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when there is no conjunction between them and the connection is slight; as, "Never flatter the people: leave that to such as mean to betray them.”

With regard to the cases falling under this rule, usage is divided. Many good authorities prefer a semicolon; while others substitute a period, and commence a new sentence with what follows. It appears to be settled, however, that, if the members are connected by a conjunction, a semicolon is the highest point that can be placed between them; as, "Never flatter the people; but leave that to such as mean to betray them."

EXERCISE.

Insert, wherever required in the following sentences, periods, interrogation-points, exclamation-points, and colons :

UNDER § 104. No monumental marble emblazons the deeds and fame of Marco Bozarris; a few round stones piled over his head are all that marks his grave yet his name is conspicuous among the greatest heroes and purest patriots of history-" Most fashionable ladies," says a plainspoken writer, "have two faces; one face to sleep in and another to show in company the first is generally reserved for the husband and family at home; the other is put on to please strangers abroad the family face is often indifferent enough, but the out-door one looks something better"-You have called yourself an atom in the universe; you have said that you were but an insect in the solar blaze is your present pride consistent with these professions

UNDER § 105. The object of this book is twofold first, to teach the inexperienced how to express their thoughts correctly and elegantly; secondly, to enable them to appreciate the productions of others-The human family is composed of five races, differing from each other in feature and color first, the Caucasian or white; second, &c-Lord Bacon has summed up the whole matter in the following words "A little philosophy inclineth men's minds to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds to religion "-Where can you find anything simpler yet more sublime than this sentiment of Richter's "I love God and little children "-He answered my argument thus "The man who lives by hope will die by despair"

UNDER S 106. Cato, being next called on by the consul for his opinion, delivered the following forcible speech

Conscript fathers, I perceive that those who have spoken before

me, &c

UNDER § 107. Socrates used to say that other men lived in order that they might eat, but that he ate in order that he might live-The proposition that "whatever is, is right", admits of question-It is a fact on which we may congratulate ourselves, that "honor and shame from no condition rise"-The Spanish proverb, "he is my friend that grinds at my mill," exposes the false pretensions of persons who will not go out of their way to serve those for whom they profess friendship

UNDER § 108. Solomon says "Go to the ant, thou sluggard Diogenes, the eccentric Cynic philosopher, was constantly finding fault with his pupils and acquaintances To excuse himself, he was accustomed to say "Other dogs bite their enemies; but I bite my friends, that I may save them "-A Spanish proverb says "Four persons are indispensable to the production of a good salad first, a spendthrift for oil; second, a miser for vinegar; third, a counsellor for salt; fourth, a madman, to stir it all up"

UNDER $ 109. Love hath wings beware lest he fly-I entered at the first window that I could reach a cloud of smoke filled the apartmentLife in Sweden is, for the most part, patriarchal almost primeval simplicity reigns over this northern land, almost primeval solitude and stillness--Discretion is the perfection of reason, and a guide in all the duties of life cunning is a kind of instinct, that looks out only after its own immediate interests and welfare

MISCELLANEOUS.-What a truthful lesson is taught in these words of Sterne "So quickly, sometimes, has the wheel turned round that many a man has lived to enjoy the benefit of that charity which his own piety projected"-Colton has truly said that "kings and their subjects, masters and servants, find a common level in two places; at the foot of the cross, and in the grave"-We have in use two kinds of language, the spoken and the written the one, the gift of God; the other, the invention of man-How far silence is prudence, depends upon circumstances I waive that question-You have friends to cheer you on; you have books and teachers to aid you but after all the proper education of your mind must be your own work-Death is like thunder in two particulars we are alarmed at the sound of it; and it is formidable only from what has preceded it

LESSON XIX.

THE SEMICOLON.

§ 110. THE word SEMICOLON means half a limb or member; and the point is used to indicate the next greatest degree of separation to that denoted by the colon. It was first employed in Italy, and seems to have found its way into England about the commencement of the seventeenth century.

§ 111. RULE I.-A semicolon must be placed between the

§ 110. What does the word semicolon mean? What degree of separation does it indicate? Where was it first employed? When did it find its way into England?

members of compound sentences (see § 41), unless the connection is exceedingly close; as, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord; but they that deal truly are His delight."

We have already seen, in § 109, that, when there is no conjunction between the members, a colon may be used, if the connection is slight; a semicolon, however, is generally preferred. On the other hand, when the members are very short and the connection is intimate, a comma may without impropriety be employed; as, “Simple men admire the learned, ignorant men despise them." Usage on this point is much divided, the choice between semicolon and comma depending entirely on the degree of connection between the members, respecting which different minds can not be expected to agree. In the example last given, either a semicolon or a comma may be placed after learned.

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§ 112. RULE II.—A semicolon must be placed between the great divisions of sentences, when minor subdivisions occur that are separated by commas; as Mirth should be the embroidery of conversation, not the web; and wit the ornament of the mind, not the furniture."

§ 113. RULE III.—When a colon is placed before an enumeration of particulars, the objects enumerated must be separated by semicolons; as, "The value of a maxim depends on four things: the correctness of the principle it embodies; the subject to which it relates; the extent of its application; and the ease with which it may be practically carried out.”

