366 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



and esteemed by the most eminent philosophers and men of 

 science on the Continent as well as in England. His works 

 in Latin and in English are very numerous. They include 

 treatises on various branches of natural philosophy, but they 

 chiefly treat of metaphysical and ethical philosophy, and the 

 application of those sciences to politics and government. In 

 philosophy Hobbes was a strict materialist ; in morals, a 

 utilitarian in the narrowest sense of the term ; in politics, a 

 strong supporter of monarchical power, and an unqualified 

 enemy of popular liberty. His first English work, a trans- 

 lation of the History of Thucydides, is said to have been 

 published with a view to warn men by example of the dangers 

 of civil disunion. His most famous work, the " Leviathan," is 

 an elaborate argument for the necessity of a strong monarchy 

 to control men, whom, according to Hobbes's view, nothing but 

 force can restrain. The last of his works, " Behemoth," which 

 was not actually published till after his death, is a history of 

 the civil war, written in the kingly interest. Hobbes's style is 

 a model of clearness and vigour. He died in 1679. 



It must not be supposed that the very brief sketch which 

 we have been able to give of the most eminent prose writers 

 during the Civil War and the Commonwealth affords anything 

 like a full view of th(j intellectual energy of the age. We have 

 mentioned only those writers whose works are most important 

 to the student of English literature generally. Many of the 

 greatest men of that time, writing for the learned, wrote 

 wholly in Latin, the language of the learned. Many, again, 

 wrote upon subjects too special, too remote from ordinary 

 interest, to fall within the scope of these lessons. We have 

 also passed by Milton, one of the greatest prose writers as well 

 as the greatest poet of his age ; his prose works we shall con- 

 sider hereafter. 



LESSONS IN FRENCH. LXX VI. 



84. PLACE OF THE QUALIFYING ADJECTIVE. 



(1.) SOME French adjectives are always placed after their 

 nouns ; others always before ; others again either before or 

 after according to taste, harmony, or for the sake of emphasis. 

 It will be understood from this that most French adjectives 

 follow their noun. 



(2.) The adjectives which are generally placed after the 

 noun are : 



1. Most present and all past participles used adjectively : 



une personne reconnaissante, 

 une histoire amusante, 



une riante contree, 

 un enfant cheri, 

 de la viande rotie, 



a grateful person, 

 an amusing history. 

 a lovely scenery. 

 a beloved child, 

 roast meat. 



NOTE. The past participle pre'tendu is theronly exception to 

 this rule [ 67, (4.)]. 



2. All adjectives expressing form, shape : 



une table ronde, 

 uue charabre carree, 



o round table, 

 a square room. 



3. Adjectives expressing the matter of which an object is 

 composed : 



acide sulfurique. 

 corps aerien, 



sulphuric acid, 

 aerial body. 



4. Those expressing colour, taste, or physical conditions and 

 properties : 



un habit noir, 

 du fruit amer, 

 des sons harmonieux, 



de la cire molle, 

 de 1'eau froide, 

 un salle humide, 



a black coat, 

 bitter fruit, 

 harmonious sounds, 

 soft wax. 

 cold water. 

 o damp hall. 



5. Adjectives which may be used substaatively : 



un homine liche, a rich man. 



une femme aveugle, a blind woman. 



6. Adjectives expressing nationality : f 



une gramrnaire franQaise, 

 un dictionnaire allemand, 



a French grammar, 

 a German dictionary^, 



7. Adjectives expressing the defects of the body and mind : 



un homine boiteux, 

 un esprit aliene, 



a lame man. 



an unsound mind. 



8. Almost all adjectives ending in al, able, ible, ique, and 

 if: 



un homme liberal, 

 une somme considdrable, 

 une nation paisible, 

 un esprit fanatique, 

 un soldat fugitif, 



a liberal man. 

 a considerable sum. 

 a peaceful nation. 

 a fanatical spirit, 

 a fugitive soldier. 



9. Adjectives of many syllables : 

 des lois imaginaires, imaginary laws. 



(3.) Those which almost always precede their noun are the 

 following : 



Beau, fine, handsome. 

 *Bon, good. 

 *Brave, brave. 



Cher, dear (loved). 

 *Grand, great, tall. 



Gros, large. 



Jeune, young. 



Joli, pretty. 



Mauvais, bad. 

 Me'chant, wicked. 

 Meilleur, better. 

 Moindre, less. 

 Petit, small. 

 Saint, holy 

 Vieux, old. 



Those marked with an asterisk are included in the following 

 table [see Rule (7.)]. 



(4.) Most, if not all, French adjectives may be used either 

 before or after their noun for the sake of emphasis or har- 

 mony : 



Before the Noun. 



Jamais nous ne goutons de 

 parfaite alle'gresse. 



CORNEILLE. 



We never enjoy perfect (unalloyed) 

 pleasure. 



II fallut reVeiller d'un profond 

 sommeil cet autre Alexandre. 



BOSSUET. 



It was necessary to rouse from a 

 profound sleep that second Alex- 

 ander. 



Craignez, d'un vain plaisir, les | 

 trompeuses amorces. 



BOILEAU. 



Fear the deceitful allurements of a 

 vain pleasure. 



After the Noun, 

 Qu'a-t-il dit, qu'a-t-il fait, 

 Qui ne promette a Borne vin em- 



pereur parfait ? 



What has he said, what has he 

 done, which does not pfomise to 

 Borne a j)ei/ect emperor ? 



Dans un somineil profond ils 

 ont pass leur vie. BOILEAU. 



They spent their life in a pro- 

 found sleep. 



Le monde est une figure trom- 

 peuse qui passe. BUFFON. 



The world is a deceitful picture, 

 which passes before us. 



(5.) When several adjectives qualify one noun, they may be 

 placed either after the noun, or one before and one after, or all 

 before. 



They are generally placed after the noun, unless they are of 

 those which are only used before or after it : 



un gdne"ral brave et habile, 



a brave and skilful general. 



They are placed one before and one after the noun, when 

 they are of those which are only used before and after the 

 noun : 



de jolis enfants anglais, 



pretty English children. 



They are placed all before the noun when they are of those 

 which are only used before, and either before or after it : 



De grands et terribles 

 ments s'ensuivirent. 



',- I Great and terrible events followed, 

 (6.) When several nouns are qualified by one of those adjec- 



t In reference to things, the French often use the name of the 

 country instead of the adjective of nationality ; particularly when 

 speaking of the produce of the country : 



De la laine d'Espagne, 

 Du fronsage d'Angleterre, 



Spanish wool. 

 English cheese. 



