134. The SUPERLATIVE ABSOLUTE is expressed by putting before the adjective, the participle, or the adverb, one of the following expressions:très, very; fort, very, very much; bien, very; le† plus, most; (invariable, see Syntax); let moins, least (invariable); extrêmement, extremely; infiniment, infinitely, &c.

The style of Bossuet is extremely lofty.

5. Le style de Bossuet est extrêmement élevé. 5. 135. TRÈS and FORT are synonymous, but FORT is stronger than TRÈS, and should be preferred before participles. Très must never be followed by beaucoup; express "very much" by beaucoup repeated, or by très-fort.

136. Plus, moins, aussi, si, très, fort, &c., used with comparatives and superlatives, are repeated before each of the words to which they refer :1. On peut avoir l'esprit très-juste, très-raisonnable, très-agréable, et très-faible en même temps. 2. La colère est à la fois le plus aveugle, le plus violent, et le plus vil des conseillers.

137. II. COMPARISON WITH NOUNS

is formed as follows, when the noun or pron. at the end of the comparison is the subject of a verb (understood):

(a.) SUPERIORITY.-L'Angleterre a plus de vaisseaux que la France.

(b.) INFERIORITY.-L'Angleterre a moins d'habitants que la France.

(c.) EQUALITY.-Vous avez autant d'argent qu'eux.

England has more ships than France has.

England has less inhabitants than France

has.

You have as much money as they have.

In a negative sentence, tant is frequently used instead of autant. (127.)

138. But when the noun at the end of the comparison is the object of the verb, que de is placed before that noun:

Nos troupes montrèrent autant de générosité Our troops displayed as much generosity as que d'intrépidité.

intrepidity.

139. Observe that plus, moins, autant, tant, like other adverbs of quantity (375.), take de before nouns.

140. III. COMPARISON WITH VERBS.

(a.) SUPERIORITY.-Ses sujets l'admirent plus qu'ils ne l'estiment.

(b.) INFERIORITY.-Ses sujets l'admirent moins qu'ils ne l'estiment.

(c.) EQUALITY.-Ses sujets l'admirent autant qu'ils l'estiment.

His subjects admire him more than they esteem him.

His subjects admire him less than they esteem

him.

His subjects admire him as much as they esteem him.

For the use of ne after a comparison, see Syntax of the Adverb.

TRADUCTION ET LECTURE XV.

1. Ce paysage est très-varié, très-étendu, et infiniment agréable. 2. Il recevait de fort grosses sommes du trésor royal. 3. Je suis bien content

† See Syntax respecting the article before plus, mieux, moins.

The second v. of a comparative sentence is generally understood in F., and then, if the subject to that v. is a pron., that pron. must be disjunctive. (154, c.)

de savoir cela. 4. Ces prisonniers sont excessivement malheureux. 5. La Russie a plus de soldats que la France. 6. L'Espagne a moins de ressources que la France. 7. Le trésorier a autant d'amis que le secrétaire. 8. Vous dépensez plus que vous ne gagnez. 9. Cette guerre ne fut pas moins heureuse qu'elle était juste. 10. J'aime Horace autant que je l'admire. 11. Je n'ai pas tant de crédit que vous pensez. 12. C'est leur plus grande jouissance. 13. Vous écrivez mieux que vous ne parlez. 14. De toutes les comédies de Molière, le "Misanthrope" est celle qui me plaît le plus. 15. Ses vers me plaisent, mais sa prose me charme encore plus (ou davantage). 16. Voilà mon meilleur ami. 17. Croyez-vous qu'un homme puisse être plus heureux que vous l'êtes? 18. Je préfère une maison de campagne au plus beau palais. 19. Charles XII. était alors aussi jeune qu'Alexandre, aussi guerrier, aussi entreprenant, plus infatigable, plus robuste, et plus tempérant. 20. La superstition est à la religion ce que l'astrologie est à l'astronomie, la fille très-folle d'une mère très-sage. (V.)

Exercise XIX.

