The Grammar of English Grammars Part 18

RULES FOR THE USE OF CAPITALS.

RULE I.--OF BOOKS.

When particular books are mentioned by their names, the chief words in their t.i.tles begin with capitals, and the other letters are small; as, "Pope's Essay on Man"--"the Book of Common Prayer"--"the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments." [104]

RULE II.--FIRST WORDS.

The first word of every distinct sentence, or of any clause separately numbered or paragraphed, should begin with a capital; as, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of G.o.d in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things: hold fast that which is good."--_1 Thess._, v, 16--21.

"14. He has given his a.s.sent to their acts of pretended legislation: 15. _For_ quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: 16. _For_ protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for murders: 17. _For_ cutting off our trade with all parts of the world: 18. _For_ imposing taxes on us without our consent:" &c.

_Declaration of American Independence._

RULE III.--OF THE DEITY.

All names of the Deity, and sometimes their emphatic subst.i.tutes, should begin with capitals; as, "G.o.d, Jehovah, the Almighty, the Supreme Being, Divine Providence, the Messiah, the Comforter, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Lord of Sabaoth."

"The hope of my spirit turns trembling to Thee."--_Moore_.

RULE IV.--PROPER NAMES.

Proper names, of every description, should always begin with capitals; as, "Saul of Tarsus, Simon Peter, Judas Iscariot, England, London, the Strand, the Thames, the Pyrenees, the Vatican, the Greeks, the Argo and the Argonauts."

RULE V.--OF t.i.tLES.

t.i.tles of office or honour, and epithets of distinction, applied to persons, begin usually with capitals; as, "His Majesty William the Fourth, Chief Justice Marshall, Sir Matthew Hale, Dr. Johnson, the Rev. Dr.

Chalmers, Lewis the Bold, Charles the Second, James the Less, St.

Bartholomew, Pliny the Younger, Noah Webster, Jun., Esq."

RULE VI.--ONE CAPITAL.

Those compound proper names which by a.n.a.logy incline to a union of their parts without a hyphen, should be so written, and have but one capital: as, "Eastport, Eastville, Westborough, Westfield, Westtown, Whitehall, Whitechurch, Whitehaven, Whiteplains, Mountmellick, Mountpleasant, Germantown, Germanflats, Blackrock, Redhook, Kinderhook, Newfoundland, Statenland, Newcastle, Northcastle, Southbridge, Fairhaven, Dekalb, Deruyter, Lafayette, Macpherson."

RULE VII.--TWO CAPITALS.

The compounding of a name under one capital should be avoided when the general a.n.a.logy of other similar terms suggests a separation under two; as, "The chief mountains of Ross-shire are Ben Chat, _Benchasker_, Ben Golich, Ben Nore, Ben Foskarg, and Ben Wyvis."--_Glasgow Geog._, Vol. ii, p. 311.

Write _Ben Chasker_. So, when the word _East, West, North_, or _South_, as part of a name, denotes relative position, or when the word _New_ distinguishes a place by contrast, we have generally separate words and two capitals; as, "East Greenwich, West Greenwich, North Bridgewater, South Bridgewater, New Jersey, New Hampshire."

RULE VIII.--COMPOUNDS.

When any adjective or common noun is made a distinct part of a compound proper name, it ought to begin with a capital; as, "The United States, the Argentine Republic, the Peak of Teneriffe, the Blue Ridge, the Little Pedee, Long Island, Jersey City, Lower Canada, Green Bay, Gretna Green, Land's End, the Gold Coast."

RULE IX.--APPOSITION.

When a common and a proper name are a.s.sociated merely to explain each other, it is in general sufficient, if the proper name begin with a capital, and the appellative, with a small letter; as, "The prophet Elisha, Matthew the publican, the brook Cherith, the river Euphrates, the Ohio river, Warren county, Flatbush village, New York city."

RULE X.--PERSONIFICATIONS.

The name of an object personified, when it conveys an idea strictly individual, should begin with a capital; as, "Upon this, _Fancy_ began again to bestir herself."--_Addison_. "Come, gentle _Spring_, ethereal mildness, come."--_Thomson_.

RULE XI.--DERIVATIVES.

Words derived from proper names, and having direct reference to particular persons, places, sects, or nations, should begin with capitals; as, "Platonic, Newtonian, Greek, or Grecian, Romish, or Roman, Italic, or Italian, German, or Germanic, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese, Genoese, French, Dutch, Scotch, Welsh:" so, perhaps, "to Platonize, Grecize, Romanize, Italicize, Latinize, or Frenchify."

RULE XII.--OF I AND O.

The words _I_ and _O_ should always be capitals; as, "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy G.o.d, O Zion."--_Psalm_ cxlvii. "O wretched man that I am!"--"For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."--_Rom._, vii, 24 and 15.

RULE XIII.--OF POETRY.

Every line in poetry, except what is regarded as making but one verse with the line preceding, should begin with a capital; as,

"Our sons their fathers' failing language see, And such as Chaucer is, shall Dryden be."--_Pope_.

Of the exception, some editions of the Psalms in Metre are full of examples; as,

"Happy the man whose tender care relieves the poor distress'd!

When troubles compa.s.s him around, the Lord shall give him rest."

_Psalms with Com. Prayer, N. Y._, 1819, Ps. xli.

RULE XIV.--OF EXAMPLES.

The first word of a full example, of a distinct speech, or of a direct quotation, should begin with a capital; as, "Remember this maxim: 'Know thyself.'"--"Virgil says, 'Labour conquers all things.'"--"Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are G.o.ds?"--_John_, x, 34.

"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother."--_Luke_, xviii, 20.

RULE XV.--CHIEF WORDS.

Other words of particular importance, and such as denote the princ.i.p.al subjects treated of, may be distinguished by capitals; and names subscribed frequently have capitals throughout: as, "In its application to the Executive, with reference to the Legislative branch of the Government, the same rule of action should make the President ever anxious to avoid the exercise of any discretionary authority which can be regulated by Congress."--ANDREW JACKSON, 1835.

RULE XVI.--NEEDLESS CAPITALS.

Capitals are improper wherever there is not some special rule or reason for their use: a century ago books were disfigured by their frequency; as, "Many a n.o.ble _Genius_ is lost for want of _Education_. Which wou'd then be Much More Liberal. As it was when the _Church_ Enjoy'd her _Possessions_.