the participle being signifies that the boy who revealed and the boy who could not conceal were identical.

3. Let it be observed further, that the above examples show something more, as taking place in the combination of simple sentences, than the mere employment of the connectives. In (a) (b) and (d) the re-expression of the noun truth is avoided by a pronoun; in (a) (b) and (c) the reexpression of the noun boy is avoided by a similar substitute; in (c) the relative implies virtually a repetition of the noun truth; while in (d) the participle implies virtually a repetition of the noun boy.

These expedients contribute to strengthen the connexion of the clauses, and make the compound sentence more compact. The relative and the participle are especially conducive to compactness; - the former word has the blended significations of a conjunction and a pronoun, that is, it unites the clauses, and at the same time virtually repeats the noun truth; - the latter word has the blended significations of a conjunction, a pronoun, and an assertive verb, that is, it unites the clauses, and at the same time virtually repeats the noun boy, and involves the verb was.

or,

4. The connective form is intermediate to the two clauses in sense, but frequently not so in actual position. There may be an inversion of the clauses; as," When the boy could no longer conceal the truth, he revealed it." There may be a partial mingling of the two clauses; as, "The boy, because he could no longer conceal the truth, revealed it;" "The truth, which the boy could no longer conceal, he revealed." connective form may be complex, and its parts may be not together in one clause, but distributed; as, "The boy did not reveal the truth, until he was obliged to do so;" or, "The boy revealed the truth no sooner than he was obliged."

The

5. One of the principal expedients employed to render sentences more compact, to approximate, as it were, the velocity of speech to the velocity of thought,—is ellipsis,

or the occasional suppression of certain words which the general tenor of a sentence, or experience in conventional usage, enables the person addressed either mentally to supply or to dispense with. Thus the sentence at the conclusion of the preceding section is an abbreviated form instead of "The boy revealed the truth at a time no sooner than the time at which he was obliged to reveal it.”

The sign of the infinitive mode is often elliptically expressive of a connection between clauses; thus, "He returned by a different road, to prevent suspicion;" that is, in order to, or that he might.

6. In Section 7th is presented a set of Exercises (which may, if the teacher think necessary, be extended by selections from other parts of this text-book), with which the intended procedure is, first, to supply ellipses, if any, — secondly, to write, or read, each clause separately as an independent simple sentence, thirdly, to show by what conjunctives the simple sentences are formed into clauses, fourthly, to show what relative signification the simple sentences receive from the conjunctives. We shall precede the Exercises by an Example.

-

Let it be required to resolve into simple sentences the following compound sentence, — explaining the conjunctiyes.

"The king is my father's brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules."

This sentence, supplying the ellipses, becomes "The king is my father's brother; but (he is in) no (degree) more like (to) my father, than I (am like) to Hercules."

Three simple sentences are here combined; viz. "The king is my father's brother;""The king is like to my father;" "I am like to Hercules."

The second and third of these are combined by means of the conjunctive expression no more than ; and then the second and third are, as one member, united to the first by the conjunction but.

But has an adversative sense, and introduces a double clause denying merit to the circumstance expressed by the first clause; while the conjunctive phrase no more than has a comparative force, assigning as smal a degree of likeness between the father and the brother as there is between Hercules and the speaker.

7. EXERCISES.

Cicero's moral character was never blemished by the stain of any habitual vice, but was a shining pattern of virtue. Middleton. The scenes of nature contribute powerfully to inspire that serenity which heightens their beauties, and is necessary to our full enjoyment of them. Percival.

A dean and chapter are the council of the bishop, to assist him with their advice in affairs of religion, and also in the temporal concerns of his see. Blackstone.

The country of which Amerigo was supposed to be the discoverer, came gradually to be called by his name. Robertson.

They teased Ferdinand and Isabella incessantly with memorials, containing the detail of their own grievances, and the articles of their charge against Columbus. Robertson.

Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow; attend to the history of Rasselas prince of Abyssinia. Johnson.