1. I am very ill. 2. Francis is extremely sorry (fache). 3. Henry is the least attentive in the class. (129.) 4. John is very tall and very strong. 5. Our walk has been very pleasant. 6. Mme. Dacier was (était) extremely learned (savant). 7. Gold is the purest (pur), the most precious, and the most ductile* of all (the) metals. 8. They are less polite and obliging (136.) than their friend. 9. My uncles have more workmen than you have. 10. In that battle (bataille, f.), the French had (imperf.) less soldiers than the Spaniards. 11. The Dutch (Hollandais) lost (perdirent) as many men as the Spaniards. 12. We have more apples than (138.) pears, and fewer (moins de) peaches than (138.) apricots. 13. Those ladies have not so much kindness as wit (esprit). 14. He owes (doit) much more than he possesses (ne possède). 15. He speaks better than he writes (n'écrit). 16. I praise (loue) Henry as much as I blame Francis. 17. I do not respect him (le respecte) so much as I admire him (l'admire). 18. She has played (joue) the air* which he (qu'il) likes best. 19. Henry and Francis write (écrivent) as well as you. 20. My secretary writes as quickly (vite) as I do. (154.) 21. How do you like that?-Very much. (135.) 22. Do you admire (admirez-vous) Shakspere ?—Yes, very much.

CHAPTER III.

PRONOUNS.

First Section.-Personal Pronouns.

"The matter demands a great deal of attention, but that attention will soon do the business. -Cobbett.

141. The PERSONAL PRONOUNS are those which commonly represent the three persons of the verb. The first is the person speaking; the second, the person spoken to; and the third, the person spoken of. (212.)

Personal pronouns are divided into CONJUNCTIVE and DISJUNCTIVE. (a.) The CONJUNCTIVE pers. pronouns are those that are placed immediately before or immediately after the verb. (p. 84.)

(b.) The DISJUNCTIVE pers. pronouns are those that are separated from the verb by a preposition or a conjunction, or those that stand alone, the verb being understood. (p. 86.)

143. There are also the conjunctive y, to it, to them, &c. (101.), and en, of or from it, them, &c. (99. 101.), which are fully illustrated in the Syntax of Pronouns. (See also 254. et seq.)

144. (a)—Je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles, are all used as subjects, immediately before the verb in affirming or denying, and immediately after it in asking questions:

1. Je connais son frère.

2. Elle ne connaît pas son frère.

3. Connaissez-vous† son frère ?

1. I know his brother.

2. She does not know his brother.

3. Do you know his or her brother?

N.B.—Je, tu, il, and ils, are always conjunctive, and only appear as subjects.

145. (b)—Me, te, le, nous, vous, and les, are called direct objective pronouns, because the action expressed by the verb that governs them, falls directly upon them.

146. With every mood, but the imperative used affirmatively, the objective conjunctive pronoun, whether direct or indirect, (192. 193.,) is placed BEFORE the governing verb. This rule applies to reflected pronouns, (column d in Table.)

1. Mon maître me voit.

2. Son père le chérit.

3. Sa mère la chérit.

4. Votre frère se flatte (column d.)

5. Nos maîtres nous ont punis.

1. My master sees me.
2. His father cherishes him.
3. Her mother cherishes her.
4. Your brother flatters himself.
5. Our masters have punished us.

147. N.B.-The pron. le, la, and les only appear as direct objects. (37.)

148. The 1st and 2d pers. plur., ie., NOUS and vous, never change; they appear both as subjects, and as direct and indirect objects. Observe, therefore, that NOUS signifies both we and us.

149. When the verb requires à (and sometimes pour) before the noun, the pronouns used instead of the person or thing in question, are the same for the 1st and 2d pers. as those in column (b), but the 3d pers. is represented by LUI, to him, to her, &c., for the sing., and by LEUR, to them, for the plur., and the reflective form is still SE for both persons. N.B.-Read No. 146 over again.

