How to parse. ...

80

THE INFINITI VE.

[Par. 105.

to do any thing, the good-for-nothing carter got down
from his wagon; but all that he did was to curse and
swear at tlie horses. Finding tllat cursing did not
move the wagon, lie at last thought lie would try wliat
praying could4 do. So, falling on his knees, lie besought Hercules, the god of hard work, to come and
hell) him in his troubles. In an instant Hercules was
on the spot; but, instead of helping him, "You lazy
fellow!" said lie, " hIow dare4 you send for me, till
you have tried 3 to do witliout me? Learn that IHercules helps none but those that are willing to help 5
themselves."
105 Caution. After Verbs of asking, commanding,
advising, compelling, it is not always easy to determine whether the Infinitive is Adverbial or Complementary. For example, in -
(1) " They besought him to help them."
- the meaning is the same as(2) " They besought him that he would help them."
Here there is a notion of purpose: and hence
"to help" in (1) may be parsed as an Adverbial
Infinitive meaning " for the purpose of helping."
a t" Strive" is not a Transitive Verb; therefore " to make " sholld
be considered as an Adverbial Infinitive of purpose, "strivinlg for
the purpose of making his way." On the other hand, "try" is a
Tr:asitive Verb, and therefore can take an Otbject after it.
4 ", Could " is the same as " was able." The following Infinitive
may be regaried as the Object of ' can " or " could; " " can " was
once a Tralsitive Verb " Let " is the same as "suffer;" " dare"
is the same as "' venture."
) You might be disposed to say here that " are willing" is the
same as '' wish," I'and that " to liell " is tile Object of ' wish," wllic
is impulied in " are willing." But, if you bear in mnin(l ow ofienl to
is used in such sentences, e.q " I anm sorry, g,, wllin, ll able. to do
this," it will seem better to take "to help" as an Adverbifal Intinitive, meaning " as regards doing," " iu the matter of helping"