Page:The grammar of English grammars.djvu/458

This page needs to be proofread.

"Oh that men should put an enemy into their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!"--Shakspeare.

  "All these afar off stood, crying, Alas!
   Alas! and wept, and gnashed their teeth, and groaned;
   And with the owl, that on her ruins sat,
   Made dolorous concert in the ear of Night."--Pollok.
   "Snatch'd in thy prime! alas, the stroke were mild,
   Had my frail form obey'd the fate's decree!
   Blest were my lot, O Cynthio! O my child!
   Had Heaven so pleas'd, and I had died for thee!"--Shenstone.


IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.

ERRORS RESPECTING INTERJECTIONS.

"Of chance or change, oh let not man complain."--Bucke's Classical Gram., p. 85.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the interjection oh, a sign of sorrow, pain, or surprise, is here used to indicate mere earnestness. But, according to the list of interjections, or OBS. 2d under it, the interjection of wishing, earnestness, or vocative address, is O, and not oh. Therefore, oh should here be O; thus, "Of chance or change, O let not man complain."--Beattie's Minstrel, B. ii, l. 1.]

"O thou persecutor! Oh ye hypocrites."--Merchant's Gram., p. 99; et al. "Oh! thou, who touchedst Isaiah's hallowed lips with fire."--Ib., (Key,) p. 197. "Oh! happy we, surrounded by so many blessings."--Ib., (Exercises,) p. 138. "Oh! thou, who art so unmindful of thy duty."--Ib., (Key,) p. 196. "If I am wrong, oh teach my heart To find that better way."--Pope's Works. "Heus! evocate hue Davum. Ter. Hoe! call Davus out hither."--Walker's Particles, p. 155. "It was represented by an analogy, (Oh, how inadequate!) which was borrowed from the religion of paganism."--Murray's Gram., p. 281. "Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!"--ALGER'S BIBLE: Gen., xvii, 18. "And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak."--FRIENDS' BIBLE: Gen., xviii, 30. "And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry."--ID., and SCOTT'S: ib., ver. 32. "Oh, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word."--FRIENDS' BIBLE, and ALGER'S: Gen., xliv, 18. "Oh, Virtue! how amiable thou art! I fear, alas! for my life."--Fisk's Gram., p. 89. "Ay me, they little know How dearly I abide that boast so vain."--Milton's P. L., B. iv, l. 86. "Oh! that I had digged myself a cave."--FLETCHER: in Bucke's Gram., p. 78. "O, my good lord! thy comfort comes too late."--SHAK.: ib., p. 78. "The vocative takes no article; it is distinguished thus: O Pedro, Oh Peter! O Dios, Oh God!"--Bucke's Gram., p. 43. "Oh, o! But, the relative is always the same."--Cobbett's Eng. Gram., 1st Ed., p. 127. "Oh, oh! But, the relative is always the same."--Id., Edition of 1832, p. 116. "Ah hail, ye happy men!"--Jaudon's Gram., p. 116. "Oh that I had wings like a dove!"--FRIENDS' BIBLE, and ALGER'S: Ps., lv, 6. "Oh Glorious hope! O Blessed abode!"--O. B. Peirce's Gram., p. 183. "Alas, Friends, how joyous is your presence."--Rev. T. Smith's Gram., p. 87. "Oh, blissful days! Ah me! how soon ye pass!"--Parker and Fox's Gram., Part I, p. 16; Part III, p. 29.

  "Oh golden days! oh bright unvalued hours!
   What bliss (did ye but know that bliss) were yours!"--Barbauld.
   "Ay me! what perils do eviron
   The man that meddles with cold iron."--Hudibras.



CHAPTER XII.--QUESTIONS.


ORDER OF REHEARSAL, AND METHOD OF EXAMINATION.

PART SECOND, ETYMOLOGY.

[Fist] [The following questions refer almost wholly to the main text of the Etymology of this work, and are such as every student should be able to answer with readiness and accuracy, before he proceeds to any subsequent part of the study or the exercises of English grammar.]

LESSON I.--PARTS OF SPEECH.

1. Of what does Etymology treat? 2. What is meant by the term, "Parts of Speech?" 3. What are Classes, under the parts of speech? 4. What are Modifications? 5. How many and what are the parts of speech? 6. What is an article? 7. What is a noun? 8. What is an adjective? 9. What is a pronoun? 10. What is a verb? 11. What is a participle? 12. What is an adverb? 13. What is a conjunction? 14. What is a preposition? 15. What is an interjection?