LESSON XIII.

THE ARTICLE PROPER AND IMPROPER USE OF IT.

1. There are two limiting Adjectives, an (or a), and the, which are called Articles. The former, an or a, prefixed to a noun, denotes any one of the class indefinitely; the latter, the, indicates some particular, definite object.

= one hour, any hour, some hour. The hour ticular hour that has been referred to.

An hour one par

A is used before a noun whose first letter is a consonant; an when it is a vowel or silent h. Some nouns, however, whose first letter is a vowel, commence with a consonant sound, and require the form of the article to be a.

The indefinite article is used only with nouns in the singular; the definite, with nouns in either number.

2. The applications of the indefinite and of the definite urticle, and also the principle on which the absence of the article is founded, are thus illustrated by Mr. Harrison, from sentences in the second chapter of Genesis:

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth."

Man, not having previously existed.

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother."

Any man at any future time.

"And the Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man (before mentioned) whom he had formed."

"And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help-meet."

The absence of the article altogether before the term man denotes the species at large.

Here also may be observed a marked distinction between the indefi. nite and the definite article.

3. The Article is not changed, as in many other languages, to suit the gender of the noun, yet it is to be regarded as

masculine, feminine, or neuter, according to the gender of the noun: and, hence, when it precedes nouns of different genders, it should be repeated before each, unless the nouns, by association, convey the idea of unity; then it requires to be used but once.

"I met a man and horse" should be, "I met a man and a horse," unless it be designed to describe the two in connection, the one riding on the other, and forming a sort of compound animal. It may be proper to say, "The man and wife," or "The father and mother of the child," because so closely associated in life; but "the girl and boy," "the house and trees," would not be proper forms of expression. They should be "the boy and the girl," "the house and the trees."

The same principle should be observed in using other adjectives; thus, "The Lords Spiritual and Temporal,” should be "The Lords Spiritual and the Temporal," or "The Spiritual and the Temporal Lords," or "The Spiritual Lords and the Tem poral."

4. Sometimes the article is improperly omitted.

"He will guide you into all truth." It should be "all the truth," as in the Greek original. "Thou art my beloved Son," should be, as in the Greek, "Thou art my Son, the beloved." "All the chief priests and elders of the people," &c., should be "the elders," &c. "Elders of the people" would mean certain elders, but "the elders," the class. "The pious remembrance of the dead and living." Here two distinct classes are confounded as if they were dead and alive at the same time. "The dead and the living" is the correct form.

5. Sometimes the definite article is not only superfluous, but injurious to the sense, as when an additional description of the same subject is intended.

"Even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor," may convey the idea that the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor were different persons, whereas they were the same person, and to express this fact, the reading should have been, "the father of Abraham and of Nachor." "There are few

words," says Addison, "in the English language, which are employed in a more loose sense than those of the fancy and the imagination." The words those of the and the should be omitted, to express the idea intended by Addison.

6. The appropriate and beautiful use of the definite article will be seen in the following examples adduced by Harrison :

"They shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence," thus properly marking the distinctness of the instruments employed. "They would still maintain the virtue, the felicity, and the empire of the Roman people;" here virtue, felicity, and empire, being all distinct objects, are so represented. "The coming Messiah had been more frequently represented under the character of a king and conqueror, than under that of a prophet, a martyr, or the Son of God." As the character of conqueror was associated, especially in the Jewish mind, with that of king, the article is not repeated before conqueror ; but as prophet and martyr are not necessarily connected, the article is applied to each. Again, before the word son, the definite article is necessary, to indicate that the Messiah was God's only Son, and not one of many, as the indefinite article would have hinted.

Another instance-"For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?" Christ uses the definite article because he refers to a particular system of truths which he came to teach. Pilate omits the article, for he speaks of truth generally.

"I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ." The article is omitted before gentleness; it is inseparably connected with the other trait, and should not be dissevered.

7. The Indefinite Article should be repeated where the things, persons, or qualities are in themselves distinct, or where a distinction is to be represented. For example:

"A cool head, an unfeeling heart, and a cowardly disposition, prompted him," &c. "Hadrian was, by turns, an excellent prince, a ridiculous sophist, and a jealous tyrant." "This earth, a spot, a grain, an atom."

It is improperly omitted in the following example: "He counted equal vibrations of a pendulum or balance-wheel." These instruments being distinct should each be supplied with an article. As now read,

balance-wheel is used as another name for pendulum. It is proper to say, "He is a negro or Ethiopian;" because either epithet may designate the same individual. But it would be improper to say, "He is a Negro or Laplander," as the latter term is not synonymous with the former.

8. An erroneous interchange of the definite and indefi nite articles is sometimes made. For example:

"They (Paul and Barnabas) departed asunder, one from another." If the number departing had been more than two, this use of the article would be correct; but the is the proper article to apply in the present case.

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9. When two or more adjectives limit the same name, the article is prefixed only to the first adjective; but when several adiectives belong severally to a different object of the same name, each adjective must have an article. Thus, a red and white rose,” means a rose partly red, partly white ; but " a red and a white rose," means two roses; one red, the other white.

10. When two or more adjectives follow a noun, and both are used to designate the same person, the article should be used only before the first of these; as, Mr. Scribner, the bookseller and publisher ;" but, “Mr. Scribner, the bookseller, and the publisher,” would indicate different persons, one a bookseller, the other a publisher.

11. Before titles, there is a repetition of the article; as, "The honorable the Lord Mayor of London ;" but when titles, merely as titles, are mentioned, it is omitted, as "he called him Master."

The definite article is prefixed to an adjective, when the noun is omitted; as "the wise and the good” (meaning wise and good persons) are to be imitated."

12. The indefinite article, placed before plural nouns limited by few and little, and also before any collective noun, greatly affects the meaning. These adjectives, without an indefinite article, bear their ordinary sense; but the article tends to reverse the meaning.

As, "few men came," ," that is, "not many," an inconsiderable number; but " a few men came," indicates a larger number-one more worthy of mention. With an indefinite article, the meaning is positive; as, "A few can reach the top," implying that some can; but, "few can reach the top," is nearly equivalent to a negative, "none can reach the top."

13. The article should not be used before any noun that is sufficiently definite without it; nor before abstract nouns, as, beauty, goodness, &c. As "iron is hard," "goodness is lovely."

Proper names, being sufficiently defined, do not take the article, except when a common name is understood, as "The Ganges" (i. e., the river Ganges); or, when you would distinguish a particular family; as, “He was an Irving" (i. e., one of the family of Irvings); or when you would denote a person eminent for some virtue or vice; as, "He was a Benedict Arnold;" "He was a Cicero."

14. In comparing objects, if both nouns refer to the same person, the article must be omitted; but supplied, it they refer to different persons.

Thus, “He is a better writer than speaker," compares the different qualifications of the same person. "He is a better writer than a speaker," compares him (not a speaker) with another person who is a speaker.

The verbal noun admits the article; but when the verbal noun retains its power as a verb, it must be omitted. "The breaking of the law, is sin." By breaking the law, you incur the penalty.

A general term should not be limited by an article; as, "Man is of few days;" "Gold is valuable.”

EXERCISES.

Correct the articles in the following passages, and supply such as are needed:

Do you know such an one? Inean not the doer but deed.

He went to an heavenly home. I It is a honor to be here. He has a