The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown (free ebook reader .txt) 📕

OBS. 20.—An infinitive that explains an other, may sometimes be introduced without the preposition to; because, the former having it, the construction of the latter is made the same by this kind of apposition: as, "The most accomplished way of using books at present is, TO serve them as some do lords; learn their titles, and, then brag of their acquaintance."—SWIFT: Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 166.

OBS. 21.—After than or as, the sign of the infinitive is sometimes required, and sometimes excluded; and in some instances we can either insert it or not, as we please. The latter term of a comparison is almost always more or less elliptical; and as the nature of its ellipsis depends on the structure of the former term, so does the necessity of inserting or of omitting the sign of the infinitive. Examples: "No desire is more universal than [is the desire] to be exalted and honoured."—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 197. "The difficulty is not so great to die for a friend, as [is the difficulty] to find a friend worth dying for."—Id., Art of Thinking, p. 42. "It is no more in one's power to love or not to love, than [it is in one's power] to be in health or out of order."—Ib., p. 45. "Men are more likely to be praised into virtue, than [they are likely] to be railed out of vice."—Ib., p. 48. "It is more tolerable to be always alone, than [it is tolerable] never to be so."—Ib., p. 26. "Nothing [is] more easy than to do mischief [is easy]: nothing [is] more difficult than to suffer without complaining" [is difficult].—Ib., p. 46. Or: "than [it is easy] to do mischief:" &c., "than [it is difficult] to suffer," &c. "It is more agreeable to the nature of most men to follow than [it is agreeable to their nature] to lead."—Ib., p. 55. In all these examples, the preposition to is very properly inserted; but what excludes it from the former term of a comparison, will exclude it from the latter, if such governing verb be understood there: as, "You no more heard me say those words, than [you heard me] talk Greek." It may be equally proper to say, "We choose rather to lead than follow," or, "We choose rather to lead than to follow."—Art of Thinking, p. 37. The meaning in either case is, "We choose to lead rather than we choose to follow." In the following example, there is perhaps an ellipsis of to before cite: "I need do nothing more than simply cite the explicit declarations," &c.—Gurney's Peculiarities, p. 4. So in these: "Nature did no more than furnish the power and means."—Sheridan's Elocution, p. 147.

   "To beg, than work, he better understands;
    Or we perhaps might take him off thy hands."
        —Pope's Odyssey, xvii, 260.

OBS. 22.—It has been stated, in Obs. 16th on Rule 17th, that good writers are apt to shun a repetition of any part common to two or more verbs in the same sentence; and among the examples there cited is this: "They mean to, and will, hear patiently."—Salem Register. So one might say, "Can a man arrive at excellence, who has no desire to?"—"I do not wish to go, nor expect to."—"Open the door, if you are going to." Answer: "We want to, and try to, but can't." Such ellipses of the infinitive after to, are by no means uncommon, especially in conversation; nor do they appear to me to be always reprehensible, since they prevent repetition, and may contribute to brevity without obscurity. But Dr. Bullions has lately thought proper to condemn them; for such is presumed to have been the design of the following note: "To, the sign of the infinitive, should never be used for the infinitive itself. Thus, 'I have not written, and I do not intend to,' is a colloquial vulgarism for, 'I have not written, and I do not intend to write.'"—Bullions's Analyt. and Pract. Gram., p. 179. His "Exercises to be corrected," here, are these: "Be sure to write yourself and tell him to. And live as God designed me to."—Ib., 1st Ed., p. 180. It being manifest, that to cannot "be used for"—(that is, in place of—)what is implied after it, this is certainly a very awkward way of hinting "there should never be an ellipsis of the infinitive after to." But, from the false syntax furnished, this appears to have been the meaning intended. The examples are severally faulty, but not for the reason suggested—not because "to" is used for "write" or "live"—not, indeed, for any one reason common to the three—but because, in the first, "to write" and "have not written," have nothing in common which we can omit; in the second, the mood of "tell" is doubtful, and, without a comma after "yourself," we cannot precisely know the meaning; in the third, the mood, the person, and the number of "live," are all unknown. See Note 9th to Rule 17th, above; and Note 2d to the General Rule, below.

OBS. 23.—Of some infinitives, it is hard to say whether they are transitive or intransitive; as, "Well, then, let us proceed; we have other forced marches to make; other enemies to subdue; more laurels to acquire; and more injuries to avenge."—BONAPARTE: Columbian Orator, p. 136. These, without ellipsis, are intransitive; but relatives may be inserted.

INFINITIVES AFTER BID, DARE, FEEL, HEAR, LET, &c.

"I dare not to proceed so hastily, lest I should give offence."—Murray's
Exercises, p. 63.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the preposition to is inserted before proceed, which follows the active verb dare. But, according to Rule 19th, "The active verbs, bid, dare, feel, hear, let, make, need, see, and their participles, usually take the infinitive after them without the preposition to;" and this is an instance in which the finite verb should immediately govern the infinitive. Therefore, the to should be omitted; thus, "I dare not proceed so hastily," &c.]

"Their character is formed, and made appear."—Butler's Analogy, p. 115.

[FORMULE.—Not proper, because the preposition to is not inserted between made and appear, the verb is made being passive. But, according to Obs. 5th and 10th on Rule 19th, those verbs which in the active form govern the infinitive without to, do not so govern it when they are made passive, except the verb let. Therefore, to should be here inserted; thus, "Their character is formed, and made to appear."]

