Old Nomenclature with the New·.

FIRST LESSON°S IN GRAMMAR:

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.\BRIDGED FROM

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THE GRAMMAR

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THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

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OLIVER B}PEIRCE.

Shall we embrace truth, when found? or aha.It we reject it, bccaute not CouDd beCoro?
To be teamed in error, i1 to be confirmed io ignonnce.

NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED

BY

THE AUTHOR.

Jl'OR SA.L'E BY TUE 1:RINCIPAL BOOKSRLLRRR.

1847.

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ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 184 7, by
OLIVER B. PEIRCE,

In the Office ,of ,the Clerk of the District Court of the N orther11 Di«tric~ of NEW Y OJlJ<.
ENTERED, also, according to Act of Parliament, in Stationers' Hall,
LONDON.

6TEREOTYPF.D BY JAMES

CINCINNATL

& C'l 1

PREFACE.
To save the young learner from being discouraged by a large book,
and the parent from the expe~se a!!d wear of the entire work while
the child is learning only a par(, is the object ofJhis abridgment.
It professes to embrace only a glance at Orthography, an outline of
Etymology, and the analytical part of Syntax.
When the young pupil shall have acquired a knowledge of what is
here contained, he will be ready for the larger work. Till then, the
teacher should supply its place with oral instruction, which is necessary to the juvenile student with any book.
In the larger work is fouJ;1d a vindication of the ground assumed
and acted on in this-that
A grammar of the English Janguage should be, essentially, and in
fact, an English grammar-English in its <;w.ss1FIC.A.TION-English in its NoMENCLJ.TU'RE-English in DEFINITIONS-and, last,
and most of all, English in its RuLEs, both analytical and synthetical, which should describe, fully, the structure and idiom of the lan·
guage-that
rr:J Parsing is describing facts in relation to words-that
rr:J A sentence, to be parsed, must be described as it is- that
rr:J If a sentence is right, and the rules of Grammar are right, they
must agree as they are-that
·
rr:J If a sentence is right, and if, to make it agree with the rules of
a grammar, we have to change the sentence, in the least, by putting in
words "understood," or by taking out words " exprtssed," this change
of the sentence is proof that the rules are defective or wrong, aud that
the grammar, so called, by whomsoever written, and however long approved, is not a grammar of the language.
The l.essons in this book are so adjusted in reference to the larger
work, that students having that, can be arranged in the same class with
those who have only this.
That this little work may lead the student to a more extensive and
critical acquaintance with the language than has hitherto generally
been attained, is the desire of
THE AUTHOR.
NEw Yonx, February, 1847.

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ADDRESS TO THE TEACHER.

MAXIM.
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~CIENCE, in every department, physical, intellectual, moral and re.

be so taught, that, when imparted , the prmc1p
. . es, by
ligious, should
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recomm~ndmg themselves to the understanding, can remain living and
flied, without the support of authors' or teachers' names.

CONSIDER the persons u.n der your charge, as rational
creatures, endowed, by their Creator, ,with intelliictual
faculties which are capable of being raised, by proper exercise, to indefinite expansion and power; but which, if
forced to admit, as truth, the unexamined dogmas of
schools, will dwindle into the insignificance of mere bmtal
instinct-the imitative propensity of the parrot or the ape.
Remember that a child is a man in miniature.-that the
fact of your associating with your pupils, must, in degree,
stamp upon them, in mind and morals, in deportment, in
every thing that can constitute the character of man, the
impress of yourself.
Rem em her that active belief, founded in conviction, from
personal investigation, alone can benefit. and improve mankind-that the principles of any theory, on any subject,
blindly assented to, can. not be lasting in their effect; but,
like the mist of morning, may be noticed at the time, yet
pass and are forgotten-therefore,

fC?" NEVER ALLOW YOUR PUPILS TO COMMIT TO ME~ORY
WHAT THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
1C7"NEVER TEACH, AS TRUTH, ANY THING, HOWEVER
TRIFLING IT MAY SEEM, WHICH. REASON'S UTMOST FORCE
AND BRILLIANCE <::AN EVER AFTERWARDS UNTEACH.
What you can not strengthen and improve, do not
weaken and deform.
Teach them that Grammar is but a guide to the understanding in the use of correct language-that PARSING is
only describing facts, or the nature and relations of words
as they are used, not as they, or some others might have
been used-guard them against blindly adopting the sentiments of any man, however great in the estimation of the
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TO THE TEACHER.

