!

10th, So-that expreffing a confequence: as, "He was fo fatigued, that he could scarcely move."

The conjunctions or and nor may often be used, with nearly equal propriety. "The king, whofe character was not fufficiently vigorous, nor decifive, affented to the measure." In this fentence, or would perhaps have been better but, in general, nor feems to repeat the negation in the former part of the fentence, and therefore gives more emphafis to the expreffion.

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io. Conjunctions are often improperly afed, both fingly and in pairs. The following are examples of this impropriety. "The relations are fo uncertain, as that they require a great deal of examination:" it fhould be, "that they require," &c. "There was no man fo fanguine, who did not apprehend fome ill confequences:" it ought to be, "So fanguine as not to apprehend," &c.; or, no man, how fanguine foever, who did not," &c. "To truft in him is no more but to acknowledge his power." "This is no other but the gate of paradife." In both these inftances, but fhould be than. "We fhould fufficiently weigh the objects of our hope; whether they are fuch as we may reafonably expect from them what they propofe," &c. It ought to be, "that we may reasonably," &c. "The duke had not behaved with that loyalty as he ought to have done;" “ with which he ought.” "In the order as they lie in his preface:" it fhould be, "in order as they lie;" or, "in the order in which they lie." "Such sharp replies that coft him his life;" "as coft him," &c. "If he was truly that fcarecrow, as he is now commonly painted;""fuch a fcarecrow," &c. "I wish I could do that juftice to his memory, to oblige the painters," &c.; "do fuch justice as to oblige," &c.

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The particle as, when it is connected with the pronoun fuch, has the force of a relative pronoun: as, Let fuch as prefume to advise others, look well to their own conduct;" which is equivalent to, "Let them who prefume," &c.

But when used by itself, this particle is to be confidered as a conjunction.

Our language wants a conjunction adapted to familiar ftyle, equivalent to notwithstanding. The words for all that, feem to be too low. "A word it was in the mouth of every one, but, for all that, this may ftill be a fecret."

In regard that is folemn and antiquated; because would do much better in the following fentence. "It cannot be otherwise, in regard that the French profody differs from that of every other," &c.

Ex

The word except is far preferable to other than. "It admitted of no effectual cure other than amputation." cept is alfo to be preferred to all but. "They were happy all but the stranger."

In the two following phrafes the conjunction as is improperly omitted; "Which nobody prefumes, or is fo fanguine a to hope." "I must, however, be so just a to own.”

A

The conjunction that is often properly omitted, and understood; as, "I beg you would come to me ;" "See thou do it not ;" instead of "that you would," "that thou do." But in the following and many fimilar phrases, this conjunction were much better inserted : "Yet it is reafon the memory of their virtues remain to pofterity." It should be, "yet it is just that the memory," &c.

RULE XX.

When the qualities of different things are compared, the latter noun or pronoun is not governed by the conjunction than or as, (for conjunctions have no government of cafes,) but agrees with the verb, or is governed by the verb or the prepofition, expreffed or understood: as, "Thou art wifer than I;" that is, "than I am.".

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They loved him more than me :" i. e. "" more than they loved me." The fentiment is well expreffedby Plato, but much better by Solomon than him ;" that is," than by him."

S

The propriety or impropriety of many phrafes, in the preceding as well as in fome other forms, may be difcovered, by fupplying the words that are not expreffed; which will be evident from the following inftances of erroneous conftruction. "He can read better than me." "He is as

good as her." "Whether I be prefent or no." "Who did this? Me." By fupplying the words understood in each of thefe phrafes, their impropriety and governing rule will appear: as, "Better than I can read;" "As good as fhe is ;""Prefent or not prefent;" "I did it.”

