or a noun, without some adjunct. And, when participles become
nouns, their government (it is said) falls upon _of_, and their adverbs are
usually converted into adjectives; as, "Much will depend on your _pupil's
composing of themes_; but more, on _his frequent reading_." This may not be
the author's meaning, for the example was originally composed as a mere
mock sentence, or by way of "_experiment_;" and one may doubt whether its
meaning was ever at all thought of by the philosopher. But, to make it a
respectable example, some correction there must be; for, surely, no man can
have any clear idea to communicate, which he cannot better express, than by
imitating this loose phraseology. It is scarcely more correct, than to say,
"Much will depend on _an author's using_, but more on _his learning_
frequently." Yet is it commended as a _model_, either entire or in part, by
Murray, Ingersoll, Fisk, R. C. Smith, Cooper, Lennie, Hiley, Bullions, C.
Adams, A. H. Weld, and I know not how many other school critics.

OBS. 10.--That singular notion, so common in our grammars, that a
participle and its adjuncts may form "_one name_" or "_substantive
phrase_," and so govern the possessive case, where it is presumed the
participle itself could not, is an invention worthy to have been always
ascribed to its true author. For this doctrine, as I suppose, our
grammarians are indebted to Dr. Priestley. In his grammar it stands thus:
"When an _entire clause_ of a sentence, beginning with a participle of the
present tense, is used as one name, or to express one idea, or
circumstance, the noun on which it depends may be put in the genitive case.
Thus, instead of saying, _What is the meaning of this lady holding up her
train_, i. e. _what is the meaning of the lady in holding up her train_, we
may say, _What is the meaning of this_ lady's _holding up her train_; just
as we say, _What is the meaning of this lady's dress_, &c. So we may either
say, _I remember_ it being _reckoned a great exploit_; or, perhaps more
elegantly, _I remember_ its being _reckoned_, &c."--_Priestley's Gram._, p.
69. Now, to say nothing of errors in punctuation, capitals, &c., there is
scarcely any thing in all this passage, that is either conceived or worded
properly. Yet, coining from a Doctor of Laws, and Fellow of the Royal
Society, it is readily adopted by Murray, and for his sake by others; and
so, with all its blunders, the vain gloss passes uncensured into the
schoo