Many of the foregoing parentheses, and others of a fimilar conftruction, embarrass the periods, in which they occur; are utterly inconfiftent with accuracy and elegance of style; and should be carefully avoided.

С НА Р.

CHA P. IX.

Of a DASH, or a short horizontal line, in writing.

THE

HE dafh is frequently ufed by hafty and incoherent writers, in a very capricious and arbitrary manner, instead of the regular point. The proper ufe of it is, where the fentence breaks off abruptly; where the sense is suspended; where a fignificant pause is required; or where there is an unexpected turn' in the sentiment *.

* See other ufes of the Dafh under the article ELLIPSIS, in the APPENDIX, chap. ii.

EXAMPLES.

1. Where the sentence breaks off abruptly.

BUT oh! Ulyffes-deeper than the rest,
That fad idea wounds my anxious breast * !

If thou beeft he-but oh! how fallen †!

Whom I-but first I'll calm the waves again ‡.
Nothing, my Lord, or if-I know not what §.

Put out the light, and then-Put out the light

The latter part of this line is a fudden ftart of thought, introducing fome reflections on the murder of Desdemona; and fhould be printed with a note of interrogation.

*POPE, Odyf. iv. 130.

Par. Loft, b. i. 84.

PITT, Æn. b. i. 185.

SHAKESPEARE, Othello, act iii. fc. 4

Ibid. act v. Lc. 6.

2. Where

re

2. Where the fenfe is fufpended, and continued after a fhort interruption.

DRAW, archers! draw!—your arrows to the head*!

The latter part of this line is an afterthought. Garrick used to pause very properly, where the dafh is here inferted. The ardor and impetuofity of Richard is more naturally and forcibly expreffed, by this divifion of the sentence, than by the regular pronunciation of the words, in their grammatical connection,

Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head.

3. Where a fignificant pause is required.

LORD Cardinal! if thou think'ft on heaven's blifs,
Hold up thy hand, make signal of that hope.-
He dies, and makes no sign + !

As an interval of filence, or a folemn paufe, is abfolutely neceffary after the pronunciation of the fecond line, the dafh or break may be used in this place, with great propriety.

* SHAKESPEARE, Rich. III. act v. fc. 7.
+ Id. Hen. VI. 2d part, act iii. fc. 10.

4. Where there is an unexpected turn in the fentiment; or a fort of epigrammatic point.

HERE thon, great Anna, whom three realms obey, Doft fometimes counsel take-and fometimes tea *.

But in fuch lays, as neither ebb nor flow,
Correctly cold, and regularly low,

That shunning faults, one quiet tenor keep;
We cannot blame indeed-but we may fleep f.

HERE LIES THE GREAT- -falfe marble, where ? Nothing but fordid dust lies here.

The last couplet contains a beautiful apoftrophe.

POPE, Rape of the Lock, cant. iii. 7.
Id. Effay on Crit. ver. 239.