THE propriety of admitting his, hers, ours, yours, &c. as possessive cases of the personal pronouns, has been disputed, though the nature and meaning of these words, and the concurrent practice of our first grammarians, have assigned them this rank and denomination. It has been alleged, that these supposed possessives are actually used in the nominative and objective cases; and that therefore our classification must be erroneous. The instances offered in support of this allegation, are such as the following: "My pleasures are past; hers and yours are to come:" "They applauded his conduct, but condemned hers and yours." A little reflection will, how

ever, show that these pronouns, in the examples produced, are not in the nominative and objective cases, but in the possessive case. The following appears to be the true construction of these sentences: "My pleasures are past; the pleasures of her and of you are to come:" "They applauded his conduct, but condemned the conduct of her and of you." That this is the right construction will more clearly appear, if we substitute nouns for the pronouns :

My pleasures are past; Mary's and Ann's are to come:" "They applauded his conduct, but condemned Mary's and Ann's" that is, "Mary's and Ann's pleasures; Mary's and Ann's conduct."

The objection too, that the phrase, "An acquaintance of yours," supposes the same word to admit of two different signs of the case, seems to be of no validity. Instances of a double genitive, as it is called, are not uncommon in our language, and they are far from implying any absurdity. We properly say, "An acquaintance of Peter's';" "A soldier of the king's."-See Syntax, Rule x. Note 6.

The possessives under consideration, like other parts of grammar, may indeed have some properties peculiar to themselves; and may not, in their present form, be readily accommodated to every circumstance belonging to the possessive cases of nouns: but they should not, on this slight pretence, be dispossessed of the right and privilege, which, from time immemorial, they have enjoyed.

SECTION 2.

Of the Relative Pronouns.

RELATIVE Pronouns are such as relate, in general, to some word or phrase going before, which is thence called the antecedent: they are, who,

which, and that: as, "The man is happy who lives virtuously*.”

What is a kind of compound relative, including both the antecedent and the relative, and is equivalent to that which: as, "This is what I wanted;" that is to say, "the thing which I wanted."

Who is applied to persons, which to animals irrational, and to things inanimate: as, "He is a friend, who is faithful in adversity;" "The bird, which sung so sweetly, is flown ;" "This is the tree, which produces no fruit." +

That, as a relative, is often used to prevent the too frequent repetition of who and which. It is applied to both persons and things: as, "He that acts wisely deserves praise ;" "Modesty is a quality that highly adorns a woman."

Who is of both numbers, and is thus declined:

Which, that, and what, are likewise of both numbers, but they do not vary their termination; except that whose is sometimes used as the possessive case of which: as, "Is there any other doctrine whose followers are punished ?"

"And the fruit

Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death."

MILTON.

The relative pronoun, when used interrogatively, relates to a word or phrase, which is not antecedent, but subsequent, to the relative. See note under the VI. Rule of Syntax.

+ See the exceptions: Syntax, Rule V. Notes 6, 7, and 8.

"Pure the joy without allay,

Whose very rapture is tranquillity."

"The lights and shades, whose well accorded strife
Gives all the strength and colour of our life."

YOUNG.

POPE.

"This is one of the clearest characteristics of its being a religion whose origin is divine."

BLAIR.

By the use of this license, one word is substituted for three: as, "Philosophy, whose end is to instruct us in the knowledge of nature," for, " 'Philosophy, the end of which is to instruct us," &c.

Who, which, and what, have sometimes the words soever and ever annexed to them: as, "whosoever or whoever, whichsoever, or whichever, whatsoever, or whatever:" but they are seldom used in modern style, except whoever and whatever.

The word that is sometimes a relative, sometimes a demonstrative pronoun, and sometimes a conjunction. It is a relative, when it may be turned into who or which without destroying the sense: as, "They that (who) reprove us, may be our best friends;" "From every thing that (which) you see, derive instruction." It is a demonstrative pronoun when it is followed immediately by a substantive, to which it is either joined, or refers, and which it limits or qualifies: as, "That boy is industrious ;" "That belongs to me;" meaning, that book, that desk, &c. It is a conjunction, when it joins sentences together, and cannot be turned into who or which, without destroying the sense: as, "Take care that every day be well employed." "I hope he will believe that I have not acted improperly."

Who, which, and what, are called Interrogatives, wh en they are used in asking questions: as, "Who is he?" "Which is the book ?" "What are you doing?"

Whether was formerly made use of to signify interroga"Whether of these shall I choose?" but it is now

tion: as,

seldom used, the interrogative which being substituted for it. Some grammarians think that the use of it should be revived, as, like either and neither it points to the dual number; and would contribute to render our expressions concise and definite.

Some writers have classed the interrogatives as a separate kind of pronouns: but they are too nearly related to the relative pronouns, both in nature and form, to render such a division proper. They do not, in fact, lose the character of relatives, when they become interrogatives. The only difference is, that without an interrogation, the relatives have reference to a subject which is antecedent, definite, and known; with an interrogation, to a subject which is subsequent, indefinite, and unknown, and which it is expected that the answer should express and ascertain.

SECTION 3.

Of the Adjective Pronouns.

ADJECTIVE Pronouns are of a mixed nature, participating the properties both of pronouns and adjectives.

The adjective pronouns may be subdivided into four sorts: namely, the possessive, the distributive, the demonstrative, and the indefinite.

1. The possessive are those which relate to possession or property. There are seven of them ; my, thy, his, her, our, your, their.

Mine and thine, instead of my and thy, were formerly used before a substantive, or adjective, beginning with a vowel, or a silent h: as, "Blot out all mine iniquities."

The pronouns, his, mine, thine, have the same form, whether they are possessive pronouns, or the possessive cases of their respective personal pronouns. See Syntax, Rule x.