ke it so, _in,
for_, and _after_, (unless the latter be an adverb,) must either be
reckoned conjunctions also, or be supposed to govern sentences. The
expressions however are little used; because "_in that_" is nearly
equivalent to _as_; "_for that_" can be better expressed by _because_; and
"_after that_," which is equivalent to [Greek: epeide], _postquam_, may
well be rendered by the term, _seeing that_, or _since_. "_Before that_
Philip called thee," is a similar example; but "_that_" is here needless,
and "_before_" may be parsed as a conjunctive adverb of time. I have one
example more: "But, _besides that_ he attempted it formerly with no
success, it is certain the Venetians keep too watchful an eye,"
&c.--_Addison_. This is good English, but the word "_besides_" if it be not
a conjunction, may as well be called an adverb, as a preposition.

OBS. 8.--There are but few words in the list of prepositions, that are not
sometimes used as being of some other part of speech. Thus _bating,
excepting, concerning, touching, respecting, during, pending_, and a part
of the compound _notwithstanding_, are literally participles; and some
writers, in opposition to general custom, refer them always to their
original class. Unlike most other prepositions, they do not refer to
_place_, but rather to _action, state_, or _duration_; for, even as
prepositions, they are still allied to participles. Yet to suppose them
always participles, as would Dr. Webster and some others, is impracticable.
Examples: "They speak _concerning_ virtue."--_Bullions, Prin. of E. Gram._,
p. 69. Here _concerning_ cannot be a participle, because its antecedent
term is a _verb_, and the meaning is, "they _speak_ of virtue." "They are
bound _during life_." that is, _durante vita_, life continuing, or, as long
as life lasts. So, "_Notwithstanding this_," i.e., "_hoc non obstante_,"
this not hindering. Here the nature of the construction seems to depend on
the order of the words. "Since he had succeeded, _notwithstanding them_,
peaceably to the throne."--_Bolingbroke, on Hist._, p. 31. "This is a
correct English idiom, Dr. Lowth's _criticism_, to the contrary
_notwithstanding_."--_Webster's Improved Gram._, p. 85. In the phrase,
"_notwithstanding them_," the former word is clearly a preposition
governing the latter; but Dr. Webster doubtless supposed the word
"_criticism_" to be in the nominative case, put absolute with the
participle: and so it would have been, h