A In the position of not only, whith, as they stand, are made to qualify means; whereas the word they should qualify is Paris; as, "He means to visit, not only Paris, but Rome also."

Q. When several restrictive or qualifying clauses occur in the same sentence, how should they be disposed?

A. The best way is, not to place them too near each other, but so to disperse and arrange them, as to leave the principal words of the sentence prominent and distinct.

Q. What is faulty in the following sentence: "A great stone that I happened to find, after a long search, by the sea-shore, served me for an anchor ?”

A. The qualifying clause, “after a long search,” is improperly placed.

Q. What may the meaning of the sentence be according to the present arrangement?

A. Why, that the search was confined to the sea shore, whereas it is intended to be stated that the stone was found on the sea-shore.

Q. Can you give the sentence in a corrected form?

A. “A great stone that I happened, after a long search, to find by the sea-shore, served me for an anchor."

Q. What is the most general rule upon the subject of arrangement ?

A. Place words so as best to preserve and exhibit the proper connection of the thoughts for which they stand, and which they are intended to convey.

2. Is there any more specific rule?

A. Let all relative and connective words be so placed as best to indicate at once what they connect, and to what they refer.

Q. What will be the consequence of an improper position of words in a sentence?

A. It will obscure the sense, and produce confusion in the mind of the reader or hearer.

Q. Will you endeavor to correct the following sentences? It is folly to pretend to arm ourselves against the accidents of life, by heaping up treasures, from which nothing can protect us but the good providence of God. We shall now endeavor, with clearness and precision, to describe the provinces once united under their sway. The minister who grows less by his elevation, like a little statue on a mighty pedestal, will always have his jealousy strong about him.

A. It is folly to pretend, by heaping up treasures, to arm ourselves against the accidents of life, from which nothing can protect us but the good providence of God. We shall endeavor to describe, with clearness and precision, the provinces once united under their sway. The minister who, like a little statue on a mighty pedestal, grows less by his elevation, will always have his jealousy strong about him.

EXERCISES.

I. Correct the errors in the position of adverbs, in the following sentences:

1. By doing the same thing it often becomes habitual.

2. Not to exasperate him, I only spoke a few words.

3. Sixtus the Fourth was, if Į mistake not, a great collector of books as least.

4. We do those things frequently, which we repent of afterward.

5. I was engaged formerly in that business, but I never shall be again concerned in it.

6. If Louis XIV. was not the greatest king, he was the best actor of majesty, at least, that ever filled a throne.

II. Correct the errors in the position of clauses and circumstances, in the following sentences:

1. I have settled the meaning of those pleasures of the imagination, which are the subject of my present undertaking, by way of introduction, in this paper; and endeavored to recommend the pursuit of those pleasures to my readers, by several considerations; I shall examine the several sources whence these pleasures are derived, in the next paper.

2. Fields of corn form a pleasant prospect; and if the walks were a little taken care of that lie between them, they would display neatness, reg ularity, and elegance.

3. I have confined myself to those methods for the advancement of piety, which are in the power of a prince, limited like ours, by a strict execution of the laws.

4. This morning, when one of the gay females was looking over some noods and ribands, brought by her tirewoman, with great care and diligence, I employed no less in examining the box which contained them.

5. Since it is necessary that there should be a perpetual intercourse of buying and selling, and dealing upon credit, where fraud is permitted or connived at, or has no law to punish it, the honest dealer is often undone, and the knave gets the advantage.

6. As the guilt of an officer will be greater than that of a common servant, if he prove negligent, so the reward of his fidelity will be proportion ably greater.

7. Let the virtue of a definition be what it will, in the order of things, it seems rather to follow than to precede our inquiry, of which it ought to be considered as the result

8. This work, in its full extent, being now afflicted with an asthma, and finding the power of life gradually declining, he had no longer courage to

undertake.

9. The witness had been ordered to withdraw from the bar, in conse quence of being intoxicated, by the motion of an honorable member,

III. Correct the errors in the position or the too frequent repetition of pronouns, in the following sen

tences:

1 These are the master's rules, who must be obeyed.

2. They attacked the Duke of Northumberland's house, whom they put

to death.

3. It is true what he says, but it is not applicable to the point.

4. He was taking a view, from a window, of the cathedral of Litchfield, in which a party of the royalists had fortified themselves.

5. It is folly to pretend to arm ourselves against the accidents of life, by heaping up treasures, which nothing can protect us against, but the good providence of our Heavenly Father.

6. Thus I have fairly given you my opinion, as well as that of a great majority of both houses here, relating to this weighty affair, upon which I am confident you may securely reckon.

7. From a habit of saving time and paper, which they acquired at the university, many write in so diminutive a manner, with such frequent blots and interlineations, that they are hardly able to go on without perpetual hesitation or extemporary expletives.

