s rules or examples "may not be vindicable." (See
Obs. 14th, 15th, and 16th, on Rule 14th, of this code.) It would, I think,
be better to say, "The exports consist _partly_ of raw silk." Again: "_A
multitude_ of Latin words _have_, of late, been poured in upon
us."--_Blair's Rhet._, p. 94. Better, perhaps: "_Latin words, in great
multitude_, have, of late, been poured in upon us." So: "For _the bulk_ of
_writers_ are very apt to confound them with each other."--_Ib._, p. 97.
Better: "For _most writers_ are very apt to confound them with each other."
In the following example, (here cited as _Kames_ has it, _El. of Crit._,
ii, 247,) either the verb _is_, or the phrase, "_There are some moveless
men_" might as well have been used:

"There _are a sort_ of men, whose visages
Do cream and mantle like a standing pond."--_Shak._

OBS. 9.--Collections of _things_ are much less frequently and less properly
regarded as individuals, or under the idea of plurality, than collections
of _persons_. This distinction may account for the difference of
construction in the two clauses of the following example; though I rather
doubt whether a plural verb ought to be used in the former: "The _number_
of commissioned _officers_ in the guards _are_ to the marching regiments as
one to eleven: the _number_ of _regiments_ given to the guards, compared
with those given to the line, _is_ about three to one."--_Junius_, p. 147.
Whenever the multitude is spoken of with reference to a personal act or
quality, the verb ought, as I before suggested, to be in the plural number;
as, "The public _are informed_."--"The plaintiff's counsel _have assumed_ a
difficult task."--"The committee _were instructed_ to prepare a
remonstrance." "The English nation _declare_ they are grossly injured by
_their_ representatives."--_Junius_, p. 147. "One particular class of men
_are_ permitted to call _themselves_ the King's friends."--_Id._, p. 176.
"The Ministry _have_ realized the compendious ideas of Caligula."--_Id._,
p. 177. It is in accordance with this principle, that the following
sentences have plural verbs and pronouns, though their definitives are
singular, and perhaps ought to be singular: "So depraved _were that people_
whom in their history we so much admire."--HUME: _M'Ilvaine's Lect._, p.
400. "Oh, _this people have sinned_ a great sin, and have made them gods of
gold."--_Exodus_, xxxii, 31. "_This people_ thus gathered _have_ not wanted
those trials