Bade is the proper preterite of bid. Bid is often used as the preterite, an error similar to that just alluded to.

former verb, which is often

Lay is the proper preterite of lie. It is also the present of a verb signifying to deposit. Care ought to be taken not to use it as the present of the done. Bidden, ridden, written, spoken, are the past participles of bid, ride, write, speak. We often hear people say: 'He was spoke to;' 'I have wrote to him;' 'Eclipse was rode by Jenkins.' Nothing could be more vulgarly erroneous. Drunk is the proper past participle of drink.

Fastidious people have lately got into a way of saying, 'His health was drank.' Drank is the preterite, and cannot be thus used with propriety.

Don't, won't, and can't, though admitted as colloquial English, are not good contractions. They could be endured, however, if people would avoid using don't in the third person singular. 'He does not' can never be properly abbreviated into 'He don't.'

་

Had better, had rather. These are vulgar absurdities, arising, perhaps, from the desire of brevity. 'I had rather' must have originally been, 'I would rather,' contracted into, 'I'd rather. There is a singularly vile Scotticism, 'I had oblige to do so and so.' It should be, I was obliged. Short-lived, long-lived, should be short-lifed, long-lifed. Then, as an adjective. "The then Earl of Winchelsea.' Nothing can be more vicious.

Quantity is often used in reference to objects susceptible of numeration. It is only applicable to an object capable of increase or decrease, not by numeration.

Differ with, different to-very bad. From is the only correct particle to use with differ and its derivatives. Disagree with is proper, because agree there governs, not the

Supported by subscription, which simply means by underwriting, might be improved into, 'Supported by contribution.' Animal. It is generally supposed that this word is only applicable to quadrupeds, as beast certainly is. It is, in reality, applicable to any creature having life and breath.

Without, in the sense of unless, is certainly a vulgarism.
Oftener; more frequently, preferable.

Men's minds, the horses' heads. Here the abbreviate of the singular his is used or implied for the plural their. The form is not good English, but usage is beginning to sanction it.

Those sort of things ought to be this kind of things.

Progress, as a verb-an Americanism. What fault can be found with the good old English word advance?

Antiquarian is often used for antiquary. The former is the adjective; the latter, the noun.

Notwithstanding of. (Sc.) The of is unnecessary.
Close the door-Shut the door.

Give me a drink-A draught, or some drink.

&c. This abbreviation should be used sparingly, and never in grave writing. Instead of &c., it is preferable to say,

and so forth;' yet, even this expression may be too frequently repeated.

Viz.-Not an elegant abbreviate. Namely' is preferable.
A faint-A fainting fit.

I feel a smell-I smell an odour.

I am hopeful that I hope that.
Come here-Come hither.
Still in life-Still alive.

Married on-Married to.

On the street—In the street is preferable, when applied to a street in a town. Anciently, street was a road, and in this sense on is correct.

Pled guilty. (Sc.) Pleaded guilty.

Than whom.-This is a vicious form of expression, which has been employed even by a respectable writer: 'Pope, than whom few men had more vanity.'

Curious revelations.-Strange revelations. The word curious is often misapplied.

It was scarce time to go.-Scarcely. The improper substitution of scarce for scarcely is common. In the works of the late Hugh Miller, the error is frequently repeated; as, 'Scarce smaller than one's middle finger,' &c.

In respect of.-With respect to.

There were who were in expectation of, &c.-There were persons who, &c. Elisions of this kind are improper.

To avoid these and other incorrect forms of expression, continual carefulness, as well as a good knowledge of grammar, is necessary; for, as already said, errors and inelegances are due as much to heedlessness as to ignorance. On this subject, a passage in Boswell's Life of Dr Johnson may be usefully called to remembrance. 'Sir Joshua Reynolds once asked the doctor, by what means he had attained his extraordinary accuracy and flow of language? He told him that he had early laid it down as a fixed rule to do his best on every occasion, and in every company, to impart whatever he knew in the most forcible language he could put it in; and that by constant practice, and never suffering any careless expressions to escape him, or attempting to deliver his thoughts without arranging them in the clearest manner, it became habitual to him.'

THE PERSON.

A

S regards Personal Management and Deportment, the young have many things to learn. They have to acquire the knowledge of a number of facts respecting the preservation of health, proprieties in eating and drinking, exercise, sleeping, dressing, social intercourse, and other matters, any neglect of which may be injurious, or, at least, productive of discomfort. Some of this knowledge is ordinarily imparted by parents, some of it is derived from books, and not a little is never taught at all, but left to be picked up through long years of experience-occasionally under mortifying circumstances. In the absence of more complete information on the subjects in question, the following hints and observations may be useful to young men about to rely on themselves when entering the world.

A machine may be observed to work smoothly, and to last according as its various parts are well adjusted and kept in proper order. A human being, in his physical organisation, is a kind of machine. He consists of a fine adjustment of parts, each adapted and designed to perform a particular function, and to last a certain length of time. But, as in the case of the machine, much depends on the way that the parts are kept in order. If any particular part is overloaded with work, a derangement ensues throughout the whole system, which either languishes or stands still. The standing still of the human machine, is Death.

Every one of course knows that he must die some time or other. Death may come in youth, middle life, or in old age: