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Kirkham, Samuel

"English Grammar in Familiar Lectures"

The phrase, "Neither _the_ one nor _the_ other," is an idiom of
the language.
REMARKS.--This method of elucidating the articles, which is popular
with Blair, Priestley, Lowth, Johnson, Harris, Beattie, Coote,
Murray, and many other distinguished philologists, is discarded by
some of our modern writers. But, by proving that this theory is
exceptionable, they by no means make it appear, that it ought,
therefore, to be rejected.
Exceptionable or not, they have not been able to supply its place
with one that is more _convenient in practice_. Neither have they
adopted one _less_ exceptionable. The truth is, after all which can
be done to render the definitions and rules of grammar comprehensive
and accurate, they will still be found, when critically examined by
men of learning and science, more or less exceptionable. These
exceptions and imperfections are the unavoidable consequence of the
imperfections of the language. Language, as well as every thing else
of human invention, will always be _imperfect_. Consequently, a
_perfect_ system of grammatical principles, would not suit it.


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