An English Grammar Part 86

Lin'd with Giants deadlier than _'em_ all.--POPE.

But he must be a stronger than _thee_.--SOUTHEY.

Not to render up my soul to such as _thee_.--BYRON.

I shall not learn my duty from such as _thee_.--FIELDING.

[Sidenote: _A safe rule._]

It will be safer for the student to follow the general rule, as ill.u.s.trated in the following sentences:--

If so, they are yet holier than _we_.--RUSKIN.

Who would suppose it is the game of such as _he_?--d.i.c.kENS.

Do we see The robber and the murd'rer weak as _we_?

--MILTON.

I have no other saint than _thou_ to pray to.--LONGFELLOW.

[Sidenote: "_Than_ whom."]

401. One exception is to be noted. The expression than whom seems to be used universally instead of "than _who_." There is no special reason for this, but such is the fact; for example,--

One I remember especially,--one _than whom_ I never met a bandit more gallant.--THACKERAY.

The camp of Richard of England, _than whom_ none knows better how to do honor to a n.o.ble foe.--SCOTT.

She had a companion who had been ever agreeable, and her estate a steward _than whom_ no one living was supposed to be more competent.--PARTON.

[Sidenote: "_It was_ he" _or_ "_It was_ him"?]

402. And there is one question about which grammarians are not agreed, namely, whether the nominative or the objective form should be used in the predicate after _was_, _is_, _are_, and the other forms of the verb _be_.

It may be stated with a.s.surance that the literary language _prefers the nominative_ in this instance, as,--

For there was little doubt that it was _he_.--KINGSLEY.

But still it is not _she_.--MACAULAY.

And it was _he_ That made the s.h.i.+p to go.

--COLERIDGE.

In spoken English, on the other hand, both in England and America, the objective form is regularly found, unless a special, careful effort is made to adopt the standard usage. The following are examples of spoken English from conversations:--

"Rose Satterne, the mayor's daughter?"--"That's _her_."--KINGSLEY.

"Who's there?"--"_Me_, Patrick the Porter."--WINTHROP.

"If there is any one embarra.s.sed, it will not be _me_."--WM.

BLACK.

The usage is too common to need further examples.

Exercise.

Correct the italicized p.r.o.nouns in the following sentences, giving reasons from the a.n.a.lysis of the sentence:--

1. _Whom_ they were I really cannot specify.

2. Truth is mightier than _us_ all.

3. If there ever was a rogue in the world, it is _me_.

4. They were the very two individuals _whom_ we thought were far away.

5. "Seems to me as if _them_ as writes must hev a kinder gift fur it, now."

6. The sign of the Good Samaritan is written on the face of _whomsoever_ opens to the stranger.

7. It is not _me_ you are in love with.

8. You know _whom_ it is that you thus charge.

9. The same affinity will exert its influence on _whomsoever_ is as n.o.ble as these men and women.

10. It was _him_ that Horace Walpole called a man who never made a bad figure but as an author.

11. We shall soon see which is the fittest object of scorn, you or _me_.

[Sidenote: Me _in exclamations_.]

403. It is to be remembered that the objective form is used in exclamations which turn the attention upon a person; as,--

Unhappy _me!_ That I cannot risk my own worthless life.--KINGSLEY

Alas! miserable _me_! Alas! unhappy Senors!--_Id._

Ay _me_! I fondly dream--had ye been there.--MILTON.

[Sidenote: Nominative for the objective.]

404. The rule for the objective form is wrongly departed from--