of them If the ideas of the hearer kept considerably behind the,
expressions of the speaker, as the objection assumes, he could hardly
foresee the end of a sentence by the time it was half delivered:
yet this constantly happens. Were the supposition true, the mind,
instead of anticipating, would be continually falling more and
more in arrear. If the meanings of words are not realized as fast
as the words are uttered, then the loss of time over each word must
entail such an accumulation of delays as to leave a hearer entirely
behind. But whether the force of these replies be or be not admitted,
it will scarcely be denied that the right formation of a picture
will be facilitated by presenting its elements in the order in which
they are wanted; even though the mind should do nothing until it
has received them all.

14. What is here said respecting the succession of the adjective
and substantive is obviously applicable, by change of terms, to
the adverb and verb. And without further explanation, it will be
manifest, that in the use of prepositions and other particles, most
languages spontaneously conform with more or less completeness to
this law.

15. On applying a like analysis to the larger divisions of
a sentence, we find not only that the same principle holds good,
but that the advantage of respecting it becomes marked. In the
arrangement of predicate and subject, for example, we are at once
shown that as the predicate determines the aspect under which the
subject is to be conceived, it should be placed first; and the
striking effect produced by so placing it becomes comprehensible.
Take the often-quoted contrast between "Great is Diana of the
Ephesians," and "Diana of the Ephesians is great." When the first