Il a la tête et les pieds nus; ou } His head and feet are naked. REMARK II.-Collective nouns, or in other words, nouns representing several persons or things, under the title of a noun singular, as multitude, armée, foule, forêt, &c., or numeral nouns, such as vingtaine, douzaine, cent, &c. followed respectively by other nouns, from which they are separated by the preposition de, require that verbs, adjectives, &c. should agree in gender and number, either with them of the second noun, as reason or logical sense may determine, without paying any regard to grammatical concordance, which, requiring that the verb should agree with the collective noun, in this instance, may thereby be violated, as it may become indispensable, for the sake of logical propriety, that they should agree with the second noun. In order to elucidate this intricate subject, we present the following examples, in which the verbs, &c. must sometimes agree, and sometimes not, with the collective noun; and, to render these examples the more forcible, and the less exceptionable, the respectable auther rities from which they are drawn are occasionally quoted. EXAMPLES Of the agreement of the verbs, adjectives, &c. with the collective noun, in number and gender. La multitude des étrangers rend | The multitude of strangers makes les denrées et le pain extrêmement cher. provisions and bread excessive- The army of the combined pow- The forest of Ardennes is to the west of the Luxembourg. The fleet of the allies set sail during the night. The Senate unanimously ratified the treaty. It is a class of readers that only seeks and consults its own plea sure. The perfect orator will not neglect those abstract sciences, which the generality of men despise, only because they are ignorant of them. • La Harpe, Eloge de Racine. Un corps de Lacédémoniens, beau- | A body of Lacedemonians, much coup plus nombreux que le sien, retournait par le même chemin. (1) La foule des affaires l'accable. (2) | A Un certain nombre de différens Le nombre des gens fesant profe- Le plus grand nombre des tribuns du peuple s'opposait à la loi. (7) Une partie des soldats s'enfuit. (8) Un peuple de barbares subjugua tout le pays. La pluralité des maîtres n'est pas bonne. (9) Une poignée d'hommes fit l'attaque. La douzaine d'œufs qu'il a achetée n'était pas complète. Le cent d'huîtres que vous nous avez envoyé, était délicieux. A more numerous than his own, was returning by the same road. multiplicity of affairs over whelms him. certain number of various mo- The death of the general spread The number of persons who make The greatest number of the tribunes of the people was opposed to the law. A part of the soldiers ran away. A nation of barbarians subdued the whole country. The majority of masters are not good. A handful of men made the attack. The eggs which he bought were not a full dozen. The hundred oysters which you sent us were delicious. EXAMPLES In which the verb, &c. does not agree with the numeral or collective noun, in gender or number. En quelque endroit que j'aille, il faut fendre la presse BOILEAU. Toute sorte de livres ne sont pas également bons. Il n'est sorte de démonstrations de politesse qu'il ne lui ait faites. Une partie des arbres qui me restent sont chargés de fruits. Une troupe de nymphes couronnées de fleurs étaient assises auprès d'elle. La plupart des femmes ont plus The greater part of women hare d'esprit que de savoir. more wit than learning. REMARK III. The words of quantity,-beaucoup, peu, assez, moins, plus, trop, tant, combien, aud que, in the sense of combien, exercise no influence on the verb and the adjective which may follow the subject, the totality of which they help to form; for the verb and adjective receive the law, as in the above examples, from the noun that follows those words of quantity. Beaucoup de personnes vous ai- | A great many people love you. ment. Peu de vin suffit à l'homme. Moins de gens que vous ne pen sez vous approuvent. Plus de sagesse vous eût préservé de tomber dans de grandes fau tes. Plus de fous que de sages ambiti- Tant de soldats défendent nos fo- Que de gens sans mœurs occupent A little wine is sufficient for man. Less people than you think ap- More fools than wise men are de sirous of great employments (or offices); too many ignorant men obtain them. So many soldiers defend our hearths, that the efforts of our enemies will fail. How many heroes fought at Ther mopyla? As many as soldiers. How many profligate people occupy posts where virtue is more necessary than talents! REMARK IV.-The noun gens exercises a very singular influence on the adjective, as being always put in the feminine, when the adjective precedes it.-EXAMPLES. EXCEPTIONS.-We say tous les gens, and not toutes les gens, all people.-EXAMPLES: Tous les gens d'honneur et de | All people of honour and probity probité l'estiment. esteem him. We also say, contrary to the rule, Tous les honnêtes gens et tous les | All honest people and all intellihabiles gens l'honorent. gent people honour him. Because the adjectives honnête and habile have the same termination in both genders; but, should the adjective follow the word gens, the rule is very precise, as it is invariably of the masculine gender.— EXAMPLES: Ce sont des gens fort dangereux. | They are very dangerous people. Ce sont des gens polis et prudens. Theyare polite and prudent people. Il ne faut pas vous fier à des gens | You must not trust indiscreet peoindiscrets. Toutes les vieilles ple All old people are distrustgens sont soupçonneux. ful. REMARK V. Quelque chose always requires that its correspondents, from which it is separated by de or qui, should be in the masculine singular.-EXAMPLES: REMARK VI.-On and quiconque commonly require their correspondents to be in the masculine gender.-EXAMPLES: On est venu vous demander. Somebody is come to ask for you. On n'est ni vertueux ni méchant à We are neither virtuous nor wick demi. ed by halves. |