Obs. 1. Also the Possessive is idiomatically used in such phrases as, a month's notice, Obs. 2. Sometimes for the sake of euphony the Possessive 's is omitted: as, for § 218. Ellipsis. In familiar language the Possessive Case is often used alone, and the Noun upon which it depends omitted, being readily understood: as, St. Paul's (Cathedral), the Princess's (Theatre), the Queen's (Hotel), a bookseller's (shop), Tattersall's (office). On the same principle must be explained such expressions as, a work of Bacon's (i.e. one of Bacon's works), a poem of the Laureate's (i.e. one of the Laureate's poems), a painting of Sir Edwin Landseer's (i.e. one of his paintings). 5. The Vocative. § 219. The Vocative Case is used both with and without the Interjection O. Its function is chiefly to attract the attention of the person to whom we are speaking: as "Br. What, Lucius! ho! Luc. Called you, my lord?" (J. Cæs. ii. 1.) "I should be much for open war, O peers." (P. L. ii.) "These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, Almighty!" (Ib. v.) Obs. Often, however, the form of address is suited to convey a compliment or invective: as "O speak again, bright angel !" (Rom. and J. ii. 2.) § 220. Any Noun or Pronoun may have another Noun or Pronoun attached to it, and referring to the same person or thing. The latter word is then said to be in apposition [appositus, "placed near or "by the side of"], and agrees with the former in Case: as "He enjoys, he sinner [Nom.], a glimpse of the glorious martyr's very body." (Carl. Past and Present, ii. 16.) "Old John of Gaunt, time-honoured Lancaster!" [Voc.] (Rich. II. i. 1.) "You men of Angiers, open wide your gates, 66 (K. John, ii. 2.) Wayfarers [Nom.] through the world, we meet now and again with such purity (Thack. Newc. ch. xxxviii.) Obs. The sign of the Possessive is not usually repeated with the Noun in Apposition: cf. Shaks. K. John, i. 1— "And put the same into young Arthur's hand, Thy nephew, and right royal sovereign." The following example of the contrary usage is cited by Mätzner : "At Albin's house, the jeweller's." (B. Jons. Poet. i. 1.) (In ordinary language— At Albin the jeweller's house: cf. § 49.) [So Thack. Newc. ch. xii.-" Hers and our other relation's, Mrs. Mason;" i.e. Mrs. Mason's.] § 221. Sometimes a Noun stands in apposition to an entire sentence: as "There were seven of them, and they were drawn with seven oranges -a thing quite out of taste. (Vicar of W. ch. xvi.) 66 They not only tore the lead from the roof of the magnificent Cathedral to make bullets,-an act for which they might fairly plead the necessities of war, but wantonly defaced the ornaments of the building." (Mac. H. E. i. 601.) III. ADJECTIVES. § 222. An Adjective placed immediately before or after a Noun is said to be used attributively: as, a wise man, a luminous tail, a total eclipse, "my high-blown pride has left me weary and old with service "(Hen. VIII. iii. 2.) But when the Verb to be or any similar Verb intervenes, it is said to be used predicatively: as "Oh, how wretched Is that poor man who hangs on princes' favours." (Hen. VIII. 1. c.) "It is twice blest (Merchant of V. iv. 1.) § 223. When the same quality in different things is compared, the Adjective in the Positive has after it the Conjunction as, in the Comparative the Conjunction than, and in the Superlative the Preposition of: as, "White as snow." "Wiser than Solomon." § 224. After the Definite Article the, an Adjective is often used with a Noun understood but not expressed, to denote a class of objects: as, "The wicked (= wicked men) flee when no man pursueth." (Prov. xxviii. 1.) "Cowards die many times before their deaths: (Shaks. J. C. ii. 2.) "They gathered the good [fish] into baskets, but cast the bad away." "From grave to gay, from lively to severe.” (Matt. xiii. 48.) (Pope, Epist. iv.) § 225. Some Adjectives have actually become Nouns, and as such may be used with an Adjective before them. This is the case with the words good, evil, and a few others: : as, 66 Evil, be thou my good." (Milt. P. L. iv. 110.) "All partial evil, universal good." (Pope, Ess. i.) In this way are used Adjectives denoting colour: as, black, white, red, &c. Obs. Occasionally the use of the Definite Article before an Adjective gives to it the force of an Abstract Noun. Thus, the beautiful = beauty (Gk. Tò xaλóv); the sublime = sublimity (Gk. τὸ ὑψηλόν). § 226. Adjectives with Verbs.