An English Grammar Part 66

From.

322. The general idea in from is separation or source. It may be with regard to--

(1) _Place._

Like boys escaped _from_ school.--H.H. BANCROFT

Thus they drifted _from_ snow-clad ranges to burning plain.--_Id._

(2) _Origin._

Coming _from_ a race of day-dreamers, Ayrault had inherited the faculty of dreaming also by night.--HIGGINSON.

_From_ harmony, _from_ heavenly harmony This universal frame began.--DRYDEN.

(3) _Time._

A distrustful, if not a desperate man, did he become _from_ the night of that fearful dream--HAWTHORNE.

(4) _Motive_, _cause_, or _reason_.

It was _from_ no fault of Nolan's.--HALE.

The young cavaliers, _from_ a desire of seeming valiant, ceased to be merciful.--BANCROFT.

Exercise.--Find sentences with three meanings of _from_.

Of.

323. The original meaning of of was separation or source, like _from_. The various uses are shown in the following examples:--

I. The _From_ Relation.

(1) _Origin or source._

The king holds his authority _of_ the people.--MILTON.

Thomas a Becket was born _of_ reputable parents in the city of London.--HUME.

(2) _Separation_: (_a_) After certain verbs, such as _ease_, _demand_, _rob_, _divest_, _free_, _clear_, _purge_, _disarm_, _deprive_, _relieve_, _cure_, _rid_, _beg_, _ask_, etc.

Two old Indians cleared the spot _of_ brambles, weeds, and gra.s.s.--PARKMAN.

Asked no odds _of_, acquitted them _of,_ etc.--ALDRICH.

(_b_) After some adjectives,--_clear of_, _free of_, _wide of_, _bare of_, etc.; especially adjectives and adverbs of direction, as _north of_, _south of_, etc.

The hills were bare _of_ trees.--BAYARD TAYLOR.

Back _of_ that tree, he had raised a little Gothic chapel.

--GAVARRE.

(_c_) After nouns expressing lack, deprivation, etc.

A singular want _of_ all human relation.--HIGGINSON.

_(d)_ With words expressing distance.

Until he had come within a staff's length _of_ the old dame.

--HAWTHORNE

Within a few yards _of_ the young man's hiding place.--_Id._

(3) _With expressions of material_, especially _out of_.

White s.h.i.+rt with diamond studs, or breastpin _of_ native gold.--BANCROFT.

Sandals, bound with thongs _of_ boar's hide.--SCOTT

Who formed, _out of_ the most unpromising materials, the finest army that Europe had yet seen.--MACAULAY

(4) _Expressing cause, reason, motive._

The author died _of_ a fit of apoplexy.--BOSWELL.

More than one altar was richer _of_ his vows.--LEW WALLACE.

"Good for him!" cried Nolan. "I am glad _of_ that."--E.E. HALE.

(5) _Expressing agency._

You cannot make a boy know, _of_ his own knowledge, that Cromwell once ruled England.--HUXLEY.

He is away _of_ his own free will.--d.i.c.kENS

II. Other Relations expressed by _Of_.

(6) _Part.i.tive_, expressing a part of a number or quant.i.ty.

_Of_ the Forty, there were only twenty-one members present.

--PARTON.