not which must necessarily, be attributed to its subject; then a first sign expresses the action of the verb: For example, to elect; a second announces the adjective elected; but a third which represents a mere possibility, gives the word eligible.

To express necessity or indispensability, we strike the end of our fore-finger frequently and forcibly upon the table; an action natural to every person asserting a thing to be his right. To express possibility, we turn our head to the right, with a yes, P. S. and to the left, a no; P. S. which of the two will take place we cannot tell; we shall know only by the event.

When these nouns adjective in able are not derived from a verb, but from a noun substantive, as charitable, they denote neither necessity nor possibility; but merely a quality inherent in the subject of which we speak.

ART. IV.

Of Nouns Adjective in the Positive, Comparative, Superlative, and Excessive Degrees, and of the Signs corresponding to them.

NOUNS adjective are positive, as greats P. S. comparative, as greater: P. S. superlative, as very great; P. S. or excessive, as too great, P. S.

To express great, I carry my hand to a certain height, and make the established sign for an adjective. If I would signify greater, I elevate my hand after detaining it a little while at the preceeding height, a degree above that height; thus I denote the comparative. When I have to signify very great, I make two successive pauses; one at the height assigned to the positive, another at the height assigned to the comparative: after which, I make a further elevation.

And in the last place, for the excessive, I make an ultimate sign announcing my discontent and impatience at this fourth degree of greatness.

Having to express by signs this phrase, 'Peter is greater than I ;' I show Peter, and with my right hand make the sign for great, the positive, at which I stop; then, after a short interval, I carry it to a degree higher; this expresses greater. I express than by lowering my left hand and shewing myself with it, while my right is elevated and shows Peter.

The operation will be just the reverse to express' 'Peter is less than I.' In that case I shew Peter with my right hand, and make the sign for the adjective little; after a short pause I bring it a degree lower, which signifies less. I express than by holding up my left hand, and shewing myself with it, while my right is lowered and shows Peter.

The comparison of equality,' he is as strong as you,' may be represented by

crooking the four fingers of both hands, and putting them together two or three times in this position. See, also, under the head of conjunctions, another mode of representing as.

ART. V.

Of Substantives formed from adjectives termed Abstract Qualities, and of the Signs agreeing to them.

NAMES of qualities, as good, great, wise, learned, P. S. infer necessarily some noun substantive, expressed or understood, to which they are applied: but if we consider the qualities only which are expressed, without reference to any noun substantive, then these qualities being subject to have other qualities applied to them, become themselves nouns substantive, as goodness, greatness, wisdom, learning. P. S.

Our mode of expressing this sort of adjectives, is this: If we would dictate the word greatness, for instance, we make first the sign for great, which is an adjective; then we subjoin the sign for a substantive, which announces that this adjective is substantified or made a substantive, and can itself receive other adjectives. I give several examples, after which our pupil will commit no mistake, either in reading a book, or in writing as we dictate to him.

ART. VI.

Of Nouns of Number, and of their corresponding Signs,

NOUNS of number, or numeral nouns, are divided into cardinal and ordinal. They have each a distinct sign. To signify three, we hold up three fingers perpendicularly; but to signify third, we hold them down and