(5) _As the object of a preposition_, the word toward which the preposition points, and which it joins to another word: "He must have a long spoon that would eat with the _devil_."
The preposition sometimes takes the _possessive_ case of a noun, as will be seen in Sec. 68.
(6) _In apposition with another objective_: "The opinions of this junto were completely controlled by Nicholas Vedder, a _patriarch_ of the village, and _landlord_ of the inn."
Point out the nouns in the objective case in these sentences, and tell which use each has:--
1. Tender men sometimes have strong wills.
2. Necessity is the certain connection between cause and effect.
3. Set a high price on your leisure moments; they are sands of precious gold.
6. Five times every year he was to be exposed in the pillory.
7. The noblest mind the best contentment has.
8. Multitudes came every summer to visit that famous natural curiosity, the Great Stone Face.
9. And whirling plate, and forfeits paid, His winter task a pastime made.
10. He broke the ice on the streamlet's brink, And gave the leper to eat and drink.
60. The possessive case always modifies another word, expressed or understood. There are three forms of possessive showing how a word is related in sense to the modified word:--
(1) _Appositional possessive_, as in these expressions,--
The blind old man of _Scio's_ rocky isle.--BYRON.
Beside a pumice isle in _Baiæ's_ bay.--SHELLEY.
In these sentences the phrases are equivalent to _of the rocky isle [of] Scio_, and _in the bay [of] Baiæ_, the possessive being really equivalent here to an appositional objective. It is a poetic expression, the equivalent phrase being used in prose.
(2) _Objective possessive_, as shown in the sentences,--
Ann Turner had taught her the secret before this last good lady had been hanged for _Sir Thomas Overbury's_ murder.--HAWTHORNE.
He passes to-day in building an air castle for to-morrow, or in writing _yesterday's_ elegy.--THACKERAY
In these the possessives are equivalent to an objective after a verbal expression: as, _for murdering Sir Thomas Overbury_; _an elegy to commemorate yesterday_. For this reason the use of the possessive here is called objective.
(3) _Subjective possessive_, the most common of all; as,--