of books,"
"_those kind_ of trees," "_all manner_ of men;" the nouns being
singular, the adjectives plural. These expressions are all but
universal in spoken English, and may be found not infrequently in
literary English; for example,--

_These kind_ of knaves I know, which in this plainness
Harbor more craft, etc.--SHAKESPEARE

All _these sort_ of things.--SHERIDAN.

I hoped we had done with _those sort_ of things.--MULOCH.

You have been so used to _those sort_ of impertinences.--SYDNEY
SMITH.

Whitefield or Wesley, or some other such great man as a bishop,
or _those sort_ of people.--FIELDING.

I always delight in overthrowing _those kind_ of
schemes.--AUSTEN.

There are women as well as men who can thoroughly enjoy _those
sort_ of romantic spots.--_Saturday Review_, London.

The library was open, with _all manner_ of amusing
books.--RUSKIN.

According to the approved usage of Modern English, each one of the
above adjectives would have to be changed to the singular, or the
nouns to the plural.

[Sidenote: _History of this construction._]

The reason for the prevalence of these expressions must be sought in
the history of the language: it cannot be found in the statement that
the adjective is made plural by the attraction of a noun following.

[Sidenote: _At the source._]

In Old and Middle English, in keeping with the custom of looking at
things concretely rather than in the abstract, they said, not "all
_kinds_ of wild animals," but "alles cunnes wilde deor" (wild animals
of-every-kind). This the modern expression reverses.

[Sidenote: _Later form._]

But in early Middle English the modern way of regarding such
expressions also appeared, gradually displacing the old.

[Sidenote: _The result._]

Consequently we have a confused expression. We keep the form of
logical agreement in standard English, such as, "_This sort_ of trees
should be planted;" but at the same time the noun following _kind of_
is felt to be the real subject, and the adjective is, in spoken
English, made to agree with it, which accounts for the construction,
"_These kind of_ trees are best."

[Sidenote: _A question._]

The inconvenience of the logical construction is seen when we wish to
use a predicate with number forms. Should we say, "This kind of rules
_are_ the best," or "This kind of rules _is_ the best?" _Kind_ or
_sort_ may be treated as a colle