which only lacks a comma, is changed to what Wells rightly calls an “anomalous expression,” and one wherein that author supposes foreigner and his to be necessarily in the same case.  But Greene varies this example into other “abridged forms,” thus:  “I knew that he was a foreigner,” = “I knew his being, or of his being a foreigner.”  “The fact that he was a foreigner, = of his being a foreigner, was undeniable.” “When he was first called a foreigner, = on his being first called a foreigner, his anger was excited.”—­Ib., p. 171.  All these changes enlarge, rather than abridge, the expression; and, at the same time, make it questionable English, to say the least of it.

OBS. 9.—­In some examples, the adverb there precedes the participle, and we evidently have nothing by which to determine the case that follows; as, “These judges were twelve in number.  Was this owing to there being twelve primary deities among the Gothic nations?”—­Webster’s Essays, p. 263.  Say rather:  “Was this because there were twelve primary deities among the Gothic nations?” “How many are injured by Adam’s fall, that know nothing of there ever being such a man in the world!”—­Barclay’s Apology, p. 185.  Say rather,—­“who know not that there ever was such a man in the world!”

OBS. 10.—­In some other examples, we find a possessive before the participle, and a doubtful case after it; as, “This our Saviour himself was pleased to make use of as the strongest argument of his being the promised Messiah”—­Addison’s Evidences, p. 81.  “But my chief affliction consisted in my being singled out from all the other boys, by a lad about fifteen years of age, as a proper object upon whom he might let loose the cruelty of his temper.”—­Cowper’s Memoir, p. 13. “[Greek:  Tou patros [ontos] onou euthus hypemnaesthae].  He had some sort of recollection of his father’s being an ass”—­Collectanea Graeca Minora, Notae, p. 7.  This construction, though not uncommon, is anomalous in more respects than one.  Whether or not it is worthy to form an exception to the rule of same cases, or even to that of possessives, the reader may judge from the observations made on it under the latter.  I should rather devise some way to avoid it, if any can be found—­and I believe there can; as, “This our Saviour himself was pleased to advance as the strongest proof that he was the promised Messiah.”—­“But my chief affliction consisted in this, that I was singled out,” &c.  The story of the mule is, “He seemed to recollect on a sudden that his father was an ass.”  This is the proper meaning of the Greek text above; but the construction is different, the Greek nouns being genitives in apposition.