thers."--_Wells's School Gram._, p. 69. In this way, he may have made it
seem to many, that, after thorough investigation, he had decided the point
discreetly, and with preponderance of authority. For it is claimed as a
"peculiar merit" of this grammar, that, "Every point of practical
importance is _thoroughly investigated_, and reference is carefully made to
the _researches_ of preceding writers, in all cases which admit of being
determined by _weight of authority_."--WILLIAM RUSSELL, _on the cover_.
But, in this instance, as in sundry others, wherein he opposes the more
common doctrine, and cites concurrent authors, both he and all his
authorities are demonstrably to the wrong. For how can they be right, while
reason, usage, and the prevailing opinion, are still against them? If we
have forty grammars which reject, the articles as a part of speech, we have
more than twice as many which recognize them as such; among which are those
of the following authors: viz., Adam, D. Adams, Ainsworth, Alden, Alger, W.
Allen, Ash, Bacon, Barnard, Beattie, Beck, Bicknell, Bingham, Blair, J. H.
Brown, Bucke, Bullions, Burn, Burr, Chandler, Churchill, Coar, Cobbett,
Cobbin, Comly, Cooper, Davis, Dearborn, Ensell, Everett, Farnum, Fisk, A.
Flint, Folker, Fowler, Frost, R. G. Greene, Greenleaf, Guy, Hall, Hallock,
Hart, Harrison, Matt. Harrison, Hazen, Hendrick, Hiley, Hull, Ingersoll,
Jaudon, Johnson, Kirkham, Latham, Lennie, A. Lewis, Lowth, Maltby, Maunder,
Mennye, Merchant, T. H. Miller, Murray, Nixon, Nutting, Parker and Fox,
John Peirce, Picket, Pond, S. Putnam, Russell, Sanborn, Sanders, R. C.
Smith, Rev. T. Smith, Spencer, Tower, Tucker, Walker, Webber, Wilcox,
Wilson, Woodworth, J. E. Worcester, S. Worcester, Wright. The articles
characterize our language more than some of the other parts of speech, and
are worthy of distinction for many reasons, one of which is the very great
_frequency_ of their use.

[135] In Murray's Abridgement, and in his "Second Edition," 12mo, the
connective in this place is "_or_;" and so is it given by most of his
amenders; as in _Alger's Murray_, p. 68; _Alden's_, 89; _Bacon's_, 48;
_Cooper's_, 111; _A. Flint's_, 65; _Maltby's_, 60; _Miller's_, 67; _S.
Putnam's_, 74; _Russell's_, 52; _T. Smith's_, 61. All these, and many more,
repeat both of these ill-devised rules.

[136] When this was written, Dr. Webster was living.

[137] In French, the preposition _a, (to,)_ is always carefully
distinguished fr