The Verbalist Part 15

Pairs of words.--"Old and young, rich and poor, wise and foolish, were involved." "Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish, I give my hand and heart to this vote." "Interest and ambition, honor and shame, friendship and enmity, grat.i.tude and revenge, are the prime movers in public transactions."

A restrictive clause is not separated by a comma from the noun. "Every one must love a boy who [that] is attentive and docile." "He preaches sublimely who [that] lives a holy life." "The things which [that] are seen are temporal." "A king depending on the support of his subjects can not rashly go to war." "The sailor who [that] is not superst.i.tious will embark any day."

The comma is used after adjectives, nouns, and verbs in sentences like the following:

"Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils Shrunk to this little measure?"

"He fills, he bounds, connects and equals all."

"Who to the enraptured heart, and ear, and eye Teach beauty, virtue, truth, and love, and melody."[25]

"He rewarded his friends, chastised his foes, set Justice on her seat, and made his conquest secure."

The comma is used to separate adjectives in opposition, but closely connected. "Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull."

"Liberal, not lavish, is kind Nature's hand." "Though black, yet comely; and though rash, benign."

After a nominative, where the verb is understood. "To err is human; to forgive, divine." "A wise man seeks to shine in himself; a fool, in others." "Conversation makes a ready man; writing, an exact man; reading, a full man."

A long subject is often separated from the predicate by a comma. "Any one that refuses to earn an honest livelihood, is not an object of charity." "The circ.u.mstance of his being unprepared to adopt immediate and decisive measures, was represented to the Government." "That he had persistently disregarded every warning and persevered in his reckless course, had not yet undermined his credit with his dupes."

"That the work of forming and perfecting the character is difficult, is generally allowed."

In a series of adjectives that precede their noun, a comma is placed after each except the last; there usage omits the point. "A beautiful, tall, willowy, sprightly girl." "A quick, brilliant, studious, learned man."[26]

A comma is placed between short members of compound sentences, connected by _and_, _but_, _for_, _nor_, _or_, _because_, _whereas_, _that_ expressing purpose (so that, in order that), and other conjunctions. "Be virtuous, that you may be respected." "Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty." "Man proposes, but G.o.d disposes."

A comma must not be placed before _that_ except when it is equivalent to _in order that_. "He says that he will be here."

A comma must not be placed before _and_ when it connects two words only. "Time and tide wait for no man." "A rich and prosperous people."

"Plain and honest truth wants no artificial covering."

A comma is sometimes necessary to prevent ambiguity. "He who pursues pleasure only defeats the object of his creation." Without a comma before or after _only_, the meaning of this sentence is doubtful.

The following sentences present some miscellaneous examples of the use of the comma by writers on punctuation: "Industry, as well as genius, is essential to the production of great works." "Prosperity is secured to a state, not by the acquisition of territory or riches, but by the encouragement of industry." "Your manners are affable, and, for the most part, pleasing."[27]

"However fairly a bad man may appear to act, we distrust him." "Why, this is rank injustice." "Well, follow the dictates of your inclination." "The comma may be omitted in the case of _too_, _also_, _therefore_, and _perhaps_, when introduced so as not to interfere with the harmonious flow of the period; and, particularly, when the sentence is short."[28] "Robert Horton, M. D., F. R. S." "To those who labor, sleep is doubly pleasant"; "Sleep is doubly pleasant to those who labor." "Those who persevere, succeed." "To be overlooked, slighted, and neglected; to be misunderstood, misrepresented, and slandered; to be trampled under foot by the envious, the ignorant, and the vile; to be crushed by foes, and to be distrusted and betrayed even by friends--such is too often the fate of genius." "She is tall, though not so handsome as her sister." "Verily, verily, I say unto you." "Whatever is, is right." "What is foreordained to be, will be."

"The Emperor Augustus was a patron of the fine arts." "Augustus, the Emperor, was a patron of the fine arts." "United, we stand; divided, we fall." "G.o.d said, Let there be light." "July 21, 1881." "President Garfield was shot, Sat.u.r.day morning, July 2, 1881; he died, Monday night, Sept. 19, 1881." "I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, John Jones." "New York, August, 1881." "Room 20, Equitable Building, Broadway, New York."

