Examples of some of the preceding methods of inversion and transposition.

Example 1st.

The mind is sustained by hope.
Hope sustains the mind.

Hope is the sustainer of the mind.
The sustainer of the mind is hope.

Example 2d.

Idleness, ease, and prosperity, tend to generate folly and

vice.

The tendency of idleness, ease, and prosperity is to generate folly and vice.

Idleness, ease, and prosperity have a tendency, &c.

not got any book. It would be better to say, I have no book. Such words as fetch for bring, sweat for perspiration, and many others of a similar character, are considered, to say the least, inelegant, and are to be avoided. The word so is sometimes heard in use for therefore; as, Charles did not wish to go, so I did not urge him. It should be, Charles did not wish to go, therefore I did not urge him. Other is sometimes improperly followed by but instead of than; as, I saw no other but him. It should be, I saw no other than him. We sometimes hear the demonstrative pronoun improperly used for the personal pronoun; as, Those who hear must obey. It should be, They who hear must obey. We sometimes hear such expressions as this: I know of hardly [or scarcely] a passage, &c. It would be better to say, I know of no passage, &c. The past tenses of the word lay (to place) are very frequently and improperly used for the corresponding tenses of lie (to lie down). Thus, The water laid in the pool. It should be, lay in the pool. You have laid abed too long. It should be, You have lain, &c. Again, We frequently find a want of correspondence in the different parts of a sentence, as follows: He did not mention Leonora, nor that her father was dead. It is better to say, He did not mention Leonora, nor the death of her father. These expressions fall under grammatical rule.

In sentences where the negative adverb occurs, it should be followed by the negative conjunction. Thus, "Thou canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth," should be, Thou canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth.

In the use of prepositions we find many manifest improprieties. As no certain rule can be laid down with regard to them, a few examples are pre sented, to show what prepositions may be properly used with certain words. It may, however, be emarked that the same preposition that follows a verb or adverb, should generally follow the noun, &c., which is derived from it, as, confide in, confidence in; disposed to tyrannize, a disposition to &c.

tyranny,

Accuse of falsehood.
Accused by his frien¿,
Acquit of

Differ from.
Difficulty in.
Diminution of.

Need of.
Observance of.
Prejudice against.

Folly and vice are too frequently the consequences of idle ness, ease, and prosperity. *

Exercises on the principles of the preceding methods of Inver sion and Transposition.

Providence alone can order the changing of the seasons.

Can you expect to be exempted from these troubles which all must suffer?

Earth shall claim thy growth, to be resolved to earth again.

That I may convince you of my sincerity, I will repeat the assertion.
Sobriety of mind is not unsuitable to the present state of man.
He had no little difficulty in accomplishing the undertaking.
A large part of the company were pleased with his remarks.
Hope sustains the mind.

Indeed, if we could arrest time, and strike off the wheels of his chariot, and, like Joshua, bid the sun stand still, and make opportunity tarry as long as we had occasion for it, this were something to excuse our delay or at least to mitigate and abate the folly and unreasonableness of it.

The word it commonly called the neuter pronoun, is sometimes very serviceable in enabling us to alter the arrangement. Thus, It is hope that sustains the mind. It is by hope that the mind is sustained, &c. See Whately's Rhetoric, Part 3d, Chap. 2d, Part 11th.

Addison has,

"conversant among the writings," &c., and, "conversant about worldly affairs. Generally speaking, "conversant with is preferable.

We are disappointed of a thing when we do not get it; and disappointed in it when we have it, and find that it does not answer our expectations.

He

tGlad of," when the cause of joy is something gained or possessed; and "glad st," when something befalls another; as, "Jonah was glad of the gourd; that is glad at calamities," &c.

$"Reduce under," is to conquer or subdue."

A taste of a thing, implies actual enjoyment of it; but a taste for it, implies only a capacity for enjoyment; as, "When we have had a taste of the pleasures of virtue, we can have no taste for those of vice."

**Many of these words sometimes take other prepositions after them, to expresa various meanings; thus, for example, "Fall in, to complyFall off, to forsake;"Fall out, to happen;""Fall upon, to attack; Fall to." to begin ea

gerly," &c.

The records of Scripture exhibit no character more remarkable and instructive than that of the Patriarch Joseph. He is one who is beheld by us, tried in all the vicissitudes of fortune; from the condition of a slave rising to be ruler of the land of Egypt; and in every station, favor is acquired by him with God and man, by his wisdom and virtue. When be was overseer of Potiphar's house he proved his fidelity by strong emptations, which were honorably resisted by him.

When the artifices of a false woman threw him into prison, he was soon rendered conspicuous even in that dark mansion by his integrity and prudence.

Poetry is sublime when any great and good affection, as piety or pat riotism, is awakened in the mind by it.

But in this dark and bewildered state an opposite direction is taken by the aspiring tendency of our nature and a very misplaced ambition is fed by it.

