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Observations concerning the Cases of English Noutis. 



[June 1, 



form* show, that the ronceptions arc 

 considered in different arrangement?, 

 according as the mind may he desi;;ned 

 to rest on llie ao;ent or subject. Tiie 

 agent, God, is nominative in tiio first, 

 hence it precedes the state ; and accusa- 

 tive in the second, hence it follows (he 

 state ; for the same reasons, the subject, 

 7n.an, is accusative (hence after llie state) 

 in the first; and nominative (hence be- 

 fore the state) in t!ie second. But it is 

 self-evident, that the relations between 

 the agent and subject are not any way 

 altered by the varied arrangement. The 

 second form presents the affected sub- 

 ject first to notice, that the mind may 

 most regard the grand agent; and the 

 state is mentioned as comjileted, and as 

 a property exerted by God, and aO'ect- 

 ing man; hence llie verb is varied into 

 the form capable of denoting comple- 

 tion, either as a stale exerted, or as a 

 property connective to the subject ; the 

 copula, is, being used to indicate the 

 connexion of (his state as a proper(y 

 nnto the subject; while the preposition, 

 bj/, denotes the relation of the slate to 

 its operative anent, God. In the sen- 

 tence—God is kind, the quality is obvi- 

 ously connected with its possessor, ob- 

 ject, or agent. 



The nominative is essential to (he 

 completion of each regular and perfect 

 sentence; because, when wc mention 

 the state supports, as proceeding from 

 or originating in an agent, it is requisite 

 to mention that agent; and the concep- 

 tion of energy, associated with the word 

 supports, occasions the nominative to he 

 regarded as sigiiifjing an active eflicient 

 cause, or agent ; and, in like manner, 

 the Conception of quiescence, associfMed 

 with the (.abject regarded as affected by 

 — is supported, occasions that noun, 

 even 1houi;li nominative, to be consi- 

 dered as signifying a passive or affected 

 subject. 



The second form shows the true na- 

 ture of the passive voice, in verbs ; for 

 voice is the ap|dication of the word sig- 

 nifying a sensitive or energetic slate. 

 Grammarians appear t » have over- 

 looked the fact, that the quiescence or 

 passiveness must of neressity be in (he 

 subject, and cannot possibly be in the 

 state ; for all slates associate the con- 

 ception of eyierfftf in the producer 

 thereof; and with Mr. Grant, of Cronch 

 End, I am of opinion that we have not a 

 single passive verb in the English lan- 

 guage; and I very much question the 

 possibility of the existence of one in any 

 otlier language. F am aware that, iu 

 all other cultivated languages, there 

 6 



will be names of objects, capable of 

 being employed as cither agents or 

 affected subjects, by being in either of 

 the reUtions of agency or quiescence, 

 and sucli nouns may have either appli- 

 cation where capability of activeuess is 

 associated or attributable. But multi- 

 tmles of noiuis denote objects certainly 

 quiescent ; as ' the book is printed ; the 

 house is built; the letter is sealed.' The 

 stales here mentioned, however, tacitly 

 iniply the existence of suitable agents 

 productive thereof. But to return. 



The first noun in the sentence, in 

 English, is in the nominative case ; 

 therefore, when this noun denotes the 

 conception of — 



1. An agent, merely as such, its employ- 

 ment is nominative of the agent ; as ' The 

 devil tempts every man except the idle ; 

 the idle man trnipts the devil.' — Spanish 

 Proyn'i.— Every virtue produces consequent 

 felicity. Ignorance is a wild beast of the 

 night, whicli hates the light, and shuns the 

 haunts of man ; but bigotry is a ravening 

 wolf of the (lay, which walks abroad, and 

 seeks men to devour them. 



2. The agent, as solely affected by the 

 energy produced, like a property, its em- 

 ployment is nominative of the inhering sub- 

 ject ; as ' The enemies of Christ exulted in 

 their success ; the hearts of his friends 

 u-ere sunk in despondency ; the spirits in 

 glory waited with anxious suspence to 

 behold the event, and wondered at the 

 depth of the ways of God.' — Hardie. 



S. The subject possessed (a), or af- 

 fected (b), by existing energy ; its em- 

 ployment IS nominative of the affected sub- 

 ject ; as (a), ' This opinion is Lord Ba- 

 con's, the great precursor of Descartes 

 and Newton, (b) Soldiers who think 

 themselves neglected,— 1( they are brave, 

 become much more d/jccted; but, if they 

 are vicious, much more insolent.'— 

 Xenophoti, 



The ACCUSATIVE case includes the 

 noun which signifies the conception, of 

 a subject of an operative state (a) ; or 

 of possession (b) ; or the agent of a 

 preceding connected state (c); as (a) 

 'The impression which any thing 7«aA:e* 

 on the memory, depends much on the 

 degree of attention (b).' — Helvetius. 

 (c.) Some r(?/?)jenient of mind, some 

 accuracy of thinking, will almost cer- 

 tainly result from grammatical studies. 



The last noun in the sentence, in 

 English, is in the accusative case; 

 hence, when this noun denotes the con- 

 ception of — 



t . The agent producing the stale previ- 

 ously meniioued, its employment is accu- 

 sativt of the agent, as in this extract from 

 Lament: — "That dismal habitation of 

 darkness and despair, where reside only 

 demons 



