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The first in loftiness of thought surpass'd;
The next in majesty; in both the last.

The force of Nature could no further go;
To make a third, she join'd the former two.
23. Go, from the Creatures thy instructions take:
Learn from the birds what food the thickets yield;
Learn from the beasts the physic of the field;
Thy arts of building from the bee receive ;
Learn of the mole to plough, the worm to weave;
Learn of the little nautilus to sail,

Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale.

24. Ye gentle souls, that dream of rural ease,

Whom the smooth stream and smoother sonnet please;
Go! if the peaceful cot your praises share,
Go look within, and ask if peace be there;
If peace be his-that drooping weary sire,
Or theirs, that offspring round their feeble fire;
Or hers, that matron pale, whose trembling hand
Turns on the wretched hearth th' expiring brand!

CHAPTER X.-PECULIAR AND DIFFICULT CONSTRUCTIONS.

452. Peculiar and difficult constructions are not uncommon in the English language. Many of these are considered and explained in this chapter: for others the student is referred to the "Complete Manual of Parsing," Parts II. and IV.

453. To conclude, I know myself a man.

To conclude, generally called the infinitive absolute, may be treated as an extension. Or, the whole may be thus expanded, [If I am now] to conclude, [I assert that] I know myself [to be] a

man.

454. A year ago, and they were but mere children.

The and is redundant and may be disregarded in analysis: The phrase a year ago is then an extension. Or an ellipsis may be supplied, thus: [We look back to] a year ago, and they were but mere children. In this case, to a year ago is an extension of the supplied predicate, look.

455. I could not for my soul refuse the offer such as it was= I could not for my soul refuse the offer [being] such [an offer]

as it was.

As it was is an adv. sent. of manner to such.

456. There is an instance of this kind in Warner, an old Elizabethan poet, than which I know nothing sweeter in the world.

=

Than which than which [instance is sweet], an adv. sent. of manner (comparison) to sweeter. Some treat which as an objective; than must then be considered a preposition, and the phrase than which must be placed with sweeter, which it modifies.

457. I never heard him utter worse of you than that you were low-statured I never heard him utter worse of you than that you were low-statured [is bad].

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That...statured, is a noun sent., subject to is bad (understood).
Than...bad, is an adv. sent. of manner (comparison) to worse.

458. What though Winter has begun

To push down the Summer sun.

What though what [does it matter] though.

What is the object to

does matter (understood); though introduces an adv. sent. of cause (concession).

459. I have thought fit to publish the following letter.

Thus, I have

Fit qualifies thing (understood), the indirect object.
thought to publish the following letter [to be a] fit [thing].

460. We are led about, we neither know whither nor how.

Whither and how introduce noun sentences.

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Thus :

Prin. sent.

Prin. sent., co-ord. (cop.) to a.

Noun sent., object to b.

Prin. sent., co-ord. (disjunc.) to b.
Noun sent., object to d.

swiftly passed.

461. Methought the time too Methought it seemed to me. The sentence the time too swiftly passed may be analysed as a noun sent., subject to seemed, or in apposition with it understood. Similarly, methought she sung not far away=[that] she sung not far away seemed to me; Methinks thou piercest it=[that] thou piercest it seems to me; Methought last night, I wrought a murder in my dream =[that] I wrought a murder in my dream seemed to me last night.

462. Clitander was born the heir of a very large estate.

The italicised words form the complementary nominative to was born.

463. Soon after we had thus got to our new berth, we discovered a sail.

Soon is an extension (time) of the predicate discovered.

464. Deny me this, and an eternal curse fall on you.

Deny me this is really an adv, sent. of cause (condition): [if you] deny me this, [may] an eternal curse fall on you.

465. He accepteth the faith of his poor servants, be it never so small.

The sentence in italics is equivalent to [if] it be ever so small: it is an adv. sent. of cause (condition). Observe that never is used for ever.

466. Inconsiderable as this island is, it still prefers its claim to a place in classic history:

This may be dealt with in one of these ways :—

(1) a. It (this island) [being] inconsiderable still) prefers its claim to a place in classic history

b. as this island is [inconsiderable]

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Prin. sent.

