صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

are at once more graceful, and better adapted for exhibiting nature in shape, attitude and motion, to advantage. The human figure is, I may say, burlesqued in the one habit, and adorned by the other. Custom, which can conciliate us to any thing, prevents us from seeing this in ourselves and in one another; but we quickly perceive the difference in pictures and statues. Nor is there a painter or a statuary of eminence who is not perfectly sensible of the odds, and who would not think his art degraded in being employed to exhibit the reigning mode. Nay, in regard to the trifling changes, for they are but trifling, which fashion is daily making on our garments, how soon are we ourselves brought to think ridiculous, what we accounted proper, not to say elegant, but two or three years ago; whereas no difference in the fashions of the times and of the country, can ever bring a man of taste to consider the drapery of the toga or of the pallium, as any way ludicrous or offen

sive.

Perhaps I have carried the comparison farther than was at first intended. What hath been said, however, more regards the form of structure, than the matter of the languages compared. Notwithstanding the preference given above in point of form to the ancient. tongues, the modern may, in point of matter, (or the words of which the language is composed) be superior to them. I am inclined to think that this is actually the case of some of the present European tongues. The materials which constitute the riches of a language, will always bear a proportion to the acquisitions in knowledge made by the people. For this reason, I should not he sitate to pronounce that English is considerably richer than Latin, and in the main fitter for all the subtile disquisitions both of philosophy and of criticism. If I am more doubtful in regard to the preference, when our tongue is compared with Greek, notwithstanding the superiority of our knowledge in arts and sciences, the reason of my doubt is, the amazing ductility of that language, by which it was adapted to express easily in derivations and compositions, new indeed but quite ana

logical, and therefore quite intelligible, any discoveries in the sciences, or invention in the arts, that might at any time be made in their own, or imported from foreign countries. Nay, it would seem to be a general convic tion of this distinguishing excellence, that hath made Europeans almost universally recur to Greek for a supply of names to those things which are of modern invention, and with which the Grecians themselves never were acquainted; such as microscope, telescope, barometer, thermometer, and a thousand others.

CHAP. V.

Of the Connectives employed in combining the Sentences in a Discourse.

IN the preceding chapter I have discussed what I had to offer on the manner of connecting the words, the clauses, and the members of a sentence. I intend in the present chapter to consider the various manners of connecting the sentences in a discourse, and to make some remarks on this subject, for the assistance of the composer, which are humbly submitted to the judgment of the reader.

SECTION I.-The necessity of Connectives for this purpose.

It will scarcely be doubted by any person of discernment, that as there should always be a natural connexion in the sentiments of a discourse, there should generally be corresponding to this, an artificial connexion in the signs. Without such a connexion the whole will appear a sort of patchwork, and not a uniform piece. To such a style we might justly apply the censure which the emperor Caligula gave of Seneca's, that is, "sand without lime," the parts having no cohesion. As to the connection of periods and other sentences, it is formed, like that of words, clauses, and members, mostly by conjunc

Arena sine calce.

itions, frequently by pronouns, the demonstrative especially, and sometimes by other methods, of which I shall soon have occasion to take notice.

When facts are related in continuation, or when one argument, remark, or illustration, is with the same view produced after another, the conjunction is a copulative.† If the sentiment in the second sentence is in any way opposed to that which immediately precedes, an adver sative is employed to conjoin them. If it is produced as an exception, there are also exceptive conjunctions for the purpose. Both the last mentioned orders are comprehended under the general name disjunctive. If the latter sentence include the reason of what had been affirmed in the preceding, the causal is used . If, on the contrary, it contain an inference, it must be introduced by an illative. Besides these, there is in every tongue a number of phrases, which have the power of conjunctions in uniting sentences, and are of great utility in composition, both for enabling the orator to hit with greater exactness the relations almost infinitely diversified that may subsist between the thoughts, and for the variety they afford in that part of speech, wherein variety is more needed than in any other.** It likewise

deserves our notice, that several of those words which are always classed by grammarians and lexicographers among the adverbs, have, in uniting the several parts of a discourse, all the effect of conjunctions.tt The general name of connexive, I shall therefore apply indiscriminately to them all.