"Let there be but matter and opportunity offered, and you shall see them quickly to revive again."—Wisdom of the Ancients, p. 53. "It has been made appear, that there is no presumption against a revelation."—Butler's Analogy, p. 252. "MANIFEST, v. t. To reveal; to make to appear; to show plainly."—Webster's American Dict. "Let him to reign like unto good Aurelius, or let him to bleed like unto Socrates."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 169. "To sing I could not; to complain I durst not."—S. Fothergill. "If T. M. be not so frequently heard pray by them."—Barclay's Works, iii, 132. "How many of your own church members were never heard pray?"—Ib., iii, 133. "Yea, we are bidden pray one for another."—Ib., iii, 145. "He was made believe that neither the king's death, nor imprisonment would help him."—Sheffield's Works, ii, 281. "I felt a chilling sensation to creep over me."—Inst., p. 188. "I dare to say he has not got home yet."—Ib. "We sometimes see bad men to be honoured."—Ib. "I saw him to move."—Felch's Comprehensive Gram., p. 62. "For see thou, ah! see thou a hostile world to raise its terrours."—Kirkham's Gram., p. 167. "But that he make him to rehearse so."—Lily's Gram., p. xv. "Let us to rise."—Fowle's True Eng. Gram., p. 41.

   "Scripture, you know, exhorts us to it;
    Bids us to 'seek peace, and ensue it.'"—Swift's Poems, p. 336.

    "Who bade the mud from Dives' wheel
    To spurn the rags of Lazarus?
    Come, brother, in that dust we'll kneel,
    Confessing Heaven that ruled it thus."—Christmas Book.

The true or regular syntax of the English Participle, as a part of speech distinct from the verb, and not converted into a noun or an adjective, is twofold; being sometimes that of simple relation to a noun or a pronoun that precedes it, and sometimes that of government, or the state of being governed by a preposition. In the former construction, the participle resembles an adjective; in the latter, it is more like a noun, or like the infinitive mood: for the participle after a preposition is governed as a participle, and not as a case.[417] To these two constructions, some add three others less regular, using the participle sometimes as the subject of a finite verb, sometimes as the object of a transitive verb, and sometimes as a nominative after a neuter verb. Of these five constructions, the first two, are the legitimate uses of this part of speech; the others are occasional, modern, and of doubtful propriety.

Participles relate to nouns or pronouns, or else are governed by prepositions: as, "Elizabeth's tutor, at one time paying her a visit, found her employed in reading Plato."—Hume. "I have no more pleasure in hearing a man attempting wit and failing, than in seeing a man trying to leap over a ditch and tumbling into it."—Dr. Johnson.

   "Now, rais'd on Tyre's sad ruins, Pharaoh's pride
    Soar'd high, his legions threat'ning far and wide."—Dryden.

A participle sometimes relates to a preceding phrase or sentence, of which it forms no part; as, "I then quit the society; to withdraw and leave them to themselves, APPEARING to me a duty."—"It is almost exclusively on the ground we have mentioned, that we have heard his being continued in office DEFENDED."—Professors' Reasons, p. 23. (Better, "his continuance in office," or, "the continuing of him in office." See Obs. 18th on Rule 4th.)

   "But ever to do ill our sole delight,
    As being the contrary to his high will."—Milton.

With an infinitive denoting being or action in the abstract, a participle is sometimes also taken abstractly; (that is, without reference to any particular noun, pronoun, or other subject;) as, "To seem compelled, is disagreeable."—"To keep always praying aloud, is plainly impossible."—"It must be disagreeable to be left pausing[418] on a word which does not, by itself, produce any idea."—Murray's Gram., 8vo, p. 323.

   "To praise him is to serve him, and fulfill,
    Doing and suffering, his unquestion'd will."
        —Cowper, Vol. i, p. 88.

The participle is often used irregularly in English, as a substitute for the infinitive mood, to which it is sometimes equivalent without irregularity; as, "I saw him enter, or entering"—Grant's Lat. Gram., p. 230. "He is afraid of trying, or to try."—Ibid. Examples irregular: "Sir, said I, if the case stands thus, 'tis dangerous drinking:" i.e., to drink.—Collier's Tablet of Cebes. "It will be but ill venturing thy soul upon that:" i.e., to venture.—Bunyan's Law and Grace, p. 27. "Describing a past event as present, has a fine effect in language:" i.e., to describe.—Kames, El. of Crit., i, 93. "In English likewise it deserves remarking:" i.e., to be remarked.—Harris's Hermes, p. 232. "Bishop Atterbury deserves being particularly mentioned:" i.e., to be particularly mentioned.—Blair's Rhet., p. 291. "This, however, is in effect no more than enjoying the sweet that predominates:" i.e., to enjoy.—Campbell's Rhet., p. 43.

   "Habits are soon assum'd; but when we strive
    To strip them off, 'tis being flay'd alive."—Cowper, Vol. i, p. 44

An other frequent irregularity in the construction of participles, is the practice of treating them essentially as nouns, without taking from them the regimen and adjuncts of participles; as, "Your having been well educated will be a great recommendation."—W. Allen's Gram., p. 171. (Better: "Your excellent education"—or, "That you have been well educated, will be," &c.) "It arises from sublimity's expressing grandeur in its highest degree."—Blair's Rhet., p. 29. "Concerning the separating by a circumstance, words intimately connected."—Kames, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 104. "As long as there is any hope of their keeping pace with them."—Literary Convention, p. 114. "Which could only arise from his knowing the secrets of all hearts."—West's Letters to a Young Lady, p. 180. "But this again is talking quite at random."—Butler's Analogy, p. 146.

"My being here it is, that holds thee hence."—Shak.

    "Such, but by foils, the clearest lustre see,
    And deem aspersing others, praising thee."—Savage, to Walpole.

OBS. 1.—To this rule, I incline to think, there are properly no other exceptions than the first two above; or, at least, that we ought to avoid, when we can, any additional anomalies. Yet, not to condemn with unbecoming positiveness what others receive for good English, I have subjoined two items more, which include certain other irregularities now very common, that, when examples of a like form occur,