Two nouns, or two adjectives, connected by a fingle copulative or disjunctive, are not separated by a point but when there are more than two, or where the conjunction is understood, they must be diftinguished by a comma.

:

Simple members connected by relatives and comparatives, are for the moft part diftinguifhed by a comma; but when the members are fhort in comparative fentences; and when two members are closely connected by a relative, restraining the general notion of the antecedent to a particular sense ; the paufe becomes almost infenfible, and the comma is better omitted.

EXAMPLES.

Raptures, transports, and ecftacies, are the rewards which they confer : fighs and tears, prayers and broken hearts, are the offerings which are paid to them.'

'Gods partial, changeful, paffionate, unjust: Whofe attributes were rage, revenge, or luft.'

POPE.

• What is sweeter than honey? and what is ftronger than a lion?'

A circumstance of importance, though no more than an imperfect phrafe, may be set off with a comma on each fide, to give it greater force and diftinction.

EXAMPLE.

The principle may be defective or faulty; but the confequences it produces are fo good, that, for the benefit of mankind, it ought not to be extinguished.'

A member of a sentence, whether fimple or compounded, that requires a greater paufe than a comma, yet does not of itfelf make a complete fentence, but is followed by fomething clofely depending on it, may be diftinguished by a femicolon.

EXAMPLE.

But as this paffion for admiration, when it works according to reason, improves the beautiful part of our fpecies in every thing that is laudable; fo nothing is more deftructive to them, when it is governed by vanity and folly.'

Here the whole fentence is divided into two parts by the femicolon: each of which parts is a compounded member, divided into its fimple members by a comma.

A member of a sentence, whether fimple or compounded, which of itself would make a complete fentence, and fo requires a greater pause than a femicolon, yet is followed by an additional part making a more full and perfect fenfe, may be dif tinguished by the colon.

EXAMPLE.

Were all books reduced to their quinteffence, many a bulky author would make his appearance in à penny paper: there would be fcarce any fuch thing in nature as á folio: the works of an age would bè contained on a few fhelves; not to mention millions of volumes that would be utterly annihilated.'

Here the whole sentence is divided into four parts by colons; the first and laft of which are compounded members, each divided by a comma; the fecond and third are fimple members.

When a femicolon has preceded, and a greater paufe is ftill neceffary; a colon may be employed, though the fentence be incomplete.

The colon is alfo commonly used, when an example or a fpeech is introduced.

When a sentence is fo far perfectly finished, as not to be connected in construction with the follow ing fentence, it is marked with a period.

Befides the points which mark the pauses in dif course, there are others' that denote a different modulation of voice, in correfpondence to the fenfe: Thefe are,

The Interrogative point?

The Exclamation point! ‹ The Parenthesis ()

as, "Are you fincere?"

"How excellent is a grateful heart!"

"Know then this truth, (enough for man to know,) "Virtue alone is happiness below."

The following characters are also frequently used in compofition,

An Apoftrophe, marked thus'; as, "tho', judg'd."

am

A Caret, marked thus a; as, "I diligent."

A

A Hyphen, which is thus marked; as, “Lap dog, to-morrow."

The Acute Accent, marked thus'; as, “Fan'cy.” The Grave Accent, thus '; as, “Favour." The proper mark to distinguish a long fyllable, is this ; as, "< Rofy" and a fhort one, this ; as, Folly." This laft mark is called a Breve. A Diærefis, thus marked "

fhews that two

vowels form feparate fyllables; as, “Creätor."

A Section is marked thus, §.

A Paragraph, thus, T.

A Quotation has two inverted commas at the beginning, and two direct ones at the end of a phrafe or paffage; as,

"The proper ftudy of mankind is man."

Crotchets or Brackets ferve to inclofe a particufar word or fentence. They are marked thus [].

An Index or Handpoints out a remarkable

paffage.

A Brace }

unites three poetical lines; or con

nects a number of words, in profe, with one com

An Afterisk or little ftar* directs the reader to fome note in the margin. An Ellipfis is thus marked

for King.

; as,

“ K—g,”

An Obelisk, which is marked thus †, and Parallel thus, together with the letters of the alphabet, and figures, are used as references to the margin.

APPENDIX.

AULES AND OBSERVATIONS FOR PROMOTING PERSPICUITY AND ACCURACY IN WRITING.

PERSPICUITY is the fundamental quality of ftyle; a quality fo effential in every kind of writing, that for the want of it nothing can atone.

The fludy of perfpicuity and accuracy of expreffion confifts of two parts; and requires attention to Single Words and Phrafes; and to the Construction of Sentences.

7

PART I.

Of Perfpicuity and Accuracy of Expression, with respect to Single Words and Phrafes.

THESE qualities of ftyle, confidered with regard to words and phrafes, require the following properties : Purity, Propriety, and Precision.

CHAP. I.

Qf Purity.

PURITY of ftyle confifts in the ufe of fuch words, and fuch conftructions, as belong to the idiom of the language which we fpeak; in oppofition to words and phrases that are taken from other languages, or that are ungrammatical, obfolete, new-coined, or used without proper authority.

All fuch words and phrafes as the following, fhould be avoided: Quoth he; I wist not; erewhile; "beheft; felf fame; delicatele; politeffe; hauteur, &c.

CHAP. II.

Of Propriety.

PROPRIETY of language is the felection of fuch words, as the beft ufage has appropriated to thofe ideas, which we intend to exprefs by them. To preferve próst