ish
scholar supposes to be an anomaly, an ellipsis will frequently be
discovered, which, when supplied, destroys the anomaly.

On extreme points, and peculiar and varying constructions in a living
language, the most able philologists can never be agreed; because many
usages will always be unsettled and fluctuating, and will, consequently,
be disposed of according to the caprice of the grammarian. By some, a
sentence may be treated as an anomaly; by others who contend for, and
supply, an ellipsis, the same sentence may be analyzed according to the
ellipsis supplied; whilst others, who deny both the elliptical and
anomalous character of the sentence, construct a rule by which to
analyze it, which rule has for its foundation the principle contained in
that sentence only. This last mode of procedure, inasmuch as it requires
us to make a rule for every peculiar construction in the language,
appears to me to be the most exceptionable of the three. It appears to
be multiplying rules beyond the bounds of utility.

The verbs, _cost, weighs_, and _measures_, in the 6th, 7th, and 8th
examples, may be considered as transitive. See remarks on _resemble,
have, own_, &c., page 56.

EXAMPLES.

1. "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." "Let us
make man." "Let us bow before the Lord." "Let high-born seraphs tune the
lyre."

2. "_Be it_ enacted." "_Be it_ remembered." _"Blessed be he_ that
blesseth thee; and _cursed be he_ that curseth thee." "My soul, turn
from them:--_turn we_ to survey," &c.

3. "_Methinks_ I see the portals of eternity wide open to receive him."
"_Methought_ I was incarcerated beneath the mighty deep." "I was there
just thirty _years ago_."

4. "Their laws and their manners, generally _speaking_, were extremely
rude." "_Considering_ their means, they have effected much."

5.

"Ah _me!_ nor hope nor life remains."
"_Me_ miserable! which way shall I fly?"

6.

"O _happiness!_ our being's end and aim!
Good, pleasure, ease, content! whatever thy name,
That something still which prompts th' eternal sigh.
For which we bear to live, or dare to die."--

The verb _let_, in the idiomatic examples under number 1, has no
nominative specified, and is left applicable to a nominative of the
first, second, or third person, and of either number. Every action
necessarily depends on an agent or moving cause; and hence it follows,
that the verb, in such constructions, has a nominative un