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amounts to something, and a new sentence is not improper. The fourth sentence gives two statements, so close as to be both properly included, with a semicolon break. The connection, expressing cause and consequence, could have been still closer:-"Ten years' experience having made my eye learned in the valuing of motion, I saw that we were-".

We may remark, next, as illustrating Reference, the demonstrative phrase like these' (sentence (1) referring back to the previous paragraph. In sentences (1) and (2), there is no conjunction till we come to but then,' the continuity of the meaning being shown by the absence of a conjunction, and the use of the pronoun it,' in beginning the second sentence. In the third sentence, however' is a word of reference. The connection of the fourth sentenceTen years' experience'-with the third is cumulative, the appropriate conjunction And' being dispensed with; its absence does not lead to any misapprehension of the intended bearing.

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(5) I pretend to no presence of mind. (6) On the contrary, "my fear is that I am miserably and shamefully deficient in that "quality as regards action. (7) The palsy of doubt and distraction hangs like some guilty weight of dark unfathomed remembrances upon my energies, when the signal is flying for action. (8) But, on the other hand, this accursed gift I have, as regards thought, "that in the first step towards the possibility of a misfortune, I see its total evolution; in the radix of the series I see too certainly "and too instantly its entire expression; in the first syllable of the "dreadful sentence, I read already the last."

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After a very short statement, like sentence (5), it is to be seen if what follows has a sufficiently close connection to be included in the same sentence. Now sentence (6) is simply the obverse of (5), which is one of the closest of relationships. The two may be contained in one sentence with the greatest propriety. Still, we have to look ahead, and see the connection with what is to follow. Well, (7) is really an iteration and expansion of (6), and should not, in principle, be separated from that by a full stop. The only question is as to overloading, if all the three were fused into one. From this point of view, there appears no serious objection; the resulting sentence is neither very long nor very involved. It closes at a sufficient break as regards (8), which is such as to require the start of a new sentence. The transition of meaning is much greater, than in either of the two previous cases; that is from (5) to (6), and from (6) to (7). The author changes the subject from action to thought, which is a novel point of view. That point of view he takes up and disposes of in a long sentence of three members, with semicolon breaks; the second and third members, being figurative illustrations of the first, are properly coupled with it in the sentence. Thus, the four sentences are resolvable into a symmetrical couple. The explict reference is shown in the phrase On the contrary' in (6), and in the analogous phrase, on the other hand,' introducing (8). The members of the two resulting sentences are of a kind that emphatically dispenses

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DISTRIBUTION AND REFERENCE EXEMPLIFIED.

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with conjunctions: the second and third being merely different expressions of the first, to insert an 'and' would be wrong.

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'(9) It was not that I feared for ourselves. (10) Üs, our bulk "and impetus charmed against any peril in any collision. (11) And 'I had ridden through too many hundreds of perils that were frightful to approach, that were matter of laughter to look back upon-the first face of which was horror, the parting face a jest "for any anxiety to rest upon our interests. (12) The mail was not built, I felt assured, nor bespoke, that could betray me who trusted "to it for protection. (13) But any carriage that we could meet "would be frail and light in comparison to ourselves."

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The first of these five sentences announces the idea that is sustained and expanded in the three following. They might well be grouped in a single sentence, so far as concerns closeness of meaning. The length, however, would be excessive and unusual; and the end of (11) might be a convenient break; while (12) and (13), would go naturally into one, as a contrasting couple divided by a semicolon. The coupling of these two is farther justified by the break at the end of (13).

As regards reference, there is no need for a conjunction at the beginning of (10)-a sentence purely explanatory. For that matter, the same may be said of (11); but with this difference, that it couples or adds a second distinct explanation, and for that a cumulative conjunction is proper to distinguish it from a different wording of the same explanation. The new circumstance is so distinct from the previous one, that a more emphatic conjunction of the cumulative class might have been chosen, as moreover'. There is no conjunction commencing (12). 'The mail was not built-'; the abruptness lending emphasis to the thought, without doing anything to mislead. The But' at the commencement of (13) is necessary to shew the relation between it and (12). With our suggested coupling of the two, it becomes simply a sentence conjunction.

"(14) And I remarked this ominous incident of our situation. "(15) We were on the wrong side of the road. (16) But then, it may be said, the other party, if other there was, might also be on "the wrong side: and two wrongs (might) 'would' make a right. "(17) That was not likely. (18) The same motive which had drawn us to the right-hand side of the road, viz., the luxury of the soft "beaten sand, as contrasted with the paved centre-would prove "attractive to others."

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We have still an excessive multiplication of short sentences, to the detriment of the paragraph. The break of meaning at the conmencement justifies a new sentence: not so the transition to (15) and (16). If we do not choose to group the three-(14), (15), (16), we should at least group the two-(14),(15). Out of those remaining, we could make two. There is something to be said for keeping (16) and (17) distinct: (16) is already made up of two members with a semicolon break; while the author evidently intends to introduce (17) with special emphasis, in which he is aided by starting a new

sentence. The scope of (18), however, is such as to make it an explanatory addition to the foregoing sentence. It gives the justifying reason of the strong declaration-That was not likely': and a fact and its reason should always be closely connected.

The references in these sentences are plain. Between (14) and (15) there is no conjunction required. After I remarked so and so,' the thing remarked is usually given at once without a connecting word. Sometimes namely' intervenes in such a case. The introductory words 'But then, in (16), are essential to point out the adversative character of the sentence, in relation to the foregoing. The reference in (17) is given by an emphatic demonstrative 'That'; while (18) is a pure case of explanation or reason, and is appended to the fact explained without a conjunction.

