Part 145 (2/2)

RULE XXIII--PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions show the relations of words, and of the things or thoughts expressed by them: as; ”He came _from_ Rome _to_ Paris, _in_ the coh_ azine_

”Ah! who can tell the triumphs _of_ the ers_

EXCEPTION FIRST

The preposition _to_, before an abstract infinitive, and at the head of a phrase which is made the subject of a verb, has no proper antecedent terreat business of life”--_Dillwyn_ ”Nevertheless, _to_ abide in the flesh, is more needful for you”--ST PAUL: _Phil_, i, 24 ”_To_ be reduced to poverty, is a great affliction”

”Too ht but faive a name”--_Shakspeare_

EXCEPTION SECOND

The preposition _for_, when it introduces its object before an infinitive, and the whole phrase is made the subject of a verb, has properly no antecedent terreat business of life”--”Nevertheless, _for_ me to abide in the flesh, is more needful for you”--”_For_ an old reat affliction”

”_For_ inning knew?”--_Milton_

OBSERVATIONS ON RULE XXIII

OBS 1--In parsing any ordinary preposition, the learner should na rule, after the manner prescribed in Praxis 12th of this work The principle is si implied in the very definition of a preposition, yet not the less necessary to be given as a rule of syntax A tolerable writers, the prepositions exhibit more errors than any other equal nu to the carelessBut the parsers, in general, have at least this excuse, that their text-books have taught them no better; they therefore call the preposition _a preposition_, and leave its use andunexplained

OBS 2--If the learner be at any loss to discover the true terms of relation, let hiative _what_ before the preposition, to find the antecedent; and then, with the same pronoun after the preposition, to find the subsequent ter to the sense, will always give the true terh”--_Scott_ Ques _What_ through? Ans ”_Dashed through_” Ques

Through _what?_ Ans ”_Through that torrent_” For the h that rapid torrent” If one term is perfectly obvious, (as it almost always is,) find the other in this way; as, ”Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge”--_Psal_, xix, 2

Ques _What_ unto day? Ans ”_Uttereth unto day_” Ques _What_ unto night?

Ans ”_Showeth unto night_” For the ht showeth knowledge unto night” To parse rightly, is, to understand rightly; and what is well expressed, it is a shame to misunderstand or misinterpret But sometimes the position of the two nouns is such, that it may require some reflection to find either; as,

”Or that choice plant, so grateful to the nose, Which _in_ I know not what far country grows”--_Churchill_, p 18

OBS 3--When a preposition _begins_ or _ends_ a sentence or clause, the teriven, are transposed; as, ”To a studious _h_ That is, ”Action is a relief _to_ a studious man” ”_Science_ they [the ladies] do not _pretend_ TO”--_Id_ That is, ”They do not pretend _to_ science” ”Until I have done that _which_ I _have spoken_ to thee OF”--_Gen_, xxviii, 15 The word governed by the preposition is always the subsequent term of the relation, however it may be placed; and if this be a relative pronoun, the transposition is permanent The preposition, however, may be put before any relative, except _that_ and _as_; and this is coht to be its most appropriate place: as, ”Until I have done that _of which_ I have spoken to thee,” Of the placing of it last, Lowth says, ”This is an idioly inclined _to_;” Murray and others, ”This is an idioly inclined:” while they all add, ”it prevails in common conversation, and suits very ith the fa of the preposition before the relative, is rees much better with the solemn and elevated style”--_Lowth's Gram_, p 95; _Murray's_, 8vo, p

200; _Fisk's_, 141; _R C Sersoll's_, 227; _Churchill's_

150

OBS 4--The terms of relation bethich a preposition may be used, are very various The _former_ or _antecedent_ term may be a noun, an adjective, a pronoun, a verb, a participle, or an adverb: and, in some instances, we find not only one preposition put before an other, but even a conjunction or an interjection used on this side; as, ”_Because_ OF offences”--”_Alas_ FOR hioverned by the preposition, may be a noun, a pronoun, a pronominal adjective, an infinitive verb, or an imperfect or preperfect participle: and, in soovern adverbs, or even whole phrases See the observations in the tenth chapter of Etyy

OBS 5--Both terh either of theiven: as, (1) THE FORMER--”All shall know reatest”--_Heb_, viii, 11 [_I say_] ”IN a word, it would entirely defeat the purpose”--_Blair_ ”When I speak of reputation, I e, but [_reputation_] IN regard to the talent of coe”--_Campbell's Rhet_, p 163; _Murray's Gram_, i, 360 (2) THE LATTER--”Opinions and ceremonies [_which_] they would die FOR”--_Locke_ ”IN [_those_] who obtain defence, or [_in those_]

who defend”--_Pope_ ”Others are more modest than [_what_] this comes TO”--_Collier's Antoninus_, p 66

OBS 6--The only proper exceptions to the foregoing rule, are those which are inserted above, unless the abstract infinitive used as a predicate is also to be excepted; as, ”In both, to reason right, is _to_ subrammarians would say, the verb ”_is_” is the antecedent terovern the infinitive The relation, however, is not such as e say, ”He _is to subht to sub the more separable infinitive or its preposition, would be a needless refineht to be paid to the different relations which the infinitive may bear to this finite verb For want of a due esti sentence is, I think, very faulty: ”The great business of this life _is to prepare_, and _qualify us_, for the enjoyment of a better”--_Murray's Grareat business in this life is, he should rather have said: ”The great business of this life is, to prepare and qualify _ourselves_ for the enjoyment of a better”

OBS 7--In relation to the infinitive, Dr Adalish is often taken _absolutely_; as, _To_ confess the truth; _To_ proceed; _To_ conclude”--_Latin and Eng Gram_, p 182 But the assertion is not entirely true; nor are his exarammarians call the _infinitive absolute_, evidently depends on so _understood_; and the preposition is, surely, in no instance independent of what follows it, and is therefore never entirely absolute

Prepositions are not to be supposed to have no antecedent term, merely because they stand at the head of a phrase or sentence which is made the subject of a verb; for the phrase or sentence itself often contains that ter example: ”_In_ ay mind acts upon matter, is unknown” Here _in_ shows the relation between _acts_ and _way_; because the expression suggests, that mind _acts_ IN _some way_ upon matter