he calls them all _signs_ only, and signs are not one of his
ten parts of speech. And the participle too, which is one of the ten, and
which he declares to be "no part of the verb," he parses separately;
calling it a verb, and not a participle, as often as it accompanies any of
his auxiliary signs. This is certainly a greater impropriety than there can
be in supposing an auxiliary and a participle to constitute a verb; for the
mood and tense are the properties of the compound, and ought not to be
ascribed to the principal term only. Not so with the preposition _to_
before the infinitive, any more than with the conjunction _if_ before the
subjunctive. These may well be parsed as separate parts of speech; for
these moods are sometimes formed, and are completely distinguished in each
of their tenses, without the adding of these signs.

OBS. 7.--After a careful examination of what others have taught respecting
this disputed point in grammar, I have given, in the preceding rule, that
explanation which I consider to be the most correct and the most simple,
and also as well authorized as any. Who first parsed the infinitive in this
manner, I know not; probably those who first called the _to_ a
_preposition_; among whom were Lowth and the author of the old British
Grammar. The doctrine did not originate with me, or with Comly, or with any
American author. In Coar's English Grammar, published in London in 1796.
the phrase _to trample_ is parsed thus: "_To_--A preposition, serving for a
sign of the infinitive mood to the verb _Trample_--A verb neuter,
infinitive mood, present tense, _governed by the preposition_ TO before it.
RULE. The preposition _to_ before a verb, is the sign of the infinitive
mood." See the work, p. 263. This was written by a gentleman who speaks of
his "long habit of teaching the Latin Tongue," and who was certainly
partial enough to the principles of Latin grammar, since he adopts in
English the whole detail of Latin cases.

OBS 8.--In Fisher's English Grammar, London, 1800, (of which there had been
many earlier editions,) we find the following rule of syntax: "When two
principal _Verbs_ come together, the latter of them expresses an unlimited
Sense, with the Preposition _to_ before it; as _he loved to learn; I chose
to dance_: and is called the _infinitive Verb_, which may also follow a
Name or Quality; as, _a Time to sing; a Book delightful to read_." That
this author supposed the infinitive to be _govern