principles, founded in the nature of things.

Now, five grains of common sense will enable any one to comprehend what
is meant by case. Its real character is extremely simple; but in the
different grammars it assumes as many meanings as Proteus had shapes.
The most that has been written on it, however, is mere verbiage. What,
then, is meant by _case_? In speaking of a horse, for instance, we say
he is in a good _case_, when he is fat, and in a bad _case_, when he is
lean, and needs more oats; and in this sense we apply the term _case_ to
denote the _state_ or _condition_ of the horse. So, when we place a noun
before a verb as actor or subject, we say it is in the _nominative
case_; but when it follows a transitive verb or preposition, we say it
has another _case_; that is, it assumes a new _position_ or _situation_
in the sentence: and this we call the _objective_ case. Thus, the _boy_
gathers fruit. Here the boy is represented as _acting_. He is,
therefore, in the _nominative_ case. But when I say, Jane struck the
_boy_, I do not represent the boy as the _actor_, but as the _object_ of
the action. He is, therefore, in a new _case_ or _condition_. And when I
say, This is the _boy's_ hat, I do not speak of the boy either as
_acting_ or as _acted upon_; but as possessing something: for which
reason he is in the _possessive_ case. Hence, it is clear, that nouns
have three cases or positions.

As the nominative and objective cases of the noun are inseparably
connected with the verb, it is impossible for you to understand them
until you shall have acquired some knowledge of this part of speech. I
will, therefore, now give you a partial description of the verb in
connexion with the noun; which will enable me to illustrate the cases of
the noun so clearly, that you may easily comprehend their nature.