imagination, only are of this innocent nature which do not require such a bent of thought as is necessary to our more serious employments; but that of this nature are the pleasures of the imagination in general; and it is by asking the question, whether a preceding member affirms any thing in general, or only affirms something as limited or qualified by what follows, that we shall discover whether these members are either immediately or remotely connected; and, consequently, whether they form a loose or a compact sentence as the former member, therefore, of the last sentence is not necessarily connected with those that succeed, the sentence may be pronounced to be a loose sentence.

Sentences thus defined and distinguished into their several kinds, we shall be better enabled to give such rules for dividing them by pauses, as will reduce punctuation to some rational and steady principles. Previously, however, to these rules, it will be necessary to observe, that, as the times of the pauses are exceedingly indefinite, the fewer distinctions we make between them, the less we shall embarrass the reader;-I shall beg leave, therefore, to reduce the number of pauses to three: namely, the smaller pause, answering to the comma; the greater pause, answering to the semicolon, and colon; and the greatest pause, answering to the period. The ancients knew nothing of the semicolon; and if we consider practice, and real utility, I believe it will be found, that the three distinctions of the ancients answer every useful purpose in writing and reading.

Rules for Pausing.

The principal Pause in the compact Sentence.

RULE I. Every direct period consists of two principal constructive parts, between which parts the greater pause must be inserted: when these parts commence with conjunctions that correspond with each other, they are sufficiently distinguishable; as in the following sentence:

As no faculty of the mind is capable of more improvement than the memory, so none is in more danger of decay by disuse.

Here we may observe, that the first constructive part begins with as, and the second with so; the expectation is excited by the first, and answered by the latter: at that point, therefore, where the expectation begins to be answered, and the sense begins to form, the principal pause is to be used; and, by these means, the two contrasted and correspondent parts are distinctly viewed by the mind.

A period may be direct, and may be properly called a compact sentence, where only the first conjunction is expressed.

EXAMPLE.

As in my speculations I have endeavoured to extinguish passion and prejudice, I am still desirous of doing some good in this particular. Spectator.

Here the word so is understood before I am, and the long pause as much required, as if so had been expressed; since it is here the sentence naturally divides into two correspondent, and dependent parts.

That point, therefore, where the sense begins to form, or where the expectation begins to be

answered, is the point which we must be the most careful to mark; as it is here the sentence naturally divides into its principal constructive parts, and it is here that in every sentence and member of a sentence the principal pause takes. place.

RULE II. Every inverted period consists of two principal constructive parts, between which parts the greater pause must be inserted; these parts divide at that point where the latter part of the sentence begins to modify the former: in periods of this kind, the latter conjunction only is expressed, as in the example: Every one that speaks and reasons is a grammarian, and a logician, though he may be utterly unacquainted with the rules of grammar, or logic, as they are delivered in books and systems. If we invert this period, we shall find it susceptible of the two correspondent conjunctions though and yet; as, Though utterly unacquainted with the rules of grammar and logic, as delivered in books and systems, yet every man who speaks and reasons is a grammarian and a logician. This inversion of the order of a sentence, is perhaps, the best criterion of the connexion of its parts; and proves that the former, though forming complete sense of itself, is modified by the latter. Thus, in the phrases, Christ died for him, because he died for all. Many things are believed, though they exceed the capacity of our wits. HOOKER.

In these phrases, if we do but transpose the noun and pronoun, and invert the order, the sentences will be perfectly the same in sense, and the connexion will be more apparent; as, Because Christ died for all, he died for him.Though many things exceed the capacity of our wits, they are believed.

Wherever, therefore, this transposition can

take place, we may be certain of a necessary connexion in the sense, and that the principal pause lies between the two parts.

The Principal Pause in the loose Sentence.

RULE III. Every loose sentence must consist of a period, either direct or inverted, and an additional member which does not modify it; and, consequently, this species of sentence requires a pause between the principal constructive parts of the period, and between the period and the additional member.

EXAMPLE.

Persons of good taste expect to be pleased, at the same time they are informed; and think that the best sense always deserves the best language.

In this sentence an inverted period is constructed at the word informed; which requires a pause at pleased, because here the former part of the sentence is modified by the latter; and a pause is required at informed, because here another member commences. Let us take another example.

The soul, considered abstractedly from its passions, is of a remiss and sedentary nature; slow in its resolves, and languishing in its executions. Spectator, No. 255.

Here a direct period is formed, at nature, the principal constructive parts of this period separate at passions; and here must be the larger pause the succeeding members are only additional, and require a larger pause between them and the period they belong to, and a smaller pause between each other at resolves.

The subordinate Pause in the compact Sentence.

HAVING given an idea of the principal pause in a sentence, it will be necessary to say something of the subordinate pauses, which may all be comprehended under what is called the short pause.

And first it may be observed, that by the long pause is not meant a pause of any determinate length, but the longest pause in the sentence. Thus, the pause between the nominative and the verb in the following sentence:

The great and invincible Alexander, wept for the fate of Darius.

The pause here, I say, may be called the long pause, though not half so long as the pause between the two principal constructive parts in the following sentence:

If impudence prevailed as much in the Forum and courts of justice, as insolence does in the country and places of less resort; Aulus Cæcina would submit as much to the impudence of Sextus Æbutius in this cause, as he did before to his insolence when assaulted by him.

Here the pause between the words resort and Aulus Cæcina may be called the long pause, not so much from its duration, as from its being the principal pause in the sentence: the long pause, therefore, must always be understood relatively to the smaller pauses: and it may pass for a good general rule, that the principal pause is longer, or shorter, according to the simplicity or complexity of the sentence. See page 45.

RULE IV. The subordinate pauses are easily distinguished in such sentences as consist of parts corresponding to parts, as in the last example; where we may observe, that the whole