THE INSTITUTES OF ENGLISH GRAMMA METHODICALLY ARRANGED; WITH FORMS OF PARSING AND CORRECTING, EXAMPLES FOR PÅRS AND 1 A KEY TO THE ORAL EXERCISES: TO WHICH ARE ADDED FOUR APPENDIXES. DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS, ACADEMIES, AND PRI BY GOOLD BROWN, PRINCIPAL OF AN ENGLISH AND CLASSICAL ACADEMY, NEW YORK. "Ne quis igitur tanquam parva fastidiat Grammatices elementa."—QUINT PUBL NEWY 4700 V ASTOR, LENOX ANG TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1909 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1356, BY GOOLD BROWN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. PREFACE. "Neque enim aut aliena vituperare, aut nostra jactantiùs prædicare, animu 1. LANGUAGE is the principal vehicle of thought; and so numerous and im are the ends to which it is subservient, that it is difficult to conceive in what the affairs of human society could be conducted without it. Its utility, therefo ever entitle it to a considerable share of attention in civilized communities, an important place in all systems of education. For, whatever we may think in to its origin-whether we consider it a special gift from Heaven, or an acquisi industry-a natural endowment, or an artificial invention,-certain it is, that, present state of things, our knowledge of it depends, in a great measure, if not e on the voluntary exercise of our faculties, and on the helps and opportunities a us. One may indeed acquire, by mere imitation, such a knowledge of word enjoy the ordinary advantages of speech; and he who is satisfied with the dia has so obtained, will find no occasion for treatises on grammar; but he who is d either of relishing the beauties of literary composition, or of expressing his sent with propriety and ease, must make the principles of language his study. 2. It is not the business of the grammarian to give law to language, but to te agreeably to the best usage. The ultimate principle by which he must be gov and with which his instructions must always accord, is that species of custom critics denominate GOOD USE; that is, present, reputable, general use. This pri which is equally opposed to fantastic innovation, and to a pertinacious adher the quaint peculiarities of ancient usage, is the only proper standard of gram purity. Those rules and modes of speech, which are established by this aut may be called the Institutes of Grammar. 3. To embody, in a convenient form, the true principles of the English Lan to express them in a simple and perspicuous style, adapted to the capacity of to illustrate them by appropriate examples and exercises; and to give to the w possible advantage from method in the arrangement; are the objects of the fol work. The author has not deviated much from the principles adopted in th approved grammars already in use nor has he acted the part of a servile copy was not his design to introduce novelties, but to form a practical digest of esta rules. He has not laboured to subvert the general system of grammar, receive time immemorial; but to improve upon it, in its present application to our tong 4. That which is excellent, may not be perfect; and amendment may be des where subversion would be ruinous. Believing that no theory can better expla principles of our language, and no contrivance afford greater facilities to the s the writer has in general adopted those doctrines which are already best know has contented himself with attempting little more than an improved method of cating them. The scope of his labours has been, to define, dispose, and exe those doctrines anew; and, with a scrupulous regard to the best usage, to of that authority, some further contributions to the stock of grammatical know The errors of former grammarians he has been more studious to avoid than to e and of their deficiencies the reader may judge, when he sees in what manner t here supplied. 5. This treatise being intended for general use, and adapted to all classes of le was designed to embrace in a small compass a complete course of English Gra disencumbered of every thing not calculated to convey direct information on th ject. Little regard has therefore been paid to gainsayers. Grammarians ha disputed, and often with more acrimony than discretion. Those who have deal in philological controversy, have well illustrated the couplet of Denham: "The tree of knowledge, blasted by disputes, 6. They who set aside the authority of custom, and judge every thing to be u matical which appears to them to be unphilosophical, render the whole ground disputable, and weary themselves in beating the air. So various have been the: of this sort of critics, that it would be difficult to mention an opinion not fo Some of their books. Amidst this rage for speculation on a subject purely pra |