is here needless, and “before” may be parsed as a conjunctive adverb of time.  I have one example more:  “But, besides that he attempted it formerly with no success, it is certain the Venetians keep too watchful an eye,” &c.—­Addison.  This is good English, but the word “besides” if it be not a conjunction, may as well be called an adverb, as a preposition.

OBS. 8.—­There are but few words in the list of prepositions, that are not sometimes used as being of some other part of speech.  Thus bating, excepting, concerning, touching, respecting, during, pending, and a part of the compound notwithstanding, are literally participles; and some writers, in opposition to general custom, refer them always to their original class.  Unlike most other prepositions, they do not refer to place, but rather to action, state, or duration; for, even as prepositions, they are still allied to participles.  Yet to suppose them always participles, as would Dr. Webster and some others, is impracticable.  Examples:  “They speak concerning virtue.”—­Bullions, Prin. of E. Gram., p. 69.  Here concerning cannot be a participle, because its antecedent term is a verb, and the meaning is, “they speak of virtue.”  “They are bound during life.” that is, durante vita, life continuing, or, as long as life lasts.  So, “Notwithstanding this,” i.e., “hoc non obstante,” this not hindering.  Here the nature of the construction seems to depend on the order of the words.  “Since he had succeeded, notwithstanding them, peaceably to the throne.”—­Bolingbroke, on Hist., p. 31.  “This is a correct English idiom, Dr. Lowth’s criticism, to the contrary notwithstanding.”—­Webster’s Improved Gram., p. 85.  In the phrase, “notwithstanding them,” the former word is clearly a preposition governing the latter; but Dr. Webster doubtless supposed the word “criticism” to be in the nominative case, put absolute with the participle:  and so it would have been, had he written not withstanding as two words, like “non obstante;” but the compound word notwithstanding is not a participle, because there is no verb to notwithstand.  But notwithstanding, when placed before a nominative, or before the conjunction that, is a conjunction, and, as such, must be rendered in Latin by tamen, yet, quamvis, although, or nihilominus, nevertheless.

OBS. 9.—­For, when it signifies because, is a conjunction:  as, “Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”—­Prov., xxvii, 1. For has this meaning, and, according to Dr. Johnson, is a conjunction, when it precedes that; as, “Yet for that the worst men are most ready to remove, I would wish them chosen by discretion of wise men.”—­Spenser. The