RULE VIII. 354. A noun must be separated from an appositive clause. EXAMPLES. (354.) Hope, the best comfort of our imperfect condition, was not denied to the Roman slave.-GIBBON. Virtue, the strength and beauty of the soul is the best gift of Heaven.-ARMSTRONG. Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas. His mourners were two hosts, his friends and foes. RULE IX. 355. Phrases formed of one or more adverbs, with participles, infinitives, or nouns with prepositions, should be cut off from the rest of the sentence by commas. 356. When, however, an adverb does not appear as a phrase, but directly qualifies some word in the sentence, it must not be cut off. EXAMPLES. (355.) At all events, these are not times to admit of any relaxation in discipline.-JUNIUS. Death was, indeed, rapidly approaching.SOUTHEY. I shall not, however, enter upon such a theme.-JEFFREY. Proceeded, in a great degree, if not altogether, from misapprehension.JEFFREY. I shall thus, at least, prove.-BROUGHAM. (356.) The attestation of an upright mind always furnishes its own reward. However small the foundation which men sometimes have for their opinions. RULE X. 357. The persons in a direct address should be separated from the rest of the sentence. EXAMPLES. (357.) Bear witness, Greece, thy living page.-BYRON. This is too warm work, Hardy, to last long.-SOUTHEY. Yet weep, my friend, these tears will do thee good. It is thought, my dear sir, that makes books serviceable. RULE XI. 358. Where a verb is suppressed by ellipsis, a comma supplies its place. 359. This is the case, however, only when the ellipsis occasions an abruptness that requires a pause-that is, when the two words separated by ellipsis would occasion ambiguity if run together. Otherwise, the comma is unnecessary. EXAMPLES. (358.) To err is human; to forgive, [ ] divine.—POPE. The characteristic of Chaucer is intensity; of Spenser, [] remoteness; of Milton, [ ] elevation of Shakspeare, [] everything.-HAZLITT. (359.) Honest doubt should have its asylum, and timidity [] its refuge. What reinforcement we may gain from hope, If not, what resolution [ ] from despair.-MILTON. I II. THE SEMICOLON. 360. The general use of the semicolon is to separate the members of loose or catenated periods. RULE I. 361. When the first member of a sentence is complete within itself in sense as well as construction, and another is added as an inference, explanation, or contrast, such members are separated by a semicolon. EXAMPLES. (361.) I have no respect for titled rank, unless it be accompanied with true nobility of soul; but I have remarked in all countries where artificial distinctions exist, that the very highest classes are always the most courteous and unassuming.-W. IRVING. Folly and iniquity, as every day shews, are inseparable associates; and the first seldom, if ever, fails to reward the labours of the second. Every business is but an art, which is attainable to a certain point, and no further; but the improvement of the mind is an unlimited employment, a boundless and infinite field. Fame, it has been said, is love disguised; because the desire of fame is a form of the yearning after love, and the admiration which rewards that desire is akin to the familiar love which joins us, in everyday life, to the friends whom we esteem. We should not make the most of our cares, and the least of our enjoyments; for the latter, if less frequent, certainly ought to make a happy impression, and soothe, even by their memory, the sterner hours of life. The feelings, intricate in their operations, require much and continual reflection to regulate them constantly towards good; yet they sometimes, particularly when free from external influence, turn of themselves in that direction, and some of the happiest actions of life may be traced to the effect of impulse. RULE II. 362. When several distinct facts or arguments are grouped together, and made constructionally to correspond with each other, they should be marked with semicolons. EXAMPLES. (362.) Our business is interrupted; our repose is troubled; our pleasures are saddened; our very studies are poisoned and perverted; and knowledge is rendered worse than ignorance.-BURKE. They embraced; they clung around; they fell prostrate before them; they groaned; they wept aloud; and the joint clamour of their mourning passed the gates of the city.-HUME. In one view, behold a nation overwhelmed with debt; her revenues wasted; her trade declining; the affection of her colonies alienated; the duty of the magistrate transferred to the soldiery; a gallant army, which never fought unwillingly but against their fellow-subjects, mouldering away for want of the direction of a man of common abilities and spirit.-JUNIUS. Paradise Lost, iv. 650-655. His solitude is the loneliness of the sickened soul, loathing its own dependencies, its errors of motive, its impurities of action; his sorrow, the despondency of a heart sinking under the pressure of its own infirmities; his compunction, the remorse which dwells on the recollection of the servile purpose to which he has lent himself, for the furtherance of his mean and momentary views of personal aggrandisement. III. THE COLON. 363. The colon used to be employed in marking antithesis, contrast, apposition, and prefatory members of sentences. the last of these uses it is now chiefly confined. To RULE I. 364. The colon marks an independent prefatory sentence introducing a quotation. (See 348, and compare the examples.) EXAMPLES. (364.) Eustace St Pierre thus addressed the assembly: My friends, we are brought to great straits this day.'