NOTE XIII.—­Perfect participles being variously formed, care should be taken to express them agreeably to the best usage, and also to distinguish them from the preterits of their verbs, where there is any difference of form.  Example:  “It would be well, if all writers who endeavour to be accurate, would be careful to avoid a corruption at present so prevalent, of saying, it was wrote, for, it was written; he was drove, for, he was driven; I have went, for, I have gone, &c., in all which instances a verb is absurdly used to supply the proper participle, without any necessity from the want of such word.”—­Harris’s Hermes, p. 186.

IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.

FALSE SYNTAX UNDER RULE XX.

EXAMPLES UNDER NOTE I.—­EXPUNGE OF.

“In forming of his sentences, he was very exact.”—­Error noticed by Murray, Vol. i, p. 194.

[FORMULE.—­Not proper, because the preposition of is used after the participle forming, whose verb does not require it.  But, according to Note 1st under Rule 20th, “Active participles have the same government as the verbs from which they are derived; the preposition of, therefore, should not be used after the participle, when the verb does not require it.”  Therefore, of should be omitted; thus, “In forming his sentences, he was very exact.”]

“For not believing of which I condemn them”—­Barclay’s Works, iii. 354.  “To prohibit his hearers from reading of that book.”—­Ib., i, 223.  “You will please them exceedingly, in crying down of ordinances.”—­MITCHELL:  ib., i, 219.  “The war-wolf subsequently became an engine for casting of stones,”—­Constable’s Miscellany, xxi, 117.  “The art of dressing of hides and working in leather was practised.”—­Ib., xxi, 101.  “In the choice they had made of him, for restoring of order.”—­Rollin’s Hist., ii, 37.  “The Arabians exercised themselves by composing of orations and poems.”—­Sale’s Koran, p. 17.  “Behold, the widow-woman was there gathering of sticks.”—­1 Kings, xvii, 10.  “The priests were busied in offering of burnt-offerings.”—­2 Chron., xxxv, 14.  “But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.”—­2 Sam., ii, 21.  “He left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.”—­1 Kings, xv, 21.  “Those who accuse us of denying of it, belie us.”—­Barclay’s Works, iii, 280.  “And breaking of bread from house to house.”—­Ib., i, 192.  “Those that set about repairing of the walls.”—­Ib., i, 459.  “And secretly begetting of divisions.”—­Ib., i, 521.  “Whom he had made use of in gathering of his church.”—­Ib., i, 535.  “In defining and distinguishing of the acceptions and uses of those particles.”—­Walker’s Particles, p. 12.

   “In punishing of this, we overthrow
    The laws of nations, and of nature too.”—­Dryden, p. 92.