It may be prefumed, in general, that one colon in a period is fufficient; as two fupplimental clauses, equally independent on the foregoing part, and on each other, can scarcely ever occur. 4. A colon is commonly used, when an example, a quotation, or a speech is introduced, in this manner : EVE is thus beautifully described by Mil ton: "Grace was in all her steps." Always remember this ancient maxim: KNOW THYSELF *. The faying of Pythagoras contains the most excellent advice: REVERENCE THYSELF †. The fcriptures give us an amiable representation of the Deity in these words: GOD IS LOVE. *гvæl σEAUTO, Nofce teipfum. DIOG. LAERT. in Vitâ Thaletis. Juv. Sat. xi. 27. † Παντων δε μαλις' αισχυνει σαυτόν, PYTHAG. Aur. Carm. V. 12. Providence Providence has ftamped every poffeffion of man with this infcription: REJOICE WITH TREMBLING. 5. It is obfervable, that every verfe in the Pfalms, the Te Deum, and other Parts of the Liturgy, is divided by a colon. EXAMPLES. MY tongue is the pen: of a ready writer. Let every thing that hath breath: praise the Lord *. The noble army of martyrs: praise thee. This point is calculated for choirs, where fuch parts of the service are chanted; and only ferves to divide the chant into two parts. Though we are told, that the Pfalms are "pointed, as they are to be fung or said in churches," the colon is not to be regarded in reading them, unless it happens to be placed in conformity to the rules of punctuation. * Pfal. xlv. 2. cl. 6. СНАР. A CHAP. V. Of a PERIO D. PERIOD properly fignifies a circuit, or a sentence, in which the meaning is fufpended, till the whole is finished. It is called by Cicero, " verborum_ambitus *.” The Greek and Latin writers, who were at liberty to throw the firft word in construction to the end of the fentence, could easily form a period of this nature; but modern languages do *Comprehenfio et ambitus verborum. Cic. de Clar. Orat. 66.In toto circuitu illo verborum, quem Græci epsodov, nos tum ambitum, tum circuitum, tum comprehenfionem, aut continuationem, aut circumfcriptionem, dicimus. CIC. Orator, § 41. According to this idea, the following fentence is a regular period: "At last, after much fatigue, through deep roads, and in bad weather, we came, with no fmall difficulty, to our journey's end." By do not fo readily admit of fuch a circuitous arrangement. In English, a sentence of any fort, which is complete in itself, or independent on. every other, is called a period; and the point, distinguished by that name, is always placed at the conclufion. In reading, a period requires a full ftop, that is, a complete paufe, or a perfect interval of filence. By a different arrangement these words form what is called a loofe or disjointed fentence, thus: "We came to our journey's end, at laft, with no fmall difficulty,, after much fatigue, through deep roads, and in bad weather." In the latter fentence there are no lefs than five words, namely, end, laft, difficulty, fatigue, roads, with any of which the fentence might have been terminated. CAMPBELL'S Phil. of Rhet. b. iii. c. 3. § 3. p. 341. Demetrius Phalereus compares a loose sentence to a heap of ftones; and a regular period to an arch, in which the ftones have a dependence on one another. De Elocut. §. 13. 1. If two fentences come together, and have no connection, either in fenfe or construction, notwithstanding their brevity, they ought to be confidered as two feparate periods, and divided by a full stop. EXAMPLES. FEAR God. Honour the king. 2. A period may be admitted between two fentences, which are joined by a disjunctive or a copulative conjunction; provided the conftruction of the latter sentence does not immediately depend on the former. Several chapters in the New Teftament begin with but, for, wherefore, therefore, and, &c. For instance: BUT a certain man, &c. Acts, ch. v. For the kingdom of heaven, &c. Mat. xx. * 1 Pet. ii. 17. I Thef. v. 16, 17.-See chap. iii. § 3. Therefore |