Meet me and Gratiano, At Gratiano's lodging, some hour hence. Shakspeare. He desisted from I must needs tell you why he was so angry. doing good, only when he had no longer the power of relieving. The circumstance, however, happened long ago. Let our hearts surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found. I went only part of the way with him. Bless me, even me, O my father. Here are proofs of an intellect considerably above the common level. He wandered all along the shore. We sought him every where. Meanwhile, some thirty pirates were brought home. This request was mainly against the new scheme. Was he pleased, or otherwise? Misc. CHAP. VIII. CONJUNCTIONS. 1. SOME conjunctions have, occasionally, corresponding pronominal antecedents; thus, it often happens that Either precedes or, Neither, nor, - Whether, or, - Both, and. But it is usual to call those antecedents also conjunctions. For example; "Both coal and iron are abundant;" that is, both substances; "The evil can be neither concealed nor remedied;" that is, neither of two things can be done with it. We may remark, however, that Either, Neither, and Whether, can now be applied to distinguish more than two things; as, "We neither saw, nor heard, nor conceived such a thing." -- The position of these antecedents, in discourse, requires attention; they should generally precede expressions or constructions similar to those which follow the corresponding conjunction. Thus, it is incorrect to say, "I neither requested William nor Henry;" but each of the following is accurate, "I requested neither William nor Henry;' "I neither requested William nor forbade Henry.” In the observance of this propriety, however, the repetition of a preposition may sometimes be dispensed with; - we must "He both did injury to his brother and himself;" "He did injury both to his brother and not say, but we may say, himself." The word nor is often used inaccurately; as in the following couplet: The remnant of his days he safely past, Nor found they lagged too slow nor flew too fast. Prior. The conjunction before flew should be or; the sense being, "And found not that his days either lagged too slow or flew too fast." Instead of the antecedents Either and Neither, the poets have sometimes Or and Nor; thus, "Nor fame I slight, nor for her favours call." 2. Sometimes, conjunctions have appropriate adverbial antecedents; thus, it often happens that Not precedes but, except, or unless, — As, as, So, as or that; as, "James is as well situated as you;" that is, equally well situated as you are. In the case of Though and its corresponding adverbs Yet and Still, the conjunction almost always comes first. Except is not properly a conjunction, but an imperative verb, used, like Suppose, without definite reference to a nominative addressed. The conjunction as preceding the preposition to, must sometimes be parsed by supplying words understood; thus, "As to myself" signifies "In so far as it relates to myself." The phrases" As concerns me, "As regards me," and such like, may be similarly explained. 3. The conjunction than has other, else, or a comparative adjective or adverb, for its antecedent; as, "Thomas was more obstinate than the rest;" "No other than yourself could do so; "I would rather * be excused (than otherwise)." After than there is frequently the ellipsis of a relative; as, "You take more than belongs to you;" that is, than what belongs. Than should never be allowed to have the office of a preposition, unless in the relative expression than whom, which nothing but inveterate custom has sanctioned. In the sentence "Not more pure than thee he died (Moultrie), propriety requires thou; for the meaning is, "He died not more pure than thou didst." An objective may follow this conjunction, though not governed by it; thus, “I spoke to no other than him;" that is, than to him; "He commends you oftener than me;" that is, than he commends me. 4. Such conjunctions as If, Though, Unless, Provided, belong to dependent or subjoined clauses, and, when expressive of uncertain supposition or contingency, they are said to require a verb in the Subjunctive Mode. We have already remarked, however, that what is called the Present Subjunctive is an Infinitive to which the auxiliary verb Shall or Should is understood. The Past Subjunctive is equivalent to Should with an Infinitive; as, "Unless I went myself, I could not succeed;" that is, unless I should go. The past tenses of the verbs be and have sometimes convey a similar meaning, without any conjunction expressed or understood; as, "It were to no purpose;" that is, it would be; "I had been better pleased, if he had not gone;" that is, I should have been. (See Part I. ch. 13. § 8. and § 15.) Provided, when used like a conjunction, is an abridgment of the phrase it being provided that. 5. The conjunction that is primarily a demonstrative pronoun, signifying that circumstance, for that purpose, &c. Thus; "He told me that you were gone," means "He told * Rather is originally an Anglo-Saxon comparative, signifying sooner. me that circumstance-you were gone;' 99.66 They whispered, that I might not hear;" that is, for that purpose, or with that intention. In such sentences as "He said it was needless, for that (or because that) the time was gone by," we require to recognise the pronominal character of the word that, as it is an objective case; the signification being for that reason, or because of (by reason of) that circumstance. As the conjunction that is, in strictness, a pronoun in apposition with another expression, and evidently pleonastic, though not inexpedient, we can understand why it should be sometimes omitted; as, "Hume asserts it was a mistake;" viz. that it was. This conjunction, however, has lost so much of the demonstrative force of the pronoun that, as to admit of being used in apposition with the pronoun this; as, "Knowing this, that there shall come, in the last days, scoffers." The demonstrative adverb there, in like manner, may have its force so diminished that it will blend with here; as, "There is a lad here.” The conjunctions lest and but are sometimes improperly used instead of the conjunction that; as, "I fear lest he may come; "I doubt not but he will come." We should say, "I fear that he may come;" "I doubt not that he will come." 6. EXERCISES. I observe this the rather that, in my apprehension, the criticism that prevails amongst us at present leans too much this way. Dr. Campbell. Where there is no property there is no injustice, is a proposition as certain as any demonstration in Euclid. Locke. It has been observed that in Italy the memory sees more than Suppose there is placed before us a machine for raising great weights, be it the simplest of all, the wheel and axle. Bell. Neither their arms nor their policy could procure success to their design. Gillies. At the end of twenty-one years, the soldier may apply for his discharge, which, as well as a pension, is rarely refused. If he spared not them, Tremble, and be amazed at thy escape, Far guiltier England, lest he spare not thee! Gleig. Cowper. Socrates himself, pure as his morality and sublime as his theology were, worshipped the gods of his country according to the established rites. Horsley. The martyrs evinced such an ecstacy of fortitude, as not only exceeded the powers, but almost overflowed the very capacities, of nature. South. Neither they nor their gallant leader hesitated for a moment as to the measures which it would be proper for them to adopt. Gleig. None are clear, and none than we more guilty. Cowper. There is hardly any noble quality or endowment of the mind, but must own Temperance for either its parent or its nurse. South. The queen of England is either queen-regent, queen-consort, or queen-dowager. Blackstone. The inversions of Milton, the compound epithets of Thomson, are as really qualities of their compositions, as the sublimity of the one or the tenderness of the other. Alison. It is impossible so to throw a stone into the air that it shall not spin round as it moves forward. Moseley. In lowly dale, fast by a river's side With woody hill o'er hill encompassed round, Than whom a fiend more fell is nowhere found. Thomson. As the point of direct heat and sunlight gains its extreme limit of approach to either pole, it lingers, as though it were to minister a longer influence to the regions north and south, which velling in an appointed path it cannot reach. Moseley. We must or imitate or disapprove, That stains our innocence, this wounds our peace. tra Young. Ariosto must be placed much more below Homer than Tasso falls short of Virgil. Hallam. |