1. Mon tuteur donne de l'argent à mes frères, mais il ne me donne rien.

2. Il écrit souvent à sa sœur, mais elle ne lui écrit jamais.

1. My guardian gives money to my brothers, but he gives me nothing (to me.)

2. He writes often to his sister, but she never writes to him. (150., a.)

3. Elle a écrit à son mari, mais il ne lui a 3. pas répondu.

4. Il leur enverra les journaux.

She has written to her husband, but he has not replied to her. (150., a.)

4. He will send the newspapers to them.

150. N.B.-(a) LUI, as an indirect conjunctive pron., means both to him and to her. (b) LEUR, to them, is always conjunctive (53.), and only appears as an indirect object.

↑ When the pronoun used as subject is placed after the verb, a hyphen unites them. (13.) Beginners must observe that when the tense is compound, the pron. is before the auxiliary

REMARKS.

151. Direct and indirect objective pronouns are placed after the verb when the verb is in the imperative, used affirmatively (146.); and observe that then MOI and TOI, which are disjunctive (154.), are used instead of me and te:— 1. Récompensez-le, reward him. 4. Donnez-lui du pain, give him bread. 5. Réjouis-toi, rejoice thyself.

2. Récompensez-la, reward her.

3. Punissons-les, let us punish them.

6. Punissez-moi, punish me.

N.B.-When the pers. pron. follows the v., a hyphen unites them. (13.)

152. But when the imperative is negative, the objective pron. precedes the verb (146.):

1. Ne le récompensez pas, do not reward him. | 4. Ne lui donnez pas de (42.) pain, give 2. Ne la récompensez pas, do not reward

her.

him no bread.

5. Ne te réjouis pas, do not rejoice thyself. 3. Ne les punissons pas, let us not punish them. 6. Ne me punissez pas, do not punish me. With the form which some grammarians call the 3d pers. of the imperative, (see Syntax,) the objective pron. always precedes.

153. The pron. "it," as the subject to the verb, is generally expressed by IL, m., and by ELLE, f.; when used as a direct object, it is rendered by LE, m., and by LA, f. :—

1. Put my knife in your pocket; but take 1. care, for it is pointed; and, as to your pocket, it is not very good.

Mettez mon couteau dans votre poche (f.);

mais prenez garde, car IL est pointu; et, quant à votre poche, ELLE n'est pas très-bonne.

Voyez-vous ce château ?—Oui, je LE vois. Voyez-vous cette maison?-Oui, je LA vois.

TRADUCTION ET LECTURE XVI.

3. Il pense.

4. Elle danse. 7. Ils jouent. 8. Elles cousent.

5. Nous

9. Je ne

(a)-1. Je parle. 2. Tu écoutes. marchons. 6. Vous coupez. suis pas riche. 10. Parlez-vous anglais ? 11. Où est votre canif?—Il est dans mon pupitre. 12. Où est votre plume ?-Elle est sur la table. (b)-1. Ils me louent. 2. Je te méprise. 3. Je le connais. 4. Il se croit très-savant. 6. Reconnaissez-vous cette fleur ?-Oui, je la reconnais. 7. Nous les avons (329.) remerciés. 8. Où avez vous lu ces romans ?-Je

les ai lus (329.) au château de mon tuteur. (c)-1. Vous nous donnez beaucoup d'embarras. 2. Dites à votre frère que je lui parlerai dans une heure. 3. Dites à Marie que je lui écrirai demain. 4. Son précepteur se donne beaucoup de peine. 5. Mes sœurs vous amèneront deux de leurs amies. 6. Je les ai déjà vues (329.) 7. Je leur prêterai des romans de Walter Scott. 8. Il vous répondra ce soir. MISCELLANEOUS.-1. Plaignez-moi. 2. Ne me plaignez pas. 3. Vendez-moi ce cheval. 4. Ne m'écrivez pas avant le 30 janvier. 5. Ne lui laissez pas tant d'ouvrage. 6. Le nouvel élève a deux dictionnaires, mais ils ne sont pas bons. 7. Parlez-vous de notre maison?-Oui, nous en parlons. Nous pensons qu'elle n'est pas très-commode. 8. Si vous y demeuriez, vous changeriez d'avis. 9. Consentez-vous à cette proposition?—Non, je n'y consens pas. 10. Consentez-y, je vous en prie. 11. Venez-vous du château ?— Non, mais j'y vais. 12. Revenez-vous du bois ?-Oui, j'en reviens. 13. Je vous confie cette affaire, donnez-y tous vos soins. 14. Voilà de jolies gravures; achetez-en. 15. Voilà du pain; coupez-m'en. (When the v. governs either y or en, m' and t' are used instead of moi and toi before y or en.-No. 151.)