• This, that, such.

† And, now, also, too, likewise, again, besides, further, moreover, yea, nay, nor.
But, or, however, whereas.
§ Yet, nevertheless.
For.
Then, therefore.

** Add to this, in like manner, on the contrary, in short, to proceed, to return, to conclude. We might produce phrases, if necessary, corresponding to each of the above orders.

++ Such are some adverbs of time, as then, signifying at that time, hitherto, formerly; of place, as here, thus, far; of order, as first, secondly, finally; of resem. blance, as thus, accordingly; of contrariety, as else, otherwise, contrariwise.

SECTION II-Observations on the manner of using the Connectives in combining Sentences.

It remains to make a few observations with regard to the right manner of using the materials above specified, for connecting sentences and paragraphs. It is not indeed by any use of them, that we can propose to add much energy to the style, for that is rarely the gift of these particles; but we may employ them so as to preclude the irksomeness and langour which invariably result from an improper use of them.

My first observation shall be, that as there are many conjunctions and connective phrases appropriated to the coupling of sentences, that are never employed in joining the members of a sentence, so there are several conjunctions appropriated to the latter use, which are never employed in the former; and some that are equally adapted to both these purposes. This distinction in connectives, will be found in different instances to flow from different sources. In some it is a natural distinction arising from the very import of the words; in which case we shall always find, on inquiry, that it obtain alike every tongue. In other instances, it is a distinction merely customary, founded on the usages which prevail in a particular language.

in

As to those particles which are naturally fitted for conjoining clauses and members, but not sentences, they are chiefly the comparative, the hypothetical, † and the intentional. Let it not be imagined, that because a conjunction which falls under one or other of these denominations, is often found in the beginning of a sentence, it serves to couple the sentence with that which went before. Such a connexive will always be discovered, on examination, to have no reference to any thing without the sentence. Consider the following examples. "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments."

Than.

+ If, tho', altho', when, unless, except. That, so that, insomuch that, lest.

"Tho' I tell you what I am, ye will not believe me." "That I might save sinners, I came into the world." It is manifest that the conjunction wherewith each of these sentences begins, marks singly the relation that subsists between the two following clauses, or the nature of the dependence which the one has on the other. It is not even implied in the expression, that any thing had been said before. Accordingly, the same sense, without any variation, is expressed when the clauses are transposed; though sometimes the only arrangement will exhibit it with greater energy than the other. Thus, "Ye will keep my commandments, if ye love me;" "Ye will not believe me, though I tell you what I am;" and "I came into the world, that I might save sinners," are precisely the same sentiments with those contained in the examples produced.

[ocr errors]

But may not the subordinate part connected with the additional particle, properly constitute one sentence, and the declaration another? Impossible. Every sentence must contain the enunciation of some proposition distinctly intelligible by itself, and expressive of some judgment, desire, or purpose of the speaker. But what only points to the motive or condition of something yet untold, answers none of these ends. Thus the words," Un"less ye repent," enunciate nothing, and therefore convey to the hearer no information of judgment, purpose or desire. They give indeed the expectation of such information, and thereby keep up the attention, till we hear what follows. No sooner are the words "ye shall perish" added, than we have the explicit declaration of a certain judgment or sentiment of the speaker. For this reason grammarians have justly remarked, that in every sentence there must be a verb in the indicative mood either expressed or implied. In all the three examples above given, we have it expressed in the second clause of their original form; the verb in the hypothetical part, and in that which marks the intention, is properly in the subjunctive or potential. It matters not whether the mood be distinguished by inflection, arrangement, or particles. In commands, interrogations,

[ocr errors]
« السابقةمتابعة »