-HUME. Hear what Cleobulus, one of the seven wise men of Greece, advises: When any man goes forth, let him consider what he is to do; when he returns, what he has done.' The Arabians have a proverb which runs thus: Examine what is said, and not him who speaks.' RULE II. 365. The colon marks the introduction of the several heads into which a subject is divided; or of specifications of any kind. Observe the specifications, if including more than a single word, are separated from each other by the semicolon, and from their preface or introduction by the colon. EXAMPLES. (365.) These will be found the best means to remove or soften prejudices: first, endeavour to convince the prejudiced person that you are his friend; secondly, allow for his prejudices, but lament that he should be under a mistake; thirdly, affectionately give your reasons for differing from him; fourthly, if he seems convinced by your argu ments, do not betray the least triumph; lastly, if he should not appear the least convinced, leave him in the same complaisant manner.BARKER. Three properties belong to wisdom: nature, learning, and experience.-ARISTOTLE. Three things characterise man: person, fate, and merit. IV. THE PERIOD. RULE I. 366. A period is used to denote a full stop at the end of a sentence. Care must be taken not to break into periods sentences which may be catenated by semicolons, as in the following examples :His understanding acute and vigorous, was well fitted for diving into the human mind. His humour lively and versatile, could paint justly and agreeably what he saw. He possessed a rapid and clear conception with an animated and graceful style.-ANDERSON. A The women in their turn learned to be more vain, gay, and alluring. They grew studious to please and to conquer. They lost some of the intrepidity and fierceness which before were characteristic of them. Their education was to be an object of greater attention and care. finer sense of beauty was to arise. A greater play was to be given to sentiment and anticipation. Greater reserve was to accompany the commerce of the sexes. Modesty was to take the alarm sooner. Gallantry, in all its fashions and in all its charms, was to unfold itself. -STEWART. Better thus: His understanding, acute and vigorous, was well fitted for diving into the human mind; his humour, lively and versatile, could paint, justly and agreeably, what he saw; and he possessed a rapid and clear conception, with an animated and graceful style. The women, in their turn, learned to be more vain, gay, and alluring: they grew studious to please and to conquer; they lost some of the intrepidity and fierceness which, before, were characteristic of them; and their education was to be an object of greater attention and care. A finer sense of beauty was to arise; a greater play was to be given to sentiment and anticipation; greater reserve was to accompany the commerce of the sexes; modesty was to take the alarm sooner; and gallantry, in all its fashions and in all its charms, was to unfold itself. RULE II. 367. A period is used to mark abbreviations and contractions. When thus used, the period admits after it any of the other stops that are on other accounts required; but the period itself is not repeated at the end of a sentence. EXAMPLES. (367.) The following noblemen and gentlemen were present :-Duke of Devonshire, K.G.; Earl of Granville, G.C.B.; Earl of Hardwicke, Capt., R.N.; Earl of Fife, K.T., G.C.H.; Sir T. Acland, Bart., M.P.; Hon. Major-Gen. H. Arbuthnott, K.C.B., M.P.; Dr Bowring, M.P.; Charles Buller, jun., Esq., M.P.; Wm. Scrope, Esq., F.L.S.; J. Scott, M.D.; Rev. H. Christmas, M.A., F.R.S., F.S.A.; Rev. W. F. Hook, D.D.; and H. F. Chorley, Esq. Exercise. Point the following with the comma, semicolon, colon, and period :— Young old high low at once the same diversion share Foiled bleeding breathless furious to the last The camp the host the fight the conqueror's career The present life is not wholly prosaic precise tame and finite Milton's poetry though habitually serious is always healthful and bright and vigorous Chaucer most frequently describes things as they are Spenser as we wish them to be Shakspeare as they would be and Milton as they ought to be Johnson's stately march his pomp and power of language his strength of thought his reverence for virtue and religion his vigorous logic his practical wisdom his insight into the springs of human action and the solemn pathos which occasionally pervades his descriptions of life and his references to his own history command our willing admiration In a year the wings were finished and on a morning appointed the maker appeared furnished for flight on a little promontory he waved his pinions awhile to gather air then leaped from his stand and in an instant dropped into the lake -JOHNSON The arguments their eloquence their tears were ineffectual-GIBBON Abject flattery and indiscriminate assentation degrade -CHESTERFIELD High hills rocks and banks formed the borders of this enchanting sheet of water-SCOTT A storm of universal fire blasted every field consumed every house and destroyed every temple -BURKE Every hour brings additions to the original scheme suggests some new expedient to secure success or discovers consequential advantages not hitherto foreseen-JOHNSON Nell busily plying her needle repaired the tattered window-hangings drew together the rents that time had worn in the threadbare scraps of carpet and made them whole and decent-DICKENS Sympathies there are More tranquil yet perhaps of kindred birth Both Niger and Albinus were discovered and put to death in their flight from the field of battle-GIBBON The constant censure and admonition of the press would have corrected his conduct prevented a civil war and saved him from an ignominious death-JUNIUS Three things characterise man person fate and merit Parties too would come to see the church and those who came speaking to others of the child sent more so that even at that season of the year they had visitors almost daily Submit-In this or any other sphere Secure to be as blest as thou canst bear Or in the natal or the mortal hour All nature is but art unknown to thee All chance direction which thou canst not see All discord harmony not understood All partial evil universal good And spite of pride in erring reason's spite One truth is clear whatever is is right-POPE |