of words, of which I have just offered you a clear and definite outline, it is expedient that I inform you, that there are four terms used in the connection with them, person, number, gender, and case, which are of very frequent occurrence, and which deserve particular attention. I shall explain them respectively.

PERSON.

41. I apprehend this is the most favourable opportunity I shall have of elucidating to you what is intended by person, as it applies, indifferently, to names, verbs, fornames, and many of the describing words. There are three persons--the first, second, and third. The first is the person that speaks; the second, the person or thing spoken to; and the third, the person or thing spoken of. Weigh this well over, or you will find your path fraught with difficulty. If you turn back to the list of fornames, you will discover that the first four are of the first person-they represent speakers; that the second four are of the second person-they represent the spoken to; and that all the rest are of the third person-they represent the spoken of.

NUMBER.

42. Number, as person, applies alike to names, fornames, verbs, and many of the describing words, and requires especial notice. One is called singular, and two or more, plural. To say any thing more than that names generally form the plural by adding s to the singular, exceeds the boundary line of the teacher of the

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homely Englishman. Eegardless, however, of this, grammarians mysterize what would alone be of utility, by several rules besides, so undecisive of their selves, as to need the accompaniment of almost a dictionary of exceptions, either from rule or altogether. I dare say, you do not know a single English word which you cannot pluralize, and as for a foreign list of non-reducibles, they serve much better the purpose of writers of Latin and French dictionaries than that of the English reader.

43. I shall only notice names which have the plural in ies, and that I shall do from sheer curiosity.

NAMES IN Y.

44. Names in y, preceded by a consonant, change y into ie, and pluralize in s, as, Lady, ladies; duty, duties. Names of this description used formerly to be spelled with ie, in place of y, in the singular. This I attribute to our changing y into ie in the plural.

45. ELPHINSTON says, 66 y must always remain when the plural means only a repetition of name or picture, as two or more flyes or fly's; bodyes or body's; for two or more expressions of the words fly and body."

46. If y was ie in such words formerly, there must be great impropriety here. All of this termination take s only in the plural, and change y into ie, or consistency must warrant bodiees and fliees, as well as flyes and bodyes. No doubt, the discovery of Mr. Elphinston is the result of much philosophical research. Let us take an example: "The fly, without wings,

cannot fly. "Flies are useful in their way." This is the way that Elphinston would explain these sentences: The flyes, in the former sentence, are different parts of speech, and flies, in the latter, is a name. What! have names two plurals and one singular? No such thing. Mr. Elphinston's two plurals are now happily superseded by putting the words in italic, as, "The flies in the former sentence are different parts of speech, and flies in the latter is a name." The its self is a positive

distinction.

47. Whenever any word is changed in spelling for number, or any other purpose, the changed form is called an INFLECTION- —an inflected, or changed, word. Flies is an inflection of fly. Do not forget this, for you cannot be too familiar with the word inflection."

GENDER.

48. We have at one time occasion to speak of a male, and at another time, of a female, as the subjects of our conversation. These are each of a different sect, denominated gender, which, for the sake of distinction, we call masculine or feminine. The names of males are of the masculine gender, as, boy, horse, and those of females, of the feminine gender, as, girl, mare. Those which denote neither males nor females are called neuter names, or names of neither gender, as stone, sand, coal.

49. A glorious display of the wisdom and sagacity of grammarians is put in the clearest possible light by the vexatious rules which they have fruitlessly bestowed upon these genders. Dissatisfied with teaching the

subordinate reader, that males are masculine; females, feminine; and things that have not life, neuter, they tell him also, that there are three ways of distinguishing thema rule which must, without premeditation, lead him to the inference, that there are three ways of giving the feminine of man, whereas he feels harassed that woman is the one he has always heard. The only feminine of man is woman; of male-child, femalechild; and of author, authoress. You perceive, that man has its feminine in a different word; male-child, in prefixing another word; and author, by a change of termination. So that each name has but one feminine, although names altogether have three different ways of distinguishing their sex. But presuming that you are an Englishman, and that you do not know an English name which is masculine, of which you do not likewise know the feminine, usage is the best foundation upon which you can rest with security.

50. No sooner have we got a definition of the sexes than out comes the vocabulary, containing words that in number would fill a small dictionary, and while we have other dictionaries in use, Johnson's and Walker's, I am at a loss to conceive why grammarians make their petty shifts to multiply them. Gender is, saving that it has no reference to verbs, equally extensive in application with person and number. It applies to names, fornames, and many of the describing words. Bear in mind, that hes are masculine, so to speak; shes feminine; and its, neuter, or neither of the two.

51. But, says W. Hill, "There is another circumstance, that must be mentioned, before we quit this

subject of gender. There are some nouns, so ambiguous in their meaning, that it is not easy to see what gender is spoken of. Parent, for instance, may mean, either father or mother. Of these words, we say, not that they are of the doubtful gender, but that their gender is doubtful. Other words, again, are so comprehensive in their meaning, that they necessarily include both the genders. For instance, if a man speak of his parents, he necessarily includes both father and mother. Most grammarians say that these words are of the common gender." To this he adds, “Inclusive, I think would be a better term." Notwithstanding that, W. Hill thinks he has happily hit upon a much more comprehensive term than common gender, which is the name now mostly adopted, I must enter my objection to it. No mistake can arise from common, as it implies that the name spoken of is applied to either male or female, or both. Hill's is a doctrine which holds out to us two genders for the same word. Parent, he thinks, we should call DOUBTFUL, and its plural, parents, INCLUSIVE. I have a decided objection to multiplying terms, without they are likely, on their creation, to bring along with them something of manifest utility. Otherwise, they must prove a dead letter to every one who may have to peruse them.

CASE.

52. Having considered the nature of names in reference to person, number, and gender, the next thing to which our attention is directed, is the manner in which we speak, in connexion with person, number, and