectives take after them?

(21) Mention some that take after them of. (22) Some that take for; some from. (28)

Some take from; as, distant from, remote from, far from, &c. (23) Some take the preposition with; as, replete with, level with, &c. (24) Some take the preposition in; as, fruitful in, abundant in, rich in, poor in, &c.

(25) Some few take on or upon; as, intent on or upon, dependent on or upon.

(26) A few take the preposition at; as, expert at, or expert in. Some few adjectives perhaps take other prepositions.

(27) Adjectives, especially those derived from verbs, are sometimes modified (like verbs) by a preposition alone without a noun. (See §81: 28.)

(28) We have already had occasion to notice that adjectives are often modified by adverbs, and sometimes adverbs by other adverbs. (See § 92.) It seems unnecessary here to add any thing more on this subject.

(29) We have now finished the course of instruction which we deem necessary for the analysis of simple assertive propositions. We shall follow this up in the next chapter by a brief account of the construction of Interrogative and Imperative propositions.]

EXAMPLES FOR ANALYSIS.-Virtuous actions are agreeable to the will of our Creator. That boy's capacity is fully equal to the task imposed upon him. This unfortunate man is bereft of all his property. That man is careful of his money. The member is absent from his place. His life is conformable to his principles. That man's life is not consistent with his professions. Men are generally too fond of pleasure. Fear is inseparable from the consciousness of guilt. I am thankful for your kind advice. That physician is very successful in his practice. All men do not live conformably to their resolutions. Many act inconsistently with their professions. To live a virtuous life is to live agreeably to reason. That stranger is far from his own country.

EXERCISES.-Form a given number of propositions containing examples of adjectives accompanied with this species of modification.

Some that take with. (24) Some that take in. (25) Some that take on or upon. (26) Some that take at

(27) In what way are adjectives, especially verbals sometimes modified?

(28) Repeat remark about adjectives modified by adverbs.

(29) What have we now finished, and what do we next proceed to consider ?]

CHAPTER VIII.

OF INTERROGATIVE AND IMPERATIVE PROPOSITIONS.

97. INTERROGATIVE PROPOSITIONS.-(1) As regards matter, the interrogative proposition is that employed in asking a question. (2) As to its form, the interrogative proposition differs from the assertive proposition only in the arrangement of the subject noun and the verb, and not always even in this. (3) Some interrogative propositions commence with an interrogative word which serves to mark their character. (4) When the interrogative word is the subject of the proposition, or a modification of the subject, the order of arrangement is exactly the same as in the assertive proposition. That is to say, the subject noun precedes, the verb follows. (5) But when the interrogative word is not the subject of the proposition, nor a modification of the subject; or when an interrogative proposition is formed without an interrogative word, the order of arrangement is reversed, and the verb precedes the subject noun. (6) It will here be remembered that in the compound tenses, it is the auxiliary which is the verb-which possesses the assertive force-and that it is this

* We have no word in our language to indicate interrogation exclusively. All our interrogative words perform another function in the proposition besides indicating that it is interrogative. In other languages there are words which perhaps indicate interrogation exclusively. The Latin ne enclitic may be given as an example.

§ 97. (1) What is said in reference to the matter of the interrogative proposition? (2) In what does its form differ from the form of the assertive proposition? (3) How is the character of some interrogative propositions marked? (4) What is the order of arrange. ment in the proposition, when the interrogative word is the subject noun, or completes the subject? (5) What is the general order when the interrogative word is not the subject noun, or when there is no interrogative word used in forming an interrogative proposition! (6) Repeat the remark about the compound tenses.