are frequently synonimous. "A considerate man "would have acted differently;" that is, " any "considerate man." Hence also, like one it is opposed to none, as, "have you a book, (any

book) which you can lend me?" "None; my "books are in the country; nor, if they were here, "have I any (or one,) which would suit you." From expressing one indefinitely, like a, or an, it came, by an easy and natural transition, to denote, "whatever it be," "what you please." "Give

Ime one, (ane) any, no matter which." In this sense it corresponds to the Latin quivis or quilibet*, in affirmative sentences; whereas, in interrogative or negative sentences, it corresponds to quisquam, quispiam, or ullus. The preceding observations it may be useful to recapitulate.

Nouns are names of genera, and not of individuals; our perceptions are, on the contrary, all individual, not general. Hence, to denote one or more individuals of a species, numerals, or words significant of number, were invented. Some express a precise number, as, one, two, three; others number indefinitely, as, some, few, many, several. Our perceptions being all individual, and one being the basis of all number, the term, sig

4

«* Quivis seu quilibet affirmat; quisquam, quispiam ullus aut (6 negat aut interrogat," are the words of an ancient grammarian. It is observable also, that in Latin ullus, any, is a diminutive from unus, one; as any in English is from ane, the name of unity, as formerly used.

nificant of unity, must frequently recur, in expressing our sentiments. To denote this idea, our forefathers employed ae, ane. In the progress of language, where unity was not to be expressed, as opposed to two or more, the terms, thus becoming unemphatical, would naturally be abbreviated into a, an. These latter, therefore, are the offspring of the names of unity, and belong to the class of words named Cardinal Numerals*. To what part of speech these are reducible (if they can be reduced to any) it is difficult to determine. In some languages they have the form of adjectives; but, if their meaning be considered, it is clear, that they have no claim to this appellation, as they express no accident, quality, or property whatever. In fact, they appear to be a species of words totally different in character from any of the of the parts of speech generally received; all of them, except the first of the series, being abbreviations for the name of unity repeated.

It being necessary not only to express an individual indefinitely of any species, but also to spe

*

As there is in nature neither genus nor species, but individuals only, the two former being purely ideas of our own creation, so there is in nature no such thing as number, as two, three, four, these being merely abbreviations for expressing a collection of the units; for units only are objects of perception. Thus, instead of saying one, one, one, I say three. It is to be remembered, however, that there is nothing in nature three; and that the term expresses one added to one, and the sum increased by one, being an abbreviation invented for that purpose.

cify and select some particular one, which at first would probably be done, by pointing to the object, if in sight, the words this and that, hence called demonstratives, were employed; the one to express the nearer, the other the more distant object. From one of these proceeded the word the, having the same relation to its original, as a or an has to the name of unity. Hence the words synonimous with this and that, in those languages, which have no definite article, are frequently employed, to supply its place.

The use of these terms being to express any individual whatever of a class, and likewise some certain or particular object; we have also the words few, some, many, several, to denote a number indefinitely, and the Cardinal Numerals two, three, four, &c. a precise number of individuals.

CHAP. III.

Of Pronouns.

WHETHER we speak of things present, or of things absent, of ourselves or of others, and to whomsoever we address our discourse, the repetition of the names of those persons, or things, would not only be tiresome, but also sometimes productive of ambiguity. Besides, the name of the person addressed may be unknown to the speaker, and the name of the speaker may be unknown to the person addressed. Hence appears the utility of Pronouns, words, as the etymology of the term denotes, supplying the place of Nouns. They have therefore been denominated by some grammarians, Nouns of the second order.

When the person, who addresses, speaks of himself, the pronoun I, called the pronoun of the first person, is employed instead of the name of the speaker. As, "The Lord said to Moses," "I "(the Lord) am the God of Abraham."

When the person addressed is the subject of discourse, the pronoun, thou, called the pronoun

of the second person, is used instead of his name, as, "Nathan said unto David, thou (David) art "the man."

When neither the person, who speaks, nor the person addressed, but some other person, or person, or thing, is the subject of discourse, we employ the pronouns of the third person, namely, he, she, it; as, "When Jesus saw the multitude, he (Jésus) had 'compassion on them."

I have said, that Pronouns are employed, to prevent the tiresome repetition of names. It is not, however, to be hence inferred, that even the repetition of the name would, in all cases, answer the same purpose, or denote the subject with the same precision, as the pronoun. For, as there is hardly any name, strictly speaking, proper or peculiar to one individual, the employment of a name, belonging to more persons than one, would not so clearly specify or individuate the object, as the appropriate pronoun. Hence it would often be necessary to subjoin to the name some distinctive circumstances, to discriminate the person intended from others of that name; or the speaker would be obliged to point to the individual, if he happened to be present. Nay, though the person or subject designed might be thus sufficiently ascertained, it is easy to see, that the phraseology, would have nothing of that simplicity and energy, which accompany the Pronoun.