RULE VIII.

NOUNS OR PRONOUNS PUT ABSOLUTE.

"Him having ended his discourse, the assembly dispersed."--_Brown's Inst._,
p. 190.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the pronoun _him_, whose case depends on no
other word, is in the objective case. But, according to Rule 8th, "A noun
or a pronoun is put absolute in the nominative, when its case depends on no
other word." Therefore, _him_ should be _he_; thus, "_He_ having ended his
discourse, the assembly dispersed."]

"Me being young, they deceived
me."--_Inst. E. Gram._, p. 190. "Them refusing to comply, I
withdrew."--_Ib._ "Thee being present, he would not tell what he
knew."--_Ib._ "The child is lost; and me, whither shall I go?"--_Ib._ "Oh!
happy us, surrounded with so many blessings."--_Murray's Key_, p. 187;
_Merchant's_, 197; _Smith's New Gram._, 96; _Farnum's_, 63. "'Thee, too!
Brutus, my son!' cried Caesar, overcome."--_Brown's Inst._, p. 190. "Thee!
Maria! and so late! and who is thy companion?"--_New-York Mirror_, Vol. x,
p. 353. "How swiftly our time passes away! and ah! us, how little concerned
to improve it!"--_Comly's Gram., Key_, p. 192.

"There all thy gifts and graces we display,
Thee, only thee, directing all our way."

CHAPTER IV.--ADJECTIVES.

The syntax of the English Adjective is fully embraced in the following
brief rule, together with the exceptions, observations, and notes, which
are, in due order, subjoined.

RULE IX.--ADJECTIVES.

Adjectives relate to nouns or pronouns: as, "_Miserable_ comforters are ye
_all_"--_Job_, xvi, 2. "_No worldly_ enjoyments are _adequate_ to the
_high_ desires and powers of an _immortal_ spirit."--_Blair_.

"Whatever faction's _partial_ notions are,
_No_ hand is wholly _innocent_ in war."
--_Rowe's Lucan_, B. vii, l. 191.

EXCEPTION FIRST.

An adjective sometimes relates to a _phrase_ or _sentence_ which is made
the subject of an intervening verb; as, "_To insult the afflicted_, is
_impious_"--_Dillwyn_. "_That he should refuse_, is not _strange_"--"_To
err_ is _human_." _Murray_ says, "_Human_ belongs to its substantive
'nature' understood."--_Gram._, p. 233. From this I dissent.

EXCEPTION SECOND.

In combined arithmetical numbers, one adjective often relates _to an
other_, and the whole phrase, to a subsequent noun; as, "_One thousand four
hundred and fifty-six_ men."--"Six dollars and _eighty-seven and a half_
cents for _every five_ days' service."--"In the _one hun