In the French language the passive voice is much less frequently used than in English. That language has a re source which few others possess, for introducing the object acted on after the active verb without the mention of any particular agent, as it has a nominative of a very general application, on or l'on, signifying merely cc some being or beings real or imaginable." This is prefixed to the ac tive form of the verb, and the object acted on is conve niently made to follow in the accusative (or objective) case. On le dit, 44 some being or beings say so," is translated, with propriety " it is said." Our language is equally defective in a passive voice for the future as for the present. If the sentence domus trdifi cabitur is translated by the phrases "the house will be built," or cc the house will be building," or 44 a-building," or cc will be being built," we shall find these forms to la bour under the same disadvantages with the attempts al ready mentioned to give a translation of the words 44 domus adiftcatur." Yet we experience equally little inconve nience in this as in the former instance, because a mode rate skill in varying the turn of our sentence enables us to convey our meaning clearly without the use of a passive voice.
A neuter voice might be formed, consisting of a sepa rate word to signify that an action takes place, in a man ner similar to the words ningit and pink. We might have a single word for" there is," or there was a walk ing ;" in French, l'on se promene. In Latin, the passive voice is sometimes used in this neutral or impersonal manner. .4mbulatur is not passive in any thing else than in form. It means " the act of walking goes on ;" ambit latur ab illo, act of walking is performed by him,• for 44 he walks." Some actions are of such a nature that the object af fected by them is always interesting, and, in the earliest use of language, such actions are never related without immediate mention of an object thus affected. It also happens on such ocasions, that the manner in which the object is affected is evident from the nature of the action. Of this nature are the actions expressed by the verbs" to make," 44 to build," " to cut," " to strike," " to kill." Such verbs in the Latin language generally govern the ac cusative case, intimating the most iapid transition from the idea conveyed in the governl verb to that conveyed in the noun. The noun govern' may, in consequence of its own regimen, be rendered introductory to further addi tions both to the form and meaning of a sentence. The verb thus becomes a huge on which the greater part of the meaning of a sei vence turns. The large proportion of verbs which go nouns in this manner has confer red a conspicuous•rank on this part of speech. It is in this respect m)re powerful than the adjective. Even when are used as predicates in affirmation, the meaning vnich they introduce generally terminates in themsel, or leads to subordinate ideas only through the of prepositions. \Ve say " this man is good," ti.st man is just ;" also, " this man is good at heart," "that man is just in all his conduct." It is seldom that adjectives in Latin can be admitted to govern the accusa tive ; and even the phrases in which this might appear to take place, such as Os humerosque similis, are commonly explained by the subaudition of the preposition quoad. These differences betwixt the active verb and the other parts of speech have had a secret influence in leading grammarians to attach great importance to the verb. Its full power seems to reside in this form of it. Verbs of other kinds have appeared to be exceptions, or words to which convenience has assigned a verbal form, though they are not originally entitled to it.
The governing powers of the active verb are retained by the active participle and the infinitive mood. This
act seems to have led grammarians to consider these forms of words as parts of the verb properly so called. The participle is distinguished from the adjective by regimen alone. Hence those grammarians who call participles real adjectives have always been most fully satisfied with the appellation when applied to the participles of verbs destitute of regimen, such as " thriving," " charming," " surprising," words which are in all respects used as ad jectives, though participles in etymology and in form.
The infinitive mood has the same similarity to the sub stantive noun as the participle has to the adjective. It may become a nominative to a verb, as " to enjoy is to obey ;" or an accusative, as " men generally wish to live long;" but, when introductory to other words, it has a more powerful and ready regimen than the noun. In Latin, it like the verb governs the accusative, and not ex clusively the genitive, like the noun. We shall afterwards consider more particularly the participle and the infinitive mood. At present we have merely accounted for the fact, that grammarians have reckoned them real parts of the verb.
It must always have been obvious that this office of the active verb is not common to all verbs, and therefore is not characteristic of this part of speech; and, if the participle and the infinitive mood arc to be reckoned parts of the verb, the problem still remains unsolved, what is the true characteristic of the verb? Mr Tooke intimated that he was prepared with some doctrine which appeared to him self satisfactory as a description of the verb, including its infinitive mood. Every philologist must regret that this acute writer did not communicate his views more fully to the world. On this part of the subject, it is possible that they may have been both well founded and original. We are certain that they would have been at least worthy of attention. They appear to have been valuable in his own eyes; they would have been exhibited in a forcible manner if he had chosen to publish them, and might have led the way to a more satisfactory account of the subject. But, as no explanation of th'-s sort occurs on our own most matur ed reflections, weliwurally suspect (however presump tuous the declaration appear,) that his theory would have either turned out evuttually inconsistent with some of the opinions which he has Pudished, or would have been in itself unsatisfactory.
A precise answer to in the form now pro posed is not of great importance. We have pointed out assertion as one office which is by verbs alone. We have pointed out the quality of anactive regimen, as belonging to an extensive department 01 verbs, and have shown that this quality is possessed by torts closely allied to the verb in etymology, and generally bered among its parts, though not possessing a. asserting power. We have shown in what words asserts a transitive regimen arc separate, and in what they art- com bined. Assertion is separate in the indicative mood of sib stantive and neuter verbs ; the transitive regimen, in the infinitive mood and active participle of active verbs. 'We have endeavoured to investigate the connection betwixt these parts of speech and the indicative of the verb. In so far as their character is inconstant or complicated, we have stated the causes of these characteristics, and the shades of variation by which they arc distinguished. We have shown in what respects the intermediate kinds of words partake of the nature of one part of speech, and in what respects they partake of the nature of another. If the particulars on these subjects are impressed on our minds, our theories will be exempt from ambiguity or confusion.