and custom, which has now destroyed the compliment of the
plural, has removed also the supposed opprobrium of the singular, and
placed it on an equality with the plural in point of respect. The singular
is universally employed in reference to the Supreme Being; and is generally
preferred in poetry. It is the language of Scripture, and of the
Prayer-Book; and is consistently retained in nearly all our grammars;
though not always, perhaps, consistently treated.

OBS. 7.--Whatever is fashionable in speech, the mere disciples of fashion
will always approve; and, probably, they will think it justifiable to
despise or neglect all that is otherwise. These may be contented with the
sole use of such forms of address as, "_You, you, sir_;"--"_You, you,
madam_." But the literati who so neglect all the services of religion, as
to forget that these are yet conducted in English independently of all this
fashionable youyouing, must needs be poor judges of what belongs to their
own justification, either as grammarians or as moral agents. A fashion by
virtue of which millions of youths are now growing up in ignorance of that
form of address which, in their own tongue, is most appropriate to poetry,
and alone adapted to prayer, is perhaps not quite so light a matter as some
people imagine. It is at least so far from being a good reason for
displacing that form from the paradigms of our verbs in a grammar, that
indeed no better needs be offered for tenaciously retaining it. Many
children may thus learn at school what all should know, and what there is
little chance for them to learn elsewhere. Not all that presume to minister
in religion, are well acquainted with what is called the solemn style. Not
all that presume to explain it in grammars, do know what it is. A late
work, which boasted the patronage of De Witt Clinton, and through the
influence of false praise came nigh to be imposed by a law of New York on
all the common schools of that State; and which, being subsequently sold in
Philadelphia for a great price, was there republished under the name of the
"National School Manual;" gives the following account of this part of
grammar: "In the solemn and poetic styles, the second person singular, in
both the above tenses, is thou; and the second person plural, is ye, _or
you_. The verb, to agree with the second person singular, changes its
termination. Thus: 2d person, sing. Pres. Tense, Thou walkest, _or Thou
walketh_. Imperfect Tense, T