world-teach them that th
ing the common infirmiti:~ ~rs are but public men sharapproved, theories which areo the r~ce-th~t, though long
cal, are down-right insult to ~ot f/iilosoph.ical and practibe at once discarded.
e uman mmd, and should
Explain the parts which t h 1
.
cities, shall need to be ex '1a? t d~ earn~rs' various capamin~s, that their proficie!c rne ' ~nd unpr~ss on their
ceedmg part, will depenrl ::ndhe~iJoym~nt m each sucthorough knowledge of all th t t eird ha_vmg acquired a
a prece es it.
Lead them, step by step fr
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materials of which the fab .' 1~ e~ammmg the different
t? I.earn the proper mode ~tso 1t ~~ .anguage composed,
bmmg the parts, to form a .us! ectrng, ~rrangmg and comous structure of' the wh o1·e.J
proportioned and harmonilC?"Impress them with the
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per day, spent in exercisin TRUTH, t at fifteen minutes.
more than the wliole time g t~edm!derstanding, is worth
exercise of memory, without the aid of th wasde m
e un erstandmg and judgment.

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Though there m11y b e cho.nge wilhom improvement, there can not be im- .
. provemen~ without cli.a.1\ge.. Ch~e is necessarily co-.e:xtCnsi:vtS wiik
unproveme11t.

LANGUAGE
l Is the means of communicating thoughts

or expressing ideas. It is of two kinds; Spoken
and Written.""
SPOKEN LANGUAGE

2 Consists of -certain sounds expressing emoti.01'.I;
and of ether sounds rendt;red signifieant by usage;
as,.
O!t! Akis1 FieJ~Man, woman, b3ok, hat. I6ive the< soundt
<mly.]
WRITTEN LANGUAGE

3 Consists of ietters or

£gur~s

sounds; as,

used as signs <3f

for

. Q.Jt, for Olt!-A-l-a-s, for Alasf-F·i-e, for Fie!-M-rMI,
Mme
--w-o-m-a-n, for woman-b-oo-k, for book-lt-a·t, for !tat. [Give the
cames Gf the letters fir~t, and then their soonds iR .f ie spoli.en wttrds.)

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GRAMMAR

4 Is the science of language. It treats of
spoken and written words as signs of ~deas.
•The differ ent ineoipo ration& of words used by the people of different na•
tions 1 are called lnni;uage:s i and generally bear, respectively, th e names of
the countries in-which they were first embodied~ or to which. they are pe-cu-..
liar ; as, the Eng-lish,. the Fre:nch, the Greek, the Hebrew language. Beaidec
this, then:. is the la.Dguage .o f motioR, as when we Dod the- liead ia. tok~A (flJf
a-s&e.nt.
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LETTER WRITING.

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LETTER WRITING.

m Write in short, direct sentences; arranging words and sentences accord·

INSCRIPTION, SUBSCRIPTION, AND SUPERSCRIPTION.*,

~r;g_to th_e natural order of the idcue, facts or circumst~c~s to be expressed.
Lcr'W~1te tour letter very J?lain. Nothing can exojlse a. careleea, illegible.

a .Z:1rscription m~~iis 1_he !1-ame of the person for whom the lttter i3 in.tended,
written either at the big-inn in g of the letter, and over the left hand part.of the
page, or at the close of the letter, and u.ndtr the left hand po.rt of the page.
·· b Sub-scription means t~e' name of the write:, written at the cl6se of the
letter, (or other written arucle,} and under the right hand pa:rt of the page.
c The term of addrw is the word or words used, in courtesy 1 at the begin·
ning- of the letter, instead of.the particular nan:iie of the one addressed; as,
Sir, Dear Sir, Reverend Sir, Madam, My Friend, &c. [See blank 2, below.]
d Super-scription means the name of the person to ·w hom th e letter i s to be
sent, (or the name and place of residence,) written on the outside of the letter
[See the example, on the ne xl page.]
- - - - - , April 2nd, 1847.

