II. GOVERNMENT OF THE OBJECTIVE CASE.

RULE I.

224. Prepositions and transitive verbs in the active voice govern the objective case; as-Give it to him. Follow me.

A noun, a pronoun, an adverb, or a clause of a sentence, may form an objective as well as a nominative case (see 187, note); but pronouns only are capable of inflection from being thus governed. Nouns are distinguished as objectives only by their position in the sentence; thus John struck Mary. Here John is the nominative and Mary the objective (see 28); but if we say Mary struck John, the cases are reversed.

(224.)

EXAMPLES.

But rare at home, and never at his books,
Or with his pen, save when he scrawls a card;
Constant at routes, familiar with a round

Of ladyships; a stranger to the poor;

Ambitious of preferment for its gold.-CowPER.

Knowledge in general expands the mind, exalts the faculties, refines the taste of pleasure, and opens innumerable sources of intellectual enjoyment.-ROBERT HALL. Fire answers fire; steed threatens steed.SHAKS. The muses haunt clear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill.MILTON. Beaux banish beaux, and coaches coaches drive.

RULE II.

225. One preposition or active verb may govern two objectives; as—From each and all. Honour thy father and mother.

EXAMPLES.

(225.) On harp and lip and spirit fell.-HEMANS. But love or friendship, with its pleasures and embarrassments, was insufficient to occupy Swift's active mind and aspiring disposition.

RULE III.

226. Two verbs may govern one objective; as-Honour and obey the king.

But it is inelegant to combine a verb and preposition in the government of the same objective. He was averse to and declined the proposal:' should be-' He was averse to the proposal, and declined it.'

Nor ought two prepositions to govern one objective, unless they are immediately connected with each other. It is wrong to say

They were refused entrance into and forcibly driven from the house. Yet we may say- To and from the house.' Up and

down the street."

EXAMPLE.

(226.) He fills, he bounds, connects, and equals all.-POPE.

RULE IV.

227. Many verbs naturally intransitive are used actively, especially to govern a noun of similar meaning; as-Run a

race.

Otherwise they govern only through a preposition; as-Run to the town. But a preposition must not be thus added to a transitive verb before its objective. It is wrong to say-'I accept of your gift.'

An intransitive verb which takes a preposition after it, assumes so much the nature of a transitive one, that it often admits of a passive voice; thus-We looked at the pictures; they were made to be looked at.

EXAMPLES.

(227.) I dreamed a dream to-night.-SHAKS. I could weep my spirit from mine eyes.-SHAKS. Eager to run the race his fathers ran.ROGERS. Sleep the sleep that knows no breaking.-SCOTT.

RULE V.

228. The preposition governing an objective case is often suppressed; as-She sat nearer [to] me than [to] him. I go [on] to-morrow. Go [on] thy way.

EXAMPLES.

(228.) Near yonder copse.-GOLDSMITH. Is it like? Like whom?— COWPER. Unlike the tide of human time.-SCOTT.

RULE VI.

229. Some verbs, as-to ask, allow, lend, give, tell, send, pay, present, teach, offer, deny, cost-are often followed by two objectives, a preposition being understood before the first or indirect one; as-Tell [to] us our duty. Make [of] him a soldier.

230. Similar verbs are often used in the passive voice with an objective after them; as- -We are taught our duty. I was offered him as a servant.

EXAMPLES.

(229.) I could forget, forgive thee all.-MOORE. heart.-BYRON.

Then give humility a coach-and-six,

Give me back my

Justice a conqueror's sword, or truth a gown,
Or public spirit its great cure, a crown.-POPE.

(230.) And all are taught an avarice of praise.-GOLDSMITH.

RULE VII.

231. A present participle, from its compound nature, may both govern and be governed in the same sentence; as-He gave offence by declining the gift.

EXAMPLES.

(231.) By renewing your solicitations.-JUNIUS. They went on without minding me.-ADDISON.

RULE VIII.

232. When a verb governs a relative pronoun, it is placed after it; as-The man whom I saw.

233. The relative is often suppressed in this case, especially in an easy and familiar style; as-The man I saw yesterday is dead. The book we lost in the garden is found.

EXAMPLES.

(232.) The ladies are in great pain to know whom I intend to elect. -ADDISON. He is the freeman whom the truth makes free.

(233.) The throne we honour is the people's choice; the laws we reverence are our brave fathers' legacy; the faith we follow teaches us to live in bonds of charity with all mankind.-SHERIDAN. looked wistfully into the room we had lately quitted.-DICKENS.

I

RULE IX.

234. When a preposition governs the relative who or which, it must be placed before it, and both must precede the verb; as-To whom do you speak? The man to whom I spoke.

Not-Who (or whom) do you speak to? Yet when the pronoun is suppressed, the preposition is deferred; as-The man I spoke to yesterday.

235. The relative that is not subject to the above rule-It is the same horse that you were looking at.

Some grammarians lay it down as a rule, that a sentence should not end with a preposition. But if we take, for instance, the following passage from the venerable Hooker-Is there a God to swear by, and is there none to believe in, none to trust to ?' what becomes of its simplicity and force if rendered- Is there a God by whom to swear, and is there none in whom to believe, none to whom to pray?'

