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

Fixercises 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. Ser 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.

Glad of," when the cause of joy is something gained or possessed; and "glad at," when something befalls another; as, "Jonah was glad of the gourd;

that is glad at calamities," &c.

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

He

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 express various meanings; thus, for example, "Fall in, to complyFall of, to for le:Fall out, to happen:" "Fall upon. to attack;"Fall to," to begin ea periv. &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 he 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 Jendered conspicuous even in that dark mansion by his integrity and prudence.

Poetry is sublime when any great and good affection, as piety or patriotism, 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 commercial 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 being 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 te 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 obtained 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 guide 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 broken 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. Deep called unto deep."

which is expressed in Dr. Blair's second rule for the preserva tion 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 obscure, that it is safer to err by too many short sentences, than 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 Litter.

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 beginning 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 wous should be particularly observed, in the composition of compound

sentences.

Rule 1st. The words should be so arranged as to mark as distinctly as possible 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 the 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 nnd, with regard to their antecedents.

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

it should not be placed between the capital clauses, nor so as to ha loosely, but should be distinctly determined to its connexion by the posi tion which it occupies.

The following sentence, composed of several simple sentences, is badly arranged. The parts in Italic show what the 'circumstance' is which is thrown into the midst of the sentence.

The minister who grows less by his elevation, like a statue placed on a mighty pedestal, will always have his jealousy strong about him.

In this sentence, a beautiful simile, by its improper location, is not only deprived of its effect, but is an encumbrance. Let a slight alteration of the arrangement be made, and the simile is restored to its beauty, and becomes highly ornamental. Thus:

The minister, who, like a statue placed on a mighty pedestal, grows less by his elevation, will always have his jealousy strong about him.

Rule 3d. Every sentence should present to the mind a distinct picture, or single group of ideas. For this reason, the scene and the circumstances axpressed within the compass of a sentence must not be unnecessarily changed.

In the formation of compound sentences, therefore, from simple ones, whatever cannot be grouped so as to form an harmonious picture, should be presented in a separate sentence. The following sentence shows very dearly the bad effects of a change from person to person

The Brittons left to shift for themselves, and daily harassed by cruel Inroads from the Picts, were forced to call in the Saxons for their defence, who consequently reduced the great part of the island to their power, drove the Britons into the most remote and mountainous parts, and the rest of the country, in customs, religion and language, became wholly Saxon' This complicated sentence, by means of some slight alterations, and a division into several sentences, will appear clear and accurate; thus,

The Britons, left to shift for themselves, and daily harassed by the cruel inroads of the Picts, were forced to call in the Saxons for their defence. But these (the Saxons) soon reduced the greatest part of the island under their own power, and drove the Britons to the most remote and mountain ous parts. The consequence was, that the rest of the country became inhabited by a people in language, manners and religion wholly Saxon. Rule 4th. The too frequent repetition of the same pronouns referring to different antecedents should be avoided.

The reason for this rule is, that such words being substitutes, can be used with advantage only when that to which the pronoun refers is quite obvious. The following sentence exemplifies this remark:

'One may have an air which proceeds from a just sufficiency and knowl edge of the matter before him, which may naturally produce some motions of his head and body, which might become the bench better than the bar.' In this sentence the pronoun which' is used three times; and each time with a different antecedent. The first time that it is used its antecedent is air, the second time it is sufficiency and knowledge, and the third, motions of the head and body. The confusion thus introduced into the sentence may be avoided by employing this for the second which, and such as for the third: thus,

"One may have an air which proceeds from a just sufficiency of knowledge of the matter before him, and this may naturally produce some motions of the head, such as might become the bench better than the bar.' Rule 5th. All redundant words and clauses should be avoided.