The object on which the action terminates is frequently expressed in a similar manner; as, “He wrote to me, that he will adopt the new system of grammar, if he can procure some books to give his scholars to learn.”  Will you parse wrote?  Most grammarians will call it an intransitive verb, and make out that “he wrote” nothing to me, because there is no regular objective word after it.  Will you parse that?  It is a “conjunction copulative.”  What does it connect? “He wrote” to the following sentence, according to Rule 18 of Mr. Murray; “conjunctions connect the same moods and tenses of verbs and cases of nouns and pronouns.”  Unluckily you have two different tenses connected in this case.  Will you parse if?  It is a copulative conjunction, connecting the two members of the sentence—­he will adopt if he can procure:  Rule, as above.  How exceeding unfortunate!  You have two different moods, and too different tenses, connected by a copulative conjunction which the rule says “connects the same moods and tenses!  What nonsense!  What a falsehood!  What a fine thing to be a grammarian!  And yet, I venture the opinion, and I judge from what I have seen in myself and others, there is not one teacher in a hundred who will not learn children to parse as above, and apply the same rule to it.  “I will go if I can.”  “I do and will contend.”  “As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.”  “I am here and must remain.”  “He will do your business if he has time.”  “I am resolved to expose the errors of grammar, and will do it thoroly if I can.”

In these examples you have different moods and tenses, indiscriminately, yet correctly coupled together, despite the rules of syntax which teach us to explain language “with propriety.”

That, in the sentence before us, is an adjective, referring to the following sentence, which is the object of wrote, or is the thing written.  “He wrote to me that” fact, sentiment, opinion, determination, or resolution, that writing, letter, or word—­“he will adopt the new system of grammar, if he can procure some books.”

This subject properly belongs to that department of language called syntax; but as I shall not be able to treat of that in this course of lectures, I throw in here these brief remarks to give you some general ideas of the arrangement of words into sentences, according to their true meaning, as obtained from a knowledge of their etymology.  You cannot fail to observe this method of constructing language if you will pay a little attention to it when reading; keeping all the time in view the fact that words are only the signs of ideas, derived from an observation of things.  You all know that it is not merely the steam that propels the boat, but that it is steam applied to