:h:;:'~~ 1 ~0 ~h~~h~~rt~hbe~~~~~ can not be present to inttrpre' the letter to

n Do not be ambilious of makllig- a.. long lelt~r; bu~ ralhe r of making it as
:fi~~~s the amount to be commurucated,.and ~he n~ture of the subject will

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o Observe blank 3. Put there the terms of respect; as, B£,ipecifully Your.,,
RtspuifullY, and T!'UlY Yours, Affutfo1u:te1.y Yours; &.c., or whatev er you pre·
fer, aG;c_ording to circ.umstances. A void pompous language; to- whomliOcver
you write.
p Observe bla.n k 4. Put there your own name, as the !Ub3cription., written
w1~h pe~fect plamness. He. who writes at all, is ineX;CusableJ. if he does not
;!~~. his own no.me and the name of the place of his residence, perfectly

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q A marrie4 wom8:n, in writing concerning the ordinary affairs of life,
should subscribe, (with the feminine prefix, Mrs.) her hwband'• Christian
name ; as, M:s. Ja1'!1t3 R. Boyd: except when wrlting to her relatives) a.nd
whe)l execuung legal paper!.
r If you _begin, at blank 2, wilh the lerm of addrees, inscribe the leller at
blank 5, wah the name of the person lo whom you writt! .
•Fold the letter so that it will be at least.one third-wider from loft to right,
than it is the other way .

···· ········ ··· ···· ··· ·· ··· ··· ···· ···· ··· ·· ······· ··· ··········· ··

...... ... .......... ...... .......... ... .. .... ........... ..... .... .. .. ...
................................. .... ....... ....... ... ..... ..... ... .... .
....... .... ......... ..... .... .. ... .. ..... ........... ....................
···· ·· ··· ············ ···· ······"···· ··· ······ ···· ··· ···· ····· ·····
........ .. .. ...
... ............. .............. ..........···· ·

Paid

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•Begin your lelter on the firsl page of the sheet on which you a.r e to write,
leaving a fa.ir margin on the left of lhe page.
(Observe the blank marked 1. Put there the name of the particular town,
Tnlage, or city in which _you resi_de, or to whi~h you wish the answer. to your
letter to be sent . Let lhis b_e wntlen w:ry plain.
g Put immediately after the name of the place, lhe dai. aa to lime, the monlh,
day, and year of your writ.mg.
.
h Observe blank 2. Put lhere the term of address, as, Sir, Dear Sir, Madam,
My Friencl, Dear Parents, or whatever you would use. Place the term of ad·
dress at least ont line bdow a range ':"ith t!ie date! as above : !J~ if you prefer
to omit the term of address, you can imscr1be the etter by wntmg at blo.nk: 2,
the name of the person to whom you write.
i If you inscribe the letter at blank 2, omit the term of address, so a'a_not to
have both the mscripti<>n and the addr"'s; as, James Hall, jr. , D<a.r Sir: [Thia
practice is very common and tiery awkward.]
j If you inscribe the lelter at blank 2, wrile nolhing at blank 5.
k Begin the body of the Jetter a liltle at the right of the term of addreu,.or
~cription, at blank 2, and at least two lines below the in•criptio.n or addreaa.
· l Commence without parade or ostentation, and without much. ceremony.
•Those terms are defined here only aa they relate to. epislolary co,rre1po11·dence, and without any reference to the literal classical mea.µj.ni of th~ woi:48
Crom which lhey are derived.
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t In superscribing a letter, write the name of the person as low a1 the middle of the letter, and the name· of his place of residence under that, 11.tld.a .litllo
at the nght otit. [G"Write the superscription very plain.
uj)o not use such a term as Mr.}or Esq., before the person's name, and
au!)lhcr similar term after; as, Mr. ame .. J1MJkso11 1 E.q.. [Omit one o( the
tenns.] Yet such o. term may be used with the nam.e, and the office or Btation
mentioned after the name; &a, Josiah Quincy, Esq., h#idt:nl of HanJM4
University. Hon. Samuel Young, Secretary of Stai.. Mr. JllIQOB William.•,
Reporter ro the Senau.
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· _,,,,ta'" If yon write· Ii> d. ladyro.n edilo<',.or any man In a public llatioo, or
any o~ter_ persqu for the first ume, be sure to pay the p.ostage on.your .letter,
unlees there is 11. 'full understanding' a.s· t6 thi1 matter; and.unleu the aff'iilr
on which you write, cil~ly intoreats , the, 01,1e you wrilAI to, lllQH tliaD y~
self. [See large Grammar.]

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CONCLUSION,

CONCLUSION.
THE foregoing pages evince that the author has left the beaten track.
His only object has been to make. a grammar from, and for, the English language. He has in no respect innovated for the sake of change.
He employs the terms which he. deems best adapted to express thQ
facts; by whomsoever these terms have been used; by whomsoever
Tejected-a course pursued in the late reform in Chemistry, and .with
the most beneficial results.
He discards, totally, the common practice of parsing the words of a
correct sentence according to their supposed relations to words " understood," which might, or might not, have been expressed-a practice at
war with common sense, and a violation of the very idiom which
Grammar professes to represent. This idiom of the language· allows
what "grammarians" call "elliptical sentences," but it does not allo}V
the " ellipses" to be " supplied." They are not ellipses, except when
viewed in contrast with tbe rules of false grammars, which, by their
authors' own showing, are at variance with the language.
a:J Rules of Grammar should always be adapted to what the idiom
of the language allows. Without this, there can not be a grammar
of the language.
What would be thought of a geographer who, averse to labor, (and
anxious to have all theories alike!) should sit in his study_ and copy .
from descriptions of countries and cities in Asia and Africa, and, in
presenting his new work, should pretend to represent London, or New
York, as it is, by describing lakes, where a".!' parks; forests, where
are stately temples; and sandy deserts, where are blooming gardens;
and, when told of the discrepancy, .should begin to talk of his lakes;
and forests, and deserts "understood," which the pupil or the teacher
must put in, " supplying the ellipses," to make the earth agree. with
his ·geography !
Grammar is, in fact, the Geography and Directory of the language;
and as such, should be adapted to the languag-.approving what is
right, and condemning, with reason, what is wrong.

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_Tl'.e fact that this unvarying principle in Philology has not, as a
pn~c1ple, before been discovered and 'applied, proves nothing as to its
fa!Sity or correctness. It may be denounced as new, and, consequently,
as ~rroneous: .yet asseveration is not proof. The principle is fixed in
Philosophy-in tht: nature of things; and though new or old, can
not be moved.
The all-pervading principle called gravitation was not the Jess existent because from Nature's birth it had not been discovered till Newton
held .it t;orth disclosed. Copernicus and Galileo, Guttemberg and
Faust, Harvey, Jenner and Franklin, and \Vatt and Fulton were reviled by men for being originals, the ministers of Nature ap~roved f?y
God,. to lead the way from age to age. They wearied.MociuRr.
They have exhausted PRAISE, Truth, the gold of life, is truthearly disclosed, or late-by whomsoever found; by whomsoever, given.
o:J Dare we· be candid .2 DARE WE ADVOCATE 4VHA.T WE BELIEVE 1
. What is written, is written.: and if, by exhibiting the principles of
~e language, as they are, this little ~ork, and the larger one to which
it lead~, shall_ assist in dispelling the fogs of sophistry from the fields
of philosophic research, and shall thereby facilitate the progress of
tbe learner, and aid the rising greatnus of the intellectual and moral
constit_ution of man, the author will have the gratifying consciousness
that hIS labors have not been vain.
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THE END.

