noun: because it then suggests the being, action, or passion alone: though, even then, the active infinitive may still govern the objective case; and it may also be easy to imagine to whom or to what the being, action, or passion, naturally pertains. The uses of the infinitive are so many and various, that it is no easy matter to classify them accurately. The following are unquestionably the chief of the things for which it may stand:
1. For the supplement to an other verb, to complete the sense; as, "Loose him, and let him go."--John, xi, 44. "They that go to seek mixed wine."--Prov., xxiii, 30. "His hands refuse to labour."--Ib., xxi, 25. "If you choose to have those terms."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 374. "How our old translators first struggled to express this."--Ib., ii, 456. "To any one who will please to examine our language."--Ib., ii, 444. "They are forced to give up at last."--Ib., ii, 375. "Which ought to be done."--Ib., ii, 451. "Which came to pass."--Acts, xi, 28. "I dare engage to make it out."--Swift.
2. For the purpose, or end, of that to which it is added; as, "Each has employed his time and pains to establish a criterion."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 374. "I shall not stop now, to assist in their elucidation."--Ib., ii, 75. "Our purposes are not endowed with words to make them known."--Ib., ii, 74. [A] "TOOL is some instrument taken up to work with."--Ib., ii, 145. "Labour not to be rich."--Prov., xxiii, 4. "I flee unto thee to hide me."--Ps., cxliii, 9. "Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him."--Ib., cxl, 11.
3. For the object of an affection or passion; as, "He loves to ride."--"I desire to hear her speak again."--Shale. "If we wish to avoid important error."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 3. "Who rejoice to do evil."--Prov., ii, 14. "All agreeing in earnestness to see him."--Shak. "Our curiosity is raised to know what lies beyond."--Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 335.
4. For the cause of an affection or passion; as, "I rejoice to hear it."--"By which I hope to have laid a foundation," &c.--Blair's Rhet., p. 34. "For he made me mad, to see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet."--Beauties of Shak., p. 118. "Thou didst eat strange flesh, which some did die to look on."--Ib., p. 182. "They grieved to see their best allies at variance."--Rev. W. Allen's Gram., p. 165.
5. For the subject of a proposition, or the chief term in such subject; as, "To steal is sinful."--"To do justice and judgement, is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."--Prov., xxi, 3. "To do RIGHT, is, to do that which is ordered to be done."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 7. "To go to law to plague a neighbour, has in it more of malice, than of love to justice."--Seattle's Mor. Sci., i, 177.
6. For the predicate of a proposition, or the chief term in such predicate; as, "To enjoy is to obey."--Pope. "The property of rain is to wet, and fire, to burn."--Beauties of Shak., p. 15. "To die is to be banished from myself."--Ib., p. 82. "The best way is, to slander Valentine."--Ib., p. 83. "The highway of the upright is to depart from evil."--Prov., xvi, 17.
7. For a coming event, or what will be; as, "A mutilated structure soon to fall."--Cowper. "He being dead, and I speedily to follow him."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 111. "She shall rejoice in time to come."--Prov., xxxi, 25. "Things present, or things to come."--1 Cor., iii, 22.
8. For a necessary event, or what ought to be; as, "It is to be remembered."--"It is never to be forgotten."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 2. "An oversight much to be deplored."--Ib., ii, 460. "The sign is not to be used by itself, or to stand alone; but is to be joined to some other term."--Ib., ii, 372. "The Lord's name is to be praised."--Ps., cxiii, 3.
9. For what is previously suggested by another word; as, "I have faith to believe."--"The glossarist did well here not to yield to his inclination."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 329. "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord."--Ps., xcii, 1. "It is as sport to a fool to do mischief."--Prov., x, 23. "They have the gift to know it."--Shak. "We have no remaining occupation but to take care of the public."--Art of Thinking, p. 52.
10. For a term of comparison or measure; as, "He was so much affected as to weep."--"Who could do no less than furnish him."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 408. "I shall venture no farther than to explain the nature and convenience of these abbreviations."--Ib., ii, 439. "I have already said enough to show what sort of operation that is."--Ib., ii, 358.
OBS. 26.--After dismissing all the examples which may fairly be referred to one or other of the ten heads above enumerated, an observant reader may yet find other uses of the infinitive, and those so dissimilar that they can hardly be reduced to any one head or rule; except that all are governed by the preposition to, which points towards or to the verb; as, "A great altar to see to."--Joshua, xxii, 10. "[Greek: Bomon megan tou idein]."--Septuagint. That is, "An altar great to behold." "Altare infinitæ magnitudinis."--Vulgate. "Un fort grand autel."--French Bible. "Easy to be entreated."--Jos., iii, 17. "There was none to help."--Ps., cvii, 12. "He had rained down manna upon them to eat."--Ps., lxxviii, 24. "Remember his commandments to do them."--Ps., viii, 18. "Preserve thou those that are appointed to die."--Ps., lxxix, 11. "As coals to burning coals, and as wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife."--Prov., xxvi, 21. "These are far beyond the reach and power of any kings to do away."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 126. "I know not indeed what to do with those words."--Ib., ii, 441. "They will be as little able to justify their innovation."--Ib., ii, 448. "I leave you to compare them."--Ib., ii, 458. "There is no occasion to attribute it."--Ib., ii, 375. "There is no day for me to look upon."--Beauties of Shak., p. 82. "Having no external thing to lose."--Ib., p. 100. "I'll never be a gosling to obey instinct."--Ib., p. 200. "Whereto serves mercy, but to confront the visage of offence?"--Ib., p. 233. "If things do not go to suit him."--Liberator, ix, 182. "And, to be plain, I think there is not half a kiss to choose, who loves an other best."--Shak., p. 91. "But to return to R. Johnson's instance of good man."--Tooke's D. P., ii, 370. Our common Bibles have this text: "And a certain