"_When you are in doubt as to the propriety of inserting commas, omit them_; IT IS BETTER TO HAVE TOO FEW THAN TOO MANY."--Quackenbos.

THE SEMICOLON.--Reasons are preceded by semicolons; "Economy is no disgrace; for it is better to live on a little than to outlive a great deal." Clauses in opposition are separated by a semicolon when the second is introduced by an adversative: "Straws swim at the surface; but pearls lie at the bottom"; "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord; but they that deal truly are his delight." Without the adversative, the colon is to be preferred: "Prosperity showeth vice: adversity, virtue." The great divisions of a sentence must be pointed with a semicolon when the minor divisions are pointed with commas: "Mirth should be the embroidery of conversation, not the web; and wit the ornament of the mind, not the furniture." The things enumerated must be separated by semicolons, when the enunciation of particulars is preceded by a colon: "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." When _as_ introduces an example, it is preceded by a semicolon. When several successive clauses have a common connection with a preceding or following clause, they are separated by semicolons; as, "Children, as they gamboled on the beach; reapers, as they gathered the harvest; mowers, as they rested from using the scythe; mothers, as they busied themselves about the household--were victims to an enemy, who disappeared the moment a blow was struck."

"Reason as we may, it is impossible not to read in such a fate much that we know not how to interpret; much of provocation to cruel deeds and deep resentment; much of apology for wrong and perfidy; much of doubt and misgiving as to the past; much of painful recollections; much of dark foreboding." "Philosophers a.s.sert that Nature is unlimited; that her treasures are endless; that the increase of knowledge will never cease."

THE COLON.--This point is less used now than formerly: its place is supplied by the period, the semicolon, or the dash; and sometimes, even by the comma. The colon is used very differently by different writers. "He was heard to say, 'I have done with this world.'" Some writers would put a colon, some a comma, after _say_. "When the quoted pa.s.sage is brought in without any introductory word, if short," says Quackenbos, "it is generally preceded by a comma; if long, by a colon; as, 'A simpleton, meeting a philosopher, asked him, "What affords wise men the greatest pleasure?" Turning on his heel, the sage replied, "To get rid of fools."'"

Formal enumerations of particulars, and direct quotations, when introduced by such phrases as _in these words_, _as follows_, _the following_, _namely_, _this_, _these_, _thus_, etc., are properly preceded by a colon. "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." "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.'"

"The human family is composed of five races: first, the Caucasian; second, the Mongolian; third, the," etc.

"All were attentive to the G.o.dlike man When from his lofty couch he thus began: 'Great queen,'" etc.--Dryden.

When the quotation, or other matter, begins a new paragraph, the colon is, by many writers, followed with a dash; as, "The cloth being removed, the President rose and said:--

"'Ladies and gentlemen, we are,'" etc.

The colon is used to mark the greater breaks in sentences, when the lesser breaks are marked by semicolons. "You have called yourself an atom in the universe; you have said that you are but an insect in the solar blaze: is your present pride consistent with these professions?"

"A clause is either independent or dependent: independent, if it forms an a.s.sertion by itself; dependent, if it enters into some other clause with the value of a part of speech." A colon is sometimes used instead of a period to separate two short sentences, which are closely connected. "Never flatter people: leave that to such as mean to betray them." "Some things we can, and others we can not do: we can walk, but we can not fly."

THE PERIOD.--Complete sentences are always followed either by a period, or by an exclamation or an interrogation point.[29]

The period is also used after abbreviations; as, R. D. Van Nostrand, St. Louis, Mo.; Jno. B. Morris, M. D., F. R. S., London, Eng.; Jas. W.

Wallack, Jr., New York City, N. Y.; Jas. B. Roberts, Elocutionist, Phila., Pa.

INTERROGATION-POINT.--This point is used after questions put by the writer, and after questions reported directly. "What can I do for you?" "Where are you going?" "What do you say?" cried the General.

"The child still lives?" It should not be used when the question is reported indirectly. "He asked me where I was going." "The Judge asked the witness if he believed the man to be guilty."