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RECOMMENDATIONS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.
95
ADDRESS to the teacher • page 5 MooIFIEEs- Advcrbs · · · •
Modifiers, Adnam es and Asseners compared • • • . • 97
LANGUAGE • . • • • • • . • 7
Diarrram V-Order of parsrng 8
8
English Grammar · • • • · •
~Modifiers • • • • • • ' 9
Seven principles of Language . 8
R ELATIVES-· Prepositions •·. · 100
ORTHO GRAP HY • • · · : .. . 12 R elatives, Adnames , Modifi.
ers and Asserters com·
Directions 10 the learner m gid-17
pared . . · • • • • · • 101
ing the elemental soun s
T able of R elatives · • • • · 103
ETYMOLOGY . . . • . . . . ;~ Diagram V l~ O rd er of pars- 104
ing R elauves • • • • •
Parts of Speech : . • . . • 27
Parsing-what 1t 1s · · • • •
CoNNECTIVEs- Conjunctions 106
NAMEs- Nou ns · • · · • · 28 Dia ram V II- Order of pars· 8
1 ng Connectives • • • • l0
Sex- Gender • · • • · •• •• ~~
Person. • • • · • • ·
. INTERHOGATIVEs- Adverbs • llO
Forms as to Number • • · • 32
Diagram VII I-· Order of pars·
Case • • · • · • · •. · • • 35
ing Interrogauves • • • llO
Cases Direct and Indirect : 120
D" : m I- Orde r of parsmg
REPL!ERs-Adverbs
•• •. 111
iagNames • • • · • · · • 41
Diagram IX-;-Order of pars· ll
ing R epliers • • • • • · 2
SunsTITUTEs -Pronouns . . . 44
Diagram II- Order of parsing
ExcLAM ATlONS- I nterjecti9nsl 12
S ubstitutes . • • · • • 53 Diagram X- c;>rder of parsmg
Exclamanons · · • • • 113
AssERTERs -Verbs · ·
· 56
3
Mode-Mood . • • • ·
• 58 Derivation of Words · • • • 11 3
Tense • • • • • • • ·
· 60 Accommodat ives · · • • • n
F orm s, distinctions of ·
• 63
' · • • 115
116
Subjective T ermmauons
• 65 SYNTAX · • • •
Auxiliary Asserters • · • ·. · 65 A ppendant phrases • • • • • 11 7
Parsrng • · · • • • ' • •
Inflection of Asserters- Coniu·
- ·- - - Remarks on • · • • ll 8
11 ation of Verbs_. · • · . · 65 - --Order of •• · . · • .· ll 9
Continuat ive form of R eceptive
A sserters, i11flected • • · 73 Cases, Direct and Indirect • 120
Examples of R egular Asserters76 Analytical Rules, or Rules for
P arsing • •. • • • .• • 122
Table of Irregul ar Asserters . 76
Defective Asseners · · 80-:-14 6 L essons in Parsrng, for illustrating the R ules • • • 133
Diagram III- Order of parsing
Phrases_:P arsing them • • 144
Asserters • • • • • • • 82 Incidental
Remarks • • • • 146
AD NAMEs-Adjectives and Ar·
TRA NSPOSITION , remarks on 149
ticles •• • • • • • · . • 85 Letter Writing • • • • ' • 150
Diagram IV-Order of parsing
152
Adnames • • • • • • • 92 Conclusion • • • • • • • •

From the T eachers ef the Teachers' Society, in the
·
City ef New York.
WE have examined "The Grammar of the English L~nguage," by

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, Oliver B. P eirce, E sq., and are happy to find that he has left. the old
:ind beaten traclc, and formed, a Grammar of the Language as it really
is used by our best writers.
It has always appeared to us that the early writers on this subject,
drew their code of principles from Latin Grammar: and later writers
h ave, with a few verbal alterations, followed the same track; thus subjecting the English st uden t to the necessity of studying theories that
could not represoot his own lanlfuage; theories, which, so ill adapted
to elucidate the subject, have invariably bewildered the learner, by
imposi~g on his understanding, and ended with exciting his disgust.
The New Nomenclature, adopted by ou r author, is admirably expressive of the principles to be represented hy it; and must thereby
facilitate, .very much, the pupil's advancement.
His Syntax, too, is capable of evolving every combination of words
that the language admits, without changing it to another form of expression.
The Rules for the transposition of Poctr.v, the Prosody and Rhetoric
of this treatise, are plain, pointed, and direct ; and cannot fail of
proving highly useful and very interesting to those who would acquire
a. thorough knowledge of the English language.
It is, in short, a Grammar of the English. "Language ; and simplifies the subject to such a degree that a youth of ordinary parts, can,
with ease and sati,faclion, make himself master of this branch of
l:icience, hitherto regarded so diflicult.
We must, in conclusion, express our hope that the School Committee of the City of N ew York, will, as early as p ossible, take
mea:mres for introducing this work into the City Schools.