Adv. sent. (manner) to inconsiderable in a.

Adv. sent. of cause (concession) to b.

Prin, sent.

467. Apoplexy is common among them, proceeding, it is supposed, from the great use of spice and other indulgences.

It is supposed is an adv. sent. (manner) to proceeding, which is an enlargement of apoplexy. Understand as before it is supposed.

468. They consulted together as to the properest way of disposing their army for battle.

As to is elliptical for as [they would consult in regard] to. Some would make as to a preposition, equivalent to respecting.

469. Agrippina was growing more and more uneasy that no messenger came from her son.

(1) That may be regarded as equivalent to because, and introducing an adv. sent. of cause (reason). (2) The words on this account may be supplied after uneasy; that then introduces a noun sent., in apposition with account (understood).

470. Do not so much as my poor name rehearse not rehearse so much as my poor name [is much].

471. I was adopted heir by his consent;

Since when, his oath is broke.

=

[you] do

Since when since which time, or and since that time. The two sentences are copulative co-ordinate sentences.

472. Leaves, lines, and rhymes, seek her to please alone, Whom if ye please, I care for other none !

Leaves, lines, and rhymes, are nominatives of address, and are therefore omitted in analysis. Care-for is a preposition-verb. Other none none other [person]. If ye please whom is adjectival to her, and adverbial (condition) to care.

473. It is hard for a man to keep a steady eye upon truth = it, viz., for a man to keep a steady eye upon truth, is hard.

474. Formerly we disregarded him as of a weak understanding we disregarded him formerly as [we would disregard a person] of a weak understanding.

As introduces an adv. sent. of manner.

475. Earth surely now may give her calm to whom she gave her anguish.

The sent. in italics is an adj. sent. to him understood: earth surely now may give her calm [to him] to whom she gave her anguish.

476. We will come, say, at eight o'clock.

Say is called the imperative absolute. We may supply an ellipsis thus [let us] say, i.e., [you let us] say. The sent. we will come at eight o'clock may be taken as a noun sent., object to say: or, it may be treated as the prin. sent., and you let us say as a parenthetical sent.

477. On your allegiance, out of the chamber with her I rely] on your allegiance, out of the chamber with her.

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[as

In the prin. sent., "out-with (= remove) may be taken as a
pred. (remove her from the chamber): or, the verb "
sense of ""
go as her custodian ") may be supplied.

478. None must presume to set up here for fools.

go" (in the

The phrase in italics is an extension (purpose) of the predicate must presume.

479. It would pity any living eye.

The verb is impersonal, it taking the place of the subject. Similar expressions are: It yearns me not; It dislikes me; It likes me; It thinks him best; Meseems; Methinks; &c. See § 461. Meseemeth then it is no policy.

480. I would hew him limb from limb.

Limb from limb is an extension (manner) of the predicate would hew: limb [being hewed] from limb.

481. They both were turned to yews.

(1) To yews may be called the indirect object. (2) To yews may be called an extension of manner. (3) Were turned to yews may be called the predicate, being equivalent to became yews.

482. The trees are stripped of their leaves.

(1) Of their leaves is the indirect object. (2) Of may be joined to stripped, and their leaves put as the direct object. (3) Some make of their leaves an extension of manner.

483. He sits him down the monarch of a shed.

Sits is transitive, its object being him (=himself); the monarch of a shed is an enlargement of the object him; down is an extension.

484. He seemed shocked at my indifference.

The words in italics form the complement to seemed.

485. They were to pass that way = they were [obliged] to pass that way.

To pass that way is the indirect object.

486. His words did not fail of having some effect.

Of having some effect is the indirect object.

487. My ambition is to live to perfect such a work as this [work is].

To live is the complement to is; to perfect such a work is an extension of purpose.

488. The gathering clouds grew red with stormy fire.

Grew red is the predicate; with stormy fire an extension of cause.

489. They dropped down one by one.

One by one (=one [person dropping] by one [person]) is an extension of manner.

490. The old horse stood silent.

Stood silent is the predicate, silent being the complement.

491. We take a falling meteor for a star.

For a star (to be a star) is an indirect object.

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