The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-11-16
TO J c. R.-No. 3.

School RooT, 9th mo- 1,f 1896
Esteemed Freud Thy communication Of
the 18th instant, was acceptably received The
ptrusal Oft afforded me pleasure
Thy ruie for cffecting the business of parsing,
is unquestionably good one, and the same per
hapS IN substance as mine. In analyzing a sea-
tcncc attend in the first place to the sense: in
giving tins attention, ! am forced to cndcavonr
to discover the relation of the word, to each o.
thcr this discovery enables me 10 ascertain the
various offices which the different words per
form and according to their Offices | parse
them. 1t Is seldom | consult dictionaries for
they nave deceived me 50 often, | have become
shy OF them; but | frequently examine the
works of critics.
am still Of the opinion, that are CmploVed. in
every construction, nnpesan action, & therefore
cInnot be considered strictly noutcr In the IN
terrogatioH, " In what are You employed - "A
proposition and an agent may be understood as
follows: " In what are YOU employed" bV ltoHr
master or by g0lW condition Of Hjtl The pro-
prey OF making 1t passive in the answer Is cx-
phca3le on the same principle of supplying the
ciupsis: We are employed In writing BIZ orr
muster, orbg our coHdaioHoWff There can bono
employ mcnt without an action, and Whenever an
aatlon Is implied, the verb cannot upon phllosophi-
cal principles, bemadencuter; Unjust he consider
Wi perhaps tdclaSS arr cppioYcd with ncutep,
verbs, ia many constructions not because it Is
ACTUALLY neutcr, but because the supplying of
tH1 eliipsis would TO many seem a little strained
Before | proceed further viii mention
principle IN grammar which should ever be
kept IN view in rcsohmga sentence, VIZ. " J.
qnSalence OF meaning does not imply identity of
grammatical construction Bv disrcaardine
This pri.cpe, We may contound the acknow-
lodged grammatical distinction ofword> " He is
thcbest schpar belonging to the school, p" is equiv
alent 10, " He is better scholar than any other
student belonging to the school :" but in parsing
hcd and hetfr, il would be incorrect to identif,
them. in relation to the degree Of comparison
Thou sayc,j that Gcc0rEiag followed by Hs, in
the sentence have given implies circumstance.
a3d il should therefore be made an adlcrb E,-
cry word that implies circumstance, is not an ad-
verb: rs. " He Is unwcl which circumstance
prcventedhis attending The adjective lnrsH
in fhis sentence, lmplicsi circumstances For 81
mIlar reason, the meaning Of Gcr0idiug being in
py0D0fi0e IN, Is no argument in iay0ur Of thy
view. allowing it to hive this signifcation but
snail cndeIYour to show that it is incorrect to
attach to II this meaning, in the example quoted
Inou thahcst, that according has most clearly
a reference TO may rGrY, and in order to Cstdb-
fish thy view. thou hast changed the sentenced to
the following form: AS their lines OF life dl-
verge, 80 the sentiments of the best and wor-
finest. vary ocrordng'g from those OF their
friends Here would beg leave to apply the
principle which | have mentioned above
Though the sense may be preserved" nc-
coriiug and occ0rdinE,y, when parsed, should not
be identified in the two forms. But in the EN-
ployment of accordiaqiY, thou hast committed IN
error; for using 50 supcrscdcs the use of accord
iRgiY Again. were it correct to use according
IN, il should he taken in construction with rs, and
to say Grc01dingly rs is evidently wrong, for the
two words do not correspond to each other. " In
matters OF serious moment, the sentiments of the
best and Worthiest may vary from those Of their
friends, according, corresponding, or agreeing
as their lines of life dyerge,' &c. Now thou
wilt perceive, that agreeable to nay view, the
word according, in this example has the same
meaning corresponding OF 0greeiqg has