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E x tract

ef a L etter.from/. Swift, A.M,Princp . of Union

DEAll Srn:

School, at Geneva, ~New Yo rk.

fN sending you this, I have several ohjects,- one to thank
you for the parts of the Gram mar sent in sheets, by mail,- another, to
inquire how you progress in your enterprise. Ts your new edition
published yet ? If not, when will it be for thcoming ? Where can it
be obtained? Do you con tinue in the field as a lecturer? If so, when
may we expect to see you this way 1
When you lec tured here, yo u made a strong impre"sion on my
mind that your work has many excell encies not to be found in the old
theories. That impression remains the same.

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RECOMMENDATIONS.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

I have used your book froi:i ~he time you w_ere her!l to the present;
and am confirmed in my conv1ct.10n of its supenor me~1ts. . O~r county
Superintendent was highly delighted with my class m Peirce s Gr~m­

Concluding Resolutions of a series unanimously adopted
at the close of the first Teachers' Institute ever held
in Connecticut:

o::r

mar.

HE PRO.NOUNCED JT THE :MODEL CLJ.6S Fon THE COUN rY.

He strongly favors the work.
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Wishing you all success in your noble enterprise, I remam, very
ISAAC SWIFT.
respectfully and truly yours,

PoRTER

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0. B. PEIROE, EsQ.

From

Resolved, That we highly appreciate the enlarged views and benevolent purposes of Mr. Peirce, and the independent stand against existing prejudices which he .has taken in relation to the science; and
that we shall hail with satisfaction every indication of his success, as
he advances in his work of Improvement nnd Reformation •.
Resolved, That we can only regard in contrast, his theory, as a
Grammar of the English Language, with the old theories, which we
can not. conceive have ever been representatives in fact, of the English
Language.
Resolved, That for its theoretic clearness and consistenoy, and its
.p1·actical excellence, we commend "The Grammar of the English
Language," as well as its author, for his lucidness of style, and the
philosophic bearing of his lectures, to our fellow-citizens as worthy of
their entire confidence and liberal support.
Resolved, That a committee of two be appointed by the Chairman
to present to Mr. Peirce a copy of these resolutions, with assurance of
the high respect of the Association.
J. KEYES, Chairman.
W. H. PERRY,
ic
W.W. KINGSLEY, 5 OM.
H. DEWING, Sec'y.

MoNTGO~!ERY, Esq., late County Superin-

tendent

of Jefferson

county, N. Y.

I HAVE examined "The Grammar of the English Lanl?uage,'.' by
O!iv.er B. Peirce. For originality, clearness, extent-fur its . ph:l,?sophical correctness, and practical utility, it stands unnvalled. l 1m~
must soon set to it the seal of approval from all lovers of TlWTH an
EDUCATIONAL IMPllOVEMBNT.

P. MONTGOMERY.

Sacketts Harbor, N. Y., Feb. 15, 1847.

From

REv. GEORGE G. HAPooon,.for a long time President of the Cazenovia Seminary, New York.

Sm:

MR. PEIRCE:

I 11AVE listened with much interest to the Course of Lee, lures which you have given to the Grammar Class under my charge,
and from the manner in which you have treated the subject, I am
persuaded that your system is the correct one; and that it· needs but
a candid examination, to insure it a favorable reception.
Your ob't. servant,
S. ALVORD,
Teacher of fhammar in the Hartford Grammar &!tool.

G

ft!
I IIAVE examined the last edition of your ram~ar o . 1e
English Language, and deem .it the most analytical and _Plulosoph1cal
work of the kind to be found m the language. Yours trnly,
GEORGE G. HAPGOOD.

DEAR

OLJVElt B. PEIRCE, EsQ.

MR . PEIRCE :
.
•
f
I HAVE devoted considera\Jle time to the exammat~on o
your Grammar of the English Lang~ia~e; and hesitate not to g1v.e, ~·
my opinion, that it represents the pnnc1plcs of the language .as it is,
better than any other system of Grammar extant. It remedies nu".1berless errors and defects in the old •ystcms ; ·and makes that .Plain
and practical which has heretofore been shrou<led m obscurity, or
buried beneath a superincumbent mass of what, to the English student,
.
is but senseless verbiarv·
J believe it calculated to give n betler knowledge of our language,
and that, in less time, than the old theories ; .nn<l shoul<l rejoice to see
it introduced into all our schools, to the cxcl1ts1011 nf eve1·y ol her system.
With much respect, I nm , sir, yours,
SYLVESTER BLISS,
Principal of the Sot<lh School, ill the City of Hartford.