8. Lysias promised to his father never to abandon his friends.

9. Men look with an evil eye upon the good that is in others, and think that their reputation obscures them, and that their commendable qualities do stand in their light; and therefore they do what they can to cast a cloud over them, that the bright shining of their virtues may not obscure them.

CHAPTER XVII.

OF UNITY.

Q. What do you mean by the Unity of a sentence?

A. Closeness and compactness of arrangement, and tne restriction of the sentence to one leading idea. Q. When is unity most apt to be violated?

A. When the sentence is long, and crowded with a number of qualifying clauses, among which there is no very close connection.

Q. What, for the sake of unity, should there be in every sen

tence?

A. One principal object of thought, which should never be obscured, nor concealed from view.

Q. What is the first rule, then, for preserving unity?

A. Never, if possible, during the course of a senence, to change the scene or the actor.

Q. Can you exemplify the violation of this rule?

A "After we came to anchor, they put me on shore, where I was welcomed by all my friends, who received me with the greatest kindness."

Q. What is faulty in this sentence?

A. A frequent change of subject, as we, they, I, who, which are all nominatives to different verbs, and therefore tend to distract the attention.

Q. Can you give it in a corrected form?

A. "After we came to anchor, I was put on shore, where I was welcomed by all my friends, and received by them with the greatest kindness."

Q. What is the next rule for obtaining unity?

4. It is, never to crowd into one sentence things so unconnected that they would bear to be divided into different sentences.

Q. Can you give an example?

A. "Virtuous men are always the most happy; but vice strows the path of her votaries with thorns.' Q. How would you correct this sentence?

A. By making each member a separate sentence, as, "Virtuous men are always the most happy. Vice strows the path of her followers with thorns."

Q. What is the next rule under this head?

A. It is to avoid all unnecessary parentheses, and all such words and members as interrupt the natural unity of thought which a sentence should exhibit. Q. Are parentheses always improper?

A. By no means; for they sometimes give elegance and vivacity to a sentence. They should, however, be used very sparingly, as they tend, when improperly introduced, to clog and embarrass a sentence.

Q. Are parentheses as much in use as they once were?

A. No; for by modern writers they are mostly laid aside; but old writers were in general very profuse in the use of them.

Q. How may long and awkward parentheses be avoided?

A. Either by entirely rejecting them, or, if what they contain be necessary to the sense, by putting them into a separate sentence.

Q. Can you give an example of the right use of purentheses? "The bliss of man (could pride that blessing find)

Is not to act or think beyond mankind.”

Q. Will you endeavor to correct the following sentences, in which unity has been neglected? A short time after this injury, he came to himself; and the next day they put him on board a ship which conveyed him first to Corinth, and thence to the islan of Ægina. Never delay till to-morrow (for to-morrow is no

yours; and thougn you should live to enjoy it, you must not over. load it with a burden not its own) what reason and conscience tell you ought to be performed to-day.

A. A short time after this injury, he came to himself; and being the next day put on board a ship, he was conveyed first to Corinth, and thence to the island of Ægina. Never delay till to-morrow what reason and conscience tell you ought to be performed today. To-morrow is not yours; and though you should live to enjoy it, you must not overload it with a burden not its own.

EXERCISES.

I. Correct the errors arising from the change of the scene or actor, in the following sentences:

1. The Britons, daily harassed by cruel inroads from the Picts, were forced to call in the Saxons for their defence; who, consequently, reduced the greater part of the island to their own power, drove the Britons into the most remote and mountainous parts; and the rest of the country, in customs, religion, and languages, became wholly Saxon.

2. All the precautions of prudence, moderation, and condescension, which Eumenes employed, were incapable of mollifying the hearts of these barbarians, and of extinguishing their jealousy; and he must have renounced the virtue and merit which occasioned it, to have been capable of appeasing them.

3. He who performs every employmont in its due place and season, suffers no part of time to escape without profit; and thus his days become multiplied, and much of life is enjoyed in little space.

4. Desire of pleasure ushers in temptation, and the growth of disorderly passions is forwarded.

II. Correct such errors, in the following passages, as arise from crowding into one sentence things which have no intimate connection:

1. The notions of Lord Sunderland were always good; but he was a man of great expense.

2. Cato died in the full vigor of life. under fifty; he was naturally warm and affectionate in his temper; comprehensive, impartial, and strongly posBossed with the love of mankind

3. In this uneasy state, both of his public and private life, Cicero was oppressed by a new and deep affliction, the death of his beloved daughter Tullia; which happened soon after her divorce from Dolabella, whose manners and humors were entirely disagreeable to her.

4. I single him out among the moderns, because he had the foolish presumption to censure Tacitus, and to write history himself; and your lord ship will forgive this short excursion in honor of a favorite author.

III. Correct the errors in the use of parentheses, in the following sentences:

1. Disappointments will often happen to the best and wisest men (not through any imprudence of theirs, nor eve through the malice or ill de