THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



72. THE PREPOSIIION. 



(1.) The preposition is an invariable word which expresses 

 the relations of words to each other. 



(2.) The preposition and the word which it governs form 

 what is called indirect object. 



(3.) Prepositions consisting of one word, such as de, a, pour, 

 are called simple prepositions ; those consisting of several words, 

 such as vis-a-vis, are called compound prepositions. 



(4.) The prepositions which may precede a verb require it to 

 be in the present or past of the infinitive, except en, however, 

 which requires the verb following it to be in the present 

 participle : 



II 1'a dit pour cacher sa faute. 

 II s'assit apres avoir parle'. 

 II lit en march ant. 



He said it in order to hide his fault. 

 He sat down afler having spoken. 

 He reads as he walks (while walking). 



(5.) Prepositions are classed according to the relations they 

 express, which are : 



1st. Union. 



selon, 



elon, ) . . 



luivant, } accordtn <3 to - 



avec 

 outre, 



2nd. Time. 

 duraut, pendant, etc., during. 



3rd. Order. 



avant, 

 apres, 



before. 

 after. 



des, 

 depuis, 



with., 

 besides, etc. 



as soon. 

 since. 



4>th. Cause, Means. 



moyennant, by means of. 



par, 



by. 



attendu, ) , 



> whereas. 

 vu, 



5th. Aim, End. 



envers, toward*, 

 pour, for, in order to. 



concernant, concerning, 

 touchaut, respecting. 



6th. Place. 



autour, 

 chez, 

 devant, 

 derriore, 



around. 



at the house of. 



before. 



behind. 



entre, 

 pres, 

 vers, 

 hors. 



letireen. 

 neor. 

 towards, 

 out, etc. 



(6.) The prepositions a, de, en express many relations : 



Catrse: 

 Destination : 

 Mtmner : 

 Matter : 



Place : -j 



Possession : 

 Time : 



A. 



artne a feu, 

 verre a vin, 

 s'haWller a 1'anglaise, 

 un tableau peint a 1'huile, 

 aller a Londres, 

 rester a Paris, 

 ce cheval est a tnon pere, 

 j'irai vous voir a huit 

 heuroR, 'i 



/ire-arm, 

 wine-glass. 



to dress in I?nglis7i style, 

 a picture painted in oil. 

 to go to .London, 

 to stay in Paris. 

 this 7iors is my father's. 

 I will call on you at 8 

 o'clock. 



shall have very little to say about the rules and practice of 

 drawing beyond that which especially relates to our subject, 

 having already in the previous pages of the POPULAR EDUCA- 

 TOR given the necessary instructions upon that division of art ; 

 but we shall not refrain from urging upon our pupils the 

 necessity of good drawing, and keeping up the practice of it, as 

 in a great measure their success in painting will depend upon 

 the ability they possess for representing the exact forms of 

 objects with the lead-pencil. Colours, like lines, must be put 

 in their right places, and the power of doing this in both cases 

 is strictly that of drawing. We do not leave off drawing when 

 we put down the lead-pencil, we simply change the instrument 

 and continue drawing, but with other materials. The pupil is 

 often too anxious to begin the painting and leave much of the 

 drawing to be done, if possible, with the brush, sometimes from 

 a total inability to carry out faithfully to the end what we 

 should call a clear or severe outline, or from not understanding 

 its importance : we can tell such, that if they find it difficult to 

 represent the forms of objects truthfully with the pencil, they 

 will not be able to fulfil their intention with the brush ; and if 

 they are desirous of finishing the picture quickly, we advise 

 them to draw it well first, and so avoid the inevitable blotching 

 erasures which would spoil its appearance, and cause so much 

 discouragement. Nothing more readily exposes the defects in a 

 drawing than filling it up with colour, for the errors and imper- 

 fections crop up as the painting advances, and many who have 

 foolishly neglected to bestow a little more time and care upon 

 the drawing, could testify to the discouragement and failure 

 which usually follow. The amount of labour we resolve to 

 bestow on a painting from Nature is influenced more or less by 

 the extent to which we intend to carry out the subject. Draw- 

 ings are generally termed sketches or studies, according to the 

 time and attention devoted to them. A sketch only gives a 

 general 'impression of a scene without going into elaborate 

 details, while preserving its true character as a whole, both 

 with respect to form and colour; and although the less im- 

 portant details may be omitted, yet great regard must be paid 

 to the truthfulness of the general masses, so as to exhibit 

 their proportions, angles, contours, tones, and effects with the 

 greatest fidelity. The other term, a study, indicates that all 

 which in a broad and general manner was begun in the sketch, 

 has been continued with further care and attention to details, 

 and where every part has had a due proportion of thought and 

 labour bestowed upon it, yet without destroying the effect as a 

 whole. In the previous lessons upon drawing we have ex- 

 plained how, after a little practice, the general form and charac- 

 ter in outline may be easily obtained. So also in these lessons 

 we hope to show how much colour is capable of contributing its 

 share of character and effect ; and that, with persevering zeal 

 and attention on the part of the pupils, the power of using it 

 will not be more difficult to attain. The first impression the 

 mind receives of a landscape is altogether a general one, all that 

 a sketch might include ; but if we desire .to become better 

 acquainted with it, we stop to examine it, and obtain a closer 

 insight into its details ; we then practically make a study of 

 it. First impressions teach us that objects have about them 



