ask a stronger proof than that I give you, it is that I heard it, yes, heard it with my own ears. 3. My gout does not allow me a moment's repose. 4. It is in vain that I exhort you to work and study; your idleness, that cruel disease under which you labour, renders useless all the exhortations of friendship. (1.) Finds himself, se retrouver; safe, sur ses jambes. (2.) Can, cond-1; doubt, douter de; ask, exiger. (3.) Allow laisser. (4.) It is in vain that I, je avoir beau; you labour, qui vous travaille. DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS. For their concord with the noun, see Nos. 70, 71, 72. 263. ETRE, used in conjunction with ce, must be in the singular, although relating to the first and second person plural. c'est moi qui l'ai dit, EXAMPLES: ce sera vous qui en jouirez, it is I who said so you will be the person to enjoy it. 264. With regard to the third person plural, the verb ÊTRE is sometimes plural, sometimes singular this difference does not arise from any rule or principle, but merely from custom, and, as it cannot be explained, an example of each case is given for refer est-ce eux ? est-ce elles? est-ce que ce furent-eux? 266. CE is used before étre, instead of the pronouns il, elle, ils, elles, in reference to a noun, singular or plural, antecedently named, at the beginning of the sentence which declares the nature or the ac tions of such a noun. Thus, having mentioned the Phenicians, we say: ce furent eux qui inventèrent l'écriture, lisez Homère et Virgile: ce sont les plus grands poètes de l'antiquité. la douceur, l'affabilité et une cer taine urbanité, distinguent l'homme qui vit dans le grand monde; ce sont là les marques auxquelles on le reconnaît, avez-vous lu Platon? c'est un des plus beaux génies de l'antiquité, they were the inventors of writing. read Homer and Virgil: they are the best poets of antiquity. gentleness, affability, and a certain urbanity, distinguish the man that frequents polite company; these are marks by which he may be known. have you read Plato? he is one of the greatest geniuses of antiquity. But, when the verb étre is followed by an adjective, or by a substantive taken adjectively, ii or elle, must be used. EXAMPLES. lisez Démosthènes et Cicéron; ils sont très-éloquents, j'ai vu l'hôpital de Greenwich; il est magnifique et digne d'une grande nation, compteriez-vous sur Valère? ignorez-vous qu'il est homme ne jamais revenir de ses premières idées ? read Demosthenes and Cicero ; they are very eloquent. I have seen Greenwich Hospital; it is superb, and worthy of a great nation. would you rely upon Valère? d you not know that he is a man who will never abandon his first opinions? 267. A distinction is made in English, as to the singular or the plural, in sentences like these, this is my horse, these are my children; ce is again used in French before both numbers. * 1. It is we who have drawn that misfortune upon us, through our thoughtlessness and imprudence. 2. It was the Egyptians that first observed the course of the stars, regulated the year, and invented arithmetic. 3. Peruse attentively Plato and Cicero : they are the two philosophers of antiquity who have given us the most sound and luminous ideas upon morality. 4. If you are intended for the pulpit, read over and over again Bourdaloue and Massillon : they are both very eloquent; but the aim of the former is to convince, and that of the latter to persuade. 5. Are not these the gloves you bought yesterday? This is not my house. These are not my books; mine are in another room. (1.) Have drawn, s'attirer; thoughtlessness, légèreté. (2.) First, les premiers; stars, astre. (3.) Peruse, lire; sound, sain: morality, morale. (4.) Are intended for, se destiner à; pulpit, chaire; read over and over again, lire et relire sans cesse; aim, but. (5.) To buy, acheter, ind-4. 268. CE is much used in conjunction with qui, dont, à quoi, que, in the sense of what, that which, that thing which. It is used in speaking of things only, and the adjective which relates to it, is of the masculine gender singular. EXAMPLE. ce qui flatte est plus dangereux what flatters is more dangerous que ce qui offense, than what offends. Ce, joined to the relative pronouns, qui, que, dont, and quoi, has, in some instances, a construction peculiar to itself. Both ce and the relative pronoun that follows it, form, with the verb which they precede, the subject of another phrase, of which the verb is always étre. Now, étre may be followed by another verb, an adjective, or a noun. When etre is followed by another verb, the demonstrative ce must be repeated, as: ce que j'aime le plus, c'est d'être what I like most is to be alone. seul. When followed by an adjective, the demonstrative ce is not repeated, as: ce dont vous venez de me parler est horrible, what you have been mentioning to me is horrid. When étre is followed by a substantive, the demonstrative may either be repeated, or not, at pleasure, except in the case of a plural, or of a personal pronoun. Thus: ce que je dis, est la vérité, or, c'est la vérité what I say is truth e qui m'indigne, ce sont les in- what provokes me, are the injuries justices, qu'on ne cesse de faire which are continually committed ce qui m'arrache au sentiment what alleviates the grief that op qui m'accable, c'est vous presses me, is you EXERCISE. 1. What is astonishing is not always what is pleasing. 3. What pleases us in the writings of the ancients, is to see that they have taken nature as a model, and that they have painted her with noble simplicity. 4. What that good king has done for the happiness of his people, deserves to be handed down to the remotest posterity. 5. What constitutes poetry is not the exact number and regular cadence of syllables: but it is the sentiment which animates every thing, the lively fictions, bold figures, and the beauty and variety of the imagery: it is the enthusiasm, fire, impetuosity, force, a something in the words and thoughts which nature alone can impart. 6. What we justly admire in Shakspeare are those characters always natural and always well* sustained. 7. What keeps me attached to life, is you, my son, whose tender age has still need of my care and advice. (1.) To be astonishing, étonner; to be pleasing, plaire. (2.) What, (that to which); miser, avare. (3.) As a, pour. (4.) Deserves, étre digne; to be handed down, être transmis; remotest, la plus reculée. (5.) Constitutes, faire; exact, fixe; lively, vif; imagery, image, pl; a something, un je ne sais quoi; words, parole; impart, donner. 6.) We, on; justly, avec justice; natural, dans la nature; sustained, soutenu. (7) Keeps attached, attacher; care, advice, pl. 269. Celui, celle, ceux, celles are frequently used in conjunction with the relatives qui, dont, auquel, à laquelle, and que in the sense of he who, she who, they who, or whom, whichever, whoever, and that which, etc. EXAMPLES. celui qui ne pense qu'à lui seul, dispense les autres d'y penser he who thinks of nobody but himself, excuses others from thinking of him |