Rules of Construction in English Grammar, Part 12
Conſtruction of verbes, or what caſes verbes do gouerne: and firſt of verbes gouerning a nominatiue caſe.
Verbes with a nominatiue caſe after them.SVm, I am, Forem, I were, fio, I am made, exiſto, I am, and certaine verbes paſſiues, as dicor, I am ſaid, or called, vocor, I am called, ſalutor, I am ſaluted, appellor, I am named, habeor, I am counted, exiſtimor, I am eſteemed, videor, I am ſeene, or accounted, with other like, will hauehave ſuch caſe after them, as they hauehave before them: as, Fama eſt malum, Fame is an euill thing. Malus cultura fit bonus, An euill perſon by due ordering or gouernance is made good. Croeſus vocatur diues, Creſus is called rich. Horatius ſalutatur poëta, Horace is ſaluted by the name of poet. Malo te diuitem eſſe quàm haberi, I had leifer thou were rich in deed, than ſo accounted.
The examples applied.This rule hath fiue examples: fower of a nominatiue caſe after the verbe, and the fift of an accuſatiue caſe after the verbe.
In the firſt example Fama eſt malum, the verbe eſt hauing fama the nominatiue caſe before him cauſeth malum alſo to be the nominatiue caſe after him by this rule.
Malus cultura fit bonus, In this ſecond example malus is the nominatiue caſe before the verbe fit, and therfore doth the ſame verbe cauſe bonus to be the nominatiue caſe after him by this rule.
Croeſus vocatur diues, In this third example Croeſus is the nominatiue caſe before the verbe paſſiue vocatur, and therfore is diues the nominatiue caſe after him by this rule.
Horatius ſalutatur poëta. In this fourth example Horatius is the nominatiue caſe before the verbe paſſiue ſalutatur, and therfore is poëta the nominatiue caſe after the ſaid verbe by this rule.
In the fift example, Malo te diuitem eſſe quàm haberi, te is the accuſatiue caſe before the infinitiue moode eſſe, and therfore in conſtruction diuitem is likewiſe the accuſatiue caſe after the ſame verbe by this rule.
Another rule for a nominatiue caſe after the verbe.Alſo verbes that betoken bodily moouing, going, reſting, or dooing, which be properly called verbes of geſture, as, Eo, I go, incedo, I go, curro, I run, ſedeo, I ſit, cubo, I lie, appareo, I appeere, bibo, I drinke, ſtudeo, I ſtudie, dormio, I ſleepe, ſomnio, I dreame, and ſuch other like, as they hauehave before them a nominatiue caſe of the dooer, or ſufferer, ſo may they hauehave a nominatiue caſe after them,This rule in fewer words is thus: Verbs of geſture hauehave ſuch caſe after them, as they hauehave before them. of a noune or a participle, declaring the maner of circumſtance of the dooing, or ſuffering: as Incedo claudus, I go lame, Petrus dormit ſecurus, Peter ſleepeth voide of care. Tu cubas ſupinus, Thou liest in bed with thy face vpward. Somnias vigilans, Thou dreamest waking. Studeto ſtans, Studie thou ſtanding.
And likewiſe in the accuſatiue caſe: as, Non decet quenquam meiere currentem aut mandentem, It doth not become any man to piſſe, running, or eating.
The examples applied to the meaning of this rule, as I hauehave briefely ſet it downe before, for the eaſe of the little ones.This rule hath ſixe examples, of the which the firſt fiue are of a nominatiue caſe after ſuch kinde of verbes as are mentioned in this rule, which are called verbes of geſture, and the ſixt is of an accuſatiue caſe after the ſaid verbes.
In the firſt example Incedo claudus, as this verbe of geſture incedo hath ego vnderſtood for his nominatiue caſe before him, ſo hath he claudus the nominatiue caſe after him by this rule.
Petrus domit ſecurus, in this ſecond example, as Petrus is nominatiue caſe before dormio a verb of geſture, ſo is ſecurus nominatiue caſe after him by this rule.
Tu cubas ſupinus, in this third example tu is nominatiue caſe before the verbe of geſture cubas, and therfore is ſupinus nominatiue caſe after him by this rule.
Somnias vigilans, in this fourth example as the pronoune tu vnderſtood is nominatiue caſe before the verbe of geſture ſomnias, ſo is vigilans the nominatiue caſe after him by this rule.
In the fift example ſtudeto ſtans, like as the pronoune tu vnderſtood is the nominatiue caſe before the verbe of geſture ſtudeto, ſo is ſtans the nominatiue caſe after him by this rule.
Non decet quenquam meiere currentem, aut mandentem, in this ſixt example this word quenquam is the accuſatiue caſe before the infinitiue moode meiere, a verbe of geſture, and therefore currentem is the accuſatiue caſe after the ſaide verbe by this rule.
An admonition.It had bin long and tedious in euerie one of theſe examples to hauehave ſhewed how the nominatiue caſe before the verbe ſignified doing or ſuffering, and how the nominatiue after the verbe declared the maner of circumſtance of the doing or ſuffering, and therefore the examples are applied vntounto the rule as it is ſhorter ſet downe in the margine before, neuertheles the maſter, if he thinke the capacitie of his ſcholler will beate it, may applie the examples in the other maner: that is more large.
The third rule for the nominatiue caſe after the verbe.And generally, when the word that goeth before the verbe, and the word that commeth after the verbe, belong both to one thing, that is to ſay, hauehave reſpect either to other, or depend either of other, they ſhall be put both in one caſe, whether the verbe be tranſitiue or intranſitiue, or of what kind ſoeuer the verbe be: as, Loquor frequens, I ſpeake often. Taceo multus, I hold my peace much. Scribo epiſtolas rariſſimus, I write letters very ſeldome. Ne aſſueſcas bibere vinum ieiunus, Accustome not thy ſelfe to drinke wine next thine hart, or not hauing eaten ſomewhat before.
The examples applied.This rule hath fower examples, wherof the firſt is, Loquor frequens, in which example, as ego vnderſtood is nominatiue caſe before the verba loquor, ſo frequens is the nominatiue caſe after him, as hauing reſpect vntounto ego the nominatiue caſe before the verbe by this rule.
Taceo multus. In this ſecond example alſo ego is nominatiue caſe before the verbe taceo, and multus nominatiue caſe after the verbe taceo, bicauſe they belong vntounto one thing by this rule.
Scribo epiſtolas rariſſimus. In this example rariſſimus is nominatiue caſe after the verbe ſcribo, bicauſe it hath reſpect vntounto ego vnderſtood, which is the nominatiue caſe before the ſame verbe, by this rule.
Ne aſſueſcas bibere vinum ieiunus. In this fourth example ieiunus is nominatiue caſe after the verbe aſſueſcas, bicauſe it hath reſpect vntounto tu the nominatiue caſe vnderſtood before the ſaid verbe, by this rule.