Pansa no sooner received the letters than he summoned the senate, to acquaint them with the contents, which raised an incre. dible joy through the whole city. Middleton.

It is often a great happiness to be placed in a rank where, to the restraints of conscience and morality, is added the fear of peculiar shame, loss, and disgrace, necessarily consequent on ill behaviour. Knox.

On an evening of summer, whilst the white surface of the road is still dry and dusty, if we pass into an adjoining meadow, we shall find it covered with dew. Moseley.

Lucy and Emilia were admiring the structure of a spider's web, which was formed between the branches of a tall shrub, in the garden at Harthill, when Euphronius, returning from his morning walk, stopped to inquire what object so much engaged their attention. Percival.

During twenty-eight years an avowed rivalship subsisted between Francis I. and the emperor Charles V., which involved not only their own dominions, but the greatest part of Europe, in wars, which were prosecuted with more violent animosity, and

drawn out to a greater length, than had been known in any former period. Robertson.

Octavius had no sooner settled the affairs of the city, and subdued the senate to his mind, than he marched back towards Gaul, to meet Antony and Lepidus, who had already passed the Alps, and brought their armies into Italy, in order to have a personal interview with him which had been privately concerted. Middleton.

The odium of Cicero's death fell chiefly on Antony; yet it left a stain of perfidy and ingratitude also on Augustus; which explains the reason of that silence which is observed about Cicero by the writers of that age, and why his name is not so much as mentioned either by Horace or Virgil. Middleton.

At first, like the tender new-sprung leaves, he gives pleasing promise of coming richness and beauty; then he blossoms, and makes proud display of the profusion of honours that adorn him ; and eventually, when he, good easy man, caressed by the indulgent hand of prosperity, imagines, without one misgiving, that he is perfecting the maturity of his greatness, the killing frost of adversity comes and nips the root of his luxuriant pride, and then he falls as I do. Shakspeare paraphrased.*

CHAP. XIV.

EXERCISES IN THE CORRECTION OF IMPROPER DICTION

AND STRUCTURE.

**The following Exercises are designed to require not merely correction, but likewise explanation. Let the pupil describe the nature of each impropriety, and show the reason or fitness of his proposed amend

ment.

There remains but two obstacles to our complete and entire

success.

*The above paraphrase of Cardinal Wolsey's description of the state, that is, the earthly grandeur, of man, is designed as a suggestive specimen of a very useful species of exercise in composition. See Shakspeare's words among the Exercises in Punctuation, foot of p. 167.

To the Rules are subjoined a copious selection of examples.
Neither James nor John have permission for to go thither.
To live soberly, righteously, and piously, are required of all

men.

What avails the best sentiments, if persons do not live accordingly?

Each beast, and each insect, are happy in their own proper sphere.

Stephen's party were entirely broken up, as it had been long expected.

Argal discovered a more direct and shorter passage to Virginia. "In this matter," says I, "no mistakes are so trivial, but they deserve to be rectified."

I doubt not but that you shall find him well acquainted with those parts of the Old and New Testament which are historical. Some men will never learn nothing; for this reason, they understand every thing too soon.

-because

Mr. Hall with his wife and daughter were in my shop about an hour ago; and they said it was their intention to have visited you last evening, but were prevented by the rain.

Neither the year nor place of his birth are known; but it must have been in the latter half of the fifteenth century.

I fear lest he may have taken offence at my warning him, that he should beware of offending these kind of critics.

I am told that the general tendency of both Congreve and Farquhar's plays is immoral; but I have not read neither of their works.

It appears that copper halfpence and farthings began to be coined in James the First's reign.

The philosophy, as well as the religion, of the Chinese, concur to support a patriarchal despotism.

Every class of society has its cant of lamentation, which is understood or regarded by none but themselves.

Oxford was a school of great resort in the reign of Henry II., though its first charter was only granted by Henry III.

In what age, or in what country, idolatry made its first appearance, we have no certain information.

Never was man so teased, or suffered half the uneasiness as I have done this evening.

The supreme head of the church was a foreign potentate, who