al b a moderate skill in varying the turn of our sen-~ 
» tence enables us to convey our meaning clearly with. 
"out the use of a passive voice, : 
nal A neuter voice might be formed consisting of a sepa- 
rate word to signify that an action takes place, in a 
manner similar to the words ningif and pluit. We might 
have a single word for “ there is,” or “there was a 
walking ;” in French, on se promene. In Latin, the 
passive voice is sometimes used in this neutral or im- 
personal manner. Ambulatur is not passive in any thing 
else than in form: It means “ the act of walking goes 
on” ambulatur ab illo, “ the-act of walking is perform. 
~ en by him,” for “ he walks.” 
Secr. VII. Regimen of the Active Verb. 
Some actions are of such a nature that the object af- 
fected by them is always interesting, and, in the earliest 
use of language, such actions are never related with- 
out immediate mention of an object thus affected. It 
also happens on such occasions, that the manner in 
which the object is affected is evident from the nature 
of the action. Of this nature are the actions expressed 
by the verbs “ to make,” “ to build,” ** to cut,” “to 
strike,” “to kill.” Such verbs in the Latin language 
ly govern the accusative case, intimating the 
most rapid transition from the idea conveyed in the 
governing verb to that conveyed in the noun. The 
noun governed may, in consequence of its own regi- 
men, rendered introductory to further additions 
both to the form and meaning of a sentence. The verb 
thus becomes .a hinge on which the greater part of 
en. the meaning of a sentence turns. The large proportion 
; of verbs which govern nouns in’ this manner has con- 
ferred a conspicuous rank on this part of speech. It 
is in this respect more powerful than the adjective. 
Even when adjectives are used as predicates in affirma- 
tion, the meaning which they introduce generally ter- 
minates in themselves, or leads to subordinate ideas only 
through the medium of prepositions. We say “ this 
man is good,” “ that man is just ;’’ also, “ this man is 
food at heart,’? “that man is just in all his conduct.” 
t is seldom that adjectives in Latin can be admitted to 
ern the accusative ; and even the phrases in which 
is might appear to take place, such as Os humerosque 
similis, are commonly explained by the subaudition of 
the preposition quoad. ‘These differences betwixt the 
active verb and the other parts of speech have had a 
secret: influence in leading grammarians to attach great 
importance to the verb. Its full power seems to reside 
in this form of it. Verbs of other kinds have appeared 
to be exceptions, or words to which convenience has 
assigned a verbal form, though they are not originally 
enti to it. . 
The governing powers of the active verb are retained 
by the active participle and the infinitive mood. This 
act seems to have Tea grammarians to consider these 
forms of words as 
of the verb properly so called. 
The participle is distinguished from the adjective by re- 
gimen alone. Hence those grammarians who call par- 
ticiples real. adjectives have always been most fully 
satisfied with the appellation when applied to the par- 
ticiples of verbs destitute of regimen, such as “ thriving,” 
« BP bemsin 2? “surprising,” words which are in all re- 
used as adjectives, though participles in etymo- 
and in form. 
The infinitive mood has the same similarity to the 
substantive noun as’ the participle has to the adjec- 
tive. It may become a nominative to a verb, as “ to 
8 
GRAMMAR. 
428 
enjoy is to obey;” or an accusative, as “ men generally Univers! 
wish to live long,” but, when introductory to othe Gravomar. 
words, it has a more powerful and ready regimen than “~~ 
the noun. In Latin, it like the verb governs the ac. 
cusative, and not exclusively the genitive, like the noun, 
We shall afterwards consider more particularly the par- 
ticiple and the infinitive mood. At present we have 
merely accounted for the fact that grammariaus have 
reckoned them real parts of the verb. 
It must always have been obvious that this office of General re- 
the active verb is not common to all verbs, and there- flections cn 
fore is not characteristic of this part of speech ; and, if he verb. 
the participle and the infinitive mood are to be reckon 
ene of the verb, the problem still remains unsols 
ved, what is the true characteristic of the verb? Mr 
Tooke intimated that he was prepared with some doc« 
trine which appeared to himself satisfactory as a des 
scription of the verb, including its infinitive mood, 
Every philologist must. regret that this acute writer 
did not communicate his views more fully to the 
world. On this ‘uske of the subject, it is possible that 
n 
they may have both well founded and original. 
We are certain that they would have been at least 
worthy of attention. They appear to have been valu- 
able in his own eyes ; they would have been exhibit. 
ed in a forcible manner if he had chosen to publish 
them, and might have led the way to a more satisfac- 
tory account of the subject. But, as no explanation of 
this sort occurs on our own most afew: ¢ reflections, 
we naturally suspect (however presumptuous the de~ 
claration may appear, ) that his theory would have either 
turned out eventually inconsistent with some of the 
opinions which he has published, or would have been 
in itself unsatisfactory. 
A a answer to the question in the form now pro- 
posed is not of great importance. We have pointed. 
out assertion as one office which is performed by verbs - 
alone. We have pointed out the quality of an active 
regimen, as belonging to an extensive department 
of verbs, and have shown that this quality is pos- 
sessed by parts of speech closely allied to the verb 
in etymology, and generally’ numbered among its 
 setg though not possessing an asserting power. We 
ve shown in what words assertion and a transitive re- 
gimen are separate,and in what they are combined. As- 
sertion is separate in the indicative mood of substantive 
and neuter verbs; the transitive regimen, in the in- 
finitive mood and active participle of active verbs, 
We have endeavoured to investigate the connection be- 
twixt these. parts of speech and the indicative of the 
verb. In so far as their character is inconstant or-com- 
plicated, we have stated the causes of these character- 
istics, and the shades of variation by which they are 
distinguished. _ We have shown in what respects the in- 
termediate kinds of words partake of the nature of one 
part of speech, and in what, respects they partake of 
the nature of another. If the particulars on these sub. 
jects are impressed on. our minds, our theories willbe 
exempt from ambiguity or confusion.. 
Sect. VIII. Iniransitive Active Verbs. 9 
Neuter verbs have no such regimen as has been now 
described. Hence some have assumed this as a mark 
of distinction betwixt them and active verbs, It did 
not however escape observation that some verbs which 
do not govern any noun signify action, and that there- 
fore the term euler as implying the absence of: active 
