“All these afar off stood, crying, Alas! 
    Alas! and wept, and gnashed their teeth, and groaned;
    And with the owl, that on her ruins sat,
    Made dolorous concert in the ear of Night.”—­Pollok.

    “Snatch’d in thy prime! alas, the stroke were mild,
    Had my frail form obey’d the fate’s decree! 
    Blest were my lot, O Cynthio!  O my child! 
    Had Heaven so pleas’d, and I had died for thee!”—­Shenstone.

IMPROPRIETIES FOR CORRECTION.

ERRORS RESPECTING INTERJECTIONS.

“Of chance or change, oh let not man complain.”—­Bucke’s Classical Gram., p. 85.

[FORMULE.—­Not proper, because the interjection oh, a sign of sorrow, pain, or surprise, is here used to indicate mere earnestness.  But, according to the list of interjections, or OBS. 2d under it, the interjection of wishing, earnestness, or vocative address, is O, and not oh.  Therefore, oh should here be O; thus, “Of chance or change, O let not man complain.”—­Beattie’s Minstrel, B. ii, l. 1.]

“O thou persecutor!  Oh ye hypocrites.”—­Merchant’s Gram., p. 99; et al.  “Oh! thou, who touchedst Isaiah’s hallowed lips with fire.”—­Ib., (Key,) p. 197.  “Oh! happy we, surrounded by so many blessings.”—­Ib., (Exercises,) p. 138.  “Oh! thou, who art so unmindful of thy duty.”—­Ib., (Key,) p. 196.  “If I am wrong, oh teach my heart To find that better way.”—­Pope’s Works.  “Heus! evocate hue Davum. Ter.  Hoe! call Davus out hither.”—­Walker’s Particles, p. 155.  “It was represented by an analogy, (Oh, how inadequate!) which was borrowed from the religion of paganism.”—­Murray’s Gram., p. 281.  “Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!”—­ALGER’S BIBLE:  Gen., xvii, 18.  “And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak.”—­FRIENDS’ BIBLE:  Gen., xviii, 30.  “And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry.”—­ID., and SCOTT’S:  ib., ver. 32.  “Oh, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word.”—­FRIENDS’ BIBLE, and ALGER’S:  Gen., xliv, 18.  “Oh, Virtue! how amiable thou art!  I fear, alas! for my life.”—­Fisk’s Gram., p. 89.  “Ay me, they little know How dearly I abide that boast so vain.”—­Milton’s P. L., B. iv, l. 86.  “Oh! that I had digged myself a cave.”—­FLETCHER:  in Bucke’s Gram., p. 78.  “O, my good lord! thy comfort comes too late.”—­SHAK.:  ib., p. 78.  “The vocative takes no article; it is distinguished thus:  O Pedro, Oh Peter! O Dios, Oh God!”—­Bucke’s Gram., p. 43.  “Oh, o!  But, the relative is always the same.”—­Cobbett’s Eng.  Gram., 1st Ed., p. 127.  “Oh, oh!  But, the relative is always the same.”—­Id., Edition of 1832, p. 116.  “Ah hail, ye happy men!”—­Jaudon’s Gram.,