2^8 on per sonai pronouns. Oci. 2^\, 



When we say, " I cut my hand" we denote th^p 

 particular part of the body that was cut. But, if we 

 wiflied to exprefs the circumstance generally, we 

 would say, " I cut my self;" Here it is plain the 

 word hand., in a grammatical sense, is precisely of 

 the same nature with the word self;, — the first only 

 ^ienoting a particular member, and the last den&i. 

 ting the object in general, without specification of 

 parts. But it never yet has been thought that hand 

 could be reckoned a pronoun ; it has been universally 

 called a noun. Why then ihould self be placed ia 

 another clafs ? 



I pan see no other reason for this distinction, un» 

 lefs it be, that, as self seldom appears in language 

 without being conjoined with a definitive pronoun, i( 

 has been thought to be itself a pronoun also. W^ 

 fliall find, however, that the word hand is, on many 

 occasions, as necefsarily accompanied with the defini- 

 tive as the other. In the example above given, the 

 definitive Jwy, equally accompanies both ; and where4 

 ever a particular memler is represented as acting, 05 

 being acted upon, the name of that member must be 

 as necefsarily accompanied with its definitive, to re- 

 fer it to the vvliole of which it is a part, as if that 

 whole were repiesented, without specification o£ 

 parts, by the word sef. 



It is indeed true, that when we exprefs z part, we 

 can more easily adopt the Ko?7z/a/ definitive, and avoid 

 that of the pronoun, than when we me an to denote. 

 the whole ; becat^se we have more frequently occasion, 

 to idehtify the \\A'. to whic the par' belo gs, by,- 

 repeating its name, than when we exprefs the whole.) 