EXCLAMATION-POINT.--This mark is placed after interjections, after sentences and clauses of sentences of pa.s.sionate import, and after solemn invocations and addresses. "Zounds! the man's in earnest."

"Pshaw! what can we do?" "Bah! what's that to me?" "Indeed! then I must look to it." "Look, my lord, it comes!" "Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!" "O heat, dry up my brains!" "Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia!" "While in this part of the country, I once more revisited--and, alas, with what melancholy presentiments!--the home of my youth." "O rose of May!" "Oh, from this time forth, my thoughts be b.l.o.o.d.y or be nothing worth!" "O heavens! die two months ago, and not forgotten yet?"

"Night, sable G.o.ddess! from her ebon throne, In rayless majesty now stretches forth Her leaden scepter o'er a slumbering world.

Silence, how dead! and darkness, how profound!"--Young.

"Hail, holy light! offspring of heaven just born!"--Milton.

"But thou, O Hope! with eyes so fair, What was thy delighted measure?"--Collins.

It will be observed that the interjection O is an exception to the rule: it is often followed by a comma, but never by an exclamation-point.

An exclamation-point sometimes gives the same words quite another meaning. The difference between "What's that?" and "What's that!" is obvious.

THE DASH.--Cobbett did not favor the use of this mark, as we see from the following: "Let me caution you against the use of what, by some, is called the _dash_. The dash is a stroke along the line; thus, 'I am rich--I was poor--I shall be poor again.' This is wild work indeed!

Who is to know what is intended by these _dashes_? Those who have thought proper, like Mr. Lindley Murray, to place the _dash_ amongst the _grammatical points_, ought to give us some rule relative to its different longitudinal dimensions in different cases. The _inch_, the _three-quarter-inch_, the _half-inch_, the _quarter-inch_: these would be something determinate; but '_the dash_,' without measure, must be a perilous thing for the young grammarian to handle. In short, '_the dash_' is a cover for ignorance as to the use of points, and it can answer no other purpose."

This is one of the few instances in which Cobbett was wrong. The _dash_ is the proper point with which to mark an unexpected or emphatic pause, or a sudden break or transition. It is very often preceded by another point. "And Huitzilopochtli--a sweet name to roll under one's tongue--for how many years has this venerable war-G.o.d blinked in the noonday sun!" "Crowds gathered about the newspaper bulletins, recalling the feverish scenes that occurred when the President's life was thought to be hanging by a thread. 'Wouldn't it be too bad,' said one, 'if, after all--no, I won't allow myself to think of it.'" "Was there ever--but I scorn to boast." "You are--no, I'll not tell you what you are."

"He suffered--but his pangs are o'er; Enjoyed--but his delights are fled; Had friends--his friends are now no more; And foes--his foes are dead."--Montgomery.

"Greece, Carthage, Rome,--where are they?" "He chastens;--but he chastens to save."

Dashes are much used where parentheses were formerly employed. "In the days of Tweed the expression to divide fair--forcible, if not grammatical--acquired much currency." "In truth, the character of the great chief was depicted two thousand five hundred years before his birth, and depicted--such is the power of genius--in colors which will be fresh as many years after his death." "To render the Const.i.tution perpetual--which G.o.d grant it may be!--it is necessary that its benefits should be practically felt by all parts of the country."

PARENTHESIS.--This mark is comparatively little used nowadays. The dash is preferred, probably because it disfigures the page less. The office of the parenthesis is to isolate a phrase which is merely incidental, and which might be omitted without detriment to the grammatical construction.

"Know then this truth (enough for man to know), Virtue alone is happiness below."--Pope.

"The bliss of man (could pride that blessing find) Is not to act or think beyond mankind."

BRACKETS.--This mark is used princ.i.p.ally to inclose words improperly omitted by the writer, or words introduced for the purpose of explanation or to correct an error. The bracket is often used in this book.

THE APOSTROPHE.--This point is used to denote the omission of letters and sometimes of figures; as, Jan'y, '81; _I've_ for _I have_; _you'll_ for _you will_; _'tis_ for _it is_; _don't_ for _do not_; _can't_ for _can not_; It was in the year '93; the spirit of '76; It was in the years 1812, '13, and '14.