The vowel of the participle is often the same as the vowel of the past tense, as spoke, spoken; but not always, as took, taken. When the former is the case, and when, at the same time, the -en (or -n) is rejected, the past tense and the participle passive have the same form; as I found, I have found. In this case it seems as if the past tense was used for the participle. Now it is only in a few words, and in the most modern forms of our language, that this is really done.

Held. The regular participle is holden. Consequently the form that would arise from the simple rejection of the -en would be hold. Such, however, is not the case. Held is really a preterite form used as a participle. The same reasoning applies to the compound be-hold.

Struck. The regular participle is stricken. Nevertheless, there is no such word as strick.

Smote.—The regular participle is smitten. This is occasionally used. It ought always to be so. The shortened form smit (I have smit) is also of occasional occurrence. When smote, however, occurs, it occurs through a confusion of the preterite and participial forms. A stanza from Lord Byron's Hebrew Melodies illustrates the whole of the present section:

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail;
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Has melted like snow in the glance of the Lord.

The words broke and smote, both exceptionable, are exceptionable in different degrees and for different reasons. Broke is not necessarily a preterite form used participially. It may be (and probably it is) the participial form abbreviated (brok-en, broke). Smote, however, cannot have arisen out of any abbreviation of a participial form. Such a form would be smit.

From ride, &c., the best forms are ridden, stridden, written; the next best rid, strid, writ; the worst rode,

strode, wrote. Few writers would print such a sentence as I have wrote a book.

§ 144. Forlorn.-This is a participle verb lose, the s being changed into r. takes place in the words rear and raise. change from s to r was less limited.

ceose, I choose;

formed from the The same change In the A. S. the

The word frore is from the A. S. gefroren frozen.

§ 145. The prefix ge- in Anglo-Saxon was as necessary a part of the past participle as the terminations -d, or -n; and so it is in German at the present moment. German says—

Ich habe gesagt=I have said.

Ich habe gesehen=I have seen, &c.

The

In modern English, however, it is obsolete. At the same time, it occurs in a word, which, though only found in such writings of the present century as affect an antiquated form, occurs in a poem so well known as the Allegro of Milton

But hail thou, goddess, fair and free,

In heaven ycleped Euphrosyne;

But by men heart-easing mirth, &c.

It means called; and was in Anglo-Saxon, geclepod, from clepian to call.

§ 146. The following words-some belonging to the first,

some to the second, class-on account of certain apparent irregularities of form are noticed in detail.

Lie and lay. The confusion between lie and lay is so common, and, at the same time, so blameworthy, that it is advisable to notice it. To lie is a verb neuter or intransitive, the preterite of which is lay. To lay is a verb transitive, the preterite of which is laid. In meaning the words are as different as sit and set, one meaning simply to lie down, the other to cause to lie down. We may say either I lie down to sleep, or I lay myself down, in the Present Tense. We may also, in the Preterite, say I lay down or laid myself down. We cannot, however, say I mean to lay down, nor yet I mean to lie myself down. The proper Participle of lie is lien. It is, however, nearly replaced by the newer form lain.

Dare.-Dare is both Intransitive and Transitive. We can say I dared to fight and I dared (or challenged) him to fight. It can only be used in the Present Tense, and has for its Preterite dared. Durst is Intransitive only. It never means challenge. It can, however, be used both as a Present and as a Preterite. We can say, I durst not do so now, and I durst not so when you spoke to me.

Own. He owned to having done it means, he admitted, conceded, or granted that he had done it. When own has this sense it is a different word from the own which signifies possess, and comes from the Anglo-Saxon an, meaning I have granted, of which the plural is unnon.

Own.-Own meaning possess is a different word from own meaning to grant. It comes from owe, and until after the reign of Elizabeth was destitute of the -n.

See where he comes; nor poppy nor mandragora,
Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world,

Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep

Which thou owe' dst yesterday.

Othello.

Owe, the older form of own, meaning possess, comes from

the Anglo-Saxon ah, meaning I have acquired, of which the plural is ágon.

Should and would.-The Anglo-Saxon preterite of sceal was sculde; so that the l in should, though not pronounced, belongs to the word. The same is the case with would from will.

Could. The Anglo-Saxon preterite of can was cude, in Old English, coud. The -l of the present language is not sounded and ought not to be written. It is inserted after the false analogy suggested by the words would and should. May. The Anglo-Saxon form of may was mag, of which the plural was mugon. Hence the -g- in might.

Become. That dress becomes you means that dress suits you. When become has this sense it is a different word from become in such phrases as the weather became colder. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon beqweman, of which the preterite was bequemede, and corresponds with the German bequem convenient.

Become.-Become in such phrases as the weather became colder is a different word from become meaning to suit. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon becomman, of which the preterite was becam.

Do. This will do means this will answer the purpose. When do has this sense it is a different word from the do which signifies to act. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon deáh, of which the preterite was dohte, and corresponds with the word taugen in German and duge in Danish. In its present form it has lost a -g.

Do. Do meaning to act is a different word from do meaning to answer the purpose. It comes from the AngloSaxon do, of which the preterite is dyde, and corresponds with the German thue.

Be.-Be takes three forms-be, being, and been. The form be-est, though used by Milton, is obsolete.

Be is only used in Commands, in Conditional Proposi

tions, and in the Infinitive Mood-as, be gone—if it be so -I wonder how it can be-I wish to be alone.

Being is the Present, been the Past, Participle-Whilst one was being planted the other was being cut down-I have been at work.

Am.-Am takes four forms; as-I am; thou art; N. or M. is; we, ye, they are.

The -m in a-m is no part of the original word, but the sign of the first person. Am is the only word that has such a sign.

The -t in ar-t, as a sign of the second person singular, is found in three other words, wast (and wert), shalt, and wilt.

The evidence that is is connected with am, art, and are can only be got through the allied languages.

Was. Was is found in two Moods-the Indicative and

It is usual to call the verb be irregular, and to conjugate am and was as if they belonged to it. That this is incorrect is plain, inasmuch as there is no etymological connection.