erence being, that the one is
declined, like a noun, and the other is not. The analogy, however, is but
lamely maintained, when we come to those irregular constructions in which
the participle is made a half-noun in English. It is true, the gerund of
the nominative case may be made the subject of a verb in Latin; but we do
not translate it by the English participle, but rather by the infinitive,
or still oftener by the verb with the auxiliary _must_: as, "_Vivendum est
mihi recte_, I must live well."--_Grant's L. Gram._, p. 232. This is better
English than the nearer version, "Living correctly is necessary for me;"
and the exact imitation, "Living is to me correctly," is nonsense. Nor does
the Latin gerund often govern the genitive like a noun, or ever stand as
the direct object of a transitive verb, except in some few doubtful
instances about which the grammarians dispute. For, in fact, to explain
this species of words, has puzzled the Latin grammarians about as much as
the English; though the former do not appear to have fallen into those
palpable self-contradictions which embarrass the instructions of the
latter.

OBS. 22.--Dr. Adam says, "The gerund in English becomes a substantive, by
_prefixing_ the article to it, and then it is always to be construed with
the preposition _of_; as, 'He is employed _in writing_ letters,' or, 'in
_the writing of_ letters:' but it is improper to say, 'in _the writing_
letters,' or, 'in _writing of_ letters.'"--_Latin and English Gram._, p.
184. This doctrine is also taught by Lowth, Priestley, Murray, Comly,
Chandler, and many others; most of whom extend the principle to all
participles that govern the possessive case; and they might as well have
added all such as are made either the subjects or the objects of verbs, and
such as are put for nominatives after verbs neuter. But Crombie, Allen,
Churchill, S. S. Greene, Hiley, Wells, Weld, and some others, teach that
participles may perform these several offices of a substantive, without
dropping the regimen and adjuncts of participles. This doctrine, too,
Murray and his copyists absurdly endeavour to reconcile with the other, by
resorting to the idle fiction of "_substantive phrases_" endued with all
these powers: as, "_His being at enmity with Caesar_ was the cause of
perpetual discord."--_Crombie's Treatise_, p. 237; _Churchill's Gram._, p.
141. "Another fault is _allowing it to supersede_ the use of a point."--
_Churchill's Gram._, p.