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tionable. Again, when the connectives are of different, but not of opposite orders, idiom often permits the concurrence of two, though the reference of both is the same; that is, though both are intended merely to connect the sentence with that which preceded. Thus the copulative is often combined with the illative, and therefore, or with a particle expressive of order, and thirdly; the causal with a particle expressing opposition, for else, for otherwise; a disjunctive with such a particle or phrase, or on the contrary; an adversative with an exceptive, but yet; a comparative with a copulative, as also. It were endless to enumerate all that idiom permits us in this manner to conjoin. It is only by attending to the practice of good authors that it can perfectly be learned. It is not to be questioned that in some instances the use of two connectives, though not absolutely necessary, may be expedient both for rounding the period, and for expressing more perfectly the relation of the sentences. But they are much more commonly the effect either of negligence or of a vitiated taste in what concerns composition, and are often to be met with in the middling class of writers. The following will serve as an example of this manner: Although he was close taken up with the affairs of the nation, nevertheless he did not neglect the concerns of his friends." Either of the conjunctions would have been better than both. An author of this stamp will begin a sentence thus: "Whereas, on the other hand, supposing that-" Who sees not, that "If, on the contrary," would express the same connexion with more energy as well as brevity? When a speaker interlards his discourse with such accumulated connectives, he always suggests to a judicious hearer the idea of one that wants to gain time, till he cast about for something to say. Yet this fault is certainly more pardoňable in speaking than in writing. The composer may take his own time, being under no necessity of writing faster than he can provide and dispose his materials. The slowness of his invention will not be betrayed to the reader by any method more readily than by that which the speaker is sometimes forced to use in order to conceal it.

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Thirdly, as to those cases in which propriety itself forbids the concurrence of two conjunctions, it is impossible we should fall into a mistake. They are always distinguished by some repugnancy in the import of the words which even common sense shows to be incompatible. Such are a copulative with a disjunctive, a causal with an illative, a particle expressive of resemblance with one expressive of contrariety.

Fourthly, as to those cases in which idiom alone forbids the concourse. These are to be learned only by practice. Thus idiom permits the junction of a copulative with an illative particle, but never with a causal." We may say ana

therefore, but not and for. We are not to seek the reason of this difference in the import of the terms, but in the custom of applying them. Again, idiom permits the use of two copulatives, but not of every two. We may say and also, and likewise, but not also likewise. Two causal conjunctions are not now associated, as for because, nor two illatives, as therefore then; yet, in the dialect which obtained in the beginning of the last century, these modes of expression were common. Indeed, some of those heavy connectives which are now but little used, as moreover, furthermore, over and above, are all but combinations of synonymous particles, and flow from a disposition which will perhaps ever be found to prevail where style is in its infancy.

The fifth and last observation I shall make on this subject is, that it is not necessary that all the sentences in any kind of composition should be linked together by connective particles. I know of no rules that have ever been laid down for our direction in this particular. But as it always hath been, so, for aught I can perceive, it always will be, left to taste alone to determine when these particles ought to be used, and when omitted. All that occurs to me as being of any service on this head may be comprised in the two following remarks. The first is, that the illative conjunctions, the causal and the disjunctive, when they suit the sense, can more rarely be dispensed with than the copulative. The second is, that the omission of copulatives always succeeds best when the connection of the thoughts is either very close or very distant. It is mostly in the intermediate cases that the conjunction is deemed necessary. When the connexion in thought is very distant, the copulative appears absurd, and when very close, superfluous. For the first of these reasons, It is seldom that we meet with it in the beginning of a chapter, section, or even paragraph, except in the Bible; and for the second, that it is frequently dropped in familiar narrative where the connexion is so obvious as to render it useless

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