Exercise XX.

(a)-1. I am here. 2. He speaks French. 2. We are rich. 4. Are you happy? 5. Are they here? 5. We are not happy. 6. Where is your penknife?—It is in my pocket. 7. Where are my needles (aiguilles, f.) ?—They are in my case (étui, m.) 8. Are they (m.) not pleased (content)?

(b)-1. You blame (blámez) me. 2. I punish him (punis). 2. I recompense her. 4. He knows us (connaît). 5. I punish them. 6. They deserve (méritent) it.

7. He hurts himself (blesse). 8. They flatter (flattent) themselves. 9. I do not punish him. 10. I have rewarded (récompensé) him.

(c.) 1. My father writes to me every month tous (les mois). 2. I send the parcel to him (envoie, paquet, m.). 3. I lend (to) her my book. 4. They bring friends to us (amėnent). 5. They yield (cèdent) to them. 6. I shall open the door to them (ouvrirai). 7. Will you open the door to him (ouvrirez)? 8. I shall not open the door to her. 9. We show them the way (montrons). 10. I shall write to you to-morrow (écrirai). 11. He writes (écrit) to us. 12. We write (écrivons) to him.

II.-Disjunctive Personal Pronouns.

(For the use of the Disjunctive Pronouns, the learner is referred to the Syntax.) 154. In the meantime, the pupil is requested to notice the following table, and to remember-(a.) that disjunctive pronouns (141.) never precede but always follow the governing verb; (b.) that there is only one form for both the subject and the object; (c.) that they are disjoined from the verb by a preposition or a conjunction (especially after comparisons); and (d.) that they are generally employed for the sake of emphasis or contrast.

1. Tu‡ viendras avec moi. 2. Il arrivera après lui.§ 3. Vous êtes plus cruelle qu'elle. 4. Votre cousin est plus adroit que moi. 5. Tout est contre elle. 6. Cette lettre est-elle pour moi ou pour vous? 7. Vous êtes anglais, mais moi je suis français. 8. Si vous ne voulez pas faire cela, je le ferai moi-même. 9. Je parle à lui et à elle. 10. Si vous ne voulez pas écrire ces lettres, ils les écriront eux-mêmes. 11. Il faut conduire ses affaires soi-même. 12. Chacun pense à soi.

of us.

Exercise XXI.

1. Laugh (riez) with me. 2. You speak against him. 3. Will-you-come (viendrez-vous) with us? 4. You will arrive after her (arriverez). 5. They speak 6. We are not charitable towards them (envers). 7. They are before thee (devant). 8. Thou art before them. 9. Are you poorer than he? 10. He is not so unhappy as I am. 11. He or his friend will do it (le fera). 12. He was more generous than they were. 13. I have seen him (l'ai vu) myself. 14. They do (font) everything (tout) themselves. 15. Who knocks at the door (frappe)? It is (C'est) I. 16. Who speaks?—

I do.

18. Is it (Est-ce) thou?-No, it is he. 19. His wife is English, but

157. † Soi is frequently employed without même.

158. The pronoun tu is much more frequently used in French than its corresponding thou in English: in the latter, thou is rarely used, except in solemn style; but in the former, tu is common in familiar language, as when parents address their children, and frequently children their parents, and generally when relatives or intimate friends speak or correspond with each other; as, Maman, veux-tu venir avec moi? Mamma, wilt thou come with me?-Delille. (See also No. 333.)

§ LUI, as a disjunctive pronoun (150, a.), only means "him."