From the !tigh('lf important and flourishing Literary,
Scientific, and Religious Institute at Watertown, Jefferson county, N. Y. It is under the supervision of
the Presbyterian Church.
[EXTRACT.]
The Grammar of the English Language, by 0. B. Peirce, Esq., is,
in the estimation of the subscribers, distinguished, not only by original
views, but by important improvements, compared with the grammars
· heretofore used.
It is by no means a compilation from other works; but differs,
materially, from any in use. It seems to have been derived, by the
author, from a bold 11.nd independent view of the English Language,

.I
I

)\

158

RECOMMENDATIONS.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

as embodied in approved writings; and supplies many important defects, to be found in other grammars, with respect to both Etymology
and Syntax.
To us, the work appears better calculated to promote H.lBITSOF CLBAR
and VIGOROUS THOUGHT, and to furnish aid, both in the a,nalysi.& of
English authors, and the process of English composition, than any
grammar with which we are acquainted.
The unusual nomenclature, adopted by the author, may at first seem
to be UIUlecessary innovation; but we think it will be found highly
useful, in giving clear views of the principles and structure of the
English language. Our opinion of the work can not, in brief, be mor11
fully expressed, than by stating, that it will be immediately adopted, aa.
a text book, in the Black River Institute.
[Rev.] MARCUS SMITH, Pres. of the Board o.f
[Rev.] J. R. BOYD, A. M ., Principal.
'
[Rev.] JOHN COVERT, A. M., Vice Principal.
ARCH'D. WHITFORD, A. B., Prof. Math.
H. MILLER, A. B., Asst. Teacher.

Tru~te!~·

Frorn the same.
THE bearer of this communication, Mr. Peirce, has made himself
favorably known to us, by personal interviews, and a Course of public
L ectures before the Institution under our charge. As a gentleman,
and a man of science, we recommend him to the attention of the communities that he may visit; hut more especially to the favorable recep•
tion of those who are engaged in the instruction of youth.
'!'he presenting of his work to our Seminary, has been attended
with great benefit; and we can not part with him without expressing
our earnest desire that he may be duly compensated for his very laborious endeavors to disseminate more correct notions than now Prevllil,
in relation to the Science of the English Language.

Clinton Hall, New York, Dec. 26, 1840.
After twelve evenings spent in this hall, by Mr. P eirce, Mr. Kirkham, and other gentlemen, in discussing the principles of English
grammar, and in debate respecting individual theories, the Rev. D.
Fraser, Vice Principal of the Clinton Collegiate Institute, was unanimously called to the chair-[Revo C. Hance, Esq., who had before
pr.esided, being absent, from the indisposition of his family;] after which,
the following preamble, and the resolutions, one by one, were adopted:
Whereas, Mr. Oliver B. Peirce, at the commencement of his lectures of review, pledged himself" to demonstrate that the OLD THEORIES.
of English Grammar, (including Murray's, Kirkham's, Goold Brown's,
Bullions', and Smith's,) are worse than none-are obstructives, rather
than aids, to the teacher and student of English Grammar,"-and,
Vl' hereas, Mr. Peirce offered for examination, his theory. as the first,
and only, grammar of the English language that has been given t.o
the world-and,

159

Whereas, We have witnessed, with admiration, the open, manly
course of Mr. Peirc~, ih ·discussion and debate-the ease with which
he repelled the· attempts of Mr; Samuel IGrkham, and others, upon his
work-the clearness 'with which he exposed the errors; absurdities and
defects of the old theories, and the perspicuity 'with which, by his own,
he exhibited the principles of the language-therefore, . .
Resolved, That, in the opinion' of this meeting, the pledge of Mr.
Peirce has been fully redeemed.
Resolved, That from what we have learned of the theocy of Mt,
Peirc~, we believe it to be what it is entiUed-tlie Grammar of the
.
English Language.
Resolved, That we recommend Mr. Peirce, as author and teacher,
to our fellow-citizens, as worthy of their patronage and support; anll
advise (without assuming to dictate) that they attend the course of
lectures which he proposes to give.
R esolved, That the preamble and resolutions be signed by the chairman, of the meeting, and published in th~ leading papers of the city.
D. FRASER, Chairman.

