r
or _the_ writer." It is, in fact, the possessive, that limits the other
nouns; for, "_a man's foes_" means, "_the_ foes of _a_ man;" and, "_man's
wisdom_," means, "_the_ wisdom of man." The governing noun cannot have an
article immediately before it. Yet the omission of articles, when it
occurs, is not properly _by ellipsis_, as some grammarians declare it to
be; for there never can be a proper ellipsis of an article, when there is
not also an ellipsis of its noun. Ellipsis supposes the omitted words to be
necessary to the construction, when they are not so to the sense; and this,
it would seem, cannot be the case with a mere article. If such a sign be in
any wise necessary, it ought to be used; and if not needed in any respect,
it cannot be said to be _understood_. The definite article being generally
required before adjectives that are used by ellipsis as nouns, we in this
case repeat it before every term in a series; as, "They are singled out
from among their fellows, as _the_ kind, _the_ amiable, _the_
sweet-tempered, _the_ upright."--_Dr. Chalmers_.

"_The_ great, _the_ gay, shall they partake
The heav'n that thou alone canst make?"--_Cowper_.

OBS. 3.--The article precedes its noun, and is never, by itself, placed
after it; as, "Passion is _the_ drunkenness of _the_ mind."--_Southey_.
When an _adjective_ likewise precedes the noun, the article is usually
placed before the adjective, that its power of limitation may extend over
that also; as, "_A concise_ writer compresses his thoughts into _the
fewest_ possible words."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 176.

"_The private_ path, _the secret_ acts of men,
If noble, far _the noblest_ of their lives."--_Young_.

OBS. 4.--The relative position of the article and the adjective is seldom a
matter of indifference. Thus, it is good English to say, "_both the men_,"
or, "_the two men_;" but we can by no means say, "_the both men_" or, "_two
the men_." Again, the two phrases, "_half a dollar_," and "_a half
dollar_," though both good, are by no means equivalent. Of the pronominal
adjectives, some exclude the article; some precede it; and some follow it,
like other adjectives. The word _same_ is seldom, if ever used without the
definite article or some stronger definitive before it; as, "On _the same_
day,"--"in _that same_ hour,"--"_These same_ gentlemen." After the
adjective _both_, the definite article _may_ be used, but it is generally
_unnecessary_, and this is a