-Adjectives sometimes appear to be attached to Verbs, and so to take the place of Adverbs. Thus we say, to keep a thing safe, to serve dinner up hot, to stand firm, to look fierce or angry, &c. But in all these examples, the Adjective really belongs to the Noun and not to the Verb. Obs. 1. Some Adjectives are really used as Adverbs. This is the case with the word bright: cf. Byron, Ch. Harold, iii. 21 The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men.' See 167, Obs. 3, concerning the formation of Adverbs. Obs. 2. Before an Adjective or an Adverb the Elizabethan writers rarely use the form in -ly. Thus, Shakspeare writes "indifferent cold,” “indifferent red," “indifferent honest," "indifferent well" [once only "indifferently well," Hen. V. i. 2]: so always "exceeding" not "exceedingly" before an Adjective in the English Bible. But with a Verb the form in -ly is preferred: "I will look on death indifferently." (Shaks. J. Cæs. i. 2.) So "marvellous sweet," "marvellous little," "marvellous witty," &c. (Shaks.), but with a Verb "Believe me, you are marvellously changed." (Merch. of V. i. 1.) "God thundereth marvellously with his voice." (Job xxxvii. 5.) Writers of the age of Queen Anne often use Adjectives adverbially with Verbs: as, "I shall endeavour to live hereafter suitable to a man in my station." (Addison, Spect. No. 530.) "The Queen having changed her ministry suitable to her own wisdom." "The assertions of this author are easier detected." (Swift, Public Spirit of the Whigs.) [N.B.—This latter usage must on no account be imitated.] § 227. When several Nouns denoting distinct things come together in enumerations, the same Article is usually placed before each: as, "[Hadrian] possessed the various talents of the soldier, the statesman, and the scholar." (Gibbon, D. and F'. i.) "A vacant space was left between the tents and the rampart." (Ib.) "The use of the spade and the pickaxe." (Ib.) "The ancient dialects of Italy, the Sabine, the Etruscan, and the Venetian, sunk into oblivion." (Ïb.) "In some of these fields, the rye, the pease, and the oats were high enough to conceal a man." (Mac. H. E. i. 616.) “Our streams . . . yield nothing but the bull's head or miller's thumb, the trout, the eel, the lampern, and the stickle-back." (White, Selb. Letter 11.) "Their more useful arms consisted in a helmet, an oblong shield, light boots and a coat of mail." (Gibbon, 1. c.) "The necessity of amusement made me a carpenter, a birdcagemaker, a gardener." (Southey's Cowper, iv. p. 5.) § 228. But when the objects are represented not as perfectly distinct, but as closely connected with each other, the Article is not repeated: as,— "The forests and morasses of Germany were filled with a hardy race of barbarians." (Gibbon, D. and F. i.) I "The recruits and young soldiers were constantly trained in the morning and the evening." (Ib.) "The Prince and Princess of Orange had now ceased to regard him as a rival." (Mac. H. E. i. 530.) "..... among the pots and pans." (Ib. 331.) "The willow-wrens are horrid pests in a garden, destroying the pease, cherries, currants, &c." (White, Selb. Letter 16.) "Its craw was filled with the legs and wings of beetles." (Ib. Letter 20.) Sometimes the Article appears to be omitted merely for the sake of brevity: especially in such common expressions as from head to foot," ""from snout to tail," "from top to bottom," ""from Tweed to Tay" (Bain). 66 Obs. When any ambiguity would result from the omission of the Article, it must be repeated: as, "The Queen sent for the Secretary and the Treasurer." (Cobbett.) Cobbett correctly remarks that if the second the were omitted, it would not be clear whether "the Secretary and Treasurer" were two persons or one only.* § 229. Sometimes the Article is repeated even before Nouns denoting things closely connected with each other; when it serves to call attention to each separately: as,— "There were the markets at which the corn, the cattle, the wool, and the hops of the surrounding country were exposed." (Mac. H. E. i. 339.) "The bankers, the merchants, and the chief shopkeepers repair thither on six mornings of every week." (Ib. 352.) 66 the fireside, the nursery, the social table, the quiet bed, are not there." (lb. 353.) "The bedding, the tapestry, above all, the abundance of clean and fine linen, was a matter of wonder." (lb. 385.) "And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, . there was no more spirit in her." (1 Kings x. 4.) "And Hezekiah... showed them the the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and all that was found in his treasures.' house of his precious things, and the precious ointment... (Is. xxxix. 2.) § 230. The Definite Article the is sometimes used to give to an Adjective the force of an Abstract Noun. $ 225, Obs. * This rule is disregarded by Macaulay in the following passage: See "Cranmer held that his own spiritual functions, like the secular functions of the Chancellor and Treasurer, were at once determined by a demise of the crown." (H. E. i. 56.) An ambiguity is the result. |