From.0. BLANCHARD, A. M., long a Professor in the Cazenovia Seminary, N. Y., and now, in Fairfield .8.ca•
demy, N. Y.
.
FnrEND PErncE: I had an opportunity of sending directly to Wa•
tertow'n. I sent and procured several dozen copies of your gratnmai'j
all of which, except one, are distributed among the students. For the
last few ~eeks, w_e have .read and parsed according to your system.
We find 1t a very mtetestmg exercise, and a much more rational method
of pursuing the science, than the old system and practice. Y out distinctions of the cases, as direct and indirect, I think a most happy one.
[Here follow other particulars.]

From the same.
I U.lVE witnessed Mr. 0. B. Peirce's method of instruction-I have
examii:ie? his theory, and used it as a text book, one term. I give as
~y opm10n, the result of my acquaintance with its principles, that it
is preferable to the old system-easier for the teacher, and more satis!'actory to ~he. student. It calls things by their right names, distinguishmg the pnn~1ples of the language by terms whose meaning is, iii
gene~a!, obv10us .at the first vi.ew, and affords more ready testS for determmmg what is, and what is not, grammatical or correct.
0. BLANCHARD.

Extract of a .letter from V. DREw,Principal of the .l:lcademy of Science, New York, to a friend in Boa ton.

. "I understan~ that Mr .. Peirce.' .the gram.marian, is in your city, and
is about to publish a revised edition of his grammar of the English
language.

160

RECOMMENDATIONS.

" I wish you would ascertain when he will publish, and send me
fifty copies as soon as possihle. With this gentleman, I wo\J ld like to
become acquainted. In comparison with his work, the other grammars
of the day, (and I know them well,) sink into insignificance. The
technical jargon with which they are loaded, the defects in their classi·
fication, the general obscurity, and, not unfrequently, the gross incon·
siatency of their definitions and rules, not only violate the first principles
of composition, but are, to the last degree, an outrage on common sense.
H ence, after years of unavailing toil, so many turn, discouraged, if not
.
disgusted, from the study of English grammar.
" Mr. Peirce has stripped the subject of the mystery which involved
it, and brought this hitherto abstruse science from darkness into light.
He has made it as plain and interesting as it is important.
" At present, many, from prejudice, some doubtless from interest, will
denounce him; but posterity, with one accord, will venerate his name."

Extract ef a Letter from S. LucKEY, D. D., late Editor
ef the Christian .11.dvocate o/ Journal, New York.
" So far as I have become acquainted with its principles, the ground
work, I am decidedly favorable to your views. We want a grammar
of the language as it is, without being doomed to throw almost every
other sentence we read into another form to render it parsable ur
grammatical. The testimonials which I have seen from gentlemen
whose business and habitual attention to the subject, render them
competent judges, as well as my own convictions from an examination
of the work, place it beyond a .doubt, in my mind, that your labors In
this department of science are highly meritorious, and deserve the
S. LUCKEY.
grateful acknowledgments of your countrymen."

From the Hon. IRA MAYHEW, Superintendent of Public
lnstruction,for the State ef Michigan.
[It was received just as the last few pages of the work were going to press.]·
Office of Superintendent of P ublic Imtruction,
Monroe, Michigan, March 16, 1847.

1
5

DEAR SrR: I have examined with great care the"' Grammar of
the English Language," of which you are the author. About two
years ago, while engaged in teaching, I carried a class nearly through
it. I regard it as the best expo8ition of the principles of the English
language that I have ever seen. This opinion is based on my acquaintance with it, and my success in teaching it. The abridgment, now
in press, I think, can not fail to receive the approbation of the great
majority of enlightened teachers. I hope it may be generally introduced into our primary schools. Every teacher, as, also, every advancd
student, should have a copy of the large work.
I am, dear Sir, very truly yours,
IRA MAYHEW.
OLIVER B. PEIRCE, Esq,.

T
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