I. Sentences in which Abstract Thought Prevails.

907. Ex. 1.-"We know that we are endued with capacities of action, of happiness and misery; for we are conscious of acting, of enjoying pleasure and suffering pain."-Butler.

1. Grammatically.-Sentence; compound, members joined by a causal conjunction; first member complex, second simple, with compound phrase (see 536).

2. Logically.-Sentence; has the logical form, since it affirms a judgment; second member gives the logical reason (632) for the statement in the first.

3. Rhetorically.-Sentence; loose, members, words, phrases, and clauses arranged in grammatical order; qualities of style, clear and concise; as a whole, effective, since it accomplishes its end of expressing thought without sentiment; it contains no rhetorical device except the parallel construction in the phrases of the members of "action,” "of acting," "of happiness," "of enjoying pleasure," etc. The principal words are abstracts, as they should be, all used literally. The word "for" would now be used instead of "of" after "capacities;" "endowed" instead of "endued." Compare this with the following from the same author.

908. Ex. 2.-"For if it would be in a manner certain that we should survive death, provided it were certain that death would not be our destruction, it must be highly probable we shall survive it, if there be no ground to think death will be our destruction."-Butler.

1. This sentence is grammatically complex, consisting of one principal and seven subordinate clauses. It is a causal sentence, made coordinate with the preceding one in the paragraph by "for."

2. Logically, it apparently affirms a conditional judgment, but there seems to be no advance in the thought; it appears to affirm "if death does not take away our life, then it is certain we shall live after death.” It does not clearly affirm the intended thought, whatever that may be.

3. Rhetorically, it is a defective period, since we might stop at "survive it;" it could be made periodic by placing "we shall survive

it" at the end. Style, exceedingly obscure, arising from the use of ambiguous and abstruse terms, and from a complicated structure (878. a). The principal clause is subject to two conditions arranged, one in the grammatical, the other in the rhetorical, order; one source of the obscurity lies in their seeming identity; another, in the doubtful meaning of "we,” our," "death," and destruction." Does "we" our) mean our whole being, physical, intellectual, and spiritual, or Does only our spiritual? death" mean 'annihilation," or only dissolution," "separation"? Does "destruction" mean the dissolution of the body, or the termination of the whole being? The context shows that the writer is supposing the possibility that some other agency than death may imperil our future existence; as a whole, far from effective. Such sentences should be avoided.

909. Ex. 3.-"What has truth or certainty to do with external existence more than with internal ?"-Stoddart.

This sentence is grammatically correct. It is also logically a true sentence, since, though in the form of an inquiry, it really declares the writer's judgment. Rhetorically, it is an effective sentence, strengthened by the figure Erotesis, or interrogation, also by ellipsis in the last clause, "internal" for "internal existence." Here a sentence whose terms are abstracts is made to express not merely the writer's thought on a disputed point, but that feeling which accompanies strong convictions.

910. Ex. 4.-"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"-Paul.

This is not a logical sentence, since it only intimates or implies a judgment. Its terms are abstract, yet by exclamation it utters the profoundest thoughts. As a rhetorical sentence, it is rendered effective both by the sublime conceptions which it embodies, and by the figurative form (ecphonesis) which it assumes.

911. Analyze the following sentences, and explain them in respect to simplicity and clearness :

The sum of the three angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles. A thesis is a judgment proposed for discussion and proof.

Astronomy has at once the beauty of poetry and the exactness of geometry (825. b). Brevity is the soul of wit.—Shakespeare. But the divine life reveals itself in right knowledge as well as in right affections.-Dodge's Evidences. The only immortality which filled the cultivated pagan mind, and monopolized its aspirations, was the immortality of fame.-Ibid. Reputation is often got without merit and lost without deserving.-Shakespeare.

Of your philosophy you make no use,

If you give place to accidental evils.—Ibid.