The mind is sustained by hope.

Idleness, ease, and prosperity tend to generate folly and vice.

The beauty displayed in the earth equals the grandeur conspicuous in the heavens.

Solon, the Athenian, effected a great change in the government of his country.

The Spartans considered war as the great business of life. For that reason they trained their children to laborious exercise, and instilled into their minds the principles of temperance and frugality.

He sacrificed his future ease and reputation that he might enjoy present pleasure.

When virtue abandons us, and conscience reproaches us, we become terrified with imaginary evils.

Expect no more from the world than it is able to afford you.

Canst thou expect to escape the hand of vengeance?

Providence alone can order the changing of times and seasons.
She who studies her glass neglects her own heart.

It is a favorite opinion with some, that certain modes of instruction are more profitable than others, or at least that there are some branches of study which give more full and constant employment to the intellectual faculties.

While many considerations allure the young and enterprising to com mercial pursuits, the amount of capital which is needed, tends to limit the number of those who thus employ themselves.

The eye could scarcely reach the lofty and noble ceiling, the sides be ing regularly formed with spars, and the whole place presenting the idea of a magnificent theatre, that was illuminated with a vast profusion of lights.

An endless variety of characters, dispositions, and passions, diversifies the wide circle of human affairs.

A crowd that obstructed his passage awakened him from the tranquillity of meditation. He raised his eyes and saw the chief vizier, who had returned from the divan and was entering his palace

Let us remember that of small incidents the system of human life is chiefly composed.

Her temper and her capacity were the foundation of her singular talents for government. She was endowed with a great command over herself. and she soon obtaired an uncontrolled ascendancy over the people

Few sovereigns of England succeeded to the throne in more difficult circumstances, and by none was the government uniformly conducted so successfully and felicitiously.

The enemy was subdued and the garrison was silenced, and the victori ous army returned triumphing.

To be docile and attentive is required of the young.

Miss Hannah Moore's writings have produced no small influence on the morals of the people.

The elegance of her manners is as conspicuous as the beauty of her person.

He took great pains that he might obtain the reward.

Gentle manners always please us most.

Strong expressions suit only strong feelings.

Providence has furnished us with talents for performing our duties and reason to guile in their performance.

We can see the wisdom of God in all his works.

XVIII.

FORMATION OF COMPOUND SENTENCES FROM SIMPLE

*

ONES.

In every composition there should be a due intermixture of long and short sentences. For this reason the student should understand how to form compound sentences from simple ones. In the prosecution of this work, he must recollect that in every sentence there must be some connecting principle among the parts. Some one object must reign and be predominant. There is commonly in every well-formed sentence, some person or thing which is the governing word, and this should be continued so, if possible, from the beginning to the end of the sentence.

Another principle, which he must also bear in mind, is that

*Professor Newman says, in his Rhetoric, that "Vivacity of Style is sometimes attained by the omission of conjunctions and the consequent division of the discourse into short sentences." The following example illustrates his remark:

"As the storm increased with the night, the sea was lashed into tremen dous confusion, and there was a fearful sullen sound of rushing waves and brcken surges, while deep called unto deep."

"The storm increased with the night. The sea was lashed into tremendous confusion. There was a fearful sullen sound of rushing waves and broken surges. Derp called unto deep."

which is expressed in Dr. Blair's second rule for the preservation of the unity of a sentence, namely: "Never to crowd into one sentence, things which have so little connection, that they could bear to be divided into two or more sentences."

The violation of this rule tends so much to perplex and ɔbscure, that it is safer to err by too many short sentences, han by one that is overloaded and embarrassed.

Example.

The Sultan was dangerously wounded.

Thy conveyed him to his tent.

Upon hearing of the defeat of his troops, they put him into itter.

The litter transported him to a place of safety.

The place of safety was at the distance of about fifteen Leagues.

Compound sentence formed from the preceding simple ones.

The Sultan being dangerously wounded, they carried him to his tent; and upon hearing of the defeat of his troops, they put him into a litter, which transported him to a place of safety, at the distance of about fifteen leagues.

This sentence will be better if it be constructed as follows so that there shall be but one governing word from the begin ning to the end of the sentence. Thus :

The Sultan being dangerously wounded, was carried to his tent; and on hearing of the defeat of his troops, was put into a litter, and transported to a place of safety, about fifteen leagues distant.

The following rules for the arrangement of words should be particularly observed, in the composition of compound

sentences.

Rule 1st. The words should be so arranged as to mark as distinctly as ossible by their location, the relation of the several parts to each other. This rule requires that the verb should be placed as near as possible to he nominative; that the object should follow the verb in close succession, that adverbs should be placed near the word whose signification they affect, that the preposition should be immediately followed by the word which it governs, and that pronouns should be placed in such a position as to leave no doubt in the mind, with regard to their antecedents.

Rule 2d. When a circumstance is thrown into the midst of a sentence