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"(19) The two adverse carriages would therefore, to a certainty, "be travelling on the same side; and from this side, as not being ours in law, the crossing over to the other would, of course, be "looked for from us. (20) Our lamps, still lighted, would give the "impression of vigilance on our part. (21) And every creature that "met us would rely upon us for quartering. (22) All this, and, if "the separate links of the anticipations had been a thousand times more, I saw, not discursively, or by effort, or by succession, but by 66 one flash of horrid simultaneous intuition."

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After the remarks already made, little needs to be said as to these four sentences, with which the author concludes the paragraph. The first (19) contains two members, and is a good self-contained sentence. The next (20) is, no doubt, nearly related in meaning to its predecessor, but it starts a distinct fact, viz., the lamps being lighted,-which justifies a new sentence. So close, however, is the connection with (21), that the junction of two such short sentences is desirable. The conclusion (22) rightly makes a sentence apart; being a sort of summary or retrospect of the predominating thought of the paragraph.

In the matter of reference, we may remark the connection of (19) with what went before, as shown by the illative conjunction 'therefore'. Between (19) and (20) there is no conjunction; the cumulative connection is left unexpressed. The omission does not extend to (21), which commences with 'And'. The circumstance expressed in the sentence is neither a repetition of the preceding sentence, nor yet an explanation or inference; but is supposed to add something new and distinct. The final sentence begins with the demonstrative words 'All this,' brought to the beginning, by the inversion of object and verb; one of the common occasions for that inversion in prose.

We now see that, by applying the principle of grouping related facts, so as to divide the sentences at the points where the breaks or transitions are greatest, the twentytwo sentences in the foregoing paragraph, may be advantageously reduced to seven or eight.

MACAULAY'S PARALLELISM.

PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION.

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18. When several consecutive sentences iterate or illustrate the same idea, they should, as far as possible, be formed alike. This may be called the rule of Parallel Construction.

The principal subject and the principal predicate should retain their positions throughout. We ought not to seek variety by throwing a principal into a subordinate place.

The disposition of corresponding expressions in corresponding places, already recognised for the Sentence, is no less important, as a means of intelligibility, in the array of the Paragraph.

Macaulay's Milton contains the following paragraph; where the principal subject (variously worded) is retained in the place of prominence throughout.

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'The most striking characteristic of the poetry of Milton, is the extreme remoteness of the associations by means of which it acts on the reader.' This, in accordance with the next law, is also the theme of the paragraph. ‘Its effect is produced, not so much by what it expresses, as by what it suggests; not so much by the ideas which it directly conveys, as by other ideas which are connected with them.' A sentence of iteration in varied phrase. 'He electrifies the mind through conductors.' Under the Expository art, this would be called an Illustration. The most unimaginative man must understand the Iliad; Homer gives him no choice, but takes the whole on himself, and sets his images in so clear a light that it is impossible to be blind to them.' A contrasting sentence, not quite so well managed; the Iliad or Homer should have had the place of prominence, instead of the unimaginative man'. Out of the present connection, this clause would have gained emphasis by closing with the Iliad; but here it is preferable to say 'The Iliad must be understood by the least imaginative of men'; with which the second clause corresponds. Milton does not paint a finished picture, or play for a mere passive listener. He sketches, and leaves others to fill up the cutline; he strikes the key-note, and expects his hearer to make out the melody.'

To take another example.

Heracleitus of Ephesus, who may be placed in the line of the Ionic Philosophers, is stated to have flourished about 504 B.C. The active part of his life probably belonged to the last part of the fifth and the first part of the sixth century. He may be considered as nearly contemporary with Eschylus. The obscurity of the written style in which he expressed his philosophical opinions, became proverbial.' The parallelism is preserved in all these sentences but the last. Say rather, He became proverbial for having written his philosophical opinions in an obscure style'. Besides restoring the subject to its place, this arrangement improves the predicate; the emphatic expression being put last.

It does not violate the parallel construction to place the main subject, for the sake of emphasis, at the end of the first sentence. Such sentences as this-There is not a work of human policy so well deserving of examination as the Roman Catholic Church,' -are to be held as merely propounding the theme for consideration; they do not as yet affirm any of its important predicates. After the subject is thus propounded, it must take its proper position, and be maintained in that position throughout. 'The history of that church joins together the two great ages of human civilisation. No other institution is left standing which carries the mind back to the times when the smoke of sacrifice rose from the Pantheon, and when camelopards and tigers bounded in the Flavian amphitheatre. The proudest royal houses are but of yesterday, when compared with the line of the Supreme Pontiffs. That line we trace back in an unbroken series, from the Pope who crowned Napoleon in the nineteenth century, to the Pope who crowned Pepin in the eighth, &c.' The second and third sentences are contrasting or obverse sentences, and their subject takes the place corresponding to the main subject; by which means the parallelism is maintained.

In the Lord's Prayer, the balance would be completed by the inversion-Thy name be hallowed'.

The Beatitudes, in the Sermon on the Mount, offer a familiar example of balance extended to the paragraph. The sentences are all inverted alike; the emphasis in each resides in the subject, which is accordingly placed last.

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In the same chapter, there are other instances of parallelism Ye are the salt of the earth'; 'ye are the light of the world'. The form-Ye have heard that it was saidbut I say unto you,' is five times repeated in substantially the same form.

The following is an example of sustained parallelism:

"With such feelings, both parties looked into the chronicles of the "middle ages. Both readily found what they sought; and both obstinately "refused to see anything but what they sought. The champions of the "Stuarts could easily point out instances of oppression exercised on the

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