§ 114. RULE IV.-A semicolon must be placed before an enumeration of particulars, when the names of the objects merely are given, without any formal introductory words or accompanying description; as, "There are three genders; the masculine, the feminine, and the neuter."

§ 115. RULE V.—A semicolon must be placed before the conjunction As, when it introduces an example. For an illustration, see the preceding Rule.

§ 111. Repeat Rule I. What other point may be used, when there is no conjunction? When the connection is very close, what point may be employed?

§ 112. Repeat Rule II.

§ 118. Repeat Rule III. § 114. Repeat Rule IV. § 115. Repeat Rule V.

§ 116. RULE VI.—When several long clauses occur in succession, all having common dependence on some other clause or word, they must be separated by semicolons; as, "If we neglected no opportunity of doing good; if we fed the hungry and ministered to the sick; if we gave up our own luxuries, to secure necessary comforts for the destitute; though no man might be aware of our generosity, yet in the applause of our own conscience we would have an ample reward."

§ 117. If the clauses are short, they may be separated by commas; as, "If I succeed, if I reach the pinnacle of my ambition, you shall share my triumph."

EXERCISE.

Insert in the following sentences, wherever required by the rules, all the points thus far considered:

UNDER § 111. Air was regarded as a simple substance by ancient philosophers but the experiments of Cavendish prove it to be composed of oxygen and nitrogen-The gem has lost its sparkle scarce a vestige of its former brilliancy remains-The porcupine is fond of climbing trees and for this purpose he is furnished with very long claws-The Laplanders have little idea of religion or a Supreme Being the greater part of them are idolaters, and their superstition is as profound as their worship is contemptible

UNDER 112. The Jews ruin themselves at their Passover the Moors, at their marriages and the Christians, in their law-suits-The poisoned valley of Java is twenty miles in extent, and of considerable width it presents a most desolate appearance, being entirely destitute of vegetation -The poet uses words, indeed but they are merely the instruments of his art, not its objects-Weeds and thistles, ever enemies of the husbandman, must be rooted out from the garden of the mind good seed must be sown and the growing crop must be carefully attended to, if we would have a plenteous harvest

UNDER § 113. The true order of learning should be as follows first, what is necessary second, what is useful and third, what is ornamental -God hath set some in the church first, apostles secondarily, prophets thirdly, teachers after that, miracles then, gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues-The duties of man' are twofold first, those that he owes to his Creator secondly, those due to his fellow-men-Two paths open before every youth on the one hand, that of vice, with its unreal and short-lived pleasures on the other, that of virtue, with the genuine and permanent happiness it ensures

§ 116. Repeat Rule VI.

§ 117. If the dependent clauses are short, how may they be separated?

UNDER 114. We have three great bulwarks of liberty viz., schools, colleges, and universities-There are three cases the nominative, the possessive, and the objective-According to a late writer, London surpasses all other great cities in four particulars size, commerce, fogs, and pickpockets

UNDER $ 115. After interjections, pronouns of the first person are generally used in the objective case as, "Ah me" Those of the second person, on the other hand, follow interjections in the nominative as, "O thou"

UNDER § 116. The greatest man is he who chooses the right with invincible resolution who resists the sorest temptations from within and without who bears the heaviest burdens cheerfully who is calmest in storms, and most fearless under menace and frowns and whose reliance on truth, on virtue, and on God, is most unfaltering-The delightful freedom of Cowper's manner, so acceptable to those long accustomed to a poetical school of which the radical fault was constraint his noble and tender morality his fervent piety his glowing and well-expressed patriotism his descriptions, unparalleled in vividness and accuracy his playful humor and powerful satire,--all conspired to render him one of the most popular poets of his day

UNDER 117. Read not for the purpose of contradicting and confuting nor of believing and taking for granted nor of finding material for argument and conversation but in order to weigh and consider the thoughts of others-When I have gone from earth when my place is vacant when my pilgrimage is over will thy faithful heart still keep my memory green

MISCELLANEOUS. This wide-spread republic is the future monument to Washington Maintain its independence uphold its constitution preserve its union defend its liberty-The ancients feared death we, thanks to Christianity, fear only dying-The study of mathematics cultivates the reason that of the languages, at the same time, the reason and the taste The former gives power to the mind the latter, both power and flexibility The former, by itself, would prepare us for a state of certainties which nowhere exists the latter, for a state of probabilities, which is that of common life-Woman in Italy is trained to shrink from the open air and the public gaze she is no rider is never in at the death in a fox-hunt is no hand at a whip, if her life depended on it she never keeps a stall at a fancy fair never takes the lead at a debating club she never addresses a stranger, except, perhaps, behind a mask in carnival-season her politics are limited to wearing tri-color ribbons and refusing an Austrian as a partner for the waltz she is a dunce, and makes no mystery of it a coward, and glories in it-Lord Chatham made an administration so checkered and speckled he put together a piece of joinery so crossly indented and whimsically dovetailed he constructed a cabinet so variously inlaid with whigs and tories, patriots and courtiers,-that it was utterly unsafe to touch and unsure to stand on-Helmets are cleft on high blood bursts and smokes around

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