RULE VIII. NOTE VI.

The preposition upon would often be better rendered

by on.

EXERCISE ON RULE VIII. NOTE VI.

1. It was upon Thursday I arrived in town.

2. The bird flew down, and alighted upon the roof. 3. He came upon a sudden thought.

4. It crawled upon the ceiling.

5. I wrote to you upon Wednesday last.

6. Upon that occasion, I reflected upon my past conduct, and wept upon the review.

7. Upon consideration, I cannot grant your request.

RULE IX.

ON THE RELATIVE.

The relative who refers to rational beings only. The relative which refers to irrational beings and inanimate things.

The relative that refers to any substantive whatever. The relative who, though generally appropriated to persons, is never used in reference to nouns of multitude, or the plural nouns derived from them: as, He instructed and fed the crowds that, (or which) surrounded him; not, who.

The relative who is often improperly used for which : as, Having once disgusted him, he could never regain the favour of Nero, which was indeed another name for cruelty; not, who..

The relative whose is often used as the genitive of which. In poetry this is allowable, but not in prose.

F

The relatives which and what are often used adjec

tively: as,

r. p. u. a.

4. m.

r. p.

u. a.

q. m.

Which man; what man.

The relative what often signifies that which: as,

The expression but what is often improperly used for but that; if, however, but what can be expressed by but that which, it is then correct: as,

"Just to thy word, in ev'ry thought sincere ;

"Who knew'st no wish but what (but that which) the world might hear."

It

The word somewhat is improperly compounded. may be better expressed by in some degree, or, in some respects as, That measure is somewhat (in some respects) injudicious.

EXERCISE ON RULE IX.

Obs.-There is no error in some of the following sentences.

1. It is an important truth, that religion, vital religion, the religion of the heart, is the most powerful auxiliary of reason, in waging war with the passions, and promoting that sweet composure which constitutes the peace of God.

2. These curiosities we have imported from China, and they are similar to those which were some time ago brought from Africa.

3. The wheel killed another man, which is the sixth which has lost his life by this means.

4. Thou which hast been a witness of the fact, canst give an account of it.

5. In religious concerns, or what are conceived to be such, every man must stand or fall by the decision of the great Judge.

6. Something like what has been here premised, are the conjectures of Dryden.

7. "What art thou, speak, which, on designs unknown,

"While others sleep thus range the camp alone." 8. He would not be persuaded but what I was greatly in fault.

9. The court who gives currency to manners, ought to be exemplary.

10. I am happy in the friend which I have long proved.

11. The child whom we have just seen, is wholesomely fed, and not injured by bandages or clothing. 12. He is like a beast of prey, who destroys without pity.

13. Flattery, whose nature is to deceive and betray, should be avoided, as the poisonous adder.

14. Who of those men came to his assistance?

15. If he will not hear his best friend, what shall be sent to admonish him?

16. They, which much is given to, will have much to answer for.

17. It is not to be expected that they, which in early life have been dark and deceitful, should afterwards become fair and ingenuous.

18. They which have laboured to make us wise and good, are the persons which we ought to love and respect, and to which we ought to be grateful.

19. The persons which conscience and virtue support, may smile at the caprices of fortune.

20. The possession of our senses entire, of our limbs uninjured, of a sound understanding, of friends and companions, is often overlooked; though it would be the ultimate wish of many, which, as far as we can judge, deserve it as much as ourselves.

21. All what make a figure on the great theatre of the world, the employments of the busy, the enterprises of the ambitious, and the exploits of the warlike; the virtues what form the happiness, and the crimes what occasion the misery of mankind, originate in that silent and secret recess of thought, what is hidden from every human eye.

22.

"He destroyed,

"Or won to what may make his utter loss,
"All this will soon follow."

Explanatory Notes on the preceding Exercise.

r. p.
C.

3. S.

1. That, or which constitutes; In such sentences in this Exer

x c.

cise, as admit the use of either of the relatives, they had better both be written, and the latter only parsed.

22. All this A; evil, understood. Follow A; it, under

stood.

RULE IX. NOTE I.

In order to avoid ambiguity the relative should be placed as near to its antecedent as possible. Thus we cannot say, Dido took the cup, and filled it with wine, which Belus had been accustomed to use; but, Dido took the cup, which Belus had been accustomed to use, and filled it with wine.

EXERCISE ON RULE IX. NOTE I.

1. The king dismissed his minister without any inquiry, who had never before committed so unjust an action.

2. He snatched the half-crown from the boy, which he swallowed.

3. There are millions of people in the empire of China, whose support is derived almost entirely from rice.

4. Solon was one of the wise men of Greece, who was born at Salamis and educated at Athens.

5. Alexander was the conqueror of the world who tamed Bucephalus.

6. The flames soon reached that part of the building nearest the Thames, which was soon in a blaze.

RULE IX. NOTE II.

In English, and especially in English poetry, we occasionally meet with an idiom such as exists in Latin, by which the relative refers to an antecedent which is not expressed, but which is found by implication in the possessive adjective pronoun: as,

His praise is lost, who stays till all commend ;

r. p. h.

3. S.

His praise, the praise of him, who, &c.