OBS. 1.—­The distinction of persons is founded on the different relations which the objects mentioned in any discourse may bear to the discourse itself.  The speaker or writer, being the mover and maker of the communication, of course stands in the nearest or first of these relations.  The hearer or hearers, being personally present and directly addressed, evidently sustain the next or second of these relations; this relation is also that of the reader, when he peruses what is addressed to himself in print or writing.  Lastly, whatsoever or whosoever is merely mentioned in the discourse, bears to it that more remote relation which constitutes the third person.  The distinction of persons belongs to nouns, pronouns, and finite verbs; and to these it is always applied, either by peculiarity of form or construction, or by inference from the principles of concord.  Pronouns are like their antecedents, and verbs are like their subjects, in person.

OBS. 2.—­Of the persons, numbers, genders, cases, and some other grammatical modifications of words, it should be observed that they belong not exclusively to any one part of speech, but jointly and equally, to two or three.  Hence, it is necessary that our definitions of these things be such as will apply to each of them in full, or under all circumstances; for the definitions ought to be as general in their application as are the things or properties defined.  Any person, number, gender, case, or other grammatical modification, is really but one and the same thing, in whatever part of speech it may be found.  This is plainly implied in the very nature of every form of syntactical agreement; and as plainly contradicted in one half, and probably more, of the definitions usually given of these things.

OBS. 3.—­Let it be understood, that persons, in grammar, are not words, but mere forms, relations, or modifications of words; that they are things, thus named by a figure; things of the neuter gender, and not living souls.  But persons, in common parlance, or in ordinary life, are intelligent beings, of one or the other sex.  These objects, different as they are in their nature, are continually confounded by the makers of English grammars:  as, “The first person is the person who speaks.”—­Comly’s Gram., p. 17.  So Bicknell, of London:  “The first person speaks of himself; as, I John take thee Elizabeth.  The second person has the speech directed to him, and is supposed to be present; as, Thou Harry art a wicked fellow.  The third person is spoken of, or described, and supposed to be absent; as, That Thomas is a good man.  And in the same manner the plural pronouns are used, when more than one are spoken of.”—­Bicknell’s Grammatical Wreath, p. 50.  “The person speaking is the first person; the person spoken to, the second; and the person spoken of, the third.”—­Russell’s