912. Analyze the following, and point out any defects in respect to the proper qualities of a sentence.

Thales was not only famous for his knowledge, but for his moral wisdom. In narration Homer is at all times concise, which renders him lively and agreeable. They were summoned occasionally by their kings, when compelled by their wants and by their fears to have recourse to their aid. The earl of Falmouth and Mr. Coventry were rivals who should have most influence with the duke, who loved the earl best, but thought the other the wiser man, who supported Peron, who diaobliged all the courtiers, even against the earl, who, etc. (quoted by Angus). He bought in the cheapest market, and sold where he could get the most for his goods. By the time I had taken five bottles, I found myself completely cured, after having been brought so near to the gate of death, by means of your invaluable medicine. A man who has lost his eyesight has in one sense less consciousness than he had before. The truth is that error and truth are blended in their minds. The wise man is happy when he gains his own approbation; the fool, when he recommends himself to the applause of those about him. There may remain a suspicion that we overrate the greatness of his genius in the same manner as bodies appear more gigantic on account of their being disproportioned and misshapen.

II. Sentences in which Concrete Thought Prevails.

913. Ex. 1.-"Birmingham had not been thought of sufficient importance to send a member to Oliver's Parliament. Yet the manufacturers of Birmingham were already a strong and thriving race.”—Macaulay.

These sentences are clear and well-constructed. The words have their ordinary meaning, presenting no images but those of common Occurrence. The reader must realize Birmingham, Oliver, member of Parliament, manufacturers, and such attributes as are applied to them. There are no specially suggestive words. The construction of the sentences is simple and natural. They express thought, yet with that interest which is always awakened by an effort to realize the individual.

914. Ex. 2.—“ With most exemplary modesty, he speaks of the party to which he professes to have belonged himself, as the true, pure, the only honest, patriotic party, derived by regular descent from father to son from the time of the virtuous Romans! Spreading before us the family tree of political parties, he takes especial care to show himself snugly perched on a popular bough."-Webster.

First sentence.-Grammatically, complex, containing one principal and one subordinate and one abridged clause (which was derived).

Logically. The terms and the sentence express the thought intended, yet "most exemplary modesty" must be taken with its figurative meaning; and "true, pure," "only honest," "patriotic," as epithets expressing not his own but his opponent's thoughts.

Rhetorically. Sentence effective, expressing strong feeling, periodic in structure; qualities, clear, concise, strong; arrangement, grammatical, with exception of the phrase "with most exemplary modesty;" this is in the rhetorical order for effect; words and phrases, vigorous and suggestive; figures, irony in the use of "exemplary modesty.”

Second sentence.-Grammatically and logically, containing nothing peculiar. Rhetorically, rendered effective by the participial construction which introduces it, especially by the metaphor of the "family tree;" metaphor sustained by "snugly perched" (as of a bird), but the effect is weakened by the attributive "popular," which applies to "party" rather than "bough" (see 845. 3).

915. Ex. 3.-"He that studies books alone will know how things ought to be; and he that studies man will know how things are."-Colton.

This is both a loose and a balanced sentence (891. a), and presents a strong contrast between theoretic and practical knowledge. The student will find many similar sentences in "Lacon," by Rev. C. C. Colton; as, for example, “A revengeful knave will do more than he will say; a grateful one will say more than he will do." Style simple, clear, strong.

916. Ex. 4.—“ The military genius, unconquerable courage, and enduring constancy of Frederick, the ardent mind, burning eloquence, and lofty patriotism of Chatham, the incorruptible integrity, sagacious intellect and philosophic spirit of Franklin, the disinterested virtue, prophetic wisdom, and imperturbable fortitude of Washington, the masculine understanding, feminine passions, and blood-stained ambition of Catharine, would alone have been sufficient to cast a radiance over any other age of the world."—Alison.

This is a fine example of the period, and deserves a special analysis. It introduces and characterizes the distinguished personages who flourished at the close of the eighteenth century. Observe (1), that the characteristic qualities are rendered prominent by the idiom explained in (825. c); (2) that there is a perfect symmetry in the presentation of these characteristics, three being appropriated to each person-the genius, courage, and constancy of Frederick, the mind, eloquence, and patriotism of Chatham, etc.; (3) that each characteristic is itself so characterized as to preserve a proper balance-military, unconquerable, enduring, ardent, burning, lofty, etc.

Observe, again, the fitness of these characteristics to the persons themselves, and the fitness of the group for the use which he makes of it as examples of the illustrious persons who rendered that period famous. It would not be desirable to construct a whole paragraph of sentences so artistic as this. But models like this should be carefully studied as specimens of what may be called proportion or symmetry in the structure.

917. Ex. 5.-"Passing through the ravine, they came to a hollow, like a small amphitheatre, surrounded by perpendicular precipices, over the brinks of which impending trees shot