because two nouns that are not in the same case, do sometimes “signify” or “denote” the same thing.  Thus, “the city of London,” means only the city London; “the land of Egypt,” is only Egypt; and “the person of Richard” is Richard himself.  Dr. Webster defines apposition to be, “The placing of two nouns in the same case, without a connecting word between them.”—­Octavo Dict. This, too, excludes the pronouns, and has exceptions, both various and numerous.  In the first place, the apposition may be of more than two nouns, without any connective; as, “Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law.”—­Ezra, vii, 21.  Secondly, two nouns connected by a conjunction, may both be put in apposition with a preceding noun or pronoun; as, “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”—­Acts, ii, 36.  “Who made me a judge or a divider over you.”—­Luke, xii, 14.  Thirdly, the apposition may be of two nouns immediately connected by and, provided the two words denote but one person or thing; as, “This great philosopher and statesman was bred a printer.”  Fourthly, it may be of two words connected by as, expressing the idea of a partial or assumed identity; as, “Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”—­2 Thess., iii, 15.  “So that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God.”—­Ib., ii, 4.  Fifthly, it may perhaps be of two words connected by than; as, “He left them no more than dead men.”—­Law and Grace, p. 28.  Lastly, there is a near resemblance to apposition, when two equivalent nouns are connected by or; as, “The back of the hedgehog is covered with prickles, or spines.”—­Webster’s Dict.

OBS. 5.—­To the rule for apposition, as I have expressed it, there are properly no exceptions.  But there are many puzzling examples of construction under it, some of which are but little short of exceptions; and upon such of these as are most likely to embarrass the learner, some further observations shall be made.  The rule supposes the first word to be the principal term, with which the other word, or subsequent noun or pronoun, is in apposition; and it generally is so:  but the explanatory word is sometimes placed first, especially among the poets; as,

   “From bright’ning fields of ether fair disclos’d,
    Child of the sun, refulgent Summer comes.”—­Thomson.

OBS. 6.—­The pronouns of the first and second persons are often placed before nouns merely to distinguish their person; as, “I John saw these things.”—­Bible.  “But what is this to you receivers?”—­Clarkson’s Essay on Slavery, p. 108.  “His praise, ye brooks, attune.”—­Thomson.  In this case of apposition, the words are in general