augmentation, or with reference to a lefs degree of the fame, it is called the Comparative; as, wifer, greater. When it is expreffed as being in the highest degree of all, it is called the Superlative; as, wifeft, greatest.

So that the fimple word, or Pofitive, becomes Comparative by adding r or er; and Superlative by adding ft, or eft, to the end of it. And the Adverbs more and most placed before the Adjective have the fame effect; as, wife, more wife, most wise [2].

[2] Double Comparatives and Superlatives are improper:

"The Duke of Milan,

And his more braver Daughter could controul thee.” Shakespear, Tempeft.

"After the most ftraiteft fect of our religion I lived a Pharifee." Acts xxvi. 5. So likewife Adjectives, that have in themselves a Superlative fignification, admit not properly the Superlative form fuperadded: "Whofoever of you will be chiefeft, fhall be fervant of all." Mark x. 44. "One of the first and chiefeft inftances of prudence." Atterbury, Serm. IV. 66 While the extremeft parts of the earth were meditating a fubmission."

Ibid. I. 4.

Mono

There are three kinds of Verbs; Active, Paffive, and Neuter Verbs.

A Verb Active expreffes an Action, and neceffarily implies an agent, and an object acted upon as, to love; : as, to love; "I love Thomas.”

A Verb Paffive expreffes a Paffion, or a Suffering, or the receiving of an Action; and neceffarily implies an Object acted upon, and an Agent by which it is acted upon: as, to be loved; "Thomas is loved by me."

So when the Agent takes the lead in the Sentence, the Verb is Active, and is followed by the Object: when the Object takes the lead, the Verb is Paffive, and is followed by the Agent.

A Verb Neuter expreffes Being, or a ftate or condition of being, when the Agent and the Object acted upon coincide, and the event is properly neither Action nor Paffion, but rather fomething between both: as, I am, I sleep, I walk.

The

The Verb Active is called alfo Tranfitive, because the Action paffeth over to the Object, or hath an effect upon fome other thing: and the Verb Neuter is called Intranfitive, because the effect is confined within the Agent, and doth not pass over to any object [4].

In English many Verbs are used both in an Active and a Neuter fignification, the conftruction only determining of which kind they are.

To the fignification of the Verb is fuperadded the defignation of Perfon, by

[4] The diftinction between Verbs abfolutely Neuter, as to fleep; and Verbs Active Intranfitive, as to walk, though founded in nature and truth, is of little ufe in Grammar. Indeed it would rather perplex than affift the learner: for the difference between Verbs Active and Neuter, as Tranfitive and Intranfitive, is easy and obvious; but the difference between Verbs abfolutely Neuter and intranfitively Active is not always clear. But however these latter may differ in nature, the Conftruction of them both is the fame: and Grammar is not fo much concerned with their real, as with their Grammatical, properties.

which it correfponds with the feveral Perfonal Pronouns; of Number, by which it correfponds with the Number of the Noun, Singular or Plural; of Time, by which it represents the being, action, or paffion, as Prefent, Past, or Future; whether Imperfectly or Perfectly; that is, whether paffing in fuch time, or then finished; and lastly of mode, or of the various Manner in which the being, action, or paffion is expressed,

In a Verb therefore are to be confidered the Perfon, the Number, the Time, and the Mode.

The Verb in fome parts of it varies its endings to exprefs, or agree with, different Perfons of the fame Number: as, " I love, Thou lovest, He loveth, or loves."

So alfo to exprefs different Numbers of the fame Perfon: as, "Thou loveft, ye love; He loveth, they love [5].'

[5] In the Plural Number of the Verb, there is no variation of ending to exprefs the different Ferfons; and the three Perfons Plural are the fame alfo with the first

So

So likewise to express different Times, in which any thing is reprefented as being, acting, or acted upon: as, "I love, I loved; I bear, I bore, I have born."

The Mode is the Manner of representing the Being, Action, or Paffion. When it is fimply declared, or a queftion is asked concerning it, it is called the Indicative Mode; as, "I love, loveft thou:" when it is bidden, it is called the Imperative; as, "love thou:" when it is fubjoined as the end or defign, or mentioned under a condition, a fuppofition, or the like, for the most part depending on fome other Verb,

Perfon Singular: moreover in the Prefent Time of the Subjunctive Mode all Perfonal Variation is wholly dropt. Yet is this fcanty provifion of terminations fufficient for all the purposes of difcourfe, nor does any ambiguity arife from it; the Verb being always attended either with the Noun expreffing the Subject acting or acted upon, or the Pronoun reprefenting it, For which reason the Plural termination in en, they loven, they weren, formerly in ufe, was laid afide as unneceffary, and hath long been obfolete.

and