machinery.  Steam is the more latent cause; and the engine with its complicated parts is the direct means.  In the absence of either, the boat would not be propelled.  In the formation of language, I may say correctly, “Solomon built the temple;” for he stood in that relation to the matter which supposes it would not have been built without his direction and command.  To accomplish such an action, however, he need not raise a hammer or a gavel, or draw a line on the trestle board.  His command made known to his ministers was sufficient to cause the work to be done.  Hence the whole fact is indicated or declared by the single expression, “Solomon built the temple.”

The Imperative mood is unchanged in form.  I can say to one man, go, or to a thousand, go.  The commander when drilling one soldier, says, march; and he bids the whole battalion, march.  The agent who is to perform the action is understood when not expressed; as, go, go thou, or go you.  The agent is generally omitted, because the address is given direct to the person who is expected to obey the instruction, request, or command.  This verb always agrees with an agent in the second person.  And yet our “grammars made easy” have given us three persons in this mood—­“Let me love; love, love thou, or do thou love; let him love.”  In the name of common sense, I ask, what can children learn by such instruction? “Let me love,” in the conjugation of the verb to love!  To whom is this command given?  To myself of course!  I command myself to “let me love!” What nonsense!  “Let him love.”  I stand here, you set there, and the third person is in Philadelphia.  I utter these words, “Let him love.”  What is my meaning?  Why, our books tell us, that the verb to love is third person.  Then I command him to let himself love!  What jargon and falsehood!  You all know that we can address the second person only.  You would call me insane if I should employ language according to the rules of grammar as laid down in the standard books.  In my room alone, no person near me, I cry out, “let me be quiet”—­imperative mood, first person of to be!  Do I command myself to let myself be quiet?  Most certainly, if be is the principal verb in the first person, and let the auxiliary.  The teacher observes one of his pupils take a pencil from a classmate who sets near him.  He says, “let him have it.”  To whom is the command given?  It is the imperative mood, third person of the verb to have.  Does he command the third person, the boy who has not the pencil?  Such is the resolution of the sentence, according to the authority of standard grammars.  But where is there a child five years old who does not know better.  Every body knows that he addresses the second person, the boy who has the pencil, to let the other have it.