“The horse is a noble animal;” “The dog is a faithful creature;” “The wind blows;” “The wolves were howling in the woods.”  In these examples, we do not refer to any particular lunatics, poets, lovers, horses, dogs, winds, wolves, and woods, but we refer to these particular classes of things, in contradistinction to other objects or classes.  The phrase, “Neither the one nor the other,” is an idiom of the language.

REMARKS.—­This method of elucidating the articles, which is popular with Blair, Priestley, Lowth, Johnson, Harris, Beattie, Coote, Murray, and many other distinguished philologists, is discarded by some of our modern writers.  But, by proving that this theory is exceptionable, they by no means make it appear, that it ought, therefore, to be rejected.

Exceptionable or not, they have not been able to supply its place with one that is more convenient in practice.  Neither have they adopted one less exceptionable.  The truth is, after all which can be done to render the definitions and rules of grammar comprehensive and accurate, they will still be found, when critically examined by men of learning and science, more or less exceptionable.  These exceptions and imperfections are the unavoidable consequence of the imperfections of the language.  Language, as well as every thing else of human invention, will always be imperfect.  Consequently, a perfect system of grammatical principles, would not suit it.  A perfect grammar will not be produced, until some perfect being writes it for a perfect language; and a perfect language will not be constructed, until some super-human agency is employed in its production.  All grammatical principles and systems which are not perfect, are exceptionable.

    NOTES.

1.  The article is omitted before nouns implying the different virtues, vices, passions, qualities, sciences, arts, metals, herbs, &c.; as, “Modesty is becoming; Falsehood is odious; Grammar is useful,” &c.

2.  The article is not prefixed to proper nouns; as, Barron killed Decatur; except by way of eminence, or for the sake of distinguishing a particular family, or when some noun is understood; as, “He is not a Franklin; He is a Lee, or of the family of the Lees; We sailed down the (river) Missouri.”

3.  An adjective is frequently placed between the article and the noun with which the article agrees; as, “A good boy; an industrious man.”  Sometimes the adjective precedes the article; as, “As great a man as Alexander; Such a shame.”

4.  In referring to many individuals, when we wish to bring each separately under consideration, the indefinite article is sometimes placed between