EXAMPLES.

(234.) Those for whom the place was kept.-HEMANS. In whom we live and move. Without whom nothing is strong.-Liturgy.

(235.) He that calls a man ungrateful, sums up all the evil that a man can be guilty of.-SWIFT. There was nothing that a beetle could have lunched upon.-DICKENS.

RULE X.

236. A compound relative often stands for two objectives; as -I know what you mean: or a nominative and objective; as - What you have said is sufficient.

Exercise I.

Underline the prepositions, supplying within brackets [ ] those that are understood, and doubly underline the words governed by them, adding references to the rule applicable in each case :

The city capitulated the same night, and the troops dispersed in every direction.-ALISON. But intellectual movement in itself is a thing which few care for.-ARNOLD. Are we to suppose that it was a miserable piece of spiritual legerdemain, this which so many creatures of the Almighty have lived by and died by?-CARLYLE. Run to your houses, fall upon your knees.-SHAKS. By gesture, look, or smile. Thus departed this life, if not in the maturity of years, at least in the fulness of glory, Edmund Burke.-ALISON. I never saw the hard rock yet that some green flowery thing would not grow upon. -M'CULLAGH. These doctrines I protest against.-CHANNING. He was forbidden access to the sacrifices or public worship; he was debarred all intercourse with his fellow-citizens.-HUME.

She wished

That Heaven had made her such a man.-SHAKS.

Exercise II.

Underline the active verbs, and the words governed by them, adding references to the rules:

Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot.-WOLFE. It cost me nearly two hours.-POPE. Ask your master leave.-SWIFT. Shew him these jewels.-HOME. We are forced to deny ourselves some things. -COWPER. They offer us their protection.-SHERIDAN. The ocean paid him tribute. Europe he saw, and Europe saw him too.-POPE. Man yields them to decay.-HEMANS. We'll see whether boys are to govern men, or men are to govern boys.-DICKENS. I will obtain them such a peace.-SHAKS. I thrice presented him a kingly crown.SHAKS. Then lend the eye a terrible aspect.-SHAKS. I that denied thee gold.-SHAKS. Give the hautboys breath.-DRYDEN. I can tell you no news. Watering the ground.-MILTON. Sweeping our flocks. -HOME. Forgetting faith, home, father, all.-MOORE. Nor do I think of unfolding all the present.-CHANNING. They lost no more time in asking questions.-DICKENS. We examine the why, the what, and the how.-L'ESTRANGE. Who first insults the victim whom he kills. -CRABBE. Whom dost thou think me?--HOME. They follow an adventurer whom they fear, and obey a power which they hate: we serve a monarch whom we love a God whom we adore.-SHERIDAN. She knows not whom she loves.-MOORE.

Let me live a life of faith,

Let me die thy people's death.-NEWTON.

Exercise III.

Underline the compound relatives, and doubly underline the governing and agreeing words:

The more I thought of what the old man had said, the less I could account for what I had seen and heard.-DICKENS. What you have done and suffered for two royal masters, has been enough to render you illustrious.-DRYDEN. I have taken a review of what has been done by the governing power in France.-BURKE'S French Revolution. Whatever our liturgy has more than theirs, they cut off.

III. GOVERNMENT OF THE POSSESSIVE CASE.

RULE I.

237. One noun governs another noun or a pronoun in the possessive case; as-John's book; his hat.

That is, when two nouns or a noun and pronoun come together, one being the possessor and the other the thing possessed, the former is put in the possessive case.

EXAMPLES.

(237.) Some judge of authors' names, not works.-POPE. The spider's thread is cable to man's tie on earthly bliss.-YOUNG. The ploughman homeward plods his weary way.-GRAY. Our aim is happiness-'tis yours, 'tis mine.-ARMSTRONG. Like laurels on the bald first Cæsar's head.-BYRON. My fathers' ancient burial-place.-BRYANT. Is there any other doctrine whose followers are punished?-ADDISON. I venerate the man whose heart is warm.-CowPER.

RULE II.

238. The present participle used as a noun likewise governs a possessive case; as-My being present was no hinderance.

EXAMPLES.

(238.) Upon their coming into the garden, the old fellow advised his antagonist, &c.-R. STEELE. Nor will any circumstances account for your deserting your sovereign.-JUNIUS. The idea of his being sent to the Tower.-JUNIUS.

RULE III.

239. The noun denoting the thing possessed is often omitted, when sufficiently obvious; as— -We went to St Paul's.

EXAMPLES.

(239.) Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's, thy God's, and truth's.-SHAKS. I have seen the pope officiate at St Peter's.ADDISON. The sun looked bright to every eye in the village but Le Fevre's and his afflicted son's.-STERNE.

RULE IV.

240. When the same thing is possessed jointly by one or more, the last only takes the sign of the possessive; as-Pollok and Gilmour's ship.

EXAMPLES.

(240.) Peter, John, and Andrew's occupation was that of fishermen. My father and mother's command.