1. By not attending to this rule, many errors have been committed a number of which is fubjoined, as a further caution and direction to the learner. "Thou art a much greater lofer than me by his death.” "She fuffers hourly more than me.' "We contributed a third more than the Dutch, who were obliged to the fame proportion more than us." "King Charles, and more than him, the duke and the popish faction, were at liberty to form new schemes." "The drift of all his fermons was, to prepare the Jews for the reception of a prophet mightier than him, and whose fhoes he was not worthy to bear." "It was not the work of fo eminent an author, as him to whom it was first imputed." "A ftone is heavy, and the fand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both." "If the king give us leave, we may perform the office as well as them that do." In thefe paffages it ought to be, "I, we, ke, they, refpectively."

When the relative who immediately follows than, it feems to form an exception to the 20th rule; for in that connexion, the relative must be in the objective cafe: as, "Alfred, than whom, a greater king never reigned," &c. "Beelzebub, than whom, Satan excepted, none higher fat," &c. It is remarkable that in fuch instances, if the perfonal pronoun were used, it would be in the nominative case; as, "A greater king never reigned than he," that is, "than ""Beelzebub, than he," &c.; that is, "than he

he was.

fat." The phrase than whom, is, however, avoided by the best modern writers.

RULE XXI.

To avoid difagreeable repetitions, and to exprefs our ideas in few words, an ellipfis, or omiffion of fome words, is frequently admitted. Inftead of faying, "He was a learned man, he was a wife man, and he was a good man;' make ufe of the ellipfis, and fay, "He was learned, wife, and good man."

we

When the omiffion of words would obfcure the fentence, weaken its force, or be attended with an impropriety, they must be expreffed. In the fentence, We are apt to love who love us," the word them should be fupplied. "A beautiful field and trees," is not proper language. "Beautiful fields and trees;" or, field and fine trees."

It should be, "A beautiful

Almost all conpounded sentences are more or lefs ellip tical; fome examples of which may be seen under the different parts of fpeech.

1. The ellipfis of the article is thus used ; A man, woman, and child :" that is, "a man, a woman, and a child." "A house and garden ;" that is, "a house and a garden.' "The fun and moon;" that is, "the fun and the moon." "The day and hour;" that is, "the day and the hour." In all these inftances, the article being once expressed, the repetition of it becomes unneceffary. There is, however, an exception to this obfervation, when fome peculiar emphafis requires a repetition; as in the following fentence. "Not only the year, but the day and the hour." In this cafe, the ellipfis of the last article would be improper. When a different form of the article is requifite, the article is alfo properly repeated: as, 66 a house and an orchard;" instead of "a house and orchard.”

2. The noun is frequently omitted in the following manner. "The laws of God and man ;” that is," the laws of God and the laws of man." In fome very emphatical expreffions, the ellipfis fhould not be used: as, "Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God;" which is more emphatical than, "Chrift the power and wisdom of God."

3. The ellipfis of the adjective is used in the following manner. "A delightful garden and orchard ;" that is, "a delightful garden and a delightful orchard ;” “ A little man and woman;" that is, "A little man and a little woman.' In fuch elliptical expreffions as these, the adjective ought to have exactly the fame fignification, and to be quite as proper, when joined to the latter fubftantive as to the former; otherwise the ellipfis fhould not be admitted.

Sometimes the ellipfis is improperly applied to nouns of different numbers: as, "A magnificent house and gardens." In this cafe it is better to use another adjective; as, "A magnificent house and fine gardens."

4. The following is the ellipfis of the pronoun. "I love and fear him; that is, "I love him and I fear him." "My houfe and lands;" that is, "my houfe and my lands." In thefe inftances the ellipfis may take place with propriety; but if we would be more exprefs and emphatical, it must not be used: as, "His friends and his foes;" "My fons and my daughters."

In fome of the common forms of fpeech, the relative pronoun is ufually omitted: as, "This is the man they love;" inftead of, "This is the man whom they love." "Thefe are the goods they bought ;" for, "Thefe are the goods which they bought."

In complex fentences, it is much better to have the relative pronoun expreffed as it is more proper to say, "The pofture in which I lay," than, "In the pofture I lay:" "The horfe on which I rode, fell down ;" than, "The horse I rode, fell down.”