"Charm he never so wisely:" that is, "if he had done this;" "though he charm."

Some Conjunctions have their Correspondent Conjunctions belonging to them; so that, in the subsequent Member of the Sentence, the latter answers to the former: as, although, yet, or nevertheless; whether—, or; either—or ; neither, or nor-, nor; as, as; expressing a Comparison of equality; "as white as snow :" as-, so; expressing a Comparison sometimes of equality; "as the stars, so shall thy seed be;" that is, equal in number: but most commonly a Comparison in respect of quality; " and it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; qs with the servant, so with his master:" "as is the good, so is the sinner; as the one dieth, so dieth the other:" that is, in like manner: so-, as, with a Verb, expressing a Comparison of quality; "To see thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary:" but with a Negative and an Adjective, a Comparison in respect of quantity: as, "Pompey had eminent abilities: but he was neither so eloquent and politic a statesman, nor so brave and skilful a general: nor was he, upon the whole, so great a man as Cæsar :" sothat, expressing a Consequence; &c.

INTERJECTIONS in English have no Government. Though they are usually attended with Nouns in the Nominative Case, and Verbs in the Indicative Mode; yet the Case and Mode are not influenced by them, but deter mined by the nature of the sentence.

• Never so—“This phrase, says Dr. Johnson, is justly accused of Solecism." It should be, ever so wisely: that is, how wisely soever. "Besides, a Slave would not have been admitted into that Society, had he had never such ●pportunities.”—Bentley, Dissert. on Phalaris, p. 338.

PUNC

PUNCTUATIÓN.

PUNCTUATION is the art of marking in writing the several pauses, or rests, between sentences, and the parts of sentences, according to their proper quantity or proportion, as they are expressed in a just and accurate pronunciation.

As the several articulate sounds, the syllables and words, of which sentences consist, are marked by Letters; so the rests and pauses, between sentences and their parts, are marked by Points.

But, though the several articulate sounds are pretty fully and exactly marked by Letters of known and determinate power; yet the several pauses which are used in a just pronunciation of discourse, are very imperfectly expressed by Points.

For the different degrees of connection between the several parts of sentences, and the different pauses in a just pronunciation, which express those degrees of connection according to their proper value, admit of great variety; but the whole number of Points which we have to express this variety, amounts only to Four.

Hence it is, that we are under a necessity of expressing pauses of the same quantity, on different occasions, by dif ferent points; and more frequently, of expressing pauses different quantity by the same points.

of

So that the doctrine of Punctuation must needs be very imperfect: few precise rules can be given which will hold without exception in all cases; but much must be left to the judgment and taste of the writer.

On the other hand, if a greater number of marks were

invented

invented to express all the possible different pauses of of pronunciation; the doctrine of them would be very perplexed and difficult, and the use of them would rather embarrass than assist the reader.

It remains, therefore, that we be content with the Rules of Punctuation, laid down with as much exactness as the nature of the subject will admit: such as may serve for a general direction, to be accommodated to different occasions and to be supplied, where deficient, by the writer's judgment.

The several degrees of Connection between Sentences, and between their principal constructive parts, Rhetoricians have considered under the following distinctions, as the most obvious and remarkable: the Period, Colon, Semi colon, and Comma.

The Period is the whole Sentence, complete in itself, wanting nothing to make a full and perfect sense, and not connected in construction with a subsequent Sentence.

The Colon, or Member, is a chief constructive part, or greater division of a Sentence.

The Semicolon, or Half-member, is a less constructive part, or subdivision, of a Sentence or Member.

A Sentence or Member is again subdivided into Commas, or Segments; which are the least constructive parts of a Sentence or Member, in this way of considering it; for the next subdivision would be the resolution of it into Phrases and Words.

The Grammarians have followed this division of the Rhetoricians, and have appropriated to each of these distinctions its mark, or Point; which takes its name from the part of the Sentence, which it is employed to distinguish ;as follows:

The Period

The Colon

The Semicolon

The Comma

is thus marked

The

The proportional quantity, or time, of the points, with respect to one another, is determined by the following general rule: The Period is a pause in quantity or duration double of the Colon; the Colon is double of the Semicolon; and the Semicolon is double of the Comma. So that they are in the same proportion to one another, as the Semibrief, the Minim, the Crotchet, and the Quaver, in Music. The precise quantity, or duration, of each Pause or Note cannot be defined: for that varies with the Time; and both in Discourse and Music the sameComposition may be rehearsed in a quicker or a slower Time: but in Music the proportion between the Notes remains ever the same; and in Discourse, if the doctrine of Punctuation were exact, the proportion between the Pauses would be ever invariable.

The Points, then, being designed to express the Pauses which depend on the different degrees of connection between Sentences, and between their principal constructive parts; in order to understand the meaning of the Points, and to know how to apply them properly, we must consider the nature of a Sentence, as divided into its principal constructive parts; and the degrees of connection between those parts, upon which such division of it depends.

To begin with the least of these principal constructive parts, the Comma. In order the more clearly to determine the proper application of the Point which marks it, we must distinguish between an Imperfect Phrase, a Simple Sentence, and a Compounded Sentence.

An Imperfect Phrase contains no assertion, or does not amount to a Proposition or Sentence.

A Simple Sentence has but one Subject, and one finite Verb.

A Compounded Sentence has more than one Subject, or one finite Verb, either expressed or understood; or it consists of two or more simple Sentences connected together.

In a Sentence the Subject and the Verb may be each of them accompanied with several Adjuncts; as the Object, the End, the Circumstances of Time, Place, Manner, and the like: and the Subject or Verb may be either immediately connected with them, or mediately; that is, by being connected with some thing, which is connected with some other; and so on.

If the several Adjuncts affect the Subject or the Verb in a different manner, they are only so many imperfect Phrases, and the Sentence is Simple.

A Simple Sentence admits of no Point by which it may be divided, or distinguished into parts.

If the several Adjuncts affect the Subject or the Verb in the same manner, they may be resolved into so many Simple Sentences: the Sentence then becomes Compounded, and it must be divided into its parts by Points.

For, if there are several Subjects belonging in the same manner to one Verb, or several Verbs belonging in the same manner to one Subject, the Subjects and Verbs are still to be accounted equal in number: for every Verb must have its Subject, and every Subject its Verb; and every one of the Subjects, or Verbs, should or may have its point of distinction.

Examples:

"The passion for praise produces excellent effects in women of sense."-Addison, Spect. No. 73. In this Sentence passion is the Subject, and produces the Verb: each of which is accompanied and connected with its Adjuncts. The Subject is not passion in general, but a particular passion determined by its Adjunct of Specification, as we may call it ; the passion for praise. So likewise the Verb is immediately connected with its object, excellent effects;

and