LESSON XIV.

EXERCISE.

THE DUKE AND THE GALLEY-SLAVES.

THE King of Spain once gave

to

Ossuna to release such of the galley-slaves as think proper. The Duke, as he

Duke of might

among the slaves

who were at the oars, asked them in succession of what crime they had guilty. They all protested innocence, and him that they had been unjustly One attributed his condemnation to the

of an enemy, another to the

of his judge. At last, however, he one who admitted that, to save his

from starving, he had robbed a man of
highway. The Duke,

on

he heard this, gave

his hand, and said,

of honest men."

fault was released, while the

were compelled to

at

their labors.

Thus we see

by

a

we are not likely to lose any thing faults.

admission of

"Charles walks," who is it that I speak about?

In the sentence, "The oak has been cut down," what is it that I speak about?

The oak.

What do we call Charles, oak, and all words respecting which an action or state is affirmed?

SUBJECTS.

What is the subject of a verb?

The subject of a verb is that respecting which the action or state expressed by the verb is affirmed. How may you always find the subject of a verb ?

Put the word who or what before the verb, and the answer to the question will be the subject.

Give me an example. In the sentence, "John went to market," what is the subject?

Put who before the verb, and the answer to the question will be the subject; thus, "Who went to market?" Answer, John. John, therefore, is the subject.

In the sentence, "Virtue is a source of happiness," find the subject in the same manner as above. Put what before the verb; happiness?" Answer, Virtue.

"What is a source of

Virtue is the subject.

In the same manner select the subjects in the following sentences:

Bees make honey. Virginia is a large state.
Quarrels are unpleasant. Charles was late at school.
The flute makes fine music. We are tired of walking.
The machine was invented in England. You are wrong.
Gratitude is a noble feeling. Science enlarges the mind.
They are very sick. We were disappointed.

In the last two sentences, what are the subjects?

They and we.

What part of speech are they and we?

Pronouns.

May pronouns, then, be subjects of a verb ?

They may.

In the sentence, "To steal is base," find the subject as above. Put what before the verb; "What is base?" Answer, to steal. To steal is the subject.

What part of speech is steal?

A verb, because it expresses action.

When a verb has to before it, we say that it is in the infinitive mood; may a verb in the infinitive mood, then, be the subject of another verb ?

It inay.

What mood is a verb in, when it has to before it?

A verb is in the infinitive mood when it has to before it.

How may we know when a verb is in the infinitive mood? By seeing whether it has to before it.

Is to play in the infinitive mood? to jump? to walk? Mention six more verbs in the infinitive mood.

May a verb in the infinitive mood be the subject of another verb ?

It may.

Give me several examples, and mention the subject.

To lie is dishonorable: here, to lie is the subject. To travel is pleasant: to travel is the subject.

Make three short sentences of your own, like the above, in which a verb in the infinitive mood will be the subject of another verb, and mention the subject in each sentence.

In the sentence, "Whether we shall go to Boston is uncertain," find the subject in the manner described above.

Put what before the verb: "What is uncertain?" Answer, whether we shall go to Boston. These words, therefore, whether we shall go to Boston, are the subject.

These words form part of a sentence; may, then, part of a sentence be the subject of a verb ?

It may.

Find, as above, the subjects in the following sentences.

1. To fall from the top of a church-steeple, is certain death.

2. For a weak nation to provoke a strong one, is bad policy.

3. That even the best men commit sin, is proved by daily experience.

Now, let us see, what have we found that a verb may have for its subject?

A verb may have for its subject,

I. A noun; as, John walks.

II. A pronoun; as, they are gone.

III. A verb in the infinitive mood; as, to dig is hard work.

IV. Part of a sentence; as, doing one's duty secures happiness.

Select the subject in each of the sentences just given as examples.

EXERCISE.

Select and write out the subject in each of the following sentences; if you are in any doubt, put who or what before the verb, as directed above.

EXAMPLE. Working in quicksilver mines is very injurious to the health.

Subject. Working in quicksilver mines.

1. We should improve our time.

2. Digging potatoes is hard work.

3. To reveal a friend's secrets is dishonorable.

4. Cicero was a celebrated orator.

5. Wealth does not always procure esteem.

6. Temperance and exercise preserve health.

7. Time and tide wait for no man.

8. For an ignorant person to profess to teach philosophy, only exposes him to ridicule.

9. Whether it will rain is uncertain.

10. John and I will start in the morning. 11. Where are the women going?

12 To be wise in his own eyes, is the mark of a fool.

LESSON XVI.

EXERCISE.

WHERE a dash occurs, insert a subject, either a noun, a pronoun, a verb in the infinitive mood, or part of a sentence, as may be required to complete

8. Have

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

is a useful study.

arrived?

attends carefully to his lessons.

and

written your exercise?

are made from milk.

is a proof of dishonesty. is the practice of a bad boy.

is unpleasant work.

is the business of the baker.

marched by with a fine band of music.

*Here the pupil must insert a verb in